The best new games I played in 2011
Here's my end-of-year list.
I didn't play: Saints Row 3, Batman: AC, Assassins Creed (any of them), Gears 3, Call of Duty, Battlefield, Others.
List items
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What can I say that hasn't already been said? Your journey in Skyrim will not be mine. It's a game that has so much content that you may meet characters, find items, and stumble upon places that I never get to see. Just like every new Elder Scrolls game, it's the best value-for-money you can find in gaming.
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I'm a sucker for any game that gives me multitudinous ways to complete a mission. The Deus Ex series is the king of that kind of mission and this is no exception. I also love the world this game takes place in. It not only looks amazing, but it conveys cyberpunk as well as I've ever seen in a game. And I love the concept of conversational boss-battles, where principle characters and villains have to be persuaded to see things your way.
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This is the best pure platform-game ever made as far as I am aware. The art, animation, music, and level design are of unprecedented quality for this style of game. It's also so full of life and humor. It bursts with personality.
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This was the best racing game I've ever played and probably the best ever made. Not only does the driving feel and look amazing, but like in every Forza game, you can upgrade and tweak your car to an unnecessary degree. The career mode gives you a choice of three races per event, based on which car you're in, giving you a choice of prizes and level of challenge. And now there's Jeremy Clarkson from Top Gear narrating the game, who does a great job bringing a soul to a franchise that can otherwise feel pretty robotic.
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Remember what I said about games that offer choices in approaching a mission? This game nails it just as well as Deus Ex and sometimes better. I think of it as Arkham Asylum the shooter. The battles are presented as combat puzzles where both stealth and raw power can be equally effective and damn fun. They say that good action games make you feel powerful and capable, but still challenged by long odds. This game does exactly that. It's the best shooter I played all year, although I DID skip Battlefield and COD.
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It not only improved upon and expanded the gameplay and world of Portal, but it's probably the funniest game I've ever played. Instead of explaining this game, I usually tell people to play the first one. You should play the first one, then this.
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This was a story-driven open-world-lite RPG and incredibly fun to play. I love its combat, especially melee. It also has awesome online multiplayer in a co-op Adventure mode. How many RPGs have that? You should really try this.
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It's like Secret of Mana, but better. Everything in this game is quality. Bastion's been lauded for its amazing narration and music, but the gameplay impresses me just as much if not more-so
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The best fighting game I've played in years. Not only is it a good accessible choice for first timers, but there's definitely enough tactical depth to keep me satisfied. It also has an amazing wealth of content for the money before any DLC, and the best story-mode in a fighting game ever.
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The Binding of Issac is a randomly generated rogue-like inside of a Legend of Zelda dungeon, with the sick humor and artistic sensibilities of Ed McMillen, one of the creators of Super Meat Boy. Unlike most rogue-likes, though, it was hard to stop playing. The amazingly creative and sometimes hilarious items and enemies keep you wanting to see the next wild thing and what it does.
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