Box3ru13

FO3 should've been gone two rounds ago, how it made it this far is beyond me. Not even Bethesda's best game. ME2 is easily BioWare's however.

TLOU for a myraid of reasons that I will come back and edit this post to say why.

+1 for Quelaag's Furysword, great for DEX builds and really fast attacks while still allowing you to roll. First playthrough ever went with that sword. Secondary I went with the sword the Black Knights have +5 and two handed that if I needed to do more damage outright.

The Last of Us didn't delete my save game after completing the first chapter and force me to replay everything over again, nor did it make me waste hours on message boards trying to fix said save bug.

Honestly that alone is worth ranking TLOU over TWD. But I'll continue.

TWD is pretty good, better than the TV show by a country mile. I enjoyed Lee and Clem and bought into their relationship as Faux-daughter/dad.

But TLOU came out months after TWD. A game where you escort a young girl through the harsh zombie-filled landscape where dark and terrible things happen to loads and loads of people. And in the end you have to make a gut-wrenching decision. And not only is the "game" part better (TWD is still a game, its just a "different" type of game). It manages to outshine TWD by a considerable margin despite having a similar story and coming out after TWD was awarded with many GOTY awards (including here...almost).

This poll deserves to be close but probably not this close. TWD is fantastic. Yet TLOU is just that much more so. Considering the hurdles it had to clear before release it is even more impressive.

FO3 isn't better than New Vegas, it isn't better than Witcher 2 and it sure as hell isn't better than SMG. WHAT.THE.FUCK.GUYS?

Fucking travesty right here. And I really like Portal 2.

Exclusivity and the polarizing nature of its narrative are hurting MGS4 here. The leap from MGS4 from 3 was tremendous (not just due to new hardware either) than Portal 2 over the first. Even if you hate the batshit crazy nature of MGS4 story I think there is enough incredible moments to overtake the best moments from Portal 2.

Chapters 1 and 2 offered new and varied ways to tackle objectives and navigate the battlefield. And both included some good set-pieces and presented unique (non)-combat situations for you to engage with.

Chapter 3 slows everything down and for some this was the low point. Until you ride shotgun on a fucking motorcycle whilst being chased throughout nameless East Europe city. That was finally an awesome cut-scene that you actually got to play, hell part of me wanted to just sit back an enjoy the show but you get to shoot down UAVs and play the meanest game of Road Rash since the 90's.

Chapter 4 is also a slower paced chapter but with some good ol' nostalgia mixed in. Has a great Sniper battle boss fight, an awesome Gekko fight, and a fucking Metal Gear on Metal Gear battle to the death.

Chapter 5, while short, provides another open-ish section that you can tackle in whatever manner you wish. A boss fight that probably left you stumped and messing around with controllers. And a fucking duel a top a warship against your brother all while set the the music of the previous games.

MGS4 is a goddamn masterpiece, crazy? Sure. But a crazy masterpiece is still a masterpiece.

I think RDR is Rockstar's best game this gen. And yet it still can't compete with Uncharted 2. Okay it can but it doesn't hold up.

People like to bring up Bioshock's poor FPshooting as a reason it doesn't deserve to move on often, then RDR doesn't for a similar reason. Its combat its downright awful. The cover system is vastly inferior to U2, the aiming is as well. Weapons are a push because its very apples/oranges but U2 has the benefit of not having any stupid turret sections.

U2 train level is the epitome of game defining magnificence, everyone remembers how well-thought and designed that level is. RDR's by contrast is completely forgettable as is most of the Mexican section. The ending and first third of RDR are great and deserve all the praise including best late title-card ever.

But the entirety of U2 is from top to bottom outstanding. The MP is also better in U2 than RDR again simply because its more fun to shoot in U2 than RDR.

I don't get how RDR is winning the poll at this point aside from not as many people playing U2. RDR wasn't even the best game the year it came out much less a better game than Uncharted 2.

Dark Souls wins here. I played Bioshock on all three platforms and really enjoy it. The back quarter or so isn't good. Its story and setting are both fantastic and while I get why some people think the combat isn't good. Big Daddy encounters were like a puzzle for me; a puzzle I thoroughly enjoyed again and again.

But there is something pretty special about Dark Souls. Each playthrough unveils something new: a new tactic, strategy, item, secret, etc. I recently just revisited DS for a run through as a magic character. Being in Anor Lando has been a revelation as to how the game let's you tackle it in whatever manner you wish. Sure its difficult and frustration is bound to ensue, yet there is a drive to continue onward and the game gives you just enough tools and information to conquer the next area/boss and progress.

I could ramble all day about why DS is better until we're all hollow but I'd rather go slay Ornstein and Smough.

Coming into this one I thought it'd be closer for me and the toughest choice so far in this tourney. Then I remembered how good the writing is in The Witcher. Caveat incoming: I'm only a chapter into the Witcher 2 but the original (which I played in May) is any way indicative of what CDPR did with the Witcher 2 then I know it'll easily surpass anything story-wise of FO3.

I also forgot how meaningful and truly grey the choices in TW are vs. FO. FO like many games boils down its choice system to red and blue, good and evil, "kill this box full of puppies or start an animal shelter" type of decisions.

TW made me take long pauses when deciding between key decisions. The pen-ultimate decision of that game had me doing some real introspective analysis of who I wanted to be and represent. It wasn't a clear choice of this option is clearly evil and this one isn't or vice-versa both had their positives and negatives. The decision had real weight and gravity to it. Something that is clearly missing in FO3 (New Vegas however...would be an interesting and tougher comparison) and just cannot hold up to what TW is offering in terms of player agency.

There are many other reasons why one could argue for TW or TW2 vs. FO3 but I don't think any matter as much.

Witcher Geralt also slays men and beast with ease and gets laid on the regular, hard to vote against a guy like that, amirite?

TW2 by a Wild Hunt.

I feel really bad not having played Ghost Trick and have heard great things about it which further leads to some shame on my part. In an alternate universe where I have played it and one where TLOU doesn't exist I'm sure I'd vote for it.

But guys, Naughty Dog's Magnum Opus is fucking incredible. Uncharted 2 was and still is one of the best games of this generation and before this year was thought to be ND's crowning jewel. They released Uncharted 3 which was great but a step down from 2. ND probably could've called it quits there for this gen and been satisfied with their results of releasing one of the better (if not best) trilogy of games for the generation.

Then they introduce a new IP towards the end of a overlong and stagnant console cycle. Have a post-apocalyptic setting with "zombies" (a tired, and utterly worn-out concept in 2013) and completely blow the fucking doors off the gaming world. They introduce great characters with memorable dialogue. Set the tone and gravity of this harsh world in a fine and poignant way, make stealth and its need not only fun but necessary because the danger is real and combat is something to be avoided.

Oh and it probably has one of the best stories in gaming. And the first 20 mins probably top any game ever, including God of War 3. This may read like hyperbole (and some of it may be) but its hard not to emphasize how fucking good TLOU is.

Sorry Ghost Trick but maybe in Earth 2 you win this round. Here on Earth 1 (or is it?) you do not.