Best of 2011
I felt the need to justify some of the games so there is more text to them.
List items
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I couldn't bring myself to put this game at number 2. While I may have gotten more short term enjoyment out of SR3 this game is on another level. A huge world, great stories, a main quest that doesn't suck this time and technical combat. Bethesda finally did it.
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This is the game I enjoyed the most this year, it is stupid in the smartest way possible. Pure fun, everything a game should be. I will keep this short in order to not spoil any events but guys... You should play this game.
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My problem with this game is I agree with most points raised by people who hate it. It can feel clunky, there are blatant translation errors, it is unfair, the tutorial is useless. Despite all of this, that feeling you get when you finally take down a boss on the 20th attempt is incredible. The game is extremely hard but thanks to the great community built around it there are always people to help you out and while the game can feel unfair at times there is always something you could have done differently. You could have reacted faster, you could have had better positional awareness. This is a game that everyone should try, it might just make you a better gamer.
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While Saints Row 3 went for pure ridiculousness in it's comedy, Portal 2 manages the same level of humour with a brilliantly written cast of characters. Valve are truly masters of creating memorable characters. Oh and the gameplay is pretty good too.
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Every year there is one game where each aspect comes together in such a perfect way, one might have the stones to call it art. If I was going to be "that guy", this year that game would be Bastion. Amazing art, music and narration with responsive gameplay to back it up.
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I love the Phoenix Wright games, it is my favorite DS series. However nobody has ever really made a true adventure game on modern consoles. That is until L.A. Noire. They nail the noire theme, the main character goes through a memorable arc and the facial technology really adds to the experience despite being almost comical at times. While there are issues such as the interrogation sequences being poorly worded (when I doubt someone I don't want to be shaking them by the collar) and it can feel like a picture hunt game at times L.A. Noire is a great piece of adult fiction.
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After invisible war lets just say my expectations for this game weren't high. Luckily Human Revolution turned out to be the true sequel that Deus Ex deserved, the gameplay wasn't stellar but the environmental puzzles in the deep world they created are enjoyable. I spent a huge amount of time hacking people's computers just so I could read their email and add more to this crazy, oppressive cyberpunk future. The story beats are good but they did not go far enough in terms of the philosophical aspect of what it means to be human. Also the boss fights are ASS and may harshly punish you for choosing to play non-lethal / stealthy. It is flawed but the world they have created makes up for it. Also YO GUYS THAT CITY HAS A FLOOF
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I loved the original resident evil games as a kid, they scared the shit out of me but there was something compelling about that need to survive. With the recent resident evil games going off the tracks I had a hole that needed filling. Dead Space 1 filled that hole with tight controls, an extremely clever UI and puzzle combat that kept things interesting throughout. Dead Space 2 picks up right after 1 left off but turned everything up to 11. The environments are more grand, the jump scares are more effective and it has a cool throwback level to DS1 which is the most terrifying level this year. Combat remains fun and the gore is gnarlier than ever. I didn't agree with the choice to voice Isaac beyond his grunts in the first game, where he was at first a Gordan Freeman esque badass he is now more of a generic action hero, despite this the story is still interesting and has some neat religious zealotry undertones.
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I've always had a distant interest in comic books but never made the leap to explore them. My limits are movies that vary in quality and video games that have almost unanimously been bad cash-ins. Arkham Asylum shattered this trend bringing a comic book game that could stand toe to toe with any other game that year. Arkham City continues this trend in a more open world landscape. It looks nicer and has even more villains for batman to combat with a great brawling fighting system. It's more batman, but because of how much I enjoyed the first one I'm not complaining.
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This game was BUSTED at launch, there is no denying that. It was almost impossible to play online, some of the features didn't work properly and many people were being auto-disconnected because of skins they owned. Luckily I'm not a guy who wants to play MK online, I have SF4 and MVC for that. For me, this game was the next evolution of fighting games with a story mode that was lengthy, interesting and fun. A challenge tower that lived up to the name and fatalities which are completely gross MK is a complete package for those who didn't want to play online. Now that the online is fixed it is hard to fault this game. My only complaint is I don't get the thrill of playing a game I shouldn't be any more now that I'm an adult
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