Best of 2011
So far. Ordered from greatest to least.
List items
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1. Dead Space 2
5/5: The basic mechanics feel great and the game is filled with awesome moments. Top that off with cool ascetics, amazing atmosphere, genuine challenge and a reason to keep coming back. Some of the best third-person action I've ever played.
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2. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
4.5/5: Stunning amount of freedom and an impressively textured world are Skyrim's greatest strengths. Not only is there a lot to do, but most of it is really good. Gameplay is little more than passable, but the flexibility it allows is remarkable. Sadly brought down by a number of technical issues.
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3. Gears of War 3
4/5: Gears of War's final chapter doesn't change much of it's winning formula, but it doesn't have to. The story has it's fair share of surprisingly strong moments, but falls a bit short at the end. Multiplayer balance has been greatly improved, allowing for a more well rounded play experience. Co-op modes are simply a blast.
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4. Batman: Arkham City
4/5: Takes what made Arkham Asylum great and repackages it for a second run. The larger scale works nicely, but the teasings at a open world makes one wish it was truly open. A bit too conservative of a squeal, but still one hell of a time.
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5. Portal 2
4/5: Incredible writing and some clever puzzles make for a fun time, even if some sections are a bore. The gameplay and story work against each other here, but it's easy to forgive because both are so great.
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6. Mortal Kombat
4/5: Fun and meaningful single-player modes only add to this already solid fighter. The bloody ridiculousness with smart core systems makes for good times with or without people to play with. Docked for online performance issues.
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7. Bastion
3.5/5: Great art, great storytelling, great player options... mediocre gameplay. Tons of cool weapons with unique traits and surprising deep mechanics, but unfortunately there is rarely a need for any approach more advanced than "mash". Some very cool ideas, but they never quite reach their full potential.
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8. Outland
3.5/5: Mechanically solid with a neat art style. The color shifting makes for some interesting level and boss design, but is brought down by more than a few tedious areas and a questionable checkpoint system.
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9. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
3.5/5: Nathan Drake's latest is a fun, light romp, except when it isn't. Clumsy aiming controls and poorly constructed combat scenarios can make for some frustrating unevenness in a game that's supposed to be all about the roller-coaster ride. There is still enjoyment to be found, but it's obscured, and not particularly fulfilling.
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10. Iron Brigade
3/5: Goofy fun and good with friends, Trenched provides some decent action with it's familiar systems, but never exploits them to their full potential. A solid release, but not a lasting one.
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11. L.A. Noire
2.5/5: Impressive tech, but not much else. With boring and shallow gameplay, story is easily the best part, but even that is only ok. Adventure game trappings never play off by making you feel like you figured something out. Major disappointment.
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12. Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary
N/A: This game is Halo. Halo is my favorite game of all time. For that reason alone it earns a spot on my list, but it doesn't seem fair to rank it. I think it's great and I love it, but seeing as it is just a ten year old game with a new coat of paint, it feels hollow to score and place it alongside original releases.
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13. Gemini Rue
4/5: Fuck it.
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