Best of 2011
Fantastic year for RPGs despite Bioware's fall from grace!
List items
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Currently the greatest game in existence.
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A drearily beautiful game. Play it. Grok it.
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When I played the first Witcher, back in 2007, I was super impressed. Some random game from out of nowhere was one of the best RPGs I had played in years -- and using the Aurora engine, putting NWN2 to shame (sorry Obsidian). The Witcher 2 raised the bar tremendously. With a clearly superior engine this time around, the game is graphically stunning. The voice-acting rivals Bioware. The combat is poorly introduced, but enjoyable once you get the hang of it. The story ends a bit flat but leaves you wanting more.
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I didn't play the original Deus Ex when it came out, but if I had I'm sure I would have loved it. DXHR drops you in to a beautifully realized near-future Earth and the kind of sci-fi plot we just don't get anymore. Though the story and gameplay had some flaws -- detached ending, too many terminals, too few sidequests -- I cannot wait to see what comes next for Deus Ex.
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Ranking this on my experience thus far. I dread the part where it becomes just another MMO to me. But, so far I can play it and think of it as the single player Bioware game I wish it was.
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Despite its flaws -- specifically: recycled assets, limited scope, and waves of trash enemies -- Bioware still delivered a compelling narrative and an enjoyable RPG experience. The future for Dragon Age is murky, but I see potential prospects of gold, not just garbage.
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The MOST video game of 2011.
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Short but mostly flawless. The distinctive midsection of the game suffered in comparison to the tightness of the rest of the game -- which was a shame because the voice work and narrative was so well-done. Disclaimer: did not play first game.
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Most interesting as a glimpse of what SMT/Persona could look like on the 360/PS3. Some lost-in-translation business made the down-to-earth ending seem weirder than the far-out ending.. I liked the game overall but hope Atlus JP will focus on RPGs, since there are so precious few and theirs are some of the best.
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Jeff's secret GotY.
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