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Brackynews

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Bracky's 2011 GOTYs

There ain't no cool button this year for my votes, so here's the stuff with just a few notes.

Best games I haven't really played yet:

ElS ties with CoE for my Thank-you-for-making-this-gem-but-no-way-i'm-spending-sixty-dollars award.
ElS ties with CoE for my Thank-you-for-making-this-gem-but-no-way-i'm-spending-sixty-dollars award.

Excessively long list of Honourable Mentions without context:

You should really know how big a deal this standalone release is. Adam Boyes knows.
You should really know how big a deal this standalone release is. Adam Boyes knows.
In my defense, any matching set is better than these.
In my defense, any matching set is better than these.

Proudest Purchase

Shameful Slipup

  • Picking the wrong button colours for my BurgerTime cabinet... despite the fact there was an original cabinet FIFTY FEET FROM THE VENDOR TABLE. Augh. Xp

List items

  • Soul of the mind, key to life's ether... The lack of Maiden in Black is a big part of why I don't actually prefer Dark over Demon's. But the improvements to multiplayer, the absolutely insane enemy swarming, friendlier loot burdens, open world feel, and continued surges of satisfaction when goals are accomplished are amazing. And From's patching has improved everything from balance to better soul farming. Check out Justin McElroy's Anor Londo song and maybe you'll get it. :) Failure has never been so satisfying.

  • I set my sail ;

    fly the wind it will take me ;

    back to my home, sweet home ;

    lie on my back ;

    clouds are making way for me ;

    I'm coming home, sweet home ;

    I see your star ;

    you left it burning for me ;

    mother, I'm here ;

    eyes open wide ;

    feel your heart and its glowing ;

    I'm welcome home, sweet home ;

    I take your hand ;

    now you'll never be lonely ;

    not when I'm home, sweet home ;

    I see your star ;

    you left it burning for me ;

    mother, I'm here...

  • Reading the "This is That Part" achievement description is very likely the single funniest moment I experienced in a 2011 video game. Even without that, Portal 2 wins solely on single player characterization and mechanics. I haven't bought a single hat (yet). Also doubling up PS3 & PC retail keys made it an excellent value. Thanks Valve.

  • Phelps. Traffic. In a year of games that were unfinishable or simply didn't keep my attention, I didn't swap out "the dark" until I was done. Compelling. Did I mention I love Mad Men?

  • FUCKING. FOOLS. UP. But does this game *ever* end? Tied with UC3.

  • Never Not Charting. The multiplayer is phenomenal, to the point of distracting me from the single player. A rare feat indeed. Tied with B:AC.

  • Winner for my best "Sky" game of 2011, because we didn't get another Crimson Skies release. :( I bought Skyrim on the 25th in a Steam sale, so I've played about 12 hours of it so far, enjoying my Khajiit Thief. But I still see a lot more Oblivion tropes under the surface, rather than the things I love about Fallout, especially comedy. So I can't elevate it much higher than seventh, even though it will be well over 100 hours of epicness. I might give Dragon Punching a try.

  • I took a break from Minecraft while it (and Mojang) sorted themselves out during the Beta phase. Roughly from the introduction of pistons and achievements to the final throes of 1.7, it just wasn't all that interesting in Single Player; until new blocks and mechanics gave us more than just stone slabs and glass cubes for decoration. Now (undeniably thanks to Terraria) with more blocks, enchanting, better mobs, better food, and the LIVELY magic of Painterly textures, it's a terrific product WITH AN ENDING. Also the Whiskey Media Minecraft Server is gobs of fun. Join us won't you?

  • I have not leapt in day-one to a MMO since Galaxies (that's 2003 for you WoW kids). So now instead of a Bothan Tailor I can be a synthweaving blind Jedi in a Bothan guild. I'll take it, but who can I marry and share property with??? Hold my hand...

  • He was fat back cat cool like a Friday afternoon martini, chillin' at a quarter after 5. Twist of lime, Coke on the side. The brother loved the high life. Had a Ph.D. in street stride. They called him 'The Jackal'.

    He was big Mack daddy super black stylin' a diamonds in the back Cadillac.

    Fur-lined boards, white wall wheels, cruise control, built for speed, chrome on evray-thang. And stereophonic speakers, though he really didn't need them.

    When they called him... 'The Jackal'.

  • My 2011's 2010 GOTY. I'm still wrapping up all the achievements in FNV, and didn't want to dive into Skyrim too much beforehand. No one man should have that much Bethesda. Right now I'm enjoying Old World Blues quite a bit, except for the combat and traversal. You know how it is. Also that damn Tron suit used all my Stimpacks. Chatty bitch.

  • My 2011's 2010 MMOOTY. (MMORPGOOTY?) Anyone who cares about STO would probably call me a nutcase for liking what Cryptic & Perfect World have/haven't done with STO this year. Frankly this game is orders of magnitude better now than it was at launch. As a newcomer who paid $5 for a retail key and $60 in subscriptions for 250 hours of playtime, it's a pretty, pretty game, and I would put the fun of space combat up against any other entry in the franchise. Season 4 and 5 are gamechangers, and despite how much people complain in the forums, there are still a ton of people playing – because what else are you gonna do with a lifetime sub – and F2P will open the floodgates even more. I think 2012 will be pretty good to this game. Hell, just having a dev team and a budget again is a pretty big plus. Fuck InfogrAtari.

2 Comments

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Corvak

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Edited By Corvak

Nice list!

I still kinda like Demons better than Dark Souls though.

And I would also nominate STO for "best post-release MMO" because of how much it's improved. Cryptic bit off more than it could handle developing both STO and Champions at the same time, and as a result, both were very mediocre at launch. STO's space combat remains one of the best things in any MMO recently, for me. Hardline trekkies will find a reason to hate on any piece of Trek media, regardless of how accurate it tries to be - and developers need to walk the line between fun and accuracy.

Portal 2 and Skyrim. These two games are fighting for that #1 spot in my mind right now. I just can't decide.

Still having trouble calling Minecraft a 2011 release. I think it'll always be a 2010 game, official release dates or not.

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Brackynews

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@Corvak:

Yup my phrasing wasn't crystal clear but I'm still playing my Demon's NG+ too. There is just so much character in that game, good and evil. The NPCs in Dark are well acted and eccentric but just don't resonate with me the same way. Maybe because there are so many?

Cryptic also had a legal obligation to release STO on the date they did. IP licensing is ridiculous, but video games aren't the industry to change that single-handedly... I feel like the "us vs. them" mentality with Star Wars is silly, just like the "WoW vs. everyone" mentality. There is enough money for multiple gorillas to coexist.

At its core MC is a 2010 title, no doubt. But the "game" part of it evolved in 2011 along with the company. It's not only voxel LEGOs now, they have actual LEGOs for that! And Minicraft is definitely 2011. ;)

For your dilemma, if you really want a tiebreaker maybe consider that Skyrim is the Nth iteration of Elder Scrolls in 17 years, and Portal 2 is the second in 4 years. Skyrim has an industry legacy and technical evolution, while Portal 2 has a small team of genius writers and Digipen graduates behind it. I feel the Portal franchise has done more with less, and Elder Scrolls has consistently fought and won the fight to live up to its legacy. But ties are totally ok! :)