Best of 2011
Continuing the annual tradition despite the lack of an official format here are my favorite games of 2011.
List items
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Bethesda managed to take everything they did right before and then went about greatly improving nearly everything they didn't while also managing to deliver their largest world yet. I knew when I was just mere hours in that this was going to be at the top of my list.
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A more than worthy follow-up to the legendary original game. Human Revolution takes a lot of the key elements of the original (The multiple paths in both environment and character development, the inventory system, the tough grey area choices) and melds it with modern shooter and stealth mechanics. The out-sourced boss battles are a little disappointing but the Dialog-Based Boss battles are innovative and amazing.
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Shu Takumi and Co managed to take all the character, charm and intrigue of their Ace Attorney series and managed to meld it with an original and much more interesting game to play. I loved every single second of this game.
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Portal 2 is almost perfect, if this list was purely based on quality this would easily top it. The game design is without peer, the new mechanics integrate perfectly and its small cast of characters tell one of the most amazing realized stories in gaming.
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The little game that could, it combines solid gameplay with the most innovative story telling mechanic since Prince of Persia: Sands of Time and a fantastic soundtrack to create an amazing experience with a lot of heart from beginning to end.
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While not as significant as its predecessor Naughty Dog still manages to top themselves in some amazing ways, from playable set-pieces that no one else has even got close to pulling off (The Plane, The Ship) to more quiet moments (The Market, The Desert) and some great character moments that only they can pull off (The Cafe, Cutter). As a developer I also have to give them props on their contextual animations and animation blending because its beyond world class.
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Despite the company politics that have since ensued I want to congratulate Rockstar for having the balls to back a mega-budget Adventure game in 2011. Investigating and Interrogating was a treat and though the facial capture technique has its limits it was still a sight to behold.
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This game very much lies in the shadow of Arkham Asylum and as a result expectations were massive. Arkham City handily matches but doesn't quite exceed those expectations. The fantastic combat is better, the world is bigger, there is more stuff to do but it looses some of the intimacy of the first game's Metroid inspired level design. There may be too many villains and as a result a lot of the story doesn't hold as much weight as it should but as a Batman fan "Oh my god that last 30 minutes right?".
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I went into this game blindly, having played just the opening acts of the original Witcher and man did this game blow me away. It looks amazing, the writing is phenomenal and the gameplay is much more active in a good way.
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There is literally nothing quite like this game. A puzzle platformer with an engrossing story dealing with infidelity. The fact that is game managed to sell well despite having nothing approaching mass market appeal makes me more hopeful for humanity.
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Totally justified my 3DS purchase. I didn't think there was room for a game between New Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario 64 / Galaxy but man if it is not a treat. Pulling from the entire series (Even the evil poison mushrooms from Japanese Super Mario Bros 2) this game is a big melting pot of Mario gameplay ideas and it even proves that stereoscopic can actually matter to gameplay.
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I've heard this game referred to as the game the mass media created when they talked about GTA3. This game is the counter-point to GTA4, the game Rockstar would have made if they wanted to top the craziness of the craziest parts of San Andreas. Rockstar took the path of creating a more realistic, more immersive, more humanizing game. Volition took the crazy ball and ran with it. The characters are absurd, the gameplay is absurd but the fact that it all holds together as well as it does is amazing. Its both their commitment to the joke and the fact that the gameplay is solid enough to hold the weight of their lofty ambitions.
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Still have a good way to go in this game but what is on display is fantastic. The motion controls really work, you need to get past the first dungeon to really adjust to them but the possibility space they open for gameplay is grand and the level design built around those motion controls is amazing.
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Continuing to prove that the downloadable game format is the best thing to happen to Double Fine, Stacking is an excellent and entirely unique puzzle game with a fun story centered around surprisingly serious topics. This game also manages to compel you to explore and discover every way to solve its puzzles without that ever feeling like a chore.
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A fulfilling conclusion to the genre defining series. This game doesn't add a ton of new mechanics to the formula but its all very welcome. The story holds more weight than it ever has and the multiplayer modes, especially the improved horde mode are fantastic. The fact that this game isn't in my top 10 speaks to how amazing this year was.
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Get past the "Prepare to Die" marketing slogan and you'll find a game more approachable then you might first suspect. Yes its hard but its rarely unfair and the feeling you get by finally surpassing the latest obstacle is amazing.
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Resistance: Fall of Man was a good launch game but not a ton beyond that, Resistance 2 pulled in a lot of directions and was a bit of a mess, so it was to my great surprise that Resistance 3 is an absolutely fantastic game. The weapon variety is great as usual and infused with Ratchet and Clank's upgrade mechanic but there is also a ton of great variety in the mission design. It contains a lot of the personality and polish missing from its predecessors while also offering a good story with a number of "Oh Snap!" moments.
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Having come out so early in this year its easy to forget how good this sequel is. It tightens up the core gunplay of the original while giving you more interesting things to shoot. This also has some amazing set piece moments in it. Watch where you put that thing in your eye.
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"It was all a dream" is about as cliche a fiction trope as there is but somehow Driver: San Francisco manages to make it compelling and fun. The dialog specifically is great. The mechanic of jumping between cars is fresh and fun in a genre that feels like its run its course in terms of innovation. The fact that it revives a series that was thought to be dead in the water is uplifting.
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I'm only three worlds in on this but my god if it isn't beautiful and it sounds amazing too. The platforming is solid and it mixes up what your doing just enough.
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Easily the best story mode any fighting game has ever seen and a good tutorial system that teaches you its solid fighting mechanics makes this one of the most approachable fighting games released in the last decade, the fact that the gore is also excellent and hilarious is just a lovely bonus.
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The single player campaign isn't nearly as bad as a lot of people are saying but its really just a minor extra to the great multiplayer. The size of the maps and the return of jets really make this the best virtual warzone you could be fighting in right now even if it feels a little too familiar.
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Another super early entry in the year, this game manages to tighten up a lot of the gameplay that could make the platforming in the original frustrating while also adding a ton of excellent variety to the campaign. And the new tools that it gives its users are nothing short of astounding.
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There is very little surprising about this game. The multiplayer is as solid as ever with even more persistence and goals. The spec-ops mode makes a great return, the new horde-like mode is a fun side activity. The campaign has become way too on-rails but at least the sights look pretty. If you've played the campaigns in the other two games it is worth finishing though because the payoff is totally worth it.
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