Please forgive me, Assassin's Creed Revelations, The Witcher 2, Bastion, and L.A. Noire. I wanted to play you but, well, you know how it is. It's not too late for us! I just need more time.
In the mean time, my top games of 2011. Still a work in progress. I'll get around to adding text descriptions to all the games eventually.
I was super doubtful coming in. The center of the original Dead Space was the thrill of being introduced to all sorts of unexpected horrors. In the sequel, I was expecting it to be more of that without the "expected" part. Turns out I was mostly right, but that part was insignificant considering all the other things that Dead Space 2 got right. It didn't do anything new, but everything it did was pitch-perfect and implemented beautifully. Even though the atmosphere wasn't as novel as in the first game, it did fantastic and disturbing things with the story and, impressively, Isaac Clarke's character.
TrackMania 2 is fucked up, slightly broken, and altogether wonderful. The community of track-building wizards gives this game an almost infinite lifespan, and the wickedly competitive gameplay ensures that you'll never get bored along the way. Running behind the scenes is a mindfuckingly bizarre marketplace system, where you earn PLANETS which you can spend on anything from user-made cars to a redownload of the game. For some reason that I can't quite articulate, I love it.
Monty Python animated short meets boulder-based tower defense. It's as good as it sounds. The only major gripe I have with Rock of Ages is that it's far too short. I loved every moment of it (with the exception of a handful of boss fights) and wish there was more to do. The online community is virtually nonexistent, and the singleplayer isn't exactly the type of thing you'll want to play again. It's still totally rad and one of my favorite games of this year.
Madness Returns is simultaneously fantastic and totally patience-testing. The platforming and combat are fine, but they're stretched throughout the entire game. Even with the blemishes, I love the art direction and deeply dark story - it's an extremely unique thing that no other game did nearly as well in 2011. I'm glad I played it for those reasons alone, but the flaws make sure I'll never pick it up again. It's a shame really, but don't let that scare you away if you've got a soft spot for good art directions and unique stories.
I love you but I can't forgive you for what you did to me. Fuck you, Dark Souls.
Red Orchestra 2 isn't always fun, but I love its commitment to realism and its uncompromisingly brutal gun mechanics. It's an unusual and well-executed thing, and it doesn't hurt that it's exciting and visceral (when it's not being cruel and unforgiving). Again, it's not always fun, but when it is, there's not much else like it.
