List items
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I think the key reason this game is number one on my list isn’t because Bethesda designed a fully realised world or the great music or the fun quests that your character goes on. To me, the reason this game sits at the top is because through all that time I invested in my character, I was able to craft him in a way to experience an Elder Scrolls game I never had before. Lets not mistake anything here, Skyrim is just a more user friendly and prettier version of Oblivion but the fact that I was able to play both games, completely legitimately in two different ways speaks to the core strength of this series. Then there are all those small moments you have when either on a quest or travelling to a quest. I’ve spoken a lot about immersion on this list and Skyrim is that fully realised, complete immersive experience where how the experience plays is the option of the player. All this combined resulted in the best game experience I had this year.
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I didn’t play the first two Saints Row games. To me they just seemed to be simple GTA knock offs that focused on the aspects of that series I wasn’t so into. I probably would have ignored this one for the most part too if it hadn’t been for a few recommendations. I’m glad I listened. First of all, forget the marketing, forget whatever you think this game is or will be, sit down and play through the story missions. It isn’t just “funny”, it’s insane, insane to the point where you begin to wonder “hey this shows games can do anything, so why don’t they?” You know that moment I was talking about with Batman before where you do something really damn cool in game? Saint’s Row The Third is full of that sort of thing, only crazier. To describe those moments though, that would be spoilers and I don’t want to spoil this experience for anyone. I once read a review of Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey that said something to the effect of “it takes damn smart writing to be this stupid.” While I wouldn’t go so far as to say Saints Row The Third is stupid (nor Bogus Journey while we’re at it) it takes damn smart writing to be this crazy and they nail it.
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Deus Ex: HR has its flaws (they’re called boss battles), but even beyond that, I found myself so fully immersed in the world and story that I never wanted to put the game down. I’m a Science Fiction nut so this sort of environment is right up my alley but the delivery was even beyond what I could have initially imagined. This is a great homage to the first game and while I don’t think it reaches the scope of the original, it gets damn close and looks great doing it. The key here is that they nailed the part that allows the player to play the way they want to and as the mystery of the story unfolds, I had a great time adapting my character to the changing conditions of the story. That to me is really cool.
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It was hard being a Mortal Kombat fan for a while, people saying there hadn’t been a good game since three only to scream “did you play Deadly Alliance?” Mortal Kombat is back though combining a fighting system works great with a story mode that tugs at the nostalgia while coming up with more than a few surprises. Sure it’s cheesy, but it isn’t embarrassed by the level of crazy that the mythology has been known to get to. Beyond the comic brutality of the blood and fatalities the complexity of a seemingly simple fighting system make this one easy to learn and hard to master. But for me, it just comes back to that story mode which is just so much fun to work through. It’s not a better game than Portal 2, but I had more fun here.
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As I said with my comments on Bastion, storytelling is a hotly debated topic among games. If you stand on the side saying cut scenes are a necessary device to tell a story, may I present Portal 2. Quite frankly, there was no better designed game this year. This is a journey of discovery that is more than just simple puzzle solving. This discovery takes the player through the history of Aperture Science yet still does it in a subtle way that Valve is known for, it’s really quite masterful. I struggle to understand anyone who is not drawn in a game as well crafted as this one.
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Part of the reason Super Meat Boy sat at number 2 on my top ten list of last year was the incredible sense of accomplishment that came with finishing that game. The other part was the overall art design elements making it a perfect little platformer. The same is pretty much true for Rayman: Origins, a clever little game that is both addictive and often frustratingly hard. Yet I still had that itch that made me strive for perfection while playing no matter how tough things became. Like Super Meat Boy, all the elements are in place for a great platformer, great level design, great art direction and some catchy tunes. Did I mention the game is like playing an animated film?
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I don’t buy into the cult of Batman. I like the character and all, but I don’t understand why so many people think he is the greatest thing ever. I’m also not sold on the fact that most of these people can explain why they like the character so much beyond saying he’s cool. That said, playing Arkham City, fuck it is cool being Batman. I didn’t play Arkham Asylum so you’ll have to excuse me for being surprised at having this moment, but the first time I took down a guy by smashing through a window and landing on him and following up that move with knocking out another dude, I said out loud “I’m Batman.” The story does a good job at using a number of key villains and has some surprising moments of the unexpected which is always nice. It is also great that the game isn’t over reliant on its hand to hand mechanic, there is a lot of quiet moments in this world that had me wanting more.
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A lot can be said for immersion in games. Building a world that feels real and lived in is something I continue to see as one of the most important steps to drawing the player into the game experience. If the player is engaged in the world, they are likely to overlook narrative shortcomings. This to me is Rage, a world I found myself immediately drawn into because of a surprisingly unique take on the post apocalyptic environment. The design of the hub towns are finely detailed and there is some fantastic level design at work here. Even with the pretty much straight forward story, I was so immersed in the environment that it just washed over me. The only reason this game isn’t higher on the list is because of the final mission. I just don’t recall any other time when a final mission has soured me so strongly. I won’t forget what came before it though.
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One of the things that seems at a constant point of evolution in games and certainly something that can be heavily debated is storytelling. Does a silent protagonist work better than one who speaks? Should games have cut scenes or should the experience be entirely in game? Bastion does something new. While narration in itself isn’t a new thing, the way in which the narration adapts to the player experience works incredibly well. It is the narration that helps in building this world as the player reconstructs it, there is an amazing amount of discover here that, even if you’re not into dungeon hacks (and I’m not), you’re driven forward by the mystery of the world. It also helps that both art and music direction perfectly mesh for a unique and rewarding experience.
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Shadows of the Damned shipped around the same time as Duke Nukem Forever and thus, you got a lot of reviews that suggested this was how you do good dick jokes. While that is certainly true, it sells this weird John Constantine meets El Mariachi adventure a little short. This is a crazy romp through the underworld that constantly had me coming back for more. There are a lot of sometimes small and sometimes overt references (Evil Dead fans will get a kick out of one scene in particular) but it never over powers the bizarre adventure the player is dragged through. It also has some fantastic characters who particularly shine when you find books for them to read in the world.
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