Author Topic: Game of the Year 2011 (Read 4338 times)

Captain K. · « **on:** December 09, 2011, 11:43:10 PM »

I think most of the notable releases for 2011 are out by now, so what's your game of the year?

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For me, I spent a lot of the year playing catchup. I just got a 360 one year ago, so I was playing old games that I missed. Lots of good stuff like Star Ocean 4 and Last Remnant, and Halo stuffs.

But as for games that were new this year? I end up comparing everything new that comes out to Bastion. Bastion did things with storytelling that have just plain never been done before. Combine that with solid gameplay, nice graphics, and an amazing soundtrack. It's just a fantastic package of a game. Now it is short, certainly. But at $15 you're getting way more than you paid for.

Other games of note:

Skyrim: It's huge. And amazing. And... a bit tedious. Lots of dungeons that are all slightly different, but they're all completely linear. Bosses are just regular enemies with a different name and more hp. And Bethesda ruined the game with a patch, which apparently is par for the course for them (first of their games I've played). But all in all, it's certainly an impressive game.

King of Fighters XIII: Hell fucking yeah. I couldn't stop playing Skyrim until this came out; now Skyrim collects dust because this is so good. Granted, the single-player mode is slightly inferior to Blazblue's. But this is exactly what an old-school fighter should be. Complex enough so that it doesn't get stale, but not ridiculously execution-heavy. And the netcode is surprisingly decent as well (don't believe the antihype on other forums). I can play against people in Asia with minimal lag.

Dark Souls: It's gorgeous. And it kicks you in the balls repeatedly, forcing you to get better. But the half-assed incorporation of multiplayer elements ruined it. This would be much better if designed strictly as singleplayer.

Marvel vs Capcom 3: They got the little details right, like comic reference banter between characters. And MODOK. But they missed the big picture. It ended up being a game that was fun to watch but not to play. And yeah, THIS was a game with atrocious netcode.

Magic 2012: Doesn't get full credit because it's just piggybacking off of a well-established game. But yeah, it's very solid and fun.

Might and Magic Clash of Heroes: Okay, I'm cheating because it's a port of a DS game. But also very good. Albeit unforgiving to the colorblind.

superaielman · « **Reply #1 on:** December 10, 2011, 12:51:49 AM »

Game of the year: Defense Grid. See my previous rants in the game topics; it's a high budget, extremely well balanced Tower defense game. Finished this and mastered it over the year, so yeah.

Excellent:
(Laggy Fantasy Tactics, Final Fantasy 4 Final Fantasy 6 Eviltype, Front Mission 4, Valkyria Chronicles, and Hearts of Iron 2 all fit here.)
1. Defense Grid
2. Final Fantasy 4: The After Years
3. Front Mission 5
4. Castlevania: Harmony of Despair
5. Orcs Must Die

Good:

6. Borderlands (Unfinished)
7. Plants vs Zombies
8. Puzzle Quest 2
9. Madden 12
10. Breath of Death 7

Unimpressive:

11. Marvel vs Capcom 3
12. Sanctum

Awful:

13. Heavenly Blade
14. Hearts of Iron 3

I played more games than I thought. I think it's mostly only due to finishing two non fan made 'true' RPGs, one of which is a sequel and th eother of which never was released in the states.

I was extremely choosey about what games I was playing, hence them scoring relatively well. If a game doesn't hook me fast, I tend to shelve it.

Dark Holy Elf · « **Reply #2 on:** December 10, 2011, 01:00:12 AM »

I don't think I played any game released in 2011 this year. Well, maybe one, but it's a remake of something much older so I dunno if it counts. I pretty much eternally play catchup with games these days.

EDIT: Oh yeah, forgot RH was that year. Yeah, that wins I guess!
EDIT: And Ghost Trick. Which is decent, at least.

Xeroma · « **Reply #3 on:** December 10, 2011, 01:05:55 AM »

EDIT: herp.

My favorite RPG surprise of the year was definitely Tales of Xillia, thinking on it. Sure, the music was kinda bad, but I liked pretty much everything else. Big stride improvements in a lot of areas in the series, namely polish. Saving anywhere? Instant warping between major visited locations? Better skill learning system than ToV? In-battle party member switching?! And then you add the Link mechanic and you have a party of a game. The cast was executed quite well, both in the gameplay and with their actual characterization in the story and in all the optional skits, and I didn't even have major issues with the plot[though disclaimer, it takes a lot for an RPG story to actually bother me].

VySaika · « **Reply #4 on:** December 10, 2011, 01:15:18 AM »

Radiant Historia was released early this year, right? If so, there's really not that much competition for me.

Xer: read his opening paragraph. Bastion is the game he says he is comparing everything else TO.

Xeroma · « **Reply #5 on:** December 10, 2011, 01:26:35 AM »

heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerp i can reed gud

metroid composite · « **Reply #6 on:** December 10, 2011, 01:37:09 AM »

I've played a whole lot of games that were released in 2010. Desktop Dungeons is a pretty strong candidate. Starcraft II jumps to mind as well. VVVVVV was pretty fantastic. Desert Strike is strangely addicting. Suwapion was just barely 2010. Shockingly I somehow haven't played Ten Desires yet.

So...like I guess my choices are Star Jeweled or Uncharted 3. ........Can I plead the fifth?

Nephrite · « **Reply #7 on:** December 10, 2011, 01:57:55 AM »

Skyrim loses a lot of points from me for being a buggy mess that obviously was intended to be fixed by mods. I also have a lot of issue with any game with weight capacity and followers that you can get killed.

Hum, I guess I'd probably put Radiant Historia as my highest of everything I've played this year? Maybe SRW Z2.

Bobbin Cranbud · « **Reply #8 on:** December 10, 2011, 02:10:56 AM »

1. Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together (PSP)
Despite its silly leveling system. It does almost everything else right.

2. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii)
Best Zelda game by quite a bit. Some minor but irritating flaws toward the end (too many Imprisoned fights, that annoying tadpole quest) and being real-time hold it below TO-PSP.

3. Batman: Arkham City (PS3)
Just an excellent game all around. Probably the best game this year, it just doesn't play to my personal preferences as well as some of the others.

From everything I've heard of Radiant Historia, it would run away with this were it on a system I could play.

NotMiki · « **Reply #9 on:** December 10, 2011, 02:17:33 AM »

I've played next to nothing that was actually released in 2011. Combination of a lack of PS3/360, a computer that's getting on in years, and lack of time. I...think 10 Desires is the only game I've played that actually came out in 2011? So yeah...that's a pretty good game. Not as good as most main Touhou games - the level design is lackluster and with some notable exceptions the bosses are dull by Touhou standards. Still pretty decent.

Cmdr_King · « **Reply #10 on:** December 10, 2011, 03:11:28 AM »

Radiant Historia. Nothing else is really in the discussion, despite playing a relatively high number of games released this year. Plenty of 7-8/10 material, but only RH goes above and beyond so to speak.

Nitori · « **Reply #11 on:** December 10, 2011, 03:29:03 AM »

Ghost Trick > Terraria > Binding of Isaac > Corpse Party > Portal 2 > Bastion > (Xenoblade) > Radiant Historia > Pokemon Black > Kirby's Return > Okamiden > Breath of Death VII

Veryslightlymad · « **Reply #12 on:** December 10, 2011, 03:57:59 AM »

Are we only counting games made in 2011? Then my list looks something like this:

1)Terraria
2)The Binding of Isaac
3)Magicka
4)You Don't Know Jack
5)Marvel v Capcom 3 (Shame this is this low for me.... just can't get into fighters these days)
6)The Sims 3 (Generations, Pets)

Are we taking in all games? My list continues to look something like this:

1)Team Fortress 2
2)Borderlands
3)Mass Effect 2
4)Dragon Age: Origins
5)Terraria
6)Titan Quest

Monkeyfinger · « **Reply #13 on:** December 10, 2011, 04:19:17 AM »

Easy winner:
The Witcher 2

Pretty good:
Radiant Historia
Xenoblade

Mediocre:
Magicka
Dark Souls
Cthulhu Saves The World
Arkham City

Crap:
Heroes of might & magic 6
Dragon Age 2
Drakensang: River of time

Pretty lousy year.

metroid composite · « **Reply #14 on:** December 10, 2011, 05:47:58 AM »

Oh yeah: Portal 2. I played that and forgot about it.

I guess it would be dead last of the three 2011 games I played.

Fudozukushi · « **Reply #15 on:** December 10, 2011, 07:57:48 AM »

Things in brackets are games not made/released in 2011

Life? What's that? There is only [game]
Dark Souls
(Fallout: New Vegas) Though I guess with the DLC it does have 2011 stuff so ehhhhhh
Skyrim
Record of Agarest War Zero *wryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy*

Bitchcakes
(inFAMOUS)
(Prototype)
inFAMOUS 2
(Assassin's Creed 2)
Modern Warfare 3
(Demon's Souls)

Ehhhhhh
Marvel vs Capcom 3
Killzone 3
(Star Wars: Force Unleashed 2)
(Batman Arkham Asylum)

God Dammit
(Resistance 2)
(Resistance)

Burn In Flame so Hot it Dwarfs My Seething Hatred of the Capra Demon
(Modern Warfare 2)

I might include some giant rants about all of them latter.

Luther Lansfeld · « **Reply #16 on:** December 10, 2011, 08:01:50 AM »

I haven't played any games from 2011 unless you count TOPSP.

Random Consonant · « **Reply #17 on:** December 10, 2011, 08:45:11 AM »

SRWZ > Radiant Historia > CSTW >> other stuff that I may have actually played this year >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> GSDD > that horrible GBA version of Eye of the Beholder that I keep forgetting existed

Anthony Edward Stark · « **Reply #18 on:** December 11, 2011, 04:22:41 AM »

Quote from: Monkeyfinger on December 10, 2011, 04:19:17 AM

Easy winner:
The Witcher 2

This is the objectively correct answer. The Witcher 2 is so far beyond other games this year it's scary.

FO:NV gets... uh, DLCotY for Old World Blues, I might add.

OblivionKnight · « **Reply #19 on:** December 11, 2011, 10:09:17 PM »

Yeah..."new games" in this year are games I didn't play until now, so...with that said!

Ghost Trick - Wow. Very awesome. Unique puzzle game with a neat storyline. Fun game. Probably the best new game I've played all year. PLAY THIS GAME.

999 - Also pretty awesome adventure/puzzle game.

Radiant Historia - Pretty awesome RPG. Very strong all-around - definitely a contender for RPG of the year.

FF4TAY - I could talk a lot about this, but overall fairly positive. The game is very hit or miss at points, but...overall enjoyable.

CStW - Pretty good, especially for the price. Some issues, but overall good.

BoD7 - See above.

Batman: Arkham Asylum/Arkham City - Both badass Batman games.

Can't remember any other games I played newly this year...as for old games:

PE - Picked this up again, my opinion of it has improved a lot. Great game, needs remake, etc.

TF2 - Duh.

SC2 - Duher.

DjinnAndTonic · « **Reply #20 on:** December 13, 2011, 06:35:16 AM »

DISGAEA 4 !!!!!!!!

Also, Catherine.

I think there was a new fighting game I liked too. Was Mortal Kombat this year?

I so rarely play games when they are new...

Another nod to RH for being awesome.

Anthony Edward Stark · « **Reply #21 on:** December 13, 2011, 09:46:28 AM »

Quote from: DjinnAndTonic on December 13, 2011, 06:35:16 AM

Was Mortal Kombat this year?

It was. Me and my crew spent the entire summer being way into it.

(I play Johnny Cage and I destroy groins).

Captain K. · « **Reply #22 on:** December 14, 2011, 03:29:13 AM »

I approve. Johnny Cage is obviously the best character in the Mortal Kombat series.

Anthony Edward Stark · « **Reply #23 on:** December 14, 2011, 04:42:17 AM »

He's also really good in competitive play but not in an obnoxious and stupid way that is based on moves with like zero recovery time you can cancel with teleports like that fucker Kung Lao. I hate Kung Lao.

AndrewRogue · « **Reply #24 on:** December 14, 2011, 05:52:03 AM »

Hard pressed to call any of the games of 2011 GoTY games off-hand? Will mull over this. Lots of good titles! Just not any I feel like dubbing GoTY

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Author Topic: Game of the Year 2011 (Read 4338 times)