by cybexx
Continuing the annual tradition despite the lack of an official format here are my favorite games of 2011.
Showing 1-10 of 24 items
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?".
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.
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.
