Captain Hindsight's view on 2011's Game of the Year list

Welcome to my first blog post of 2012, how exciting! So those of you who have been following Let’s Enjoy Gaming will of course know that I just finished my list for 2011’s best game. Whether you agreed with me or not, I do hope you all take the time to try all the games I mentioned because above all else, I had a freaking blast playing all of them. But I’m staring at my list now and just wondering whether I’d change anything (the power of hindsight eh?) – the simple answer is yes I think I would so this is really a recap / revision of my list.

So here’s the original top 10:

10] FIFA 12

09] Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3

08] Dark Souls

07] The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

06] L.A. Noire

05] Dead Space 2

04] Portal 2

03] The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

02] Batman: Arkham City

01] Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

Looking at that, I am pretty happy with what I put down and the order itself as well. I’d like to maybe switch 8 – 5 so order that section like this:

08] L.A. Noire

07] Dead Space 2

06] The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

 05] Dark Souls

The reason being is Dark Souls really is one of the best RPG’s available in this modern era of gaming. Both Dark Souls and its predecessor Demon’s Souls are technically special games because the mechanics are pretty much flawless. Comparing these mechanics to the buggy problems Skyrim has had and in my eyes, there’s literally no comparison. I underrated Dark Souls and Skyward Sword while overrated L.A. Noire and Dead Space 2, so I think I’ve decided to stick with that revision.

So now the new list stands like this:

10] FIFA 12

09] Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3

08] L.A. Noire

07] Dead Space 2

06] The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

05] Dark Souls

04] Portal 2

03] The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

02] Batman: Arkham City

01] Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

Now let’s have a chat about some of the games I’ve omitted entirely. Here’s some other top titles that came out in 2011 in chronological order starting from January; LittleBigPlanet 2, Killzone 3, Mortal Kombat 9, inFAMOUS 2, Bastion, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Gears of War 3, Rage, Forza Motorsport 4, Battlefield 3, Super Mario 3D Land, Saints Row: The Third and Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Looking at the quality of that list you could pretty much make a whole new top 10, which is a testament to how good 2011 really was for video gaming. The 3 games I would of course be inclined to take out of my list are FIFA12, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. If I were to take those games out it would free up 3 slots – but which games would get to jump on board? For myself personally I’d take Mortal Kombat 9, Bastion and Battlefield 3 as they impressed me more than the other titles I’ve listed.

Mortal Kombat 9 was just a master class in how to reboot a series properly. Mortal Kombat has suffered ever since the classical era but when this installment came about many gamers were blown away at just how good MK9 really was. A terrific story-lead campaign mode (which is a rarity in itself for a fighting game) coupled with a huge challenge tower made MK9 a whole load of fun. Although not as technically proficient as the Street Fighter series, MK9 was a breath of fresh air away from your conventional fighting game and a result, deserves recognition.

Bastion is more of a fan choice because I actually didn’t play it! In fact, I’m downloading it now but with the amount of applause this game received I wouldn’t be surprised if it did make it onto my top 10 list. So this one is me putting my faith in the community – don’t let me down guys!

Battlefield 3 was epic – that is definitely the best word you can use to describe this particular FPS. The campaign was incredible and although I stuck completely to Modern Warfare 3’s multiplayer, the single player is just not in the same league as Battlefield’s.

Why not choose the other games I hear you ask? Well I spent time with all the other games on the above list bar Star Wars: The Old Republic and although all of them were good in their own individual way (in particular Super Mario 3D Land, which was brilliant), they didn’t grip me or provide me with any change to emotionally invest myself. Deus Ex: Human Revolution in particular was my biggest let down of 2011 because I am such a huge Deus Ex fan but simply couldn’t get into the new one – the vibe and main character just weren’t for me.

So there you have it, a nice little look back using the power of hindsight! I’ll finish off by saying Skyrim does deserve it’s place on that list and I won’t be chucking it off, but those minor changes between 8 – 5 are gonna stay, so here is the final revised list:

10] FIFA 12

09] Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3

08] L.A. Noire

07] Dead Space 2

06] The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

05] Dark Souls

04] Portal 2

03] The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

02] Batman: Arkham City

01] Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

Thanks again for reading and as always I’m tweeting @ss4Igor so check me out.

2011 Game of the Year #01 - Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

Here we are, you made it! First of all I want to say thank you everyone for sticking with my blog, reading my content this year and really making me feel like it’s worthwhile to write. I write because I love the industry but it would be a lot harder to do so without the hits so here’s a big thank you to all of you. As a special insight I’m gonna take this moment to announce that I have been taken on board by a business partner to start up a new video games website in 2012 – the project looks very exciting and I have a bunch of skilled and committed individuals ready to make this a huge success with me, so stay tuned for more information regarding the matter.

Tangent aside, Uncharted 3 Drake’s Deception! You got all the way to number 1 and I’m hoping you will all agree that Naughty Dog’s third instalment in their Uncharted series is simply incredible. Never have I played a more engaging action-adventure title, never has a set of characters appealed to me so and never have I been on the edge of my seat as much as when I was playing Uncharted 3. This is a marvel in video gaming and the industry is lucky to have a game this incredible available in the catalogue.

Let’s start off by looking at the graphics and story – a friend of mine pointed out that PlayStation exclusives always tend to be the most beautiful games, I hadn't noticed before but boy is this an excellent example. Uncharted 3 is the most visually appealing game of 2011 hands down, no game had better character models and environments – it was simply stunning to look at. The series has also always been known for incredible story presentation and Drake’s Deception certainly doesn’t let you down in that department. Nolan North reprises his role as Nathan Drake, the ever-lovable protagonist of the series and develops a beautifully written narrative across a host of lovable and entertaining characters.

The gameplay isn’t too shabby either – a particular website actually gave Drake’s Deception third-person shooter of the year (lol), but the point is, many games try and capture various gaming genres under their umbrellas and the result is an average experience in all departments. Drake’s Deception is an epitome of action adventure, coupled beautifully with clever puzzles and heated gun-play. The terrific online multiplayer clearly shows that the game can be considered a third-person shooter, even though that’s not Drake’s Deceptions primary focus. There’s so much depth and gameplay incorporation here and it’s difficult not to admire the technical proficiency behind Naughty Dog’s masterpiece.

I truly believe that Uncharted 3 Drake’s Deception is the best game of 2011 – it’s an absolute must own and a true trump-card title for Sony as it sits smugly on their exclusive shelf. If you’re looking for a thrilling ride full of great gameplay, story telling, character development and multiplayer, then this is most certainly the game for you.

Favourite things about Uncharted 3 Drake’s Deception:

Drake and the entire cast are so engaging that it’s incredibly easy to fall in love with all of them.

A beautiful story directs Drake’s Deception.

Thrilling set pieces are scattered all over a fine-tuned and terrifically paced game.

Uncharted 3 covers adventure, third-person shooting and puzzle gameplay, all in spending fashion.

The most beautiful graphics a console has seen this year.

Most annoying things about Uncharted 3 Drake’s Deception:

None.

Thanks once again for reading my blog this year; it really means the absolute world to me. I hope you enjoyed my list of 2011’s best games and stay tuned for more content in the New Year.

As always check me out on Twitter @ss4Igor

2011 Game of the Year #02 - Batman: Arkham City

As we edge ever closer to the coveted first place position on my list, I feel sad that I couldn’t give joint-honours to Batman Arkham City and the winning title. For me Arkham City holds significant value across a variety of areas; first as a terrific action adventure game, second as a brilliant exemplar of dialogue / story driven gameplay and finally as the best comic to video game crossover we have ever seen. Arkham City certainly has it all and I’m proud to say that one of my favourite gaming experiences of 2011 was shared with the Dark Knight.

Terrific game design by Rocksteady is really the key to Arkham City’s success. Building off the critically acclaimed Batman Arkham Asylum, not much was changed when moving into the sequel, but there’s good reason for this decision – why try to fix what is not broken? Indeed many gamers welcomed the nostalgic and familiar gameplay mechanics making a return from Arkham Asylum, allowing most players to pick up Arkham City and get stuck right in.

The major difference between the two titles is environment. While Arkham Asylum was confined to Gotham’s mental hospital, Arkham City spreads its wings and allows players to roam all of North Gotham. This expansion was criticised by some who argued this change made Arkham City loose the focus Arkham Asylum held so well throughout the entire campaign. Others believed free-roaming capabilities were exactly what Batman needed to round off an already perfect game. However you choose to look at it, traversing the city as Batman is bloody brilliant.

The praise doesn’t stop there; Arkham City continues the brilliant story started in the original, with old voice actors including Matt Hamill returning to reprise their roles. Another terrific script full of iconic characters including Two-Face, Mr. Freeze and The Penguin makes this an even more exciting affair than Arkham Asylum.

For me Batman Arkham City was a complete success, a well-rounded package that included great gameplay mechanics, beautiful visuals, the right amount of replay value and a terrific story intertwining this whole experience together. Games need a direction and I thought Arkham City held that direction very well, giving gamers exactly what they wanted – an opportunity to walk in the shoes of the Dark Knight.

Favourite things about Batman Arkham City:

Roaming the streets and climbing rooftops as Batman was brilliant.

A phenomenal cast of voice actors who performed a brilliantly written script.

Gameplay was satisfying throughout.

Lots of cool extra content and bonuses to find if you spend enough time roaming North Gotham.

Most annoying things about Batman Arkham City:

Catwoman sucked.

Boss fights were too easy unless playing on the harder difficulty settings.

The larger setting made the game less focused than Arkham Asylum.

Thanks for reading and check the blog tomorrow as I finally reveal my favourite game of 2011.

As always check me out on Twitter @ss4Igor

2011 Game of the Year #03 - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Hailed as one of the best games of all time and certainly the most anticipated game of 2011, it’s hard to believe that Skyrim was not number 1 on my list of 2011’s best games – or is it?

I’m gonna put this bluntly, I loved and hated Skyrim simultaneously and here’s my reasoning why;

I loved Skyrim because of the expansive world, the fully customisable character skills, the beautiful dragons, the questing and I too at one point or another raved on about the same things that every other fan loved about the game. I absolutely hated that ultimately the game was broken. There were too many glitches and problems with Skyrim to make it in any way, shape or form a really enjoyable experience for me, be it improper physics, impractical glitches, random crashes or the ridiculous frame-rate issues on the PlayStation 3 version of the game – there was too much stuff wrong with Skyrim.

My friend put it perfectly by stating, “I applaud Bethesda’s ambition with Skyrim, but the development team lacked the numbers to create the vision they initially had for this instalment in the Elder Scrolls series. I can see what they were trying to do but by making the game so ridiculously big it left it open to so many technical issues, which have become so apparent across all the platforms, that is absolutely shocks me how Skyrim has managed to walk away with the majority of this years awards for best game.”

Let’s look at it another way, by analysing a gameplay style present in Skyrim. Taking combat, compare the pointless button mashing of this game to the technical combat mechanics of Dark Souls – the latter makes Skyrim’s combat system look like an absolute joke. In fact all of Dark Souls makes Skyrim look like an inferior role-play game.

I enjoyed a few key moments in Skyrim and to be honest that was the Dragon fights but aside from that … you know what, as I’m writing this I’ve realised I really don’t think Skyrim should be on my list – if I put this game on this list, I’d be lying to myself as a gamer. At this moment it’s here because I don’t want to be shunned by the gaming community who gave Skyrim all those awards, but I’ve decided they are unjust and it doesn’t deserve the ridiculous amount of praise it’s been getting. A game that where my horse can float around the map, dragons can merge with buildings and soldiers continue to take arrows to the knee, cannot be considered game of the year in my eyes because ultimately, it is a broken ass game.

With that in mind I will finish my list and come back to add another game over Skyrim later so as not to spoil the reveal of number 2 and the winner.

Thanks for reading and check the blog tomorrow as I reveal who will take 2^nd place.

As always check me out on Twitter @ss4Igor

2011 Game of the Year #04 - Portal 2

What was once nothing more than content filler in The Orange Box has now become a global phenomenon. Portal as a franchise has amassed a huge following of diehard fans, so it’s absolutely no surprise how well Portal 2 was received. The hit sequel expanded the already rich and wonderful world of Aperture Science, fleshed out the already magnificent and maleficent GLaDOS and added a host of brilliant new characters, mechanics and puzzle chambers to create a serious contender for 2011’s game of the year and one of the best puzzle games you will ever play.

When someone asks me to describe Portal 2 I am always at a loss for words. I don’t want to say, “it’s just a brilliant first-person puzzle game,” because that’s not what makes Portal 2 so special. I start the discussion by always pointing them back in the direction of the original Portal because I feel if you didn’t play it, you will be at a loss with the sequel. This is because Portal as a franchise is spurred by what I can only describe as the best narrative and dialogue ever written for a video game. Due to this, the story continues over to the sequel both through environment and through story, linking both games together and pretty much forcing players to understand what happened in the original. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a bad thing because every gamer should have played Portal and if you haven’t, I urge you to do so – the original was a small game that could be completed in a couple of hours, but sets you up for one of the best games you will have the privilege of playing this year.

So Portal 2’s key selling point is a terrific narrative, but the story itself is worth boasting about too. Pushed forward by none other than Stephen Merchant who plays the ever-lovable personality core Wheatley, you will never be without a fantastic mix of jokes, jibes and quite touching moments throughout your time with Portal 2. Of course what Portal is known for is the infamous GLaDOS enemy, which is a supercomputer that sets up puzzle challenges for you to complete using the portal gun, a weapon that allows you to create two portals anywhere in the room to solve the puzzle and continue moving forward. Voiced by Ellen McLain, no other bad guy has ever had better narrative written for them – GLaDOS is conniving, devious and down right hilarious; you won’t be able to wait for the next brilliant thing she comes out with.

The gameplay itself is also worth writing home about. A terrific engine that really incorporates physics and velocity to let you complete the various puzzles set in unique and fascinating ways – making this a welcome divergence from your standard FPS experience. In fact, it’s such a breath of fresh air you’ll wonder why the buzz surrounds games like Call of Duty when gems like Portal 2 exist.

Portal 2 also introduced a terrific cooperative mode previously not available in the original. This mode puts you in the little shoes of 2 robots who both have portal guns – having two players in these test chambers opens up a brilliant multiplayer experience that also comes with its own narrative and story as it partially intertwines with the games single player elements.

Ultimately, if you consider yourself a gamer, the Portal series is an absolute must-play. You will be blown away by how good Portal 2 is and you will see what kind of impact the release schedule can have on when websites and people vote for their game of the year. As I mentioned in my prior article, many gamers completely forgot about Dead Space 2 and I feel the same has happened with Portal 2 after all the hype (albeit deserved) surrounding games like Skyrim – resulting in critics forgetting the other gems of 2011. I don’t think I had more fun with a game this year so Portal 2 deservedly takes number 4 on my list of 2011’s best games.

Favourite things about Portal 2:

Terrific gameplay incorporating physics to make unique and fun puzzles.

The best narrative and dialogue any modern game has scene.

A whole host of hilarious and deep characters to engage with.

A brilliant cooperative mode.

New mechanics like the gel made Portal 2 a different game to Portal in the later segments.

Most annoying things about Portal 2:

I wish it was longer – in fact I really wish it just never ended.

The original Portal allowed you to be more creative when solving puzzles – Portal 2 seemed to only have one solution per puzzle.

Thanks for reading and check the blog tomorrow as I award 3^rd place to one of this years most anticipated and expansive role play games.

As always check me out on Twitter @ss4Igor

2011 Game of the Year #05 - Dead Space 2

  

It’s no surprise that games coming out in the later part of the year are still fresh in the minds of many gamers. Dead Space 2’s launch in January has made it a distant memory for some but I am yet to forget the time I spent with this phenomenal game.

Dead Space as a franchise deserves praise on many levels including exceptional enemy and environment design alongside providing a terrifying and tense emotional experience.  Lead protagonist Isaac Clarke went through hell in the original Dead Space and returned to answer plenty more questions in the hit sequel. A story full of twists and turns and excellent set-piece segments flooded a brilliant sequel with the only major criticism being the developers Visceral Games didn’t stray far from their original formula.

What really made Dead Space 2 so special for me was the fine-tuning of the zero gravity sections. Being able to float around in space with subtle design elements like not hearing any sound in space was a testament to the care and attention that was put into the game. Also going out onto the outer layers of Saturn’s metropolis the Sprawl, was very satisfying as it gave space a huge sense of magnitude, something that the original Dead Space didn’t initially explore.

Another iconic element of the franchise is the Necromorph monsters. All horror games have fine-tuned gamers to aim for the head when attacked - well Dead Space as a series flip-turned this notion by forcing gamers to aim for limbs to neutralise your foes. Being a miner also made Dead Space 2’s arsenal of weapons intriguing as well – using power tools and laser cutters was an interesting divergence from your stereotypical machine guns and rocket launchers that plague modern gaming (cough Resident Evil 5).

Ultimately Visceral Games did a fantastic job taking their original game and expanding it to a worthy sequel. Giving Isaac Clarke a voice helped create a more layered story as he fought for not only survival, but also his sanity. A larger environment at first seemed to lessen the claustrophobia felt in the original game, but slowly you find yourself caught in terrifying areas like the child’s nursery where the corridors are narrow and the enemies are plenty. The tweaks to Zero G gave the game a whole new dimension when exploring space and everything I loved about the original can be found here in full force.

Dead Space 2 is one of the best modern third-person survival horror games available on the market and as a franchise; it’s easily one of my favourites going.

Favourite things about Dead Space 2:

Terrific enemy and environment design.

A great assortment of weapons that all work in interesting and unique ways.

Some of the best enemies any modern video game has to offer.

Great lead protagonist.

Interesting storyline with some fantastic set-piece segments.

Lots of cool upgrades and plenty of reasons to play New Game+ mode.

Most annoying things about Dead Space 2:

It’s possible to upgrade one weapon like the Plasma Cutter and complete the entire game using only that particular weapon.

Not much was significantly changed from the original Dead Space.

Not everyone liked Isaac Clarke having a voice and preferred the silent protagonist.

The scares became quite predictable especially if you played the original.

Thanks for reading and check the blog tomorrow as I award 4^th place to an entertaining and dangerous science experiment gone wrong.

As always check me out on Twitter @ss4Igor

2011 Game of the Year #06 - L.A. Noire

The praise L.A. Noire deserves is two-fold. First of all it should be recognised that L.A. Noire was a thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable open-world adventure. But what should be regarded above all else, is that L.A. Noire revolutionised using innovative motion capture technology, the way real-life actors can now be portrayed in a digital world – an art that will no doubt have a massive impact on the future of gaming.

I am of course referring to L.A. Noire’s Global Illumination and MotionScan technology– the clever equipment used to record an actors’ facial movements to create life-like physical responses on the faces of characters in the game. This sophisticated system allowed Rockstar’s detective thriller to blossom into an engaging and exciting game that blew away many gamers, with myself included.

At first glance L.A. Noire looked like a typical Grand Theft Auto game in a classic setting – I could deal with that but the idea wasn’t exactly phenomenal. It was only when I investigated my first crime scene and interrogated my first suspect that I realised there’s a lot more to L.A. Noire than a simple GTA skin. I went on to unravel a string of heated investigations that weaved a thrilling story intertwined with brilliant narrative and character development.

Despite the controversy and eventual closing down of Team Bondi, I still have faith that Rockstar will eventually return to the franchise to bring out a sequel. One of the main criticisms of L.A. Noire was that the facial animation was so good that it made bodies in the game look horrible in comparison. Prior to liquidation, Team Bondi spoke of attempting to use their technology on the body as well, so there’s definitely room for experimentation to once again push boundaries in the video game industry – just think of all that untapped potential!

Ultimately, it’s L.A. Noire’s impact on the industry that warrants its position on my list of 2011’s best games – if you haven’t played it I suggest you go grab a copy and take part in what will no doubt be considered a crucial and important step forward for gaming.

Favourite things about L.A. Noire:

Completely innovative facial animation made any verbal interaction engaging, especially the interrogation scenes.

A beautiful soundtrack from the 1940’s played throughout your entire journey.

The ability to let your partner drive saved so much time and was a fantastic tool to get around quickly.

Most annoying things about L.A. Noire:

Set piece chases were quite anticlimactic and the pace just didn’t feel hectic enough.

The facial technology was not implemented on bodies making them appear quite stiff and lifeless in comparison.

Case management got a little frustrating near the end.

Thanks for reading and check the blog tomorrow as I award 5^th place to a sci-fi horror-shooter that played testament to one of my favourite movies, Event Horizon.

As always, check me out on Twitter @ss4Igor

Editor's note -- forgive the font issues, blogspot is having a nightmare right now. 

2011 Game of the Year #07 - The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

For me The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is a fantastic testament to an iconic series. Hailed by some as the best The Legend of Zelda of all time, I had no choice but to compare it to my experiences with The Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask, The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess.

As you can see, I did play all modern-console The Legend of Zelda titles up until this one so it would have been really silly to suddenly stop here, even though my faith in Nintendo has dwindled ever since the launch of the Wii. Nevertheless, strong software makes hardware, Nintendo’s ever-lasting motto – so off I flew into Skyloft for another stint as the metro sexual superstar Link.

A beautiful world (probably the most beautiful you will see on the Wii) holds within a host of imaginative environments, gruesome baddies and your typical save Zelda and the world storyline. Skyward Sword takes elements from all the classic games while polishing the experience to make it appealing to the modern gamer. Wii Motion Plus certainly helps the cause by giving players full control of Link’s sword, which is very cool. What Nintendo didn’t take into consideration is Wii Motion Plus makes doing almost everything else, pretty difficult. Just try rolling a bomb or performing a particular sword attack consecutive times – it’s not easy.

That being said, the time I spent with Skyward Sword was magical – Nintendo took particular care in modernizing the old dungeon formula, making pretty much all your time spent in caverns and caves, thoroughly enjoyable. Great dungeon design and clever puzzles pushed those segments of the game forward, ensuring there was always something fun and challenging to do.

Occasional pacing issues and some backtracking outside the deungeons hindered the experience somewhat and alongside Wii Motion Plus inconsistencies, I had enough crosses on my review sheet to conclude that Skyward Sword is not the best The Legend of Zelda game created. What it is however, is a terrific representation of everything that we know and love about the franchise, glued together with modern gaming elements that make it appealing and very enjoyable for the classic fan and new school gamer alike. I happen to fall under the former and I was very pleased with how they brought The Legend of Zelda one-step further into the next generation of gaming.

Favourite things about Skyward Sword:

Wii Motion Plus, when it worked.

Cool weapon and item upgrade system, something totally new to the series.

Excellent dungeon design.

The Earth Temple.

Most annoying things about Skyward Sword:

Wii Motion Plus, when it didn’t work.

The needless backtracking that could have been avoided.

Although modernized, the series simply refuses to budge from its classic roots. 

Thanks for reading and check the blog tomorrow as I award 6^th place to game that deserves a huge amount of praise for its innovation in the industry – can you guess what interactive experience I’m talking about?

As always check me out on Twitter @ss4Igor