WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW EDITORS TEAM CHOICES ( MASS EFFECT 3 OR FAR CRY 3. ) NO EXCUSE :) ONE VOTE ONE OPPORTUNITY :)
Personal Perspectives: The Top Ten of 2011
The GameSpot editors reveal their top-10 lists for 2011.
Shaun's List
10. Outland
I'm a sucker for Metroidvania games, but when you add in a beautiful art design and a novel gameplay mechanic like polarity switching, suddenly I go from being a sucker to being in love. In fact, I'm normally kind of a baby when it comes to challenging boss fights, but Outland had me going all the way through to the moment I terrified my girlfriend with shouts of joy upon beating the final boss.
9. L.A. Noire
Rockstar games are always a lightning rod for nit-picking and nay-saying, but as a fan of open-world settings, I tend to enjoy their stuff quite a bit. L.A. Noire's re-creation of 1940s Los Angeles was an incredible thing, to the point where I enjoyed just driving around the city and soaking up the sights. And while the interrogation system was pretty flawed, that didn't stop me from enjoying the adventure game elements of the game's detective work.
8. Stacking
I really enjoyed the 10 minutes of this game I got to play before my girlfriend--normally not much of a gamer--ripped the controller out of my hand and proceeded to play through the rest of the game as I sat and watched, offering suggestions on how to solve its various puzzles. And while it may seem odd to put a game on here that I watched more than I played, its charming and whimsical sense of humor and ability to encourage couch teamwork was more than entertaining enough to earn a place on this list. Also, it had DLC called "The Lost Hobo King." How could I not put that on here?
If you know my tastes at all, you know that I'm a huge fan of engrossing atmosphere in games. Deus Ex, with its unique color palette and buzzing sci-fi synth music, was one of my favorite examples of atmosphere all year long. And it certainly helps that I really enjoyed the story and gameplay as well, I suppose. Especially the part where you throw refrigerators at people.
6. Terraria
This one's kind of a bittersweet entry for me. I recently played some Terraria for the first time since this summer and really disliked the ramped up difficulty level of the most recent patch. But for those 30-odd hours I played the game earlier this year, I couldn't get enough of its free-form adventuring. The visual language of 2D sprites was more appealing to me than Minecraft's worlds, and the allure of building up toward big boss fights kept me plugging along when I'd run out of ideas for things to build.
5. Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
I had several reasons to ignore Ghost Trick: the only portable games I play anymore tend to be on iPhone, and I've never played a single Phoenix Wright game either. But I took a chance on Ghost Trick after Carolyn's review, and it was one of the best decisions I've made all year. Its puzzles feel fresh and unique, it has got a terrific sense of humor, and dear God that soundtrack! Oh, and did I mention Missile? You could put Missile in any game and it would be a contender for my top 10 list.
4. To the Moon
I'll go ahead and get this out of the way right now: To the Moon is the closest I've ever come to crying while playing a video game. But to dismiss this as some sappy story would be a profound mistake, because To the Moon's strength lies in its emotional complexity. Its story of a dying man's memories of his late wife alternates between genuinely hilarious and charming during certain points, and bittersweet and downright heartbreaking at others. The whole thing is a powerful testament to the storytelling potential of video games, and you really ought to play it if you have four or five hours to spare.
Funny story: I didn't play Arkham Asylum until earlier this year. But I knew that with Arkham City coming out in the fall, I had to fill that shameful gap in my backlog posthaste. So I did, and went into Arkham Asylum ready to continue Batman's fight against the Joker. Pretty good decision, right? Arkham City has one of the best combat systems of any action adventure game I've played in the past 10 years, and the new open-world setting lets you feel like a predator stalking your foes from the rooftops. It's just a stunning overall package that could easily be my number one game of the year at any other time besides 2011.
2. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
I'm about 65 hours into Skyrim right now, and I've barely put a dent in the main story arc. I've just been getting lost in the landscape, taking on any side quests that come my way, and wandering through the world as much as I possibly can. Skyrim is just that kind of game, one that makes you want to take your time and soak up every last sight as much as possible. There's so much to explore and see and kill and craft that you need to take your time with it. And I think that's one of the things Skyrim does better than Oblivion. There are more stories and secrets to be found out there in the world, and you really don't want to pass any of them over.
1. Portal 2
Entertainment doesn't get any more pure than Portal 2. It's a game that makes you smile one of those big, stupid grins whether you're playing it or thinking about it six months later. That's the sort of game Portal 2 is. Pure bliss.
388 comments
Good to see The Witcher 2 and Dark Souls up there, my favourite games for sure in 2011.
I disagree with Tom McShea on a number of things, including his view of inFAMOUS 2 or Skyward Sword... But I've always respected the man's opinions (that's why I didn't comment on those reviews - contrary to typical Skyrim fanboy attitude, I can accept dissenting opinions, specially ones that just differ in 'level of goodness', so to speak). His personal list makes me remember why I should keep respecting him: anyone who includes El Shaddai, Shadows of the Damned, Alice and Catherine is really out to have a *personal* opinion, not just following the herd/bowing to peer (nerd) pressure.
@supacoolguy1985 I've noticed that, too. Some editors didn't even mention Skyrim, and only one chose it as GOTY. I can only imagine that more people voted, not only the editors... Or that the winners are chosen by comittee, not by internal voting. In any case, I cannot help but wonder that Skyrim won because they didn't want to deal with the barrage of comments that would ensue if they had chosen Portal 2 or, God Forbid, Catherine or Dark Souls (my top 3 games of the year, all of them mentioned a number of times in this feature). And I can't blame them - Skyrim fans are rabid ones, they just can't accept that the game isn't for everyone.
Dark Souls was my GOTY. Dark Souls is the reason I haven't played Skyward Sword, Arkham City or Skyrim, even though I've been looking forward to these games for a very long time. Dark Souls infested my mind like nothing I've ever experienced. Congratulations From Software on making a truly amazing game. I'm looking forward to the next one more than you can imagine.
Ok, after reading through all of these I have to know, how is it possible that Portal 2 did not win GotY?
My top Ten its simple 1.Gears of War 2.Battlefield 3 and MWF3 (It is almost the same, a couple of awesome shooter) 3.Zelda the Skyward of the ocarine of time 3D 4.Rayman Origins 5.Dark souls 6.Batman 7.Super Mario 8.Portal 2 9.Just Dance (because the exercise is important) 10.Sonic Generatios Bendiciones
My Top 8 Very Hard To Choose Because Not Many Caught My Eye But Here's My Top 8........... 1.Battlefield 3 (Used To Be Hardcore Cod Fan But BF3 Changed That). 2.Fifa 12. 3.Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception. 4.D.c Universe Online 5.Assassins Creed:Revelations. 6.L.A Noire. 7.Killzone 3. 8.Little Big Planet 2.
batman ac mvc3 dead space 2 dragon age 2 crysis 2 shadows of the damned la noire bg&e hd kof13 GOW3 Rayman Origins
1 The old Republic (yes i know i only got to play it for 11 days...but they were the best 11 days of gaming this year 2 The Witcher 2 3 Deus Ex Human Revolution 4 Shogun 2 Total War 5 Skyrim 6 Battlefield 3 7 Crysis 2 8 Arkham City 9 Portal 2 10 World of Tanks (I know I know...but I had alot of fun with it...play a couple of matches...watch some anime/read manga...oh look the match is over...rinse repeat...it was really fun and was a refreshing change of pace.)
Skyward Sword is so underrated by the Gamespot staff, it has amazing visuals, puzzles that rival Portal 2, and an amazing story. I have no idea where there control qualms are coming from :(
I'll be honest, 2011 was a pretty thin year for me in terms of games I bought, I only actually bought a few of the years new releases, not even enough to make a full top 10 so me making a full list would be pointless but I'll rank the games I did buy for the sake of it. 1. Portal 2 2. Uncharted 3 3. Resistance 3 4. Sonic Generations 5. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword 6. Killzone 3 7. Infamous 2 Hopefully 2012 will be a more packed gaming year for me so my list will be better next year, as long as I don't spend too long catching up on 2011's releases.
In no particular order: -Shadows of the Damned -Saints Row: The Third -Deus Ex: Human Revolution
1-gears of war 3 2-skyrim 3-Dark Souls 4-Mortal Kombat 5-The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings 6-MW3 7-U3 8-forza 4 9-Batman: Arkham City 10-??????????????? :)
another list for all to laugh at :p 1) Skyrim 2)Batman Arkham city 3)Anno 2070 4)Saints Row 5)ACR 6)Trine 2 (most overlooked) 7)MW3 8)Bastion 9)Portal 2 10)Dead Island Games i dint enjoy much were sadly Deus ex(had a lot of expectations from this one) Dragon Age 2(for obvious reasons) witcher 2(idk wth happened to it after the 1st chapter :s) looking forward to ME3 n Diablo3..plz plz don't disappoint me.
Hmm here's mine 1 Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings 2 Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception 3 Batman: Arkham City 4 Dragon Age 2 (Could have been better) 5 BattleField 3 6 Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim (Would have been higher on the list if not for the crappy version on PS3 still loved it though)
I think this is would be my list: 10. Dragon Age II 9. Battlefield 3 8. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword 7. Gears of War 3 6. Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective 5. Assassin's Creed: Revelations 4. L.A. Noire 3. Deus Ex: Human Revolution 2. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings 1. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Yes, Dragon Age II was very disappointing, but.. I still found it to, overall, be a good game. And really.. it's so hard to pick between The Witcher 2 and Skyrim--they're both excellent games. I suppose, though, due in some part to its sheer vastness, Skyrim comes out on top. 2011 was a good year for video games. Hopefully 2012 will be even better with titles like Mass Effect 3 (also known as my favorite series of all time)!
Thats what I like to see! Dark Souls is numbah one :D Skyrim is definitely second for me as well. Haven't played much of anything else this year, but catherine would probably be my third.
My top 10 goes like this... 10 - Dead Island 09 - RAGE 08 - Saints Row 3 07 - Mortal Kombat 06 - LA Noire 05 - Deus Ex: Human Revolution 04 - Bastion 03 - Portal 2 02 - Batman: Arkham City 01 - SKYRIM Granted I haven't actually played Saints Row 3 and Batman yet but when I do get the chance to play them I'm sure this is where I'd place them anyways.....
For me personally, top 10 this year. 10. From dust, (did enjoy it shortly) 9. Mortal Kombat 2011 8. Mw3 (was supriced i actually could still enjoy a cod game) 7. Assassins creed Revelations (A bit of a let down from brotherhood) 6. Batman Arkham city. 5. Battlefield 3 (Like it on the xbox, but not installing that origin crap on pc) 4. Portal 2 (Most fun i've ever had in coop) 3. Saints Row the third. 2. Gears of war 3. (Supriced by this myself, it's just... a really decent game.) 1. Skyrim. .
@lorddaggeroff yeah, I had high hopes for Dragon Age 2, but I was just heartbroken when it came out. What a huge letdown.
1) Skyrim 2) Portal 2 3) Dead Island 4) Gray Matter (overlooked but great game in my opinion) 5) Alice Madness Returns These are of the games I've played. I haven't gotten the chance to play a lot of the ones listed here, but I'll be getting to BF3, Arkham City, LA Noire, etc... So my favs may change.
to me the best gaming experience in 2011 was Portal 2 it was unique, fulfilling and AWSOME !!
I posted a more detailed list over on GamingMoments.net (the site I write for), but here's a quick and dirty version: 1) L. A. Noire 2) Portal 2 3) Battlefield 3 4) Deus Ex: Human Revolution 5) Dark Souls 6) The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim 7) Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception 8) The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings 9) Gears of War 3 10) Rayman Origins Go to the site to get a more detailed view on why I've picked these ten titles and why they fall in the order they do.
i kinda had a hard time getting into oblivion too. 1.Skyrim 2.Battlefield 3 3.Batman 4.Saints Row the Third 5. Uncharted 3 6. Crysis 2 7. L.A. Noire 8. Assassins Creed: Revelations 9. Gears of War 3 10. Skyrim again cause it's so damn good.
1.Batman 2.Skyrim 3.Portal2. 4.Uncharted3 5.SkywardSword 6.Battlefield3 7.GearsofWar3 8.LittleBigPlanet2 9.DeadSpace2 10.Outland
1. Battlefield 3 2. Skyward Sword 3. Deus Ex HR 4. Super Mario 3D Land 5. Fallout NV DLC (all of them) 6. Portal 2 As soon as I get the time I will be playing through Skyrim, Dark Souls and Mario Kart 7.
here is some 2011 PC games i play and enjoy (in random order) Trine 2 (such a beautifull game...!) Rock of Ages (funny, innovating) F1 2011 (classic) MW3 (addiction) LA Noire (great acting, nice scenic) BF3 (massive multiplayer fun, great sound) Portal 2 (no comments) The Witcher 2 (is a MASTERPIECE, a state of the Art)
KVO and I have the exact same gamer brain.....My only diff is I substitute Anno for Deus Ex3...since I didnt play Anno..... KVO FTW!!!!!!
1. Dark Souls 2. Skyrim ( Until it breaks) 3. Arkham City 4. To The Moon 5. Mortal Kombat 6. L.A Noir 7. Witcher 2 8. Dragon Age 2 9. Catherine 10. War in the North ( Could have been for the co-op but the game is utterly broken) So, the award goes to Rage for its graphics, and fun and on point shooting.
mine would be Skyrim, BM:Arkham City, Witcher 2, MW3, Battlefield 3...... and nobody mentioned LIMBO...!!
Uncharted 3 should of been mentioned. It had great graphics, top notch voice acting, good story, refined multiplayer, epic ship, plane and horse battle, the best hand to hand combat in franchise and great game play it was the one of the best or the best game this year
1- Uncharted 3 2- Killzone 3 and Resistance 3 3- Little big Planet 2 4- Assassins creed revelations 5- Battlefield 3 6- Dead Space 2 7- Dark souls 17- Skyrim 1000- Call of Duty MW3
Game of the year for me is Rayman Origins followed closely by Skyrim, Portal 2, Uncharted 3 and Outland
My List: (have not played a lot of games in 2011) these are the ones I enjoyed 1- Assassin's Creed Revelations 2- Batman Arkham City 3- Uncharted 3 4- Alice I'm sure Skyrim will fit in here however I still have not played it yet.
I knew there was a reason I liked McShea so much. You're my favorite dude on the HotSpot by far. Great list with Alice near the top.
My list 1- Dark Souls 2- Skyrim 3- Witcher 4- Portal 5- Dead Space 6- Anno 7- Battlefield 8- Catherine 9- Alice 10- MW3 I missed out on some great games so I plan to adjust my list accordingly. It seems Kevin meets my criteria when it comes to good titles. All are good lists for sure.
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