Back again! Sorry for the delay on this article, but hey, I'm only one man. And just as with last, year, the following disclaimer returns:
There's no way I can play all of the great games that were released this year. So this is purely my "Top 5 Games I played this year" list, with the system I played it on in parenthesis. The biggest caveat to this list that should be noted off the top. I only own the 360 and PS3. The Wii hasn't held my interest since launch, and I don't have a PC that is beefy enough to run anything worth playing.
Continuing last year's start, I present to you the game I just didn't get last year:
WTF Was This Game So Popular Game of the Year: Nobody!
Three cheers for the gaming industry and press! As I looked back at last year, there were NO critically acclaimed games released that I sat wondering why I was playing. Everything I played was worth playing, and I think that speaks to just how AWESOME a year 2011 was for gaming.
Most Disappointing Game of the Year: Battlefield 3
As awesome as Battlefield Bad Company 2 was last year, Battlefield 3 completely disappointed. Glitches galore ruin this iteration of 2010's best shooter. My crew and I still have issues with mics working properly and actually staying in our squads after joining games. EA shot high with its marketing and unfortunately DICE fell flat in delivery.
#5: Mortal Kombat (Xbox 360)
Surprise, surprise, surprise. For the first time in forever, a Mortal Kombat game was worth playing for me. Chucking the 3D gameplay that strayed so far from what made the series great at it's inception, NetherRealm went all nostalgia on us and FREAKING NAILED IT. But it's not just nostalgia running the show here. The game includes a real story mode that is the most entertaining in any one on one fighting game I've ever played. I've sunk 11 hours in this game and still haven't finished the story. If you've ever been a fan of the series, you'll find the newest iteration well worth your money.
#4: Uncharted 3 (PS3)
Uncharted 3 was equal parts frustrating, equal parts mesmerizing in my experience. Game controls were frustrating in many parts, from inadvertently jumping to my death many times, to everyone's favorite thing, instant fail sequences. But the parts where it fell short were minimal compared to the fantastic visuals and engaging story, which is why despite my frustration, Uncharted 3 reaches my top 5.
#3: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
(Xbox 360)
It just couldn't live completely up to the hype for me. Add in a month period where the game was unplayable due to an elemental bug introduced after a patch, and Skyrim fell out of the GOTY perch for me. However, this is still an outstanding game. I've barely scratched the surface in my 16 hours of play, and love this fact. This is of course a detriment to several high quality games sitting on my shelf, some of which I've not even touched, but they'll get their due. Eventually.
#2: Gears of War 3 (Xbox 360)
The Gears trilogy finishes strong. Another great single player experience, and a lot more splattering grubs and glowies. Though I don't get the competitive multiplayer at all in this series, Horde 2.0 and the new Beast modes shine. The tower defense style in Horde 2.0 improves on an already addicting formula. And of course, the ability to play as the Locust in Beast mode is a neat new addition. In another year, this could have been the GOTY... but it's most certainly the shooter of the year!
Before I get to #1, here are some honorable mentions...
Honorable Mention: Forza Motorsport 4 (Xbox 360)
Everyone's favorite version of car porn probably would have made my list had I just had some more time to play it. Sadly, with only 3 hours played, I couldn't in good conscience put it into my top 5. That said, I've had a blast with what I've played of what is easily the most beautiful racing game on a console.
Honorable Mention: Shadows of the Damned
(Xbox 360)
God of War like in it's gameplay, but a 3rd person shooter in reality. Throw in copious amounts of gore and bullet time sequences and you've got... well... what this game is. This is a really hard game to describe, and yet in the short time I played it (less than an hour) I was having a lot of fun. If you like shooters and want something different, you won't be disappointed.
Honorable Mention: Once Upon a Monster (Xbox 360)
Holy crap, a Kinect game made this list! But it's because it's an unbelievable experience if you also happen to have young children. I've played eight hours of this game with my son, and he's just loved it to death. I can't thank Double Fine enough for giving me my first gaming experience with my son and making it great.
And now, Veteran Gamer's Game of the Year is...
Game of the Year: Portal 2 (PS3)
I could wax poetic about this game. I devoured the single player in this game, leapt into the multiplayer via couch co-op with a friend, and was disappointed to finally reach the end. The puzzles were brilliant, the humor was some of the best ever in a video game, and the gameplay was near perfection. I'm not sure how Valve will deliver us a Portal 3 after the ending, but here's hoping they find a way, because a world without GladOS is a world I don't want to live in.
Thus closes my year in gaming for 2011. Can 2012
possibly top 2011 and even 2010 before it? Like last year, the games I didn't get to which certainly could have been contenders for my top five were numerous. A few that would certainly have been in the running were Batman Arkham City, Saint's Row the Third, Dark Souls, LA Noire, and certainly more. As with last year, thanks to everyone who's sticking with my tiny little blog. I hope to improve more for this year!
