2011's Top 5 Best and Most Disappointing Games of 2011

[ila]

It's that wonderful time of the year where I try to remember all the video games I played this year and justify which 5 I enjoyed or was disappointed with the most! HERE WE GO!

5 Favorite games I played in 2011:

5. Portal 2 (PS3)

This was pretty much a gimmie. The writing was brilliant, the puzzles were challenging, and the co-op was one of the most enjoy experiences I've had playing with other people. Plus it also effectively ended Valve's bizarre problems with the PS3.

4. To the Moon (PC)

This one is a bit bizarre. The gameplay and presentation themselves are pretty simple. In fact the game is closer to a visual novel than a typical game. However it is all offset by having some of the best music and writing I've ever experienced. The game stands up on its plot and music alone, and anyone who enjoys a good story should check this game out.

3. Dynasty Warriors 7 (PS3)

Dynasty Warriors 7 was a return to form for the series after getting a bit too experimental with 6. The gameplay was returned to using short small combos and the game included a few new tricks to keep itself fresh. Dynasty Warriors 7 also came the closest to staying in line with the Romance of the Three Kingdoms novel, which itself was worth it.

2. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii)

Best use of the Wii Remote yet. The game itself was a brilliant Zelda game that kept a fine balance between familiar and new territory. For all the crap Nintendo receives for milking franchises, one has to admit that they know how to make the games worth it.

1. The iDOLM@STER 2 (PS3)

Visual novel meets rhythm game meets strategy game. Chances are you guys probably don't care about this one and think I'm off my rocker, you'd be right.

Honorable mentions: Dynasty Warriors Gundam 3, Yakuza 4, Fishing Resort, Trails in the Sky, and Super Mario 3d Land.

The disapointments:

5. Sonic Generations (PS3)

Don't panic, I actually enjoyed the game! However it's short length and slightly off classic gameplay didn't quite sit well with me. Modern Sonic was a blast though. However I thought the game definitely could have used more levels in place of the challenge levels, half of which wern't even worth playing.

4. Catherine (PS3)

Presentation is awesome, but the gameplay itself is dry and lacking fun. The game really isn't a puzzle game so much as frantic quick time event. I found myself using the level skip feature on subsequent replays of the game.

3. Atlus USA in general

I'm not sure if the success of Demons' Souls went to their heads or what, but Atlus USA has significantly slacked on any releases this year. It didn't help that Persona 2 actually had features cut from it for the US release.

2. Skyrim

Actually I wasn't even looking forward to this game and bought it just because I happened to be at the midnight launch. Game was fun up until it decided it needed patches to run. Hell it still hasn't been fully patched. If today's generation of consoles didn't have easy internet access, Bethesda would be fucked. Honestly I wish they were.

1. Saints Row the Third

Zero Punctuation sums up my thoughts perfectly.

Your turn!

[DJ espeed]

5) Angry Birds Seasons (iOS/Android)

Technically speaking, it's a game from last year. Rovio's continued updates to Angry Birds Seasons have kept level content fresh, despite being somewhat repetitive. With the most recent addition of the '2012 seasons' have come a new bird and more challenging levels themed around Christmas and Halloween. It's a casual game, but it's got it's charm.

4) Sonic Generations (X360/PS3/PC)

While not without it's flaws, Generations was a much needed crescendo for HD console Sonics in wake of the horridness from 2006 to 2010 (excluding Colors). Sonic Generations added a few new features and took care of other issues found in Sonic Unleashed. Red rings from last year's Colors and new 'Challenge acts' were added for additional replay value. Out was the Werehog (now sitting in a dimensional prison cell, according to Archie comics*) and in was Classic Sonic. Classic Sonic, in himself, isn't as bad as the Werehog, but still felt just a bit off. Just a bit! However, the game is still pretty short and is lacking in level content. Overall, Sonic Generations is a small step in the right direction for console Sonic games.

*That bit was meant in humor. Sonic Universe pokes fun at the Werehog by having him in prison in the 'No' Zone.

3) Pinball FX 2 (X360)

I'm probably one of the few on these here forums that loves a good pinball game. Pinball FX 2 is not a good pinball game. It's not even a game at all. Pinball FX 2 is actually more of a frontend made for playing pinball games, and is quite stellar. Released in the last quarter of 2010, Pinball FX 2 has managed to continually be amazingly fun and fresh throughout the whole year by means of additional DLC and post-release support. This year alone has seen the release of the Marvel Pinball DLC and additional tables that were also released for Zen Pinball on the PS3. What's even better is that there are more tables are coming today, courtesy of the Marvel Pinball: Vengeance and Virtue DLC pack. Pinball FX 2 is a no-brainer for those who enjoy Pinball.

2) Daytona USA (PS3)

HD re-releases are the new trend for downloadable games, and Daytona USA is, by far, one of the best I've played. It looks good on the PS3 hardware and plays like an arcade racer, which means it does its job pretty well. Carried over from the old arcade game are the beginner, intermediate, and expert courses in addition to newer mission modes and karaoke. New modes aside, Daytona USA also includes support for most PS3-compatible wheels including the Logitech Driving Force GT. In other words, if you feel that playing with a wheel and pedals is the most nostalgic way to play this, then this game doesn't disappoint.

1) Forza Motorsport 4 (X360)

How could you not see this coming from me? Forza Motorsport 4 is a continued evolution of the franchise that started out in 2005. FM4 brings improvements and features across the board. Instantly noticeable is the improved graphics. In-game racing models have more detail, the new lighting model is superior to Forza 3's, and there are new environments that show this off. Also added is TopGear integration (part of a multiyear deal MS signed with TopGear), which ranges from Clarkson-narrated Autovista experiences to Car Bowling and soccer (née football/futbol). Autovista, one of the new modes, offers astonishingly detailed, in-depth car 'guides' with narration from Peter Egan and of course, Jezza himself. Jeremy's narrations are not edited, so you get his views, nasty or exceptional, on all of the cars available for perusing. Another new feature is the 'World Tour' career mode. World Tour gives you more of a feeling of doing a racing season by means of a nifty UI. However, if you're expecting the seasons to be easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy, then you're in for a surprise. The AI, in world tour mode, is designed to increase in difficulty as you progress. This increase in difficulty varies from tuning and upgrading their cars to even becoming more aggressive drivers. I'd love to go on and on, but you've probably bored yourself by reading all of this.

TL;DR: Forza 4 is my favorite game of 2011.

I'll edit when I can remember what I thought was the honorable mention for this year.

[shadowgoten]

While I totally expected this year to be full of shitty video game releases and rehashes I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of quality stuff we've had to play:

1) Legend of Zelda: Skyward sword - This one takes the cake for me, it is now my all time favorite zelda, the music, the style, the gameplay, all of it meshes so well together that I couldn't get enough of this game!

2) Batman Arkham City - The first game was quite amazing, and this one takes the energy of the first game, cranks it up and puts you in a gauntlet of enemies. The pacing was PERFECT, and it felt like I was watching the cartoon on crack and I LOVED every second of it.

3) Skyrim - I luckily had the pleasure of playing this number from my pc, where I can elect not to use the patches, plus it just had less problems than the other 2 systems. Now I'm not really that big on the elder scrolls but this game just wouldn't let me go, the viking/norse style of the game quickly drew me in and I had and still have SO MUCH to do in the world. With a leveling system that really makes the game play the way you want it to and a huge rich world, it's hard not to get stuck for hours playing this game.

4) Portal 2 - This one is a no brainer, from amazing puzzles that made me scratch my head quite a few times, to an incredible ending. I was wowed from the moment I stepped into this world and it's a memory that will stay fresh for a few years.

5) Warhammer 40K: Space Marine - This one threw a wrench in the classic god of war gameplay style and made you a friggen space marine. I'm a warhammer 40k fan and I'm glad to see that they are making something other than rts' to explore the 40k world. This is the perfect jumping off point for people as space marines are fucking huge dudes in hulking armor. Throughout the game you get to sample all the space marine toys, like jump jets, giant hammers, and...JUMP JETS WITH GIANT HAMMERS, among other things. The flow is quite nice and the combat was handled excellently for a game of this nature.

Honorable mentions:

I enjoyed Sonic Generations very much.

Saints Row 3 is hilarious fun, I don't know why the hate is there, it doesn't take itself seriously which is part of why I like it so much.

I haven't gotten mario land 3d or I'd probably be raving about it.

Dungeon defenders and orcs must die are the best tower defense games this year!

Modern Warfare 3 - It had the worst storyline of the 3, but it packs great content like survival mode and toned down the multiplayer bullshit.

Dissapointments:

Dead Island - this game had potential but it just wasn't fleshed out very well : \

[GSF]

omfg it's ila again. Heeeellllllllooooo-

I don't really have an up-to-date PC for the current new things, nor a very new console, but oh well, I'll put in what I enjoyed in the Wii:

(I barely tried Generations, so I'm not really adding it to the list. It did leave an "okay" impression on me, though.)

3-Rayman Origins (Wii)

It's pretty damn fun, the art is gorgeous, and bro-op is awesome. You can slap your partner without penalty, and trust me - playing with a friend is much better, since you don't get thrown back as frequently.

2-Kirby's Return to Dreamland (Wii)

Again, extreme fun and awesome bro-op. Music is top-notch, and it's quite challenging - later on it gets quite tough. For added challenge, the special unlockable levels in the main hub come in handy.

1-Xenoblade (Wii)

Yes, I know - LOLNO AMERICA. (Apparently gamestop's going to bring it over.)

Anyway. I'm not used to this kind of RPGs at all, but I really enjoyed this one, and it's obvious why: There's no online component (yeah, take that.)

Visuals are good, the music is fucking great (listening to it now, heh), and there's quite a lot to see and do. Fetch quests are typical, but it's manageable. The "auto-attack" thing irked me at first, but it's not that bad in the end.

I know, I'm missing Skyward Sword here, but I need a Wiimote Plus/Wiimotion plus first, argh. Once I get one I'll be enjoying the shit out of it.

As for this new year, I'm planning to get a PS3 soon... And the Wii still got a few more things waiting - I'm going to enjoy The Last Story and Pandora's Tower. (again LOLNO AMERICA, but bleh.)

[ila]

My biggest gripe with Saints Row 3 is how it feels like Volition phoned in the entire development cycle. The game doesn't even have half the customization options that SR2 had, and overall just feels unfinished. Missions being started with just a quick phone call with little to no interaction with your character are also a negative. The plot is also a bloody mess, and I'm wondering if Volition just ran out of time and decided to turn the game into a $60 DLC vehicle.

Also, I did play Xenoblade for about 10 hours but it left absolutely no impression on me.

[shadowgoten]

to be fair, I never really played much of SR 1 or 2 so that's probably why I'm enjoying this one so much heh...

[sonicyoda]

5 games I absolutely sodding loved this year (no particular order):

1) El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron

The only game I was compelled to complete all year. Great action, awesome weapon stealing mechanic and some of the most bonkers visuals I've ever seen in a video game. Well worth playing.

2) Daytona USA

18 years and they finally got it right. This is THE home console version of Daytona USA and it actually manages to still be awesome fun after all these years.

3) Sonic Generations

Screw the haters, I had so much fun with this game. It might be superficial fun through the rose-tinted glasses of nostalgia but it still ticked all the boxes for me. Sure, Classic Sonic controls a bit odd but it never really spoiled the game for me.

4) Shadows of the Damned

It's fucking Suda 51 and he's fucking back to make his characters say fuck a lot. You also walk across a giant stripper's breasts in order to cross a path you couldn't without her. 'Nuff said.

5) DiRT 3

Played this A LOT this year. Love my off road racers and this would be the best game in the series if it wasn't for those stupid gymkhana events. YEAH AWESOME RADICAL.

5 games that were genuinely disappointing:

1) Duke Nukem Forever (and FPSs in general)

I own this because I have to own this. It's a piece of gaming history. However, it's not a piece of gaming history for being a good game. In fact, I don't even know if it's a bad game. IT'S JUST LIKE EVERY BLOODY FPS RELEASED IN THIS DAY AND AGE. How anyone can stay interested in FPSs is beyond me.

2) Minecraft (and my crappy laptop)

I want to love this game I really do. And I used to at one point. But as the updates have been coming it has now got to a point where it runs like absolute gash on my crappy laptop and I can no longer enjoy it.

3) Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective

Another game I really want to love. The visuals are awesome and I love the rotoscoped sprite animation, but the fact it was being plugged as this amazingly unique experience does not cover the fact that it's just a point and click game.

Yeah I can't think of anymore. I tend to avoid buying shit games.

[shadowgoten]

Oh man I completely forgot about duke nukem forever, the game is already $20 and it was released what in July? What an awful piece of shit.

[Serephim]

Who's surprised? FPS titles are like the pizza of the videogame world.

except without that neat ability to always taste good