No, this isn't some Game Of The Year article. I am unfortunately only one guy and don't have the time to sit around and play games all day like I would like to. Thus, I've missed out on some great games this year. For example, I haven't finished Crysis 2, Deus Ex: Human Revolution is incomplete as well, I haven't played anything on the 3DS, and haven't even touched The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (GASP!).
Simply put, there were just too many good games and not enough free time for me to sit and play them all.
Still, 2011 held some great game time for me, and these seven games are my most memorable of the year. So hit the jump to find out which ones they are.
Note: I only include games I have personally played.
Dissidia [Duodecim] 012: Final Fantasy
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| Yes this is an actual screenshot of this game. |
The amount of content that this game includes is absolutely staggering. You have Duodecim's story which is a prequel to the original Dissidia, and then once you're done with that you unlock the original game's story in the new game mode. Then you have twenty nine playable characters that can be leveled up to level 100 and can customize their equipment, move sets, and even assist characters!
Add an arcade mode, multiplayer support, ghost battles, theatre mode, and even a quest creator and Duodecim's content makes sixty dollar console games look like a ripoff.
Fun Fact: I haven't technically beaten Duodecim. Yet, I've put 127 hours into this PSP game. The only other game that comes close according to my Raptr profile is Halo 3 at a 122 hours.
Assassin's Creed: Revelations
Oh, Assassin's Creed, I almost didn't care about you this year. It seemed like you were taking a play from EA and Activision and releasing a new game every year and try to milk the series for all it's worth.
Luckily, you managed to pull it off and make it worthwhile to play you once again. This time the focus wasn't the overarching story like the last few games were, but this time Revelations focused on the three main protagonists of the series. Ezio and Altair's stories come to a close and Desmond finally is set up to take center stage.
Add the new bomb system, hook blade, character development, and the astounding multiplayer that rewards SKILL and you have one of the best games of the year hands down.
Favorite part: Minstrel Ezio. Talk about hilarious.
Child of Eden (Xbox 360)
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| Yep, this is a screenshot as well. |
There's one word that helps describe Child of Eden: synesthesia, or experiencing multiple senses at once. The creator, Tetsuya Mizuguchi, was trying to combine touch, sound, and sight into one game and I have to say he nailed it.
As you go through the game trying to cleanse Eden of a virus attack, the music and sights change accordingly. It is a rather mesmerizing and engrossing experience.
It feels less like playing a game and more like you are conducting it, and if you don't believe me, play this game on a HDTV with surround sound. You'll thank me later.
Fun Fact: If you can manage it, sync four Xbox 360 controllers and stick them on your person. Why for a Kinect game? Because each controller vibrates to a different beat in sync to the music. Synesthesia indeed.
(Ultimate) Marvel vs Capcom 3
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| I can't believe I didn't think of this! |
At PAX earlier this year, there was a room where they had set up a 40+ inch HDTV, two fightsticks, and a copy of the newly released Marvel Vs. Capcom 3. Then there was at least three rows of seats in a semi circle behind this TV just so people could sit down and watch. And there was always someone to watch.
Quick pick up and play gameplay, recognizable characters, and eye catching visuals make MvC3 a no brainer as one of the best games of the year, and the recent update to it with Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3, we'll be seeing this game at many EVO tournaments for years to come.
Fun fact: Best MvC3 player I saw at PAX East, was a kid dressed up as an Umbreon. He played for an hour and didn't drop a single match.
Gears of War 3
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| We're going to need a bigger boat.... |
The gameplay is faster and tighter than the previous iterations and everything has been refined to be bigger and better. Four player co-op campaign, Beast mode, Horde 2.0, and competitive multiplayer; all of this available both online and offline. The only other game that rivals this game in multiplayer offerings is Halo Reach.
I remember the Gears of War 3 midnight launch we held at Game Xcape. Once we were done, a friend and I decided to play for a bit. I remember having a blast playing the online multiplayer and Beast mode and cursing the sun at SEVEN IN THE MORNING. So we slept for about three hours and got up and did it all over again.
Fun fact: There's nothing quite as fun as all the players being Berserkers against the COG's in beast mode.
Catherine
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| Catherine with a 'C' or Katherine with a 'K'? Which one is for you? |
The story is about a man named Vincent who is torn between settling down with his longtime girlfriend, Katherine, or enjoy the freedom and spontaneity that a young, blond girl named Catherine represents.
During the day you interact with your friends, drink at your favorite bar, and just generally hang out. At night, Vincent is thrust into a reoccurring nightmare in which he has to scale a tower in hopes of not dying.
While the tower climbing game part of the game is not only tough, but rather rewarding once you learn the working of it, it's the overall story of Catherine that seals the deal for me.
Vincent's tale of cheating on his longtime girlfriend and deciding between the two women raises some interesting questions of relationships and infidelity; two topics that video games hardly ever acknowledge and much less make the focal point of.
One of the most interesting parts are the questions that Vincent gets asked in his nightmares. Depending on your answer, he will react differently to situations in real life and they will also affect the overall ending you get as well.
Catherine is of course rated M for Mature and I find that rather appropriate since I can't think of any Call of Duty playing 12 year-old grasping the the breadth of what Catherine attempts to convey. Minus the blatant fan service of course.
Fun fact: Catherine has EIGHT different endings.
Portal 2
Where do I even start with Portal 2? Oh! How about the outrage when Valve announced that Portal 2 was going to be a full retail release?
The first Portal was just a small game thrown into The Orange Box set which included four other games with it as well. So how was one fifth of a set going to amount to a whole game all it's own everyone wondered. And where the hell was Half-Life 2: Episode III?
The answer, to the first part unfortunately, is completely fleshing out the characters and world of Portal, adding a few more mechanics like the gels, and a co-op campaign.
The single player campaign is one of the funniest and well written games of not only 2011, but of this generation. I would explain, but it's best to experience the history of Aperture for yourself and Chell's quest for freedom (again!).
The co-op campaign is amazing on it's own right as well. The puzzles are so deviously clever considering you have TWO sets of portals to work with. And if you're like me, you'll 'accidentally' let your partner die....a lot.
The best part is that the PS3 version uses Steamworks, which allowed cross-platform play with PC players. Microsoft, TAKE NOTE.
Fun fact: SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE!!!!!
Final Thoughts
2012 has barely started and yet I'm still trying to get all of the amazing games from last year squeezed in before all of 2012's great games start rolling in.
I mean, how am I supposed to play any of 2011's games when we have a new Assassin's Creed coming out, Mass Effect 3, Bioshock Infinite, Kid Icarus: Uprising, Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Twisted Metal, Street Fighter x Tekken, (Keeps rambling on......)
So, what are your favorite or top games of 2011 that I didn't cover? Let us know in the comments!
Other notable games:
Bastion
Crysis 2
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Magic the Gathering: Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012
L.A. Noire
Batman: Arkham City
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Joe Danger: Special Edition
Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet
Battlefield 3
Forza Motorsports 4
Infamous 2
Dark Souls
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