Thursday, December 29, 2011

1) Portal 2
I completely forgot this game actually came out in 2011. I loved the hell out of it, and I remember playing it for hours at a time, trying to beat it, and having a wonderful time. And then after that, staying up super late with my friend going through co-op together, and having a wonderful time. The characters, the story, the music, and the action all were incredible, and IMO there was never a dull moment. Portal 1 was my game of the year back when it came out, so it's little surprise Portal 2 is my game of the year this year.

2) Dead Space 2
Oh man was this game great. I was to much of a pussy to play through the first game, but I did watch a Let's Play on Youtube, and enjoyed watching it. Before that, I had read the "prequel" novel, and fell in love with the story in general, which made me want to seek out the other games. After watching DS1 being played, I just HAD to buy the second, and I wasn't disappointed. The game grabs you from the beginning and doesn't let go.

3) Bastion
I didn't really know what to think of this game going into it. The gaming podcasts I listened to couldn't say enough good things about it, so I went out on a limb and gave it a shot, and i'm glad I did. The story in this game was incredible, and the way it was told was very unique, and always interesting. I never would've thought the idea of a narrator would work in a video game, but Bastion found a way to make it work, and work well. The gameplay was great, and the music was outstanding. Definitely a game that deserves to be played.

4) Uncharted 3
I absolutely LOVED Uncharted 2...it was by far one of my favorite games of all time. I eagerly anticipated the third game, and I wasn't let down, at least not very much. I went into the game knowing what I was going to get, and I got exactly that, and i'm not sad or disappointed in the least. I loved just about every moment of this game, and it's one of the most beautiful games i've ever seen. The action in this game is outstanding, it actually feels like you're playing an Indiana Jones movie. The characters are loveable, and after getting to know them for two games, I was looking forward to seeing how it all played out in the third. Oh, and Cutter was awesome.

5) Skyward Sword
This one just barely makes it in my top five. While I loved the game, and am not ashamed to call it one of, if not my favorite 3D Zelda game since Wind Waker, there were quite a few flaws that can't be overlooked. One, having to read the slow moving text, with no decent way to speed it up. Yes, you can hold a button and it goes a tiny bit faster, but it's not enouh. Two, Motion Plus, while used well 98% of the time, was incredibly frustrating the 2% of the time it didn't work. Case in point, I can't tell you how many times I swung the Wiimote in a direction that the enemy indicated would go through their defense, only to have the enemy block that exact direction mere milliseconds before I would swing. Three, having to read the explanation text EVERY SINGLE FUCKING TIME you picked up a bug/tumbleweed/upgrade ingredient was absolutely unforgiveable. Not only that, but every time it had to show you where it went in your inventory. So incredibly aggravating. With that said, I absolutely loved the characters in this game, and the ways they were portrayed. Zelda actually had some character to her outside of "omg, rescue me Link!" like she does in most games. And yes, i'm aware Tetra had tons of character to her, but she wasn't technically Zelda at that point. She actually went on a bit of a journey herself, and Link was pretty much along for the ride, a ride which I loved and enjoyed until the very end.

I'm still somewhat up in the air about Skyward Sword, and i'm sure i'm forgetting a few games here and there, but I will revise it if need be. For now, these are my choices.