BEST X-BOX 360 TITLE
This year, the 360 hasn't had the biggest library of first party games, so bare with me, as I add some 3rd party titles to the mix. On our 360's we raced some of the greatest vehicles ever made, and ended a war with our chainsaw bayonets. We fought in the interests of America behind the guns of soldiers, and shouted our way to the top of a fantasy world.
These are the nominees for best 360 game of 2011:
-Gears of War 3
-The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
-Forza Motorsport 4
-Halo: CE Anniversary
-Battlefield 3
And the winner is:
Gears of War 3 isn't just a polished re-release of the game that came before it. It's a game that continues to surprise us, even after all we've seen from the franchise. The gameplay remains uber gorey, and the mechanics have been polished to a mirror shine. I was surprised to find myself caring so much for certain characters in this macho-man bro fest, but other gamers who played this title will agree when I say that a few moments really hit their mark perfectly. Gears is one of Microsoft's most solid titles, and its not surprising that Gears of War 3 was their best game of last year.
BEST WII/3DS GAME
The Wii didn't see as many solid titles as it did last year, but Nintendo as a whole had a pretty high calibre year, with their first party 3DS games, and the big release of their green clad hero on the Wii (possible the last huge Wii release before the Wii U). So here are the best Wii/3DS games released this year:
-Super Mario 3D Land
-Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
-Mario Kart 7
-Ocarina of Time 3D
And the winner is:
While I may not be the best person to talk to about, but you don't have to be a genius to see that Skyward Sword is a beautiful game. In contrast to the competitions greys and browns, this Zelda game has a vibrant, almost painting-like visual quality to it. I haven't played a whole lot of the game, but I've experienced enough to know that the motion controls actually work (for once), and people who I've consulted on my Nintendo award this year agree, Skyward Sword was the best.
Who knows, maybe the next Zelda game we see will be in glorious HD, and the game might surpass other games on the market with not only its visual style, but the technology behind it too.
BEST PLAYSTATION 3 GAME
The past year was set up to be the year of the big black behemoth, but hacking issues (among other things) stopped the consoles full potential from being realized. However, the PS3's first party library grew amazingly, especially when compared to Nintendo and Microsoft's efforts. Here are the best PS3 games of last year:
-Resistance 3
-Infamous 2
-Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
-LittleBigPlanet 2
-Killzone 3
And the winner is:
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Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception has continued Naughty Dogs tradition of high quality games, with a title that, surprisingly, stood proudly alongside the previous installment, and not in it's shadow.
The game looks and feels very similar to Uncharted 2, but the games story is, for the most part, slightly more engaging. The sheer amount of "holy crap, is this really happening" moments keep players on the edge of their seats, and these moments are strung together quite well (for the most part). This installation gives us more of the characters that we love, and teaches us more of their history together, and the whole story often hits an emotional mark that most games don't even bother aiming for.
TOPHAT GAME OF THE YEAR
The past year gave us a lot of solid, enjoyable titles to play through, of many different genres and styles. Platformers, both new and old stepped up to the plat, as well as arcade racers and sims, first and third person shooters, epic rpgs and slower paced adventure games. We have a diverse list of nominees this year, and here they are!
-Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
-Gears of War 3
-Sonic: Generations
-LittleBigPlanet 2
-InFamous 2
-L.A. Noire
-The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
-Resistance 3
-Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
-Driver: San Francisco
-Assassin's Creed: Revelations
-Batman: Arkham City
-Saint's Row: The Third
And the winner (my favourite game of 2011) is:
Batman: Arkham City had a lot to live up to. It followed up from 2009's Arkham Asylum, a game that proved all preconceptions about licensed property games being terrible, and quite frankly the best Batman game of all time. And as amazing as it sounds, Arkham City not only lived up to the standards set by Batman: AA, it surpassed them in almost every way. The strong cast of voice actors expanded with the infamous character roster, and the boss fights (one of Arkham Asylums low points) were drastically improved. Add in a sprawling sandbox full of gothic, slum character and a story with so many unforeseen twists, and you have yourself a game of the year contender. Add in Batman, and you have yourself a winner.
Well, 2011 was a hell of a year! I'm going to continue reviewing in February, possibly with the MGS HD collection, or maybe a 3DS game from last year. Have a safe new year people, I'll see you next time!
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