What's YOUR 2011 Game of the Year?

[Turo602]

2011 saw many great releases from games like Dead Space 2 to Portal 2 all the way to Gears of War 3, Batman Arkham City, and of course who can forget about The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword. Well, the point of this thread is to share what we think Game of the Year for 2011 is. And please don't be bias towards Skyward Sword, I want to hear what you all really think. If you can't make up your mind then just tell us about some of the great games you've played that released last year.

Well some pretty big games came out last year so It's tough. Out of all the major releases I've only played through Gears of War 3, Batman Arkham City, The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword, and Saints Row the Third. I'm also still working on Super Mario 3D Land. Too bad Dead Space 2 and Assassin's Creed Revelations are still sitting on the shelf...

So lets start with Gears of War 3. Gears of War 3 is the perfect end to an amazing trilogy. It made me realize how much I actually cared for these characters I've been controlling for years now. The gameplay felt the smoothest of the three and the story also has to be the best of the three. It also had plenty of great extra content too.

Batman Arkham City was another great game that released last year. The gameplay felt a lot better than the first and the side missions really added to the whole detective thing. It also has a decent story with some great twist. The easter eggs were also a good treat. And I for one actually didn't mind collecting the collectibles in this game since you actually had to work for them instead of just landing on top of a random placed emblem floating around the city. Playing as Catwomen also added a different feel to the game that just felt so right. I actually felt like I was playing as Catwomen and not a Batman clone. Although it sucked that it didn't last too long. Overall it was a step up from Arkham Asylum but kinda a step back since Arkham Asylum felt like a better tribute to Batman and also since the Riddles where a hell of a lot clever. I felt like I was just scanning crap on walls 24/7 in City. Great game nonetheless.

Saints Row the Third is a very great game but not really Game of the Year worthy. It's not amazing, it's not a masterpiece and it does have it's fair share of annoying bugs(I don't know if it's just me, but it seriously likes to lag for three seconds, freeze, and disable my moves). All Saints Row the Third really is is a good time. It's both hilarious and awesome. I found the story to be amusing (although really short) and the missions have to be the best out of the three. They could of also had some more variety with the side missions though. All in all Saints Row the Third is a very fun and entertaining game, especially in co-op.

Now we move on too The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword. I felt Skyward Sword was a very great game. It had it's flaws but it also had many strong points. The motion controls were fun but also limiting when compared to Twilight Princess. The formula used in this game was also great. I actually had to explore my way to the next location. It felt like a dungeon within a dungeon. I also really like the graphic style they went with because it really helps make SS look like a beautiful game even though it's running on weaker hardware compared to the other two systems. The colors looks nice but the game itself does look a little old. It also has one of the better stories in the series IMO. I really enjoyed the more cinematic feel to the story and how it was more personal. Skyward Sword also features some of my new favorite boss fights and moments of the series. Skyward Sword is a great game but lacks in some areas when compared to other Zelda games.

And whatever I'm almost done with Super Mario 3D Land so I might as well talk about it. For a 3DS game it's very great. The levels are short but that's justifiable but also kinda easy. I also think that the Tanooki Suit is overused in this game. It doesn't let the other suits shine as much since you constantly have a tanooki suit or need one just to get gold on the flag pole. Other than that, the level design was great and the 3D looks nice. It was also cool to hear some Super Mario 3 tunes again.

I don't know, it's a tough call for me.

 

[Gizmo]

I think Portal 2 was one of the best games this year. It has really nice characters, a good story, an atmospheric gameplay and especially the end is just awesome.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword was okay but nothing more. If this is the future of the Zelda series then I guess I'm not fan of The Legend of Zelda anymore. It just lost its style and it is way to monotone. It feels like a Super Mario game or something. You just jump arround and collect stuff most of the time. Some parts of the controlling are really good but that doesn't make a good game.

So in the end I have to say my favourite game of the year 2011 is Harvey's New Eyes. It's no "big title" and it is not famous, but it is really good. It was made by a small developer studio in Hamburg called Daedalic Entertainment. Harvey's New Eyes is a Point and Klick adventure and takes place in a convent school near a psychiatric hospital. Your protagonist is a little, mad girl named Lilli. She accidantally kills lots of people during her journey through her world and has a imaginary friend with the name Harvey. He is a cuddly toy rabbit and has hypnotic eyes that tell Lilly not to do bad things. Lilly thinks these eyes are her enemy and so she wants to get new eyes for Harvey to save him. Of course all this things are just "demons in her head".

In the end I have to say that Harvey's New Eyes is a really strange and disturbing game but it also is full of funny characters and ideas. Since I love games that are "different" this is my personal game of the year.

 

[Teron]

Dead Space 2
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Rayman Origins
Minecraft
Portal 2
Batman: Arkham City
LittleBigPlanet 2
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

 

[LolGames4U]

Portal 2 is my game of the year! It's such an amazing game with incredible gameplay, physics, characters, writing; it's just so AWESOME!!!

 

[Dio]

It feels weird to do so as a long time lover of the Zelda franchise but I think I'm going to have to go with Skyrim as GOTY. Initially I thought the characters in SS would be more loveable but I find that I actually care more for some characters in Skyrim. There is allot of content and the gameplay is much more fun. It has vast open fields full of dangers and unusual encounters and making potions is allot better than in SS which offered no field and a sky with little fun to be had flying around. Graphics too, allot better because of the console it runs on but also the art style was just nicer for me. The game features good voice acting from people such as Charles Martinet(Mario) and Robin Atkin Downes (Halo:prophet of regret). It's one of my favourite games of all time and I have had over 35 hours of fun from it.

 

[Reaca]

This is a really hard question for me to answer. Its between Portal 2, Skyrim, and Skyward Sword. But all in all, I think that I have to go with Portal 2. Mainly because of its phenomenal voice acting and dialogue, but also for the gameplay. It added many new things from the first game, like the light bridges, vortex beams, lasers, and better graphics. It was also much longer than Portal 1. Skyrim is a close second, and Skyward Sword is a close third.

 

[Cuju]

Skyward Sword, and Ocarina of Time 3D. Skyward Sword made me realize just how awesome the Zelda series still is after 25 years, and Ocarina of Time 3D showed me that Ocarina of Time had the potential of a 2011 game, even 13 years ago, and the remake on the 3DS let it shine with its fullest potential.

 

[A Link In Time]

Definitely Super Mario 3D Land for me. So what that the levels were short? They were extremely memorable. I loved seeing Boom Boom appear after all these years and the Boswer battles truly showed how the franchise evolved since 1985. Any levels with ghosts were also spectacular. The Ghost Houses themselves were true puzzles with platforms appearing as you jumped. And it was truly nice to see the concept expanded in regular levels with the same eerie ghost music playing as Giant Boos chased you across crumbling platforms. There is so much I love this game for but I'll try not to extend this far longer. There were also two very unique enemies introduced in the game: These stone masses that jumped as the player jumped and you had to outsmart them and these Moles which took two jumps to eliminate much like the purple dinosaurs in Super Mario World. Love them! World 8 was especially glorious as were the Special Worlds with the stone Tanooki suit. It's a shame the Boomerang suit was so rare though. And back to World 8 for a second. That world was so masterful. 8-1 was amazing with the spike balls and running away from them, while dodging crates and what not, which was wisely used in the final Bowser battle as well. Speaking of the final Bowser battle, it was so good. Stepping the switch for the first time and thinking you won and then seeing Bowser jump up again larger than before! Spectacular! There was even a Donkey Kong homage moment where Bowser threw barrels at you. The battle truly was unprecedented and you couldn't help hyperventilating during the final moments on the bridge, built especially well for stereoscopic 3D. 3D Land may very well have become my new favorite Mario game.

 

[Ventus]

Final Fantasy XIII-2 if talking JPN releases, Dead Space 2 if talking North American releases. I've nothing to say on the matter of my choosing.

 

[Krazy4Krash]

3. Rayman Origins
2. Super Mario 3D Land
1. Skyward Sword

 

[A Link In Time]

3. Rayman Origins
2. Super Mario 3D Land
1. Skyward Sword

You're clearly a platformer fan and Nintendo fan. Good choices, by the way.

 

[fused_shadows]

It gonna be hard for me to pick a GOTY. I can pick out my favourite two: 1) Skyrim 2) Skyward Sword Both these game shad amazing gameplay, which is what I look at most in games. I liked the graphics of both. I wouldn't be able to pick a favourite. They are both deserving games.

 

[Onilink89]

Even though i really enjoyed SS, my vote goes to Xenoblade.

So wait till april 2012 US people and you will understand why.

Some points what I like about this game:
- Unique RPG system that is a mixture of real-time and turn based.
- Traditional RPG elements (levels, stats, skills, upgrades)
- No random/forced battles (you can engage battles at will)
- Great Storyline
- Grapics looks great, even if they are not HD.
- Game is not liniar and there is free roam
- Huge breathtaking world with a lot to explore
- Huge amount of sidequests
- Lot to collect (weapons, armors, resources, gems)
- Alot of replay value (i have played this game for over 400 hours)

 

[Kid Buu]

1. Skyward Sword -Easily one of the greatest games of all time!
2. Skyrim -My 3rd favorite RPG of all time! (1st. Fallout 3 2nd. Fallout: New Vegas)
3. Uncharted 3 -Best Cinematic scenes in video game history, along with a very great storyline!

 

[8bubbles8joe]

This is probably the toughest year for my game awards. On one hand, you have the impressive Skyward Sword, which has grown to become my second favorite Zelda title to date. The controls feel fresh, the story is intense, and the structure has been tweaked enough for the series to feel new. It is a huge leap forward in Zelda storytelling, and the graphics really stand out on Wii. That's pretty much it on Nintendo's side, aside from a few stellar 3DS games like Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7. Nintendo had a rough year, but towards the end, they brought it together.

Other titles that stand out to me are Uncharted 3, Portal 2, Batman: Arkham City, and Dead Space 2. Uncharted 3 dominates the single-player adventure series, and its multiplayer is enough reason to own the game itself. Naughty Dog set the bar for graphics, and it pays off in the end. Portal 2 continues with its witty humor and writing, and its beautiful gameplay defines the puzzle genre for sure. Arkham City was a massive improvement over Asylum, as we found out what it takes to be Batman. Collecting Riddler trophies and completing endless side quests nabs this game a winner in the replay value department. Dead Space 2 redefines the horror genre by using its atmosphere to its advantage, and I was pleasantly surprised by this game, even though its something I might initially avoid. Other honorable mentions for me include Star Wars: The Old Republic, Infinity Blade 2, and Rayman Origins. 2011 is just too close to call.