Yo, what games have you enjoyed most this year?

[chewey]

The year's almost up, so it's game(s) of the year time.

It's been a nice year for games, I think. It might be the best we've had for a while, but it's tough to say. I regard the year less highly than I thought I would before coming into the Thanksgiving-Christmas release window. Still, we've at least seen more quality titles with a nice spread across genres than we have for a few years now. I think 2012 is going to continue in that way too, with a lot of interesting games already announced (and some coming as soon as February-March).

So with all that in mind, I think there'll be a lot of variety in 2011's game of the year lists. Maybe not in this thread (I don't know how many posts it'll get), but just in general.

I'll kick things off with...

REAL TALK with CHEWEY

[spoiler=NUMBER 10]Skyrim[/spoiler]
[spoiler=NUMBER 9]Professor Layton and the Last Specter[/spoiler]
[spoiler=NUMBER 8]Pokémon Black/White[/spoiler]
[spoiler=NUMBER 7]Sonic Generations[/spoiler]
[spoiler=NUMBER 6]Renegade Ops[/spoiler]
[spoiler=NUMBER 5]L.A. Noire[/spoiler]
[spoiler=NUMBER 4]Portal 2[/spoiler]
[spoiler=NUMBER 3]The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword[/spoiler]
[spoiler=NUMBER 2]Deus Ex: Human Revolution[/spoiler]
[spoiler=NUMBER 1]Rhythm Heaven Fever[/spoiler]

There's quite a few games I'm interested in that I haven't played yet, though. Batman: Arkham City, Catherine, Mario Kart 7, Rage, Saints Row: The Third and Super Mario 3D Land are all I can think of right now.

Anyway, that's it. I did a top ten dealy, but it's not an exact thing for the most part. I have a hard time deciding whether I enjoyed one game more than another.

[Holkeye]

I'm writing my top 10 out in full, but here they are, in no particular order:

1. RAGE
2. The Witcher 2
3. The Binding of Isaac
4. Terraria
5. Portal 2
6. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
7. Skyrim
8. Super Mario 3D Land
9. Cave Story 3D
10. Mario Kart 7

[chewey]

I played The Witcher 2 but dropped off in the second act. My graphics card runs very hot and very loud when taxed, so it made playing the game uncomfortable. I really enjoyed the first act though. I'll go back to the game once I grab a new graphics card, along with a few other games it has caused trouble with.

[Holkeye]

I loved it. I hope that you can get back to it at some point, because it is really rewarding. Its coming to 360 next year, so hopefully a lot of people will pick it up.

[SirJackRex]

10. Pushmo: Ingenious and unrelentingly enjoyable pixel art puzzler. Really adorable game too.
9. Sanctum: Thought it would suck, but it ended up being one of the best TD games I've played. On top of a solid and deep TD, you've got a fun shooter too.
8. Pokemon Black/White: IDK it's childhood all over again I guess.
7. Deus Ex Human Revolution: Beautifully executed game, with fun and cohesive rpg and shooting mechanics, which is pretty rare I think. Really cool world.
6. Mario Kart 7: I guess maybe I think DEHR deserves this spot more than MK7, but MK7 is the best MK so far and I just love it.
5. Rage: The first half is pretty placid, but the second half is balls-to-the-wall amazing. Wingstick and Pop-rockets, too.
4. Super Mario 3D Land: Basically pure fun; no frustration. It's easy and the levels are short, but it's like revisiting SMB3 in 3D space.
3. Frozen Synapse: I really dig this game. It's not perfect but I would change nothing about it.
2. The Witcher 2: To me, it's kind of the perfect action-rpg. Combat, visuals, characters, plot, choices, customization are all top-notch. I swear to god CDPR also has the best environmental artists in the industry, and they're lucky because they also have amazing artists and tech.
1. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword: Its highs were super high, and its lows super low, though I enjoyed it the most I'd say.

Roughly ordered because it is hard to choose... Honorable mentions: Bulletstorm and Go! Go! Kokopolo.
I'd like say that I like Rage more than SM3DL and Frozen Synapse but the ending is bad enough to make it that much less enjoyable, and the non-shooting padding while usually fun doesn't help its case very much.

edited some notes in

[Irock]

I don't play that many games in a year.

[chewey]

I'm pretty tempted to pick up a 3DS, but I don't really like the current SKU. I'm probably going to wait for the first hardware revision and more news about Monster Hunter 3G/4's release outside of Japan. It's really annoying that they decided to region lock the 3DS.

[Holkeye]

Current SKU?

[chewey]

The current model/version. I'm mostly just waiting to see whether the first revision (3DS Lite?) will include the second circle pad or not. Improved battery life would be nice too.

[Holkeye]

SKU is the number that retailers use to differentiate between items. I know what you're saying by using it, but outside of work, it just sounds strange. SKU and model are different enough to warrant specification.

Edit: If I sound like a dick, I'm really not trying to be one. As someone who works around "SKUs" and all of those other bullshit terms, I hate them so much.

[TDS]

I'm pretty tempted to pick up a 3DS, but I don't really like the current SKU. I'm probably going to wait for the first hardware revision and more news about Monster Hunter 3G/4's release outside of Japan. It's really annoying that they decided to region lock the 3DS.

The 3DS is not region locked. It's an option given to the developers for their content which most developers use. As for a hardware revision, you might be waiting a while as the 3DS is being sold at a partial loss and a revision that includes new parts would just cost them more without any real gain.

[chewey]

SKU is the number that retailers use to differentiate between items. I know what you're saying by using it, but outside of work, it just sounds strange. SKU and model are different enough to warrant specification.

Edit: If I sound like a dick, I'm really not trying to be one. As someone who works around "SKUs" and all of those other bullshit terms, I hate them so much.

It's a term used pretty frequently around video game boards I visit. I know what the term means, but it's been used to refer to video game console revisions for a long time now.

The 3DS is not region locked. It's an option given to the developers for their content which most developers use. As for a hardware revision, you might be waiting a while as the 3DS is being sold at a partial loss and a revision that includes new parts would just cost them more without any real gain.

Nintendo have never said that's their policy regarding region locking. They've been pretty vague really, but so far we don't have any reason to think it's not an enforced thing.

I don't think the wait will be much longer than it has been in the past. The hardware of the 3DS has always been very cheap and 1.5-2 years down the line there'll be ways to cut that price down a little bit.

[Esmeralda]

[spoiler=9]Saints Row 3rd, Skyrim[/spoiler]
[spoiler=8]Arkham City[/spoiler]
[spoiler=7]L.A. Noire[/spoiler]
[spoiler=5]Rhythm Heaven, Trails in the Sky[/spoiler]
[spoiler=4]Deus Ex: HR[/spoiler]
[spoiler=2]Ghost Trick, Xenoblade[/spoiler]
[spoiler=1]The Witcher 2[/spoiler]

I hate making GOTY lists. There's always a fear of forgetting a game so you end up combing through release lists on wikipedia, then you remember a really great game while you probably can't remember how good/bad it was. Pretty satisfied with my picks here though.

[spoiler=Honorable mentions]Pokemon B/W, Return to Dreamland, Dead Island, Rayman Origins, Portal 2, Layton and the Last Specter[/spoiler]

[Holkeye]

It's a term used pretty frequently around video game boards I visit. I know what the term means, but it's been used to refer to video game console revisions for a long time now.

That's dumb. Not that you're dumb or anything, (I know you aren't,) but its such a dumb substitution because its too general, and sounds like something people say to sound smarter than they are. I could say, "I wanted a green apple, but my grocery store didn't have the SKU," and it is correct, but it doesn't sound informed. It just sounds stupid and pretentious.

But anyway, about the 3DS: Its pretty awesome now. I waited until the price dropped to pick one up, and for about a month, the only game I had was Zelda. Now that Cave Story, Mario, and Mario Kart 7 are out, I think its worth picking one up. Tales of the Abyss comes out in February, so we'll finally have a solid RPG, and Metal Gear, Heroes of Ruin, and a few others will be out soon. I'm just hoping that the stupid second analog stick won't be as big a piece of shit as I assume it will be, because some of the games I really want are slated to use it. So yeah, I'm not disappointed at all with the purchase. Even the streetpass stuff, which is entirely unnecessary, is pretty cool. I always look forward to see how many people I've run into.

[chewey]

It's really only SM3DL, MK7, Pushmo and Mighty Switch Force that I'm interested in so far. There are some games coming up that I'm looking forward to, but they aren't really the ones you named. I can wait, it's not a huge deal that I own one yet. More than anything I just want the 3DS for Monster Hunter 4 and I don't know if that will get an English release yet.

[Holkeye]

I've been hearing a lot about Pushmo, and I watched the videos and stuff, but it seems like something that needs to be played to really know if its good or not. I also really want Luigi's Mansion 2 and Paper Mario, but those aren't going to be out for a while.

[Adon]

The Legend of Zelda, The Skyward Sword

[tSwitch]

1. Skyrim
> Played it more hours than any other game this year (aside from wow).

2. The Witcher 2
> Fantastic story and improvements to the first, was my GOTY until Skyrim came out.

3. Portal 2
> Absolutely fantastic, played through both campaigns and the bonus content.  The only reason it's not higher, is I wasn't really that happy with how the puzzle design used so many portal-blockers.  It felt limiting.

4. DotA2
> I'm a huge nerd for the original mod, and this game is a perfect upgrade.  I just wish my computer could play it now.

5. RAGE
> Great game.  Though it did suffer from all of the features being good, but not necessarily great.  I still enjoyed the overall experience a great deal.

6. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
> Blew my mind.  Worthy successor to the first.

7. Dungeons of Dredmor
> I love roguelikes, and this one is just well designed and funny.

8. L.A. Noire
> Didn't get much chance to play it, but what I did impressed me.  I liked how the investigation worked in.

9. Alice: Madness Returns
> It's a sick and twisted wonderland, and I love that kind of stuff.

10. The Binding of Isaac
> Incredibly fun, and incredibly difficult.  It just plays well.

[Holkeye]

Forgot about Dredmore. I might have to revise...

[SirJackRex]

You do need to play Pushmo to get the appeal. It looks easy, and sounds boring, but oh my god some of them will wreck your brain in a most enjoyable manner. And on top of that? The level editor. Create your own pixel art puzzles!

I can't guarantee anything, but I'd say if you like visual/object puzzles you'll like it enough to justify the seven bucks.

[Holkeye]

Its not new this year, but I just noticed that VVVVVV is now on the 3DS shop channel for $6, and it is in 3D. If you haven't played that, go and get it. It is amazing.

[SirJackRex]

Hey Holk so what's Cave Story 3D like? Just a graphical update, or is there more to it than that? I'd like to buy it but I think I'd rather give Nano Assault a shot if Cave Story 3D is effectively a graphical update.

yes VVVVVV is fantastic. I didn't know it was released already.

[Holkeye]

Cave Story 3D is a graphical update, also an audio update, and it has some extra modes and stuff. I bought it because Nicalis is making a bunch of great idie games get more exposure to mainstream gamers, and I would like them to have some of my money to do so. Its really good, but I would recommend playing the original first.

[Holkeye]

I have to amend my list, because ToR is the game that I've enjoyed the most all year. It pushes out Mario 3D Land.

[tSwitch]

Of 2012.