My 2011 Gaming Picks

It's that time of the year, again. That time where everyone thinks of the past year in gaming, movies, whatever. And, what a year we've had! We've had the return of an icon, remakes, and some of the most underrated games we've seen. These are my personal picks for the year. A few ground rules.

1: This is based on my opinion, not from other reviews. These are games that I liked/hated for my own reasons. I may mention other reviews in this, but it's not from an influenced stand, it's from a research stand.

2: I played these games, but not necessarily finished them. If I didn't finish them, I didn't review them. I may have done a first impressions on them, but if I didn't play it at all, it's not on the list (so, no Modern Warfare 3, or most RPG's).

3: There must be a basis for my selections, be it technical, story, or innovation. It isn't just because I'm defiant, and rebelling against "professional" game reviewers.

Let's start with the negatives:

Most Disappointing Game:

The list of games that disappointed me this year is pretty big for me, especially considering that for every good game, we had two bad ones. Homefront and Dead Space 2 were both contenders for this due to story elements that don't meld at all. According to Homefront, gas will be $20 a gallon... in two days. Then there's the man-made alien technology in Dead Space 2. Another runner was Killzone 3, a game that was so over the top dramatic that it made soap operas seem like Oscar winning movies, and an ending so preachy that I thought I was leaving church, and was just told I was going to Hell for masturbating. You can't beat Killzone 3, and feel like you achieved anything but senseless slaughter, and it reminds you of that in the ending.

But, there's only one game that disappointed me so much that I could not press my self to review it. Only one game could take a giant leap backwards after the developers showed they could make an outstanding series. Yes, folks, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception is my most disappointing game this year. I can't say it's just one thing about it, either. The story was dull, and taken from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade with scenes from Quantum of Solace, The Posiedon Adventure, and The Living Daylights. Seriously, they stole the plane scene from a Timothy Dalton Bond Movie. If you don't believe me, Playstation Magazine mentioned it in their review, (no, I'm not breaking my own rule here, this was actually research). The villain was supposed to be a strong psychological villain, but as soon as she gives away a major plot point, her role is pretty much as a shadow to her body guard, who is one of the lamest and cliche villains ever written. Imagine Star Wars if Darth Vader said that he was Luke's father, and Luke just said, "Okay, whatever!" then had a duel with Vader's second in command. Upon his death, Luke will also say, "Yippie ki yay, motherfucker!" You want to know the kicker? I paid for the collector's edition. At least I got a belt buckle out of this crap!

Worst Graphics:

Hell, I don't even have other nominees than this one. Call of Juarez: The Cartel gets it just on principle. The evidence? The transparent rain texture was lifted what would roughly be three feet from the floor, so the splashes from your footfalls were at your knee. Then there's the infamous "three sided rock" that you can see through. Did I mention the overuse of bloom? Everything shines in this game, for no reason.

Worst Script:

A thought for Epic Games. When you introduce a character, and he's supposed to be a big human foil, it's generally not a good idea to have him instigate a fight, then, when challenged, have him go, "Okay, I'm leaving," after having him say how big and bad he is. It's also not a good idea to make an emotional moment in a game, but have it come from someone who would not do that due to loyalty. It's also not a good idea to say you're doing a new game that's never been done, only to show a tower defense game, but I digress. Despite this, Gears of War 3 is safe. Dead Space 2, and Uncharted 3 are on this list, for reasons all ready stated.

But, there can be only one winner. Again, Call of Juarez: The Cartel takes this. No other game has had issues with the voice actors lines not matching the subtitles. I also can't let, "It's dark as fuck!/"It's dark as cow's guts!" slide. There's also the racist themes that make it seem like all Mexicans are drug dealers, and all white people are women-punching pimps.

Worst Movie Based Game:

Only one movie based game was so bland, boring, and terrible that it earned this award with flying colors. Thor: God of Thunder, with it's one button combat, flat acting, and last gen graphics, pretty much asked for this honor. Consider this: Its only redeeming value was that it wasn't Saw II: Flesh and Blood. Normally, that's not a hard thing to do, but I'm not convinced that Thor even wanted to be better than Saw II.

Most "Awesome" Glitch:

L.A. Noire made this list for the "Elevator Glitch," which made your partner get stuck in the elevator of a building, and you could leave him behind. But, it doesn't beat the other nominee that has several glitches, including one that takes away your ability to attack if you die too many times. Dead Island deserves this award, not just for that, but also for the woman with man parts, the spinning car, and being able to fly through the island. The link has a a few of these glitches, for your laughs. Congrats, Dead Island, you "deserve" this.

Worst Game of 2011:

Between these games, only one can get the worst: Killzone 3, Uncharted 3, Thor: God of Thunder, and Call of Juarez: The Cartel. Let me put it this way, games aspire to be as bad as Call of Juarez: The Cartel, so that they can learn what not to do. While the rest of the nominees were, to me, bad games, it was only due to some bad issues I had with those games, but they did have some redeeming value. Hell, I could laugh at Thor. Call of Juarez: The Cartel was unredeemably painful. If I laughed at it, it's only because it kept me from smashing my brain with the disc.

Now for the positive:

Most Underrated Game:

People actually refused to read my blog after I gave Duke Nukem Forever a positive review. I say this; I'm still nominating it. Mainly, it's because people had their expectations way too high. Bulletstorm, and Spider-Man: Edge of Time are both fun games, that got tossed aside for no reason. Yes, I think Edge of Time isn't as good as Shattered Dimensions, but is still good game. Only one game was poorly received for reasons I can't figure out.

And that game is Bodycount. It got punishing reviews for bad gameplay, graphics, and lack of story. It's gameplay was fast and furious, much like the arcade style that it's based on. The trick was that it was a lot of fun, and didn't need much of a story. Either do other games that get good reviews, yet Bodycount got blasted for it. While being tough, the game is rarely unfair, and the destructible environment adds to the challenge, and fun, of the game. For added fun, play through the game while trying to get all of the trophies, especially the insane ones. You can kill a sniper with a grenade.

Best Open World Game:

There was no shortage of Open World Games this year. Batman: Arkham City, while in a small world, was open enough for the size of the city, giving the player hours of content aside from the main game. Infamous 2 stood out from the original, as well as the genre itself, just by the sheer expanse of the story. But, there's only one Open World Game that left me in awe.

L.A. Noire had it all: a gripping story, beautiful graphics, an amazing cast, and new technology that they made a use for, beyond just bragging points. The facial and body animations were realistic, especially for the time period of the game's setting. While it faces tough competition, L.A. Noire is the one game I keep coming back to for an open world fix.

Best Shooter:

This year has been saturated with shooters, much like every other year. Bulletstorm was a wild romp that was both crude, and had an emotional sub-plot. Bodycount was a thrill ride of a game, and deserved much more credit than it got. Crysis 2 showed that the first person shooter genre can evolve to a true story telling genre instead of simply killing.

It's Battlefield 3 that takes it for me, though. Never have I played a game that capture the soldier's experiences during war so well, that I, as a veteran, was impressed. I've never had a moment that filled me with such dread as when I walk into a vacant street, and hear, "That's weird, there's no civies," and knowing that there's going to be a sniper attack, just seconds before a shot rings out. Battlefield 3 is by far the most realistic war game I've ever played, and the best shooter this year.

Best Platformer:

This year saw the return of Sonic the Hedgehog with Sonic Generations, a game that amazed me immensely with how they could actually do Sonic right. Little BIG Planet 2 arrived, with a way to make entire games as opposed to just levels. While they were both great, I chose one that makes me happy when I play it no matter what.

If you haven't played Rayman Origins, you need to now. Ignore the busty nymphs if you have to, but play it. Between tough boss battles, French hunters, the cute Teensies (I swear one says "Wiggy wiggy!" when you beat a level), and the Pig Latin,... there are too many things to list. Rayman Origins is the most fun I've had playing a platformer in a long time. It can get frustrating, but it's still worth the play...s.

Best Graphics:

While I'm impressed by Arkham City's graphics, it still looks like the Unreal 3 engine. It still a nominee, though, because of just how impressive it is. Battlefield 3 looks amazing and real, yet it still had some uncanny parts to it. Infamous 2 in particular caught me off guard with how detailed everything looked. Crysis 2 showed a mostly photo realistic world falling apart around you, creating many gasp-worthy moments, inspiring both awe and horror.

But, it's L.A. Noire that once again takes it. The facial animations are amazing, especially with how close to the actual actors they are. The city comes alive with reactions to you, as well as pulling over when your siren in blaring. There are details in L.A. Noire that I still haven't spotted.

Best Non-Shooter Action:

It really comes down to three titles here: Spider-Man: Edge of Time and Batman: Arkham City. I have to say, though, Arkham City takes it. Its a game where you can take your time to do what you need to do, and even return to do some bonus side missions, challenges, or get gadgets you didn't get before. On top of that, the game is varied enough that you aren't doing the same thing in every mission. You even have a side mission that ends with Batman losing the case. Also, it has an "alternate ending" if you play some of the DLC. See if you can find it.

Game of the Year:

There were a lot of good games year, and a lot of overlooked ones. But, there were very few stand out titles for me. These titles do represent the best this year had to offer, and hopefully a growth in the industry. Here's the nominees and why:

Batman: Arkham City: All ready established as one of the best games made with Batman, Arkham Asylum was a tough act to follow. Rocksteady managed to more than follow it, though, by adding not just more gameplay, but more land to the playing field. It also has a variety of side quests, and more single player DLC that adds to the story. The one bad thing I can say about that is you have to buy the game new to get it. Even then with this game, it does feel a little bit of a gyp. Don't let it be said that Arkham City isn't worth a visit.

Battlefield 3: Realism in war shooters is hard to come by, and DICE does it exceedingly well. Battlefield 3 is no exception, keeping the difficult firefights constant, and rethinking strategy a necessity. The trade off is that the campaign is short, even for me. But, I was blown away by it, nonetheless. Modern Warfare may have started the trend of killing a playable character into a big event, but Battlefield 3 perfected it to a stunning, and stomach churning, result. It also perfected the formula of being a game that feels like war.

L.A. Noire: Being innovative is tough to do, and while I don't like Rockstar, they do a damn good job staying on their innovation A game. Team Bondi's L.A. Noire is a game so interesting, that when I was talking about it with my family this past Christmas, my father, who has never liked video games (with some minor exceptions) was intrigued. Being able to spot a liar is a little tricky at times, which adds to the challenge of the game. But, some aiming issues do hold it back a little. The story makes up for it in a big way.

Rayman Origins: Ubisoft wasn't joking when they said they made a game that was 60 + levels of HD glory. They also weren't joking when they made the game. Not only is the gameplay addictive, but so is the music, the graphics, and the over all feel of the game. The best part is you can play it with someone else, and discover more secrets, or even beat each other up. Rayman Origins proves you don't need 3D graphics to be stunning. The draw back of the game is how difficult it can get at times, but the fun counters it immensely.

This is a close list, too. As I'm writing this, I'm finding it difficult to pick one winner. But, I'm going to have to pick one, right? And that one is, by a hair, L.A. Noire. As intelligent as it is innovative, L.A. Noire is a full package between fun, story, and concepts not prior executed in video games. L.A. Noire used the facial motion scanning not just for the player, but to make the characters feel real. It worked, too, giving one of the most intriguing and heart wrenching stories in gaming to date.

For those of you curious, the number two pick was Rayman Origins. The only way L.A. Noire won it was for it's innovation with the motion scan. It was that damn close.