Welcome to part 2 of my 2011 in review. The first part was a personal walk-through of my life this year but this post is all about one of my biggest addictions, video games. I'll give you my top 10 games I played this year, what I'm looking forward to in 2012, and also what my favorite moment from gaming was this year. Pretty simple right? Next week though, is the MEGA POST on WWE and their 2011. Will I have good things to say about it or will I tear WWE a new one? Find out next week! Anyway, onto the topic of this post, 2011 in video games!
2011 was certainly a fantastic year for gamers. Uncharted 3, Skyrim, Modern Warfare 3, Portal 2, Battlefield 3, just to name a few of the big releases of this year. Thing is, I didn't play ANY of those games and I still had a fantastic gaming year. I'm not really into the big releases. I'm more of an under the radar kind of guy and that's how I like it. Before I get into what I think were the ten best games and I played this year and why, let's look into what is to come in 2012! Here's my top ten of games that I hope I play in 2012.
10. South Park The Game - When I first heard about a South Park RPG, I immediately put this on the list. I'm a casual fan of South Park but a hardcore gamer. Add the fact that Obsidian is taking on this game and you got a game I'm really looking forward to playing.
9. Street Fighter X Tekken - My love for fighting games can be described as casual at best. I love mashing buttons and they are great to have around when friends are over but other than that, I could care less about them, especially ones with deep stories. This though, is on my must play list. I've played MANY MANY Tekken and Street Fighter games over the years, with Tekken 3 and Street Fighter EX Plus Alpha being my favorites from both series, but when they announced the crossover, I knew the world was coming to an end. This game is going to be sick and I can't wait to play this with my boys on the hours leading up to Wrestlemania next year.
8. Final Fantasy XIII-2 - I haven't finished the first Final Fantasy 13. Why? I don't know. I tend to do that lately where I just pick up a game, get to the end, and never complete it. It's a huge problem but I still want to try this game out. I'm a sucker for JRPGs and when we only get like 3-8 of them in America, you take what you can get. FF13-2 may be the fix I need for JRPGs but time will tell.
7. Asura's Wrath - What exactly is this game? I haven't done much research but if the trailers are any indication, it looks to be an over the top action game which is RIGHT up my alley. I don't know if it's 60 dollars worth just yet but I can't wait to try it.
6. Anarchy Reigns - Platinum Games is one of my favorite developers. MadWorld, Bayonetta, and my favorite, VANQUISH, are all fantastic games. So it only makes sense that I look forward to their next crazy game. That only thing I'm skeptical about is the online play and I hope they aren't focusing too heavily on it. If all goes right, this could be an interesting release come July.
5. Soulcalibur V - I've been a fan of this fighting series since I bought Soul Calibur II on Gamecube. At the time, the only reason I bought it was because of the inclusion of Link. Namco made a smart move because now I'm fan for life. It's just something about this series that makes it my favorite fighting game series. Is it the weapons, the crazy characters, or the fact that Namco tries to get guest characters? I don't know but I can't wait to play as Ezio when this releases at the end of January.
4. The Last Guardian - I wasn't a fan of ICO. I didn't like dragging around some dumb girl or the combat. I LOVED everything about Shadow of the Colossus. It's mix of action and puzzle elements, it's atmosphere, and the story was awesome as well. So Team ICO are 1 for 1 with me. How will The Last Guardian fare with me? Only time will tell, but I'm hoping for a solid game when this hopefully releases in 2012.
3. Mass Effect 3 - Ah, the ending of a great trilogy. Mass Effect 2 remains one of my favorite Xbox 360 games of all time and I can't wait to see how they attack this one. Again, this is another single player game that is now adding multiplayer and I don't know how it's going to work in the end for the campaign, but here's hoping they don't mess up. I can't wait to see how it all ends.
2. Lollipop Chainsaw - I'm a huge Suda51 guy. Killer7 was one of the most unique experiences I had with a video game. No More Heroes is easily my favorite series to come from the Wii. Shadows of the Damned is on my top 10 list for 2011, so it only makes sense that Lollipop Chainsaw is this high up on the list. I'm hoping for all the Suda51 goodness, blood and gore, sex, and stupid immature jokes that I can't help but laugh at. I hope we don't have to wait all year for this truly unique experience, but if we do, I can't wait!
1. Tales of Graces F - Easily my most anticipated game of this generation. Yeah I said it. I looked forward to No More Heroes 2 and Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, but here's a game I didn't think would EVER get released from Japan. They announced it was coming over here back in FEBRUARY. FEBRUARY and that was it! No release window, no English gameplay, NOTHING! But now, we finally have a release date and I couldn't be happier. In a time where JRPGs are slowly dying, Tales of Graces F is the light at the end of the tunnel. I've been a fan of Tales games since Symphonia and my favorite was Vesperia, so it's only natural this would be my most anticipated game of 2012. I'll be saying goodbye to what social life I have March 13th.
Well, 2012 looks fantastic for games. Now, let's get into my top 10 games of 2011! SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!!
10. WWE All Stars - Starting off the list is one of the best wrestling/fighting games I've ever played. All Stars is simple, it combines wrestlers from different generations and puts them in a ring. You got greats like Hogan, Savage, Rock, and Austin from one generation and you have Cena, Orton, Punk, and Sheamus from another. All Stars highlight is the video packages in the Fantasy Warfare mode. In this mode, the game pits fantasy match-ups, like Punk/Austin, Cena/Hogan, and Miz/Perfect. The video promos are FANTASTIC, they really hype you up for the match. The gameplay is over the top. This isn't WWE 12, it's a true arcade experience. It's a blast to play with friends and my favorite fighting game of 2011.
9. Batman: Arkham City - Arkham City didn't capture like Arkham Asylum did. I still haven't even beaten the game, so I can't say much about it. What I can say is it's Batman in his own sandbox. It's a great game, but not much has changed from Asylum. And the fact that I can play as different characters doesn't do much for me. It's a BATMAN game, not Batman and friends game. I only want to play as Batman's lackeys if it's a beat em up game. Despite my gripes, everything that made Asylum a hit is back in City so if you're a fan of the original, you'll love the sequel.
8. L.A. Noire - The best cinematic experience of the year, L.A. Noire is this year's Heavy Rain for me. It's not better than it though, in my opinion. L.A. Noire does do a lot of things right though, like completely capturing the time period. I was literally sucked into this world. The voice acting is also superb, something we've come to expect from Rockstar games. The best thing about the game, which is a complete game changer when it comes to video games, is the technology it uses. The facial animations are UNREAL. It's the reason why this game has gotten so much exposure, Sure, the gameplay, what is there, is great. I loved walking around looking for clues and interrogating suspects, but with little action, I'm sure many people overlooked this game. Anyway, L.A. Noire shows that the future of video games is indeed bright. Combine the technology of this game with a lengthy experience, and you have an all around good game.
7. El Shaddai - El Shaddai would be much higher if it wasn't SO DAMN SHORT! The game is only 7-10 hours long. That's unacceptable for it being a 60 dollar game, but those are a fantastic 7-10 hours. The story is great, all the different environments looked fantastic and unique, and the combat was very satisfying. I played through the game 3 different times, each time trying one of the game's 3 different weapons. My favorite was The Veil, which was the fist type weapon of the game. I loved the controls as well. It was all about timing your buttons presses and countering your opponent, it was really awesome seeing what each weapon could do. This is another game that doesn't have too much replay value, but you can do the levels over and get different costumes along the way, one which makes you completely invincible, which obviously makes the game a cake walk. Overall, El Shaddai is a fantastic little action game that I'm sure no one even played. If you can find it for 20-40 dollars, you should definitely give it a try.
6. Dead Space 2 - The 2nd game in this horror series is fantastic. Not better than the first, but still a great experience. Where this game shines is the visions Issac has. You see, Issac was affected by the Marker from the 1st game, so he sees some seriously crazy things through this experience. Another thing that makes this game amazing is the death animations and the amount of gross out moments. Go to Youtube to check some of the deaths out. I promise you, they're worth it. They will make you cringe, trust me. I like gore in games and movies as much as the next guy but this game gets really crazy. The gameplay is the same as the first and there a lot of reasons to go back and play this game again. DS2 is on this because it's a fantastic sequel with tight controls, solid gameplay, and A LOT of gross out and shocking moments. Can't wait for the 3rd one.
5. Shadows of the Damned - Shadows of the Damned is best described as Resident Evil 4 meets Vanquish. Add a little demons and Suda51 humor in there and you have this game. SOTD was originally my GOTY in June. That alone should tell you how fantastic the game is. Those familiar to RE4 will have no problems picking this game up and playing it. It's fun, wacky, and a blast to play. It doesn't take itself seriously and there are a lot of penis jokes, but other than that, it's a really stand out game. Go pick this game up if you haven't already. My only gripes are the length and no real replay value. If I'm spending 60 bucks on the game, I better be getting some things to do afterward, just saying.
4. Saints Row the Third - This game is fricking insane. What were the people making this smoking? Whatever it was, they need to keep smoking it because Saints Row The Third is probably the best game in the series. With it's over the top insane gameplay to its fun side missions, SR3 was great. I still haven't completed the game but what I did play was great. This is what I want from video games. SR3 isn't deep like Catherine or hard like Dark Souls, but it's definitely more FUN than both of them. The ability to do what I want in the game alone makes this one of my top games. It won't win any awards for GOTY, but SR3 is a solid sandbox experience that anyone who's crazy or just likes having a good time while gaming should pick up.
3. Catherine - Catherine is the best story driven game I've played all year. It was also the only game to make me think about my actual life. It gave me a lot of metaphors for the year. Anyway, Catherine's story is easily it's strong point. A guy named Vincent is in a relationship with his girlfriend Katherine, she wants commitment, he's not sure, he has a one night stand with the bewitching Catherine and then the story goes through so many twist and turns from there. The game also has so many different endings and it really challenges not only your morals but your skills as a gamer as well. Catherine is the 2nd hardest game I beat this year. I didn't think the puzzle gameplay would hook me at first, but as soon as I beat the first tower, I couldn't stop playing. Not only do you get the actual Catherine game, there's also an arcade game in Catherine that represents the nightmares that Vincent goes through. It's a game within a game that has over 100 stages. Catherine also had fantastic music and even has music from other stellar Atlus games, such as Persona and Digital Devil Saga. All in all, Catherine is an experience that isn't for everyone. Seriously, don't play this game if you don't want your morals tested. I played this thinking that it wouldn't challenge me and it did. I started questioning if my life was just like Vincent's. That I was cheating God of His time by playing Catherine. That I was cheating God by watching wrestling, the list goes on. It also helped with my decision to pursue my now girlfriend. At the time I was deciding between two girls and Robyn was more like Katherine, where she would force me to grow up and become a man. This game in short, changed my life. Maybe I'm just crazy and reading too much into a game but who knows? Maybe God put this game into my life for a certain reason? Regardless, Catherine is another Atlus experience that I won't soon forget.
2. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword - WHAT? Zelda is #2? Shock and awe? Skyward Sword is easily the best Wii game released. EVER. The story of Skyward Sword is typical Zelda lore and it's a traditional Zelda experience, which is WHY it's #2. Sure, it was an amazing experience but I felt like I played this game before and techincally, I have. The controls are different, characters different, but the gameplay is the same. You have to get three of something, then another three of something, then you're fully equipped to face the last boss. Rinse, lather, repeat. The best thing done in Skyward Sword didn't happen until you defeated the final boss. Skyward Sword's ending is why this game is so high on my list. Like I said, it was a traditional Zelda experience and it was super fun, but when it was revealed that Demise put on a curse on Link and Zelda, it was such a great feeling. To finally find out why Zelda and Link's children were put through so much the last 25 years, it was amazing. They finally revealed how Ganon came to be and that was amazing all in itself. Throw in a huge 35 hour quest, great boss fights, amazing motion controls, and just about everything you want in a Zelda game and you have my #2 game of the year. I hope they can somehow change the classic Zelda formula in the next game because to be honest, though fun, is getting a little stale.
1. Dark Souls - In a year with blockbuster titles, Dark Souls stands tall as my favorite. Why though? After waiting SO LONG for Skyward Sword, how did this game beat it? I'll tell you why. After the credits rolled for both games, Dark Souls was the game that I immediately felt accomplishment with. I never EVER had to work so hard with a game before. When I first got Dark Souls, I got murdered. HARD. There were times I just wandered around, run, and die. Then, I started getting a feel for it and would make progress, beating 1-3 bosses in a single play-through session. Then, Dark Souls would kick my ass again and I would feel helpless. The cycle would continue until I defeated Gwyn and the credits FINALLY rolled. I sighed in relief knowing that I beat the hardest game to be released in 2011. And then it challenged me to do it again, with the enemies ALL being stronger. Fool me once Dark Souls... Anyway, Dark Souls is my Game of the Year for many reasons. The gameplay was fantastic, controls solid, the environments felt very dark and medieval as I would sometimes lose myself in them, it didn't feel like Demon's Souls which was a very good thing for me and lastly it was just plain fun! Though I died a lot, it was fun dying, fun learning from my mistakes, fun finally conquering a boss after 2 hours of attempting to defeat it. It gave me a lot of moments where I would just scream FINALLY I BEAT THE BOSS or found out where to go. I would mark out when defeating bosses, finding secrets, or just from finding save spots. This is truly why I play games. Dark Souls is my FAVORITE game from 2011. Thanks for the memories...
As a bonus, here are some of my favorite gaming moments from 2011!
- Demise reveals curse put on Zelda and Link
- Catherine's reveal of being a succubus
- First meeting with certain bosses in Dark Souls (Gaping Dragon, Ceaseless Discharge, and Ornstein and Smough)
- Saints Row The Third's missions. INSANE.
- Completing Catherine (15 hours) and Dark Souls (50 HOURS!)
Well, 2011 was a great year in gaming. 2012 looks to be another good year, but to be honest, gaming is going to take a back seat for a while. I'm not going to game hard until Tales of Graces F comes out. I need to put some things first in my life and gaming isn't it. Anyway, one more post left and it's the big one. Expect a LONG read everybody!
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