I think I’m getting old, because it took me awhile to figure out what even came out this year. Still, I’ve managed to put together a list of my favorite games of the year. 2011 was a bit weird, I didn’t really feel like there were any new IPs that got me excited – instead it was a year filled with sequels. Well done sequels, but sequels nonetheless. Nevertheless, there were a lot of games worth playing, even if I didn’t get around to them all.
Another year is almost over. Time sure flies these days! Over the course of this past year, I feel like I’ve leveled down the most since the blog started in 2008. By the end of 2011, my gaming library has dwindled down to only a fraction of the games I owned at the beginning of the year (I only own 2 PS3 games now!), I’ve actually skipped the purchase of several notable titles I would have usually bought (Dead Island, Catherine, Dark Souls, etc.), and generally feel like I may not even be buying more than a handful of games going forward (perhaps only Diablo III and Starcraft II: Heart of the Swarm next year).
For our last entries of 2011, cmfl3x and I decided on providing our thoughts on our game of the year for 2011 as well as any other reflections on the year. As you can see from above, my thinking is that I’ve leveled down a lot over this past year. But, I did enjoy some games this past year as well! Hit the jump for my favorite games of 2011.
espion4ge and cmfl3x after a successful co-op mission
When espion4ge and I booted up the new (free) Portal 2 DLC Peer Review, it was NOT like running into an old friend. The game seems so foreign now! It’s kind of crazy since it’s only been a few months, but it took awhile for me to get used to playing again. So how is the free DLC? The price is right, but Portal might be starting to dim for me.
I loved the hard light bridges in Portal 2. Why weren’t there more of them?
As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, I could not wait to put Portal 2 into my disc tray. Generally, the more excited I am about a game, the more disappointed I end up being if it doesn’t live up to expectations. That usually makes it tough for me to review a game “fairly.” So after finishing Portal 2, the question is, it is a “huge success”? I’ll say this: it’s hard to overstate my satisfaction.
Stephen Merchant’s character (who looks a bit like Guilty Spark) is hilarious
Portal 2. PORTAL 2. During my whole trip last week, I concocted a plan. I would get off the plane on Monday, grab Portal 2 from the mailbox, walk my dog, and then beat Portal 2 by Wednesday and have a review up today. A GREAT PLAN. Unfortunately, as they say, the best laid plans of mice and men all go awry. Fortunately, I did get enough time in with the game for some impressions, after the jump!
I’m making a note here: huge success.
So Portal 2 came out this week, but unfortunately, I’m out of town so I haven’t even gotten to open the shrink wrap. Last week, I replayed the original in anticipation. Does the game still hold up after a few years?
A sign created by a Gamestop to commemorate today’s launch of two major titles
I started writing up a review for the most recent game I completed, Fable 3, but am finding myself struggling to write reviews in general these days so I decided to just write about something more exciting. Today is the release of Portal 2 and the new Mortal Kombat game. It’s Portal Kombat day!
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I can’t wait for Portal 2…but what platform should I get it on?
As I’ve documented on this blog, I’m a huge fan of the original Portal. As a bite sized 4-5 hour game, I thought it was near perfect. Amazon matched Walmart’s $20 GC for preorders this week, which gave me a good reason to jump in. But as I was placing my order, I ran into a new dilemma that I’m unfamiliar with: Should I buy it for Xbox 360 or PS3? I actually spent quite a bit of time thinking about this…
I had trouble not filling this entire list with sequels so I had to stretch for one of them. In general, I think I’m a bit more into the “blockbusters” than espion4ge, I get really amped up for them and they are always what I anticipate the most. Thus, unique titles like The Last Guardian don’t garner anticipation from me (though I am curious to check it out), while titles like Gears of War 3, even though they feel derivative sometimes, get me kind of excited. What’s on my list for this year? A lot of sequels. Here they are, in order of anticipated release date.
Darksiders borrows from many different games, but does it have enough to stand on its own?
In the last couple of weeks, I have spent my little available gaming time making my way through Darksiders, one of the big new games of 2010. The initial impressions I heard about the game was that it borrows heavily from other big games such as God of War and The Legend of Zelda. Those are some good games to borrow from, but does it take what those franchises offer and turn up something awesome on its own? Hit the jump to see how it fares!
