Best Game of 2011

[Xanatos]

Seeing as TFF is mostly dedicated to games I think it would be customary to chose the very best game of year 2011. Keep in mind, the forums limits me to only 15 spots in poll. which might be the main reason if by any chance your game of choice didn't end up there.

Even though this year was one of the best if not the best year in gaming industry for me it's a rather easy choice as I haven't played that many games, some mega titles included such as Skyrim and Uncharted 3.

My choice falls down on Portal 2. If there's a game that should be called a masterpiece this would be it. To sum it up, Portal 2 is a briliant game with some of the best characters I have ever seen, well thought out puzzles and intriquing story with great doze of humor.

Pokemon Black/White would be my runner up, aside rather strange Pokemon design it was bit diferent and fresh compared to it's predecesors. The last time I had this much fun playing Pokemon games was with second generation, or if you like Gold/Silver/Crystal.

[smurphy]

From the list I personally chose Uncharted 3, which was an excellent game if not a little frustrating thanks to Naughty Dogs idea of a challenge being sending multiple armoured enemies at you.

My personal game of the year was Yakuza 4. Great graphics, story and the world is just so engrossing. I also feel Xenoblade, Bulletstorm and LA Noire deserve some love.

[Blackbird VIII]

There really weren't that many games this year that I felt changed the way I game. However, Gears of War 3 came pretty close. The mechanics of the game finally have some speed to them. There are plenty of characters to choose from(and more coming). Last but not least, it's probably the most addicting game I have played since FF8.

Still, I can't forget the runner up catering to the RPG nut that I am, so Skyrim takes the honorable mention. And, I think we all know the huge list that makes this game so great.

[Taco-Calamitous]

I only played two new games this year, and out of those two, Skyrim is the only one on this list. Now, whether or not I like it more than Pokemon Black... Actually, that's not true; I also played SSF4: Arcade Edition and Ultimate MvC3.

Eh... Skyrim's better. It has most the things that made me love the prior installments to the series, the music is some of the best that's been in the series, and some of the battles in this game were downright epic. Especially when you fight something much stronger than you and win. So I will give it my unfair vote. Because clearly, those other games on your list weren't worth playing anyway Anyhoo...

Wuv, Yer Mom

[loaf]

I voted for Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection because it's like, the best remake I've played. Plus it's comes with the Sequel?!!? SOLD

[Unknown Entity]

Had to go with Skyrim. I'm already over a hundred hours in on two characters, and not even touched the plot as far as getting some horn. The game has a few bugs and glitches, and they've frustrated me a few times, but it's still one class game.

Second from that list would be Uncharted 3. I was going to put this one first, but it's not nearly as close on the re-playable scale as Skyrim. I finished it on hard in just over nine hours, and even FASTER on Crushing (liek, seven hours). It's a fabulous game if you enjoy a quick but awesome story, with likeable characters making you laugh along the way. I wasn't too happy with the ending; lack of actual boss was disappointing, and much more could have been explored story wise.

LA. Noire is an alright game too. A little repetitive, but had some nice ideas and looked amazing. My mother actually thought the characters were real people. xD;


On a side note, I was a little disappointed with Dead Space 2, inFamous 2 and FEAR 3. I've not even really started the games, but I played through little bits, and they didn't meet my expectations.

[Dodie16]

Skyward Sword got my vote.

I only got 3 new games this year: Duodecim, FF IV Complete, and Skyward Sword. Duodecim is okay, but it's more flash and no real substance (for me). FF IV Complete seems like a good one, though for some reason I can't seem to stay with it for long... So, Skyward Sword it is!

[Pete]

Hmmm, I have half of these, but haven't even gotten around to them yet (Christmas gifts, plus my love of Red Dead Dedemption and collecting as much shit as I can)

I have to say that I'm seriously excited about skyrim, but having not played it yet, I can't give it the nod for best game.

Gears 3 was great, but I don't think I gave it the full attention that it deserved. The story was great and the multiplayer was probably one of the best that I've played. Things seemed balanced and not nearly as soul crushing if you sucked when you first started learning the new maps.

LA Noire blew me away. The setting was incredible and the real meat and potatoes behind the game, the facial features and voice acting were amazing. I also loved how the story unfolded and really came to a boiling point at the end. My only issue with it was that there wasn't a lot to do outside of the story. The badge hunt was your typical Rockstar hidden package game, as was the answering to crimes, which I suppose is pretty standard for what a cop would do. I just wish there were some other type of sidequest or mini game to play.

Battlefield 3 looks extremely cool, and from the hour or so of campaign that I played, I enjoy it more than MW3's, but at the same time, I CAN'T PLAY BECAUSE EA's SERVER IS ALWAYS ****ING DOWN. Why is the campaign so closely tied to the servers? I have the game disc, why can I not play the game when connected to Live?

MW3 is your typical "good" Call of Duty. They do enough to change it so that it's not MW2 all over again, which I still think is one of the best multiplayer games of all time. My only problem with it lies moreso in the players than the game itself, but I LOVE the fact that you can report people for boosting right from the game menus. I can't stand that shit. I also still hate the guys who sprint all over the screen with their dual smg's like little bitches. Oh, and throw in a legit sniper map, like Wasteland or that bombed out city from MW1.

And now for the winner:

Batman: Arkham City

They took every awesome element of AA and then magnified it. The gameplay is very tight and challenging without being frustrating, and they give you a wide variety of options and gadgets to do what you have to. Plus it's just so damn cool to have Batman soar through the city and zip line from building to building.

[ZantetsukeN]

I thought about my top games of 2011, and it falls down to one game for me.

Batman: Arkham City

When I played Arkham Asylum, it was amazing. Great story telling, voice acting and just the general atmosphere. Arkham City improved on every single part of AA, which is a big feat in itself. It had all the dream cameos too. The Riddler in particular was the one I was impressed with, as he was taken from being faceless in AA, to becoming a prominent part of AC.

While I have played some awesome games this year, none were as good as Batman. Although Skyrim, Portal 2, L.A Noire & InFamous 2 are also in my top.

[Mystyrion]

Out of the said list i chose Skyrim.
I've always loved the Elder Scrolls series. This was probably my second favorite out of them (Morrowind being the first). Beautiful landscape, awesome soundtrack, best gameplay out of the series, and of course the unforgettable story.

Off the list, I'm going to choose a couple games a little out of the ordinary.

Catherine being the first.
I loved this game, while its not really "horror" per say, having something chase you while having to solve a puzzle really gets your adrenaline pumping.
And of course the relationship, which is pretty much the story of the game. Games that like to branch themselves off from the normal "genres" always get a + in my book. Catherine did an excellent job of being that game.

Secondly and more importantly Bastion. While the gameplay is nothing new (not that I'm not a fan of the RPG hacknslash) gameplay, the narration was. Commenting on every little thing, even when you went out of your way to do nothing "The kid just rages for awhile". I loved it. The soundtrack was superb, even went out of my way to pick up one at halofest/pax prime. For a XBLA title, it had a well written story with some depth to it. And of course the hint of RPG with the weapons, customizations, and upgrades. Even being able to set your own difficulty with loads of little tweaks once you found the idols.

Bastion takes my game of the year.

[Squall]

Battlefield 3 is off the charts. Much better than Modern Warfare 3 in my opinion. I haven't played Skyrim yet but everything I've heard makes it look like a 'can't miss' game.

[donnawhite]

Battlefield 3 is off the charts. Much better than Modern Warfare 3 in my opinion. I haven't played Skyrim yet but everything I've heard makes it look like a 'can't miss' game.

I also want to vote for Battlefield 3, really be the fantastic year 2011 with it. Nowadays i only play action games of few selected and some best shooting games for fun.

[Joe]

Out of the said list i chose Skyrim.
I've always loved the Elder Scrolls series. This was probably my second favorite out of them (Morrowind being the first). Beautiful landscape, awesome soundtrack, best gameplay out of the series, and of course the unforgettable story.

Off the list, I'm going to choose a couple games a little out of the ordinary.

Catherine being the first.
I loved this game, while its not really "horror" per say, having something chase you while having to solve a puzzle really gets your adrenaline pumping.
And of course the relationship, which is pretty much the story of the game. Games that like to branch themselves off from the normal "genres" always get a + in my book. Catherine did an excellent job of being that game.

Secondly and more importantly Bastion. While the gameplay is nothing new (not that I'm not a fan of the RPG hacknslash) gameplay, the narration was. Commenting on every little thing, even when you went out of your way to do nothing "The kid just rages for awhile". I loved it. The soundtrack was superb, even went out of my way to pick up one at halofest/pax prime. For a XBLA title, it had a well written story with some depth to it. And of course the hint of RPG with the weapons, customizations, and upgrades. Even being able to set your own difficulty with loads of little tweaks once you found the idols.

Bastion takes my game of the year.

Catherine is on my to-do list of gaming, but really I came to say the exact same thing about Bastion. It's by far one of the most enjoyable games I've played in a Lonnng time.

[Sasquatch]

I can't offer a full opinion because I only have three 2011 games -- FFIV: The Complete Collection, Modern Warfare 3, and Skyrim. But what the hell, I'll toss my vote out there anyway.

Modern Warfare 3 (which I got less than two weeks ago) is pretty damn good. Unfortunately, it well illustrates the trend of FPS games now -- the multiplayer is incredible, but the campaign is mediocre, possibly "fair" at best. I've played through the complete campaign, done split-screen, done solo, done multiplayer ... and honestly, I'm getting tired of game companies' idea that "we don't have to make a good game, as long as it's got a good multiplayer". (That, and the way they make every character "level up" on not only different playing modes, but different weapons. As in, if I choose a specific gun, I have to use that gun every damn time before I "unlock" things that make it better, and by that time I'll have unlocked a better gun anyway. The point is that every "new player" will automatically not be as good, not just for their lack of gameplay experience but also because they will have the very base equipment. Same thing with "perks". They won't move as quickly, won't aim as quickly, won't shoot as quickly, won't do as much damage, won't take as much damage, and of course won't have as good of equipment. It's kind of telling gamers, "you'd better be a 12-year-old kid in his mommy's basement that does nothing but go to middle school and come home and play this game every day, or else you'll get slaughtered every time you play by said 12-year-old kids."

I got FFIV: The Complete Collection, as well. I haven't played their version of FFIV, so I don't know how different that will be from the other four versions I've played. But I did the Interlude, then started The After Years, and it's ... different. I wasn't quite sure what to expect and how much they would re-use (as far as graphics and plot devices), but it seemed like every chapter was a pleasant surprise. I'll have to see how the rest of it plays out, then play through the Final Fantasy IV on it, and it just might end up as my favorite Final Fantasy. (Even my favorite Final Fantasy IV I can't decide on, whether I like FFIV Advanced better, with post-game dungeon challenges and ability to switch characters with Cid/Yang/Edward/Palom/Porom, or FFIV: DS's Augments.)

And finally, the one I picked up three weeks or so ago, and have gotten more than fifty hours on: Skyrim. Maybe I'm partial to RPGs, whether they be turn-based or hack-and-slash, but this game is pretty damn awesome. The world is just massive, and everything is done with the same detail. Right now I'm the leader of the Companions and the Thieves Guild, considering moving to join the Dark Brotherhood. I'm hardly level 40 so far, but I've been improving a lot of my skills and doing a lot of little side-missions, so I've got like thirty grand plus another twenty grand in things I have stored in one of my houses to sell, plus a chest of food ingredients, a chest of alchemy ingredients, a chest of smithing material, a chest of soul gems/scrolls/spell books, a chest of potions that I don't want to carry with me, and a chest of weapons and armor that I figured I should hang on to. I married the sister from the Riverwood general store (question: If I have another house, can I have another wife?), so I get a little extra money from her, plus it's somebody else that I can sell things to, and I get homecooked meals, whatever it is that they do. Anyway, the skills in this game ... you don't have to "grind", really, and there's not much you can do to level up your individual skills faster than naturally anyway, but you won't need to. (I gathered all of my leather and made a bunch of leather stuff, just to improve my Smithing level, and it worked well -- but I don't do much of it, so I needed to grind a bit on it.)

So the best 2011 game that I've played? That would have to go to Skyrim. In fact, I think I'll start it up again right now ... hopefully my 360 doesn't die on me for a while, it sounds like there's a tattoo gun inside there now.

EDIT: I also got Dark Souls, but I bought it the same day I bought Skyrim, and haven't even taken it out of the plastic yet. I'll get around to it.

[Hobaginator]

It's kind of telling gamers, "you'd better be a 12-year-old kid in his mommy's basement that does nothing but go to middle school and come home and play this game every day, or else you'll get slaughtered every time you play by said 12-year-old kids."

Sounds like somebody's having a case of the nooblies! lol jk but really I know what you're talking about. I was massacring the enemy team one match with my golden PP90M1 with rapid fire and extended clips, then all of a sudden out of nowhere this dude quickscoped me to the head while jumping from across the map... it was the final killcam. The kicker is, when the round ended, I heard from this player "NOOOoooo I wanna play another maaaaaaaAAAAP!" in a high-pitched 11 year old voice.

I set the controller down and went into a deep depression.

Anyways, I'd say the best game of 2011 is the Ico & Shadow of the Collosus remastered - two of my favorite games from my younger days brought back better than ever... that's what I live for.

[Jamar]

Battlefield 3 is all time favorite game because this has game extreme war and it is my routine to play this game and i suggest this to my friends and also to my forum friends.This game was really fabulous.

[Rowan]

Im going to have to say Saints Row 3. My main reason is because the game was unlike any other sandbox ive played in terms of how crazy it is. Its been the most fun game ive played in years and I can say that with comeplete conviction. The campaign is incredbly fun and greatly scripted, the implementation of songs over battle sequences creates this cool effect as if you're starring in some sort of wicked action packed movie where what happens in the end is up to you (you're given options on how to complete missions). The customizations are great, for weapons, cars, clothes, tats, piercings, eyewear, headwear, your gang of homies etc. The cell phone is really useful if you're in a bind allowing you to call for backup, cars, helicopters, zombie apocolypse etc. owning property to increase hourly income allowing you to spend at gun shops or clothing shops or just car mods. being able to save your stolen cars and have them permanatly in your garage without have to re-park them back in. While the game is unrealistic (jumping out of a plane 30,000 feet in the sky and breaking through the window of another plane to shoot someone whilst still in mid air and flying through until you break out the back end of the other plane and steal a parachute off a goon before breaking through) it is fun. It puts GTA to shame in terms of gameplay.