Interesting Top 10 List...

[Taco-Calamitous]

It took nearly all of 2011 to find the year’s best game, but once I played the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim in November, the choice was obvious. Just in time for the holiday season, Speakeasy gives you Skyrim and the rest of our top 10 console games of the year.

1. Skyrim (Bethesda Studios)

I’m not a big fantasy or role-playing gamer, but as I wrote in my original review, the Bethesda Studios game celebrates the genre. Even a newbie or non-lover of RPGs will appreciate Skyrim. No detail was too small for the developers, who created a majestic escape from the real world that is engrossing and eminently playable. That alone would justify adding this game to a top-10 list, but the array of choices you have to make from the game’s beginning, the almost-limitless side quests and the moral quandaries that face you at every turn put at the very top of mine. There are some minor blemishes, such as an overly long opening sequence and some hiccups in graphics, but they’re easily overlooked. Skyrim is like the crack of video games and will keep you occupied for far too many hours if you let it.

2. FIFA Soccer 12 (EA Sports)

Sports games are hugely polarizing, with the haters emerging at every turn when you criticize a game they like. Unlike other EA Sports franchises like NHL 12, which showed their age this year, FIFA Soccer 12 lifts the simulation to new heights. Two new evolutionary tweaks to offense and defense make this the best sports game of 2011. My full review noted that tactical defending is the game’s great equalizer, making FIFA 12 far better than its rival. Its deep league rosters and highly involved online and social-networking modes create a highly enjoyable alternate universe for sports gamers.

3. Forza Motorsport 4 (Turn 10 Studios)

This version of Forza racing has crossover appeal. Easy to play for first-timers, it also has enough cars, courses and details to keep motorheads happy for weeks. I found this game better than the quasi-riva Gran Turismo series for the PS3. There’s tons of eye candy for the car-loving crowd, and if competition is what you seek, there’s both an offline split-screen and online rivals mode. Challenging challenges also let you rack up points to pimp your ride.

4. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (Activision/Infinity Ward/Sledgehammer)

Put on your wireless headset, you weekend warriors, and start talking trash. The most-hyped game of this year actually delivers on its grandiose self-promotion.There’s a reason why Call of Duty is the best-selling franchise in Xbox 360 history, and its because there’s nothing else out there that lets so many, across so many time zones, come together to team up or bring down your virtual enemies in a rain of hot lead. Alas, if you’re looking for a coherent plot, MW3 isn’t where you’ll find one, but make no mistake, this game – with guns galore and tons of downloadable content — is a monster and the best first-person shooter of the year.

5. NBA 2K12 (2K Games)

There’s, admittedly, not too much competition in the licensed pro basketball gaming genre, what with EA Sports still on extended hiatus. But for a time in this off-season, lockout in full force, it looked like there wasn’t going to be anything going in the real-world U.S. pro basketball genre. Even then, though, I didn’t despair. 2K Sports once again brought a fun and realistic game to market. NBA 2K12 gameplay isn’t remarkably different from a year-earlier, but what justifies adding it to this list is the continued depth the developers bring to this game. Last year, it was the return of Michael Jordan. This year, he was joined by Larry (Bird) and Magic (Johnson) and an entire “NBA’s Greatest” mode. And, what gave me some Christmas cheer, was 2K12’s commitment to more DLC than I expected. Just this month, 2K released the downloadable “Legends Showcase,” featuring 150 all-time NBA stars of the ages in 2-on-2, 3-on-3 and other competitions. Yes, the graphics are a bit cardboard cutout, but I thought I was done with this game for 2011, and then they go and do this!

6. Madden 2012 (EA Sports)

I know. I know. Madden is over. FIFA is better. NHL 12 rocks. NCAA Football is more pure. Blah, blah, blah. But let’s face it: Madden, the granddaddy of the EA Sports franchises is still alive, still kicking and still one of my favorites. This year’s “all-new collision system” makes this the Madden game the most-realistic and best ever. Graphics and game physics are spot-on. Sorry, all you doubters. There’s no way this game doesn’t make a 2011 top 10 list.

7. F1 2011 (Codemasters)

The F1 games from Codemasters have always looked good, but this one also sounds good and plays even better. There’s not much depth to F1 2011, but its very fun and challenging. The addition of realistic weather conditions that impact how you drive and a souped-up online mode add some luster to the F1 franchise.

8. Battlefield 3 (Electronic Arts/Dice)

My original review generated 249 comments, mostly negative or calling me names. I stand by what I wrote. Battlefield 3 is a good game, but it’s no COD. The good: Graphics resulting from the Frostbite 2 engine are stunning and human motion is close to flawless. The not-so-good: Campaign mode is thin, the plot hard to follow, and while I prefer the online mode in this game to COD, the key demographic — its ages far south of mine – likely won’t be weaned away this time around.

9. Resistance 3 (Sony/Insomniac)

Sight unseen, I was highly skeptical of Resistance 3 and thought it would be headed for the bargain bin shortly after release. Once I started playing it, though, I loved it. The plot, as in most of these shooter games, is dumb. But Resistance 3 is highly playable, its controls easy to learn, though the overall game is very hard to master. That’s what kept me trying, over and over again.

10. Nascar the Game: 2011 (Activision/Eutechnyx)

This one surprised me. Racing around an oval is so 1980’s and Konami’s Pole Position. And that’s what the NASCAR games were like when EA Sports was publishing them. But Activision reinvigorated the franchise. NASCAR the Game: 2011 is more like “racing lite” when you stack it up against Forza 4 or F1 2011, but its simplicity is what makes it fun. ‘nuff said.

Original article here.

So, he puts Skyrim first... but then a Soccer game second, a Nascar game 10th, and 6 sports games in all. No mention of Skyward Sword, Uncharted 3, Arkham City, Portal 2, Gears of War 3... Not that I've played any of those games, but they've all got great ratings and "GOTY" hype around them. The comment section of that page is full of outrage, calling him a "bro" and saying that "You only play like 2 games a year" and on of them-don't remember which one-"This the game you play for 30 minutes after your frat party." There was also some criticism for listing MW 3 before Battlefield 3.

So... Is he entitled to his opinion? Or should he have not made this list? While it does kinda look like he isn't a "gamer" in the sense that most people would consider someone a gamer, I think he has a right to post whatever list he wants. Then again, with a list like that, he is probably going to lose some credibility, and it's going to make the website he writes for look like they don't know video games (Wall Street Journal's website, in fact.) One of his fellow writers even commented that he would have a tough time defending his list.

But anyway! I found it amusing. Thought I'd share it, and pose that question to you all. Anyhoo...

[smurphy]

Assuming that this guy is a professional(which it seems he is) he should probably ask for the tuition fees he paid for his journalism degree back as the uni he went to obviously didnt teach anything about having an open mind and impartiality.

On a separate note, I thought the WSJ was a artsy-fartsy, sophisticated paper. Firstly, the game choices dont reflect this choice of how they want to be perceived and secondly I would have thought the whole videogame medium would be below them.

At the end of the day each to their own but this list has more glaring holes in it than swiss cheese.

[Xanatos]

These kind of lists, reviews and certain game articles are usually one man's opinion who may or may not have same taste in games as we do, thus shouldn't be taken all that seriously. With that being said I think this list could have been bit more professional and with more variety.

I'll give him credit though for placing few sports games which are never taken seriously when such lists are being made. Both FIFA 12 and NBA 2K12 are quality games, probably the best in their genre, they received excellent scores and sold well, they certainly deserve some kind of recognition.

[Dodie16]

Yeah, that was quite an interesting list of games... Methinks this writer may have been trolling for attention. I find it rather hard to believe that anyone would put so many sports games on their top 10 game of the year list. However, people do tend to have a tendency to surprise me, soooo..... I'll just say he's entitled to his opinions...no matter how wrong they may be.

[Hyzenthlay]

I disagree with you all. The way it appears to me is that these are pretty much the only games he's picked up. My youngest brothers video game collection looks similar. Sure, he has a right to say he really enjoyed these games but notice one thing; they're all (with the exception of R3) multi-platform titles. I'm thinking maybe the guy owns one machine. This suggests to me that he hasn't even tried a lot of the great games of the past year. Maybe I'm wrong but simply composing a list based on what you've chosen to play yourself and calling it 'best games of...' Or 'games of the year' is ridiculous. Just put that they are great games to check out.

FIFA was okay (once I got used to the new defence tactics it got better) but was it better than Dark Souls, Revelations, Skyward Sword, GOW3, Uncharted 3, Arkham City or many other titles of 2011? I think not. This is a list of some of the most commercial, most financially backed, 'biggest' title games of 2011. He's heard about them and bought them based on the name in my opinion. Skyrim actually looks out of place but it did have a lot of hype surrounding it. That's how I came to my conclusion.

Again, in my opinion, this guy should not be writing a gaming list. You have to be impartial. You have to try out all the platforms, all the contenders and then make a decision.

This list is like me picking up a DS, playing a selection of games and naming a group of them the top 10 games of 2011.

I think that RAGE was better than most of these.

Hyz.