The votes have been cast, and all that’s left to say is a hearty thanks to all that participated. I’m still not sure if 2011 will be remembered as a vintage year or as the death knell for this generation of console hardware, but thankfully there was enough quality within those massed ranks of sequels to fill out our podium, with more than a couple of close-run contenders just off the pace.
Our congratulations then, go to:
Games of the Year:
Runner-up #2: Batman: Arkham City
As our very own Mr Thomas is currently running around his house shouting “I’m Batman” after completing Rocksteady’s latest wonder, it comes as somewhat of a relief to find out that you all liked it too, and enough to vote it into third place for the whole of last year.
Erstwhile contributor Mike, on the other hand, thought it was an “excellent game but not as good as the original”, whilst one of our voters – Julien – summed up by stating he liked it simply because “It’s the Batman!”.
Indeed.
Runner-up #1: Portal 2
Enough has been written about Valve’s masterpiece of storytelling and level design to last us into the next century, but it turns out there’s a good reason for such an intense focus from the gaming press: it’s bloody brilliant.
Whether you got your chuckles from Stephen Merchant’s portrayal of Wheatley or the ever-dependable J.K. Simmons as Cave Johnson, what remained constant was Valve’s unerring commitment to storytelling through environmental detail and a sense of spectacular level design that reached its peak in a new co-op mode.
Finally, if you’ve not read The Final Hours of Portal 2 by Geoff Keighley, head over and purchase it now before you do anything else.
Game of the Year: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Somewhat inevitably then, Bethesda’s latest and greatest takes our top spot as the most-voted for game this year.
Although a somewhat controversial choice due to the broken nature of the PS3 release and the numerous other game-breaking bugs across all platforms, there’s no denying that for the majority of people, Skyrim’s snow-filled Nordic lands and incredible depth of activity were as good as it gets.
Voter Chris stated that the “complete emerson in a beautiful and huge world” were his key factors for voting it number one, whilst fellow voter Jamie highlighted the “huge amount of content with a genuine replay attraction” as his primary draw. Perhaps most noted was the ability of Skyrim to tailor its experience to something incredibly personal, with our own Stevie B-Ball noting that “whilst everyone has a story, YOURS is felt from beginning to end”.
Honourouble Mentions:
Most deaths in a videogame, ever: Dark Souls
Worst framerate in any specific environment of 2011: Dark Souls’ BlightTown
Best use of online: Dark Souls’ graffiti and player invasion
Best game of 2011 for anybody that played it for more than an hour: Dark Souls
Worst game of 2011 for anybody that played it for less than an hour: Dark Souls
There was a lot to love about Namco Bandai’s pseudo-sequel to the highly-praised Demon’s Souls, but also an incredible level of frustration and confusion for those that ventured into its lethal environments. Nothing is explained, whole game systems need to be discovered through sometimes disastrous trial-and-error tactics, and the brunt of the story is told with clever level design rather than cutscenes and dialogue.
For those that stuck with it however, it was an unforgettable experience, and a brilliantly executed counterpoint to the hand-holding design philosophies that permeate even ‘hardcore’ genres such as the RPG in modern times. It’s not for everybody, but it’s up with the best for those that took it to their heart.
Most gratuitous use of the word “f**k” in a (semi) serious game: Saints Row 3
Best dildo bat: Saints Row 3
Most purple: Saints Row 3
Best use of 80′s power-pop: Saints Row 3
Over to contributor peej for this one: “Picking a top three from this year’s excellent releases across several platforms is nigh on impossible, so why pick something that’s a second sequel to a game series that has always felt the need to crawl out from under the shadow of the mighty Grand Theft Auto series? Because so many things about it remind me why I still play games at an age where I should probably be taking up Golf or Coarse Fishing.
It’s fun in spades, the game is so aware of what it is and what it’s trying to do that it doesn’t try to fool the player into buying some half-baked backstory. It throws you headlong into the action with a game engine and game world that feels like a massive improvement over the (admittedly wonky but fun) previous game.
It’s filthy, crass and likely to leave you hopelessly addicted and wanting more at the end.”
Notable Achievements:
The Michael Bay award for the most ridiculously over-the-top set piece: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3′s “Zero gravity”
The Bruce Willis award for action hero most likely to need a Stannah Stairlift in 2012: Ezio Auditore (Assassin’s Creed: Revelations)
Best game where you feel the dev team would fail an olympic urine test: El Shaddai
Best game it was worth the cost of the plane ticket to the States to pick up: Kirby Mass Attack
Best Cabbage ducks: The King of Dragon Pass (iOS)
Most understated head in lap: Nathan Drake (Uncharted 3)
Best game if only it had been only three times shorter: Alice Madness Returns
Best utterly broken Playstation game: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Best Diablo: Torchlight
Best Torchlight: Skylanders
Professional enthusiast, videogame "journalist" and all-round spectacular sofa dweller. "
