Holy crap I’ve been doing this for two years. Well, heck, I don’t want to do the exact same thing I did last year to celebrate, but, well, let’s break it down. Such a different trending this time around.
THE TEN GAMES I PLAYED THE MOST IN 2011
Honorable Mentions:
The Toppled: These are the games that I’ve beaten to completion, but just didn’t take too long doing it. Stand and stare at my achievements!
Crackdown 2 – (Kind of a snoozer)
Saint’s Row the Third – (Pretty nuts and a lot of fun, although it kinda sags at points)
Costume Quest – (Pretty fun! But wears on you late game)
Stacking – (Cute as heck)
Jetpack Joyride – (Oh man this is such simple stupid enjoyment)
The Unpacked: These are the games that have hit the gaming table at least five times this year.
Battlestar Galactica – (You know how I feel about this.)
Gears of War Board Game – (Man, this thing is just alright. It would be a lot better if the death rules weren’t so aggressive)
Lord of the Rings Card Game – (I do not get why they made this game so obnoxiously hard. You guys really didn’t feel it necessary to make a moderate challenge?)
Penny Arcade: Gamers vs. Evil – (This game is pretty alright, for a deckbuilder.)
Quarriors – (Same opinion here, but the dice bit is very clever.)
Sentinels of the Multiverse – (This game is pretty good. If only the opening volley wasn’t so tough, the games always start rough.)
10. Dominion
My enthusiasm for this game has waned lately, with some many other games like it out there, and the groups I roll with just less willing to play it. I haven’t even picked up the latest set, because hey, I have all the others. So that’s too bad, and it’s even sadder that this is the only tabletop game on my list this year. It marks a trend of playing less with groups and more individual focused play, something that I kinda want to break out of. But who knows, maybe after we finally get sick to death of deckbuilders, this will start coming alive as a novelty again.
9. Portal 2
This game was amazing. It was just amazing how a team that created such a well acclaimed game could follow with a sequel that was even better than the crunchy small game that came packaged with Half Life 2 so long ago. It was quite an accomplishment, and the co-op stuff was some of the best puzzles I had seen. It was just such an intense moment when you looked at a level and figure out what you have to do and think, “Oh there’s no way that’s possible.” And then you do it and it’s great. Go play this game, everyone who sucks! You will suck less!
8. Deadly Premonition
This game was amazing for a completely different reason. There was so much about it that just didn’t make any sense, and it was great. The game looks cheap and shoddy, and makes up for it by looking cheap and shoddy in the corniest way. It was a camp experience, and when everything started to come together, you realized that there was a real game here, a real story, with a lot of work put into it, and it just so happens to be rapped in this ugly brick. There are some things that are obnoxious, the combat for one, and some of the enemies are just way stronger than they need to be. But getting deep into this was really fun, and everyone who doesn’t suck should play this one.
7. Arkham City
Being Batman is just so great, you guys. I kinda get some of the complaints about this game, the city just being a big dumb obstacle and man the number of times I was trying to get from place to place and had to fight those same four guys again. But there is so much hidden in this game, and while it was daunting, it was good to finally stop the Riddler, and the universe they created here is just different enough to be really interesting. I wait patiently for the next one.
6. L.A. Noire
This game just kinda overreached, I think. It spent some much time and energy with the storytelling and their little dialogue wheel, but then it just decided it was time to shoot guys, because in video games you shoot guys. And sometimes the stories just went off the rails and tried too hard in places. But it was such a unique experience, that I’m glad it exists, I just wish it they went all out and made an actual adventure game. I should really go back and revisit those extra cases I got from the season pass.
5. You Don’t Know Jack
I played this game a lot, and I was a bit shocked to find it on here. I guess it was just enough of a novelty that people were willing to try it out. I still feel dumb for worrying that there weren’t enough games to satisfy me, and I have made it through maybe 20 of them so far, and haven’t revisited it in a while. But a good trivia game is good to have again, even though the endgame is damn stupid.
4. Skyrim
I really didn’t expect to like this game as much I did. I had always been super apprehensive about Oblivion, having had a boring experience with an open-world RPG in my teens, but they did such a great job with this one, with such an easy intuitive system, a lot of stuff happening, and a fully immersive world. There was one quest that I was just not willing to do because it would potential hurt one of the characters I had grown to like, despite the fact that he didn’t even DO anything, just walked around town. (I eventually did it, because I realized they hadn’t planned far enough ahead to have that quest mean anything.) But that fact should show how much I have enjoyed this game. Now if only I wasn’t currently trapped underground fighting dumb bugs.
3. Harvest Moon series
I’m lumping together a few games here, because they are essentially the same game, and one begat the playing of the other. It’s cheating, I admit, but for brevity, I will say that I played a ridiculous amount of Harvest Moon: Animal Parade and Rune Factory 3. They are both kinda dumb games, and Rune Factory is so much better than the other, but the feeling of just quiet, kind play and living in a quiant little town is pretty enjoyable.
2. Assassin’s Creed series
Mainly the multiplayer, which has since been reimplemented in Revelations, so I'm including both here. I still dig the multiplayer, but my excitement has waned, for no good reason, considering the multiplayer is so much better in Revelations. I'm not sure what it is, I still think it is such an interesting idea, but I just haven't played in a while. But I'll probably fall back into it here any day now.
1. Rift
Oh hey guys, I started playing an MMO this year. I haven't played to any serious degree for over a month now, just logging in every once in a while to look at a dog or something. I don't know what drove me to play as much as I did, to invest so much time to getting to level 50 and making all the craftable armor. I think it was just good to have a single place that I knew what was happening, what the goal was, and that it could probably go on for as long as I wanted. They hit a lot of the right notes in this game, I still think the currency-based system they have is brilliant, and it will probably take a lot of effort to cancel my account.
So there we have it. Looking back, I see some spots shining through that tell me I need to start branching out more. I need to play more tabletop games, and I seem to sink my teeth into newer stuff more readily nowadays. But hey, here's to another year of gaming, thanks for reading, everyone.
THE TEN GAMES I PLAYED THE MOST IN 2011
Honorable Mentions:
The Toppled: These are the games that I’ve beaten to completion, but just didn’t take too long doing it. Stand and stare at my achievements!
Crackdown 2 – (Kind of a snoozer)
Saint’s Row the Third – (Pretty nuts and a lot of fun, although it kinda sags at points)
Costume Quest – (Pretty fun! But wears on you late game)
Stacking – (Cute as heck)
Jetpack Joyride – (Oh man this is such simple stupid enjoyment)
The Unpacked: These are the games that have hit the gaming table at least five times this year.
Battlestar Galactica – (You know how I feel about this.)
Gears of War Board Game – (Man, this thing is just alright. It would be a lot better if the death rules weren’t so aggressive)
Lord of the Rings Card Game – (I do not get why they made this game so obnoxiously hard. You guys really didn’t feel it necessary to make a moderate challenge?)
Penny Arcade: Gamers vs. Evil – (This game is pretty alright, for a deckbuilder.)
Quarriors – (Same opinion here, but the dice bit is very clever.)
Sentinels of the Multiverse – (This game is pretty good. If only the opening volley wasn’t so tough, the games always start rough.)
10. Dominion
My enthusiasm for this game has waned lately, with some many other games like it out there, and the groups I roll with just less willing to play it. I haven’t even picked up the latest set, because hey, I have all the others. So that’s too bad, and it’s even sadder that this is the only tabletop game on my list this year. It marks a trend of playing less with groups and more individual focused play, something that I kinda want to break out of. But who knows, maybe after we finally get sick to death of deckbuilders, this will start coming alive as a novelty again.
9. Portal 2
This game was amazing. It was just amazing how a team that created such a well acclaimed game could follow with a sequel that was even better than the crunchy small game that came packaged with Half Life 2 so long ago. It was quite an accomplishment, and the co-op stuff was some of the best puzzles I had seen. It was just such an intense moment when you looked at a level and figure out what you have to do and think, “Oh there’s no way that’s possible.” And then you do it and it’s great. Go play this game, everyone who sucks! You will suck less!
8. Deadly Premonition
This game was amazing for a completely different reason. There was so much about it that just didn’t make any sense, and it was great. The game looks cheap and shoddy, and makes up for it by looking cheap and shoddy in the corniest way. It was a camp experience, and when everything started to come together, you realized that there was a real game here, a real story, with a lot of work put into it, and it just so happens to be rapped in this ugly brick. There are some things that are obnoxious, the combat for one, and some of the enemies are just way stronger than they need to be. But getting deep into this was really fun, and everyone who doesn’t suck should play this one.
7. Arkham City
Being Batman is just so great, you guys. I kinda get some of the complaints about this game, the city just being a big dumb obstacle and man the number of times I was trying to get from place to place and had to fight those same four guys again. But there is so much hidden in this game, and while it was daunting, it was good to finally stop the Riddler, and the universe they created here is just different enough to be really interesting. I wait patiently for the next one.
6. L.A. Noire
This game just kinda overreached, I think. It spent some much time and energy with the storytelling and their little dialogue wheel, but then it just decided it was time to shoot guys, because in video games you shoot guys. And sometimes the stories just went off the rails and tried too hard in places. But it was such a unique experience, that I’m glad it exists, I just wish it they went all out and made an actual adventure game. I should really go back and revisit those extra cases I got from the season pass.
5. You Don’t Know Jack
I played this game a lot, and I was a bit shocked to find it on here. I guess it was just enough of a novelty that people were willing to try it out. I still feel dumb for worrying that there weren’t enough games to satisfy me, and I have made it through maybe 20 of them so far, and haven’t revisited it in a while. But a good trivia game is good to have again, even though the endgame is damn stupid.
4. Skyrim
I really didn’t expect to like this game as much I did. I had always been super apprehensive about Oblivion, having had a boring experience with an open-world RPG in my teens, but they did such a great job with this one, with such an easy intuitive system, a lot of stuff happening, and a fully immersive world. There was one quest that I was just not willing to do because it would potential hurt one of the characters I had grown to like, despite the fact that he didn’t even DO anything, just walked around town. (I eventually did it, because I realized they hadn’t planned far enough ahead to have that quest mean anything.) But that fact should show how much I have enjoyed this game. Now if only I wasn’t currently trapped underground fighting dumb bugs.
3. Harvest Moon series
I’m lumping together a few games here, because they are essentially the same game, and one begat the playing of the other. It’s cheating, I admit, but for brevity, I will say that I played a ridiculous amount of Harvest Moon: Animal Parade and Rune Factory 3. They are both kinda dumb games, and Rune Factory is so much better than the other, but the feeling of just quiet, kind play and living in a quiant little town is pretty enjoyable.
2. Assassin’s Creed series
Mainly the multiplayer, which has since been reimplemented in Revelations, so I'm including both here. I still dig the multiplayer, but my excitement has waned, for no good reason, considering the multiplayer is so much better in Revelations. I'm not sure what it is, I still think it is such an interesting idea, but I just haven't played in a while. But I'll probably fall back into it here any day now.
1. Rift
Oh hey guys, I started playing an MMO this year. I haven't played to any serious degree for over a month now, just logging in every once in a while to look at a dog or something. I don't know what drove me to play as much as I did, to invest so much time to getting to level 50 and making all the craftable armor. I think it was just good to have a single place that I knew what was happening, what the goal was, and that it could probably go on for as long as I wanted. They hit a lot of the right notes in this game, I still think the currency-based system they have is brilliant, and it will probably take a lot of effort to cancel my account.
So there we have it. Looking back, I see some spots shining through that tell me I need to start branching out more. I need to play more tabletop games, and I seem to sink my teeth into newer stuff more readily nowadays. But hey, here's to another year of gaming, thanks for reading, everyone.
I would strongly recommend you pick up Left 4 Dead 2, on the PC/Mac rather than a console. Yes, it's about three years old at this point, but it's very fun, and well worth the price they're asking.
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