Ben-DutkaIt seems unlikely that any current front-runner for Game of the Year will endure; the fall lineup is almost guaranteed to produce the ultimate winner. But then again, who knows? We've seen some pretty amazing titles already…
For the record, we really love a lot of them. I just adored L.A. Noire and I believe it might be the most innovative production of the year. Killzone 3 was a definite triumph, even if it lacked a bit of that KZ2 "wow" factor. And a recent PSXE poll showed the reader GotY favorite for the first 6 months: inFamous 2 . Another game that rocked. Lastly, let's not forget the sports world, where MLB 11: The Show absolutely reigns supreme in the realm of simulators.
But our pick for the current GotY 2011 front-runner is the ingenious, addictive, and hilarious Portal 2 . It's not quite as flashy as other games. There aren't any huge explosions or blood. It's not an endless graphical tour de force. And for the record, I am not a gigantic Valve fan, and I can't imagine why everyone is so enamored with that downright archaic Source engine that feels like a 1998 throwback. But it's plenty forgivable in Portal 2 because it isn't a shooter, and the mechanics work perfectly. The control is exactly as it should be and besides, the amazing puzzle design and fantastic voice performances carry the day.
As I said in the review, perhaps the most impressive aspect of the game is the following: puzzle titles can be iffy; the pacing is so important, and it can be difficult to get just right. But just about every last puzzle in Portal 2 is presented so unbelievably well that you discover the solution bit by bit. You take your time, attack the problem from a variety of viewpoints and eventually, you will reach your goal. Some will stump you, but most take just the right amount of time to solve. You're never overly frustrated and the satisfaction upon successful completion remains high throughout. The aforementioned voices are a huge bonus, too; gotta love those characters!
Anyway, it may be a strange choice but that's how we see things so far. Of course, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception , Assassin's Creed: Revelations , Batman: Arkham City , Battlefield 3 , and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim still have to toss their hats into the ring…among others. 😉
Related Game(s): Portal 2
marvel vs capcom 3 thus far
The new one that you're forced to buy in order to get the new characters that's releasing later in the year or the old one???
lol
You're cute.
MvC3 isn't even better than MK, so I don't see how it's GOTY material.
GOTY is a BS concept for starters and I will NEVER understand how the Portal games get such a following anyway. Sure Portal was fun and Portal 2 expanded, a little, on that template but they're VERY limited and the writing is nothing LIKE as good as people make it out to be, either.
I thought the first game was cute but short and it got away with that by not being a full retail release and with the second they tried to ad value with co-op but even so the campaign's very short, the puzzles basic and too simple and once you've seen it you know the entire game so replay is totally pointless. to me it should only ever be up for rental of the year as , in no way, can I see a point in buying such a short, easily sped through game. No value imho.
I've enjoyed a lot of games a lot more than Portal2 this year but, it seems, there are some games people are just crazy about for reasons simply beyond my tiny mind. When I shell out for games I like to know i'm goinng to be picking them off the shelf again and again and I found more replay in games as seemingly short as Vanquish with leaderboards and so on than I do with Portal2-I just think it's fashionable to love the games and as a result nobody seems to be honest about their lack of replay value.
@Mastiffchild
I totally agree on the point you made about the subjectivity of GOTY.
What I do appreciate, however, are the sites that add a heavy dose of objectivity and support their stance well about their choices while contrasting them to other possible choices to further back their decisions up.
If you navigate back in time to when PSXE chose last years GOTY winners, I think you'll find they at least did well to establish objective points to support their decisions. The sites out there that can at least do that without overlooking obvious aspects of other games, deserve to be noticed when selecting their GOTY.
Mission Impossible: 2011 Game of the Year. Uncharted, Skyrim, Batman, Battlefield, Dark Souls, Rage, Deus Ex just to name a few heavy hitters. How do you pick just one GOY. Ofcourse its a lot easier to pick the best in specific category along with honourable mentions but to pick just one GOY. It feels like 2011 more than any other past years would be the most difficult. Has there ever been a year where there was more than 1 that shared GOY? I predict there is going to be the most diverse GOY award handed by review sites more than any other year.
PSXE shared it last year between GT5 and Heavy Rain and back in 2007 between God of War 2 and the first Uncharted, but they're the only ones that spring to mind.
Still need to try Portal 2, but KZ3 isn't winning any game of the year this year…my biggest gaming disappointment of 2011. They should have an award for MOST ENTERTAINING GOTY because Infamous 2 deserves that award.
agreed on kz3. the sp campign was so boring it deserves no mention on any goty list. it's was such a chore to play becuase it's just not very good. i liked the mp portion a lot but even with that i don't see this game getting goty anywhere. i think most disssapointing game of 2011 is harsh but it deserves to be on the list of dissapointing sequels more than goty. throw dragon age 2 on that list as well.
i would rate crysis 2 over kz3 just becuase of level design alone. kz3 is too much sprinting down a narrow path until your next encounter that happems on tiny little maps. crysis 2 has more open and way more expansive levels. it makes kz3 feel like it's on rails in comparison.
my ps3 goty so far is mass effect 2. i know it's already won many goty awards on the 360 but it's certainly the most memorable game i've played this year. great story telling and characters. great value too. i spent many hrs doing lots of neat things off the main mission. very good game, and i think bioware did a good job with the port. i think it looks just as good if not better than the the 360 version. that never happens with unreal 3 based games so bioware deserves a lot of credit. me2 does deserve a nod for the worst way of handling the add on missions. ea essentially had an online pass for that. if you don't have that one time code and an ea account you are missing out on a ton of content that is advertised on the back of the box. the code serves as a key to unlock content already on the disc. boo.
Last edited by Excelsior1 on 8/11/2011 1:57:22 AM
I totally share your views on kz3 guys, and your comparison with Crysis 2 Excel. But some say that Move is to blame for the rails in kz3. And I can understand why, cause moving around with Move is ironically the most troublesome, so that's probably why it is so insanely railed.
Crysis 2 is the best shooter I've played on the ps3 so far. The campaign was one insane ride, and multiplayer in that game is excellent too! Very cool mp maps, and extremely well balanced features. Every detail is well thought out. Simple to grasp, hard to master. That's how I like it to be.
Last edited by Beamboom on 8/11/2011 5:29:22 AM
KZ3 did suck and felt like it was a rail shooter because it was a rail shooter just to accommodate Move. A very disappointing campaign and the MP in my opinion was just no where near KZ2. KZ3 does not deserve to be on any GOTY awards list but we know it will be.
i seriously doubt it will be on any goty list anywhere except here. it has a an 83 metascore. crysis2 is actually rated higher on the ps3 the last time i checked.
I don't think KZ3 will be on this site's list. The fact that Ben mentioned it wasn't as big of a wow-er as KZ2 makes that transparent.
I'm sure it'll be on other sites GOTY lists not just this one. It shouldn't be but I don't think it'll just be this site.
It'll probably be on the lists simply cause there are not that many other good exclusives released this year. Infamous 2, LBP 2 and Uncharted 3, and that's about it?
Last edited by Beamboom on 8/11/2011 11:13:58 AM
Well, you may have a point Beamboom. Especially when we decide to consider the best of the best from each genre. When looking specifically at shooters, KZ3 deserves at least to be nominated (and thought about). Other exclusives, like WKC2, deserve a look-see for being one of the better jRPG's released, as well.
One thing I do like about this site, however, is that multi-plats will be looked at. I believe last year they even selected a best non-PS3 game winner, which I certainly appreciated. I wouldn't be surprised to see a PS3 exclusive as the winner. Typically, the best any given system has to offer is one of their exclusives, anyways. And on top of that, I think PS3 exclusives are the best of the exclusives.
However, I fully expect to see games like AC:R given the nod for a nomination, as well. So I don't think it's just PS3 exclusives that will be looked at.
Yes, exclesior..ME2 was the best game this year on the PS3 in my book. That is my all time favorite game…enough said
No love for Killzone?
The campaign may not win it anything but it could easily win an award for best multiplayer game among others.
I've fronted my love for ME2 so many times now, but: ME2 is the single greatest game I've played so far on my PS3 ever, regardless of genre. It's my personal *obvious* GOTY for 2011, and I can say that without having played the remaining games this year. I can't remember the last time I was *so* into a storyline.
@Underdog: I am actually not too convinced about the exclusives being that much better, really, but I know I am in the minority with that opinion (surprise surprise). So, yeah, since I am in the said minority I just expect the exclusives to get that "exclusive bonus" when the GOTY's are nominated. And, since it's not that many others to choose from, I assume kz3 are more or less guaranteed a nomination.
In my humble opinion the exclusives are a tad overrated. But that's just my opinion on that matter. 🙂
@sirbob: From what little I've played kz3 mp I it seemed to be decent. I can see why many enjoy it. But I don't think it is "award winning great", to put it that way. If I had to pick a mp game for 2011 today, it would have been Crysis 2. That game has both an awsome sp *and* mp, and that's pretty darn rare.
Last edited by Beamboom on 8/11/2011 2:27:14 PM
@sirbob
i want to be clear…i did enjoy the mp very much. we are talking about goty titles though so the sp campign has to be considered. i've heard people complain about the story. i say big deal about that. cod stories aren't exactly great either and it gets goty nominations all the time.
what i will call kz3 out on is level design and pacing. sprint down narrow path until next set of glowing eyes. it is on rails so to speak. i hate when i feel that in games. if that was done fror the move's sake that's just wrong.
@Excelsior1
Yeah I did get the whole onrails feeling from this game. I was hoping that the jetpacks would help that out some but it failed. Only part that wasn't like that was when you are in the Exos, they gave enough room to properly flank the enemy from a lot of directions.
I really hope that the move had nothing to do with it because that means it could also do the same to Resistance.
I like Infamous 2 the most so far. Soooo good.
You, Miss, get a cookie.
Infamous 2 for me too till now, but i wud go for U3 for GOTY 2011.
Last edited by AshT on 8/11/2011 2:23:57 AM
yeah, Infamous went above and beyond the original. It deserves to be mentioned for GOTY.
Just finished my third play through…two good, one evil. Not sure why it's SO addictive, there's no driving, no other characters to play, not really an "open world" per se.
Just solid and fun!
It's a tie in my book at this point in time between this and LA Noire.
Just finished my third play through…two good, one evil. Not sure why it's SO addictive, there's no driving, no other characters to play, not really an "open world" per se.
Just solid and fun!
It's a tie in my book at this point in time between this and LA Noire.
PSXE is a big puzzle fan, World is not. I'm thinking it's between L.A. Noire and inFamous 2 so far but yeah things are gonna get crazy in the season of the holiday. Skyrim is gonna be amazing, some idiot will think MW3 is the game of the year, and as good as Uncharted 3 is going to be I think the reviewers and internets will find some way to rip it to shreds (call it a hunch).
I am not a really big puzzle fan. In fact, I rarely play them outside of the few stellar ones, like Limbo and Catherine.
That's part of the reason I was so impressed with Portal 2.
Ben I thought you were all about the little puzzle PSN games because you love strategy, maybe I'm wrong. I don't hate em, I'm gonna get Catherine at some point, I just don't like to spend time on them that could be used better elsewhere you know? Same with dying a bunch of times so I have to redo things, those are bits of my life I'll never get back.
I gotta go with Portal 2 with inFamous 2 running a close 2nd.
Portal 2 is excellent no doubt! But it's not GOTY 2011 I am sorry. My prediction is that Batman Arkham City will be GOTY. Uncharted 3 will come in a very close 2nd. Actually it could go either way, it's that close!
lol
@CrusaderForever I think its the other way around 🙂
I really think MK9 was excellent.
But fighting games never win this kind of thing,
i know this may seem strange to most people but my pick so far is dead space 2 and yes the story was not as good as the first one but i just love the series so far and want it to keep on doing well.
Let's give it Horror game of the year, I haven't played FEAR3 but if it's anything like FEAR2 then the scariness is pretty low and thus DS2 would trounce it.
DS2 was a letdown for me.
Why?
I'm really hoping Silent Hill: Downpour will win Horror Game of the Year. Ever since Team Silent disbanded, the series has suffered, but from the looks of it, Vatra has been doing some interesting things to reinvigorate it. Also, they're European, so that should help make it scarier. I'm sorry to say, but Americans just don't know what's scary anymore. Need proof? Watch Insidious. That movie taught me I need to import my horror experiences from now on.
@ Claire
Too much action and I didn't enjoy the storyline this time around. Also the random visions weren't my cup of tea. I still love the 1st one, actually played it a ton when I had my 360.
I agree pineapple about SH. I can't wait for the HD collection and still remember fondly my time waiting in front of BestBuy before it opened to get SH2.
Downpour is coming this year?
And I liked Insidious, it used old school stuff from the excorcist days in more effective ways than it has been used in decades. Nothin' scares me, but that movie managed a few chills which is damn rare for me. Then again, a lot depends on you and the atmosphere plus frame of mind you are in at the time you watch such things.
Similar to games, I don't think I would have agreed that Resident Evil 4 was at all freaky or even Dead Space 1 had I played them during the daylight while people were up and about and kids played outside.
Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 8/11/2011 2:56:28 AM
I'm very cautious about Silent Hill: Downpour, while the graphics are better than Homecoming, that does not mean much becuase Homecoming's graphics were worse than Silent Hill 3. (Not that they were bad, but its a console behind!)
As for the actual game… I have not been drawn in yet, the enviroment just screams out Alan Awake… and the enemies from what I have seen just look like victims which crawled out from a sewer. I will keep my eye on it, I'm just not getting my hopes up.
I agree that Insidious used all the old formulas well, but that's pretty much why I didn't like it; the old formulas don't scare me anymore. It was well acted and well produced, just very predictable and not very scary at all, IMHO. I also didn't think RE4 was very scary, but it was just a good game overall.
As for Silent Hill, I also have my doubts, but I was reading about some of the mechanics in the game and they sound really interesting. For one, (if I recall correctly) you will be transported to the "Otherside" only when it rains. The rain is based on a random weather system so that adds a certain level of unpredictability to the game. I'm sorely disappointed Akira Yamaoka won't be scoring the game this time, but from what I've heard so far, Daniel Licht's score will add a tense creepiness to the game.
It sounds like they're really trying to bring the series to new places, which is something the American-developed games didn't do. I don't think it will be better than the Team Silent originals. I just hope it will breathe new life into a stale series, one that I care about.
Last edited by 556pineapple on 8/11/2011 11:06:10 AM
It seems like Uncharted 3 is going to get it thus so far. I enjoyed the beta; and the story so far seems improved from the last one. We shall see…
Glad to see the love towards Valve!
Portal2 for me but I'm sure that will change when Uncharted3 comes out. BTW StarCraft2 has been keeping me mighty busy.
I'm still waiting for the Zerg expansion since the Terrans really aren't my cup of tea.
Portal 2 has been on my list since I first heard about it a couple years back, and I finally got it last week. It really is a fantastic title all around. I loved the first one, and this is a huge improvement, just as I had hoped. The puzzles are thought provoking, and I loved the addition of the gels. Not to mention Cave Johnson is hilarious! The game is also excellent from a technical (not graphical) standpoint. The cross-platform co-op is FLAWLESS! I'm on my PS3, my friend is on his PC, and it has the least lag of any online multiplayer I've tried!
But come on, if Uncharted 3 doesn't win game of the year, I'll be really surprised.
BTW, Source is loved mostly by the PC community because it's nearly open source. It's easy to mod it and create custom games to distribute via Steam. Pirates Vikings and Knights is a fun source mod. It also (usually) doesn't lose backwards compatibility when they update it, so older games will (usually) not have to be upgraded when the engine is.
Last edited by 556pineapple on 8/11/2011 12:14:31 AM
Gary's Mod FTW.
Source is my favorite engine out there, almost a decade running. CounterStrikeSource still looks great after 7 years.