Hello and welcome to my top ten for 2011. A couple odd trends worthy of note; only two games were developed in North America, and only two were legitimate sequels. This is consistent with my particular interests, meaning I tend to favor new ideas (even when they fail) and ambition rather than engage an experience I’ve already had several times over. In the case of the two sequels I think it’s hard to make an argument that either game didn’t completely overhaul its predecessor, and, regarding the lack of American/Canadian development, well, my heart’s always been in Japan.
Additionally here are my top tens from previous years: 2006 I 2007 I 2008 I 2009 I 2010
And in no order…
Child of Eden
Child of Eden blends the dreams of 80’s era game design with 1999’s desire for an infinite euphoric apocalypse. Player control, even with Kinect, is unapologetically simple; all you really do is move a cursor around and shoot two different types of ammunition in traditional rail-shooter fashion. In Child of Eden’s case, context overwhelms input and builds toward a visual presentation that’s as impressive as it is unprecedented. I don’t remember a game where you saw giant space whales evolve into massive condors, or helped bash two opposing planets together so they could transform into dueling running men, which, by the way, was all in the name of harvesting the memories of the first girl born in outer space who, of course, sometimes appears dancing in the background in full motion video form. That’s quite a mouthful, but it’s why Child of Eden made the list. Like Sonic Team’s Nights: Into Dreams, Child of Eden is categorically insane and yet also supremely composed and confident. It’s pure gameplay masked in layers upon layers of chaos. Even as a sequel to Rez, there’s nothing quite like it.
Signature moment: Passion is the best level, but Evolution broadcasts Child of Eden’s craziest sequence. Upon attacking the final core, each time a shot connects images of Lumi dancing flash across the screen. Given the visual overload from the last fifteen or so minutes I actually thought I was hallucinating, but then it happened again and I realized the folks at Q Entertainment actually went to the trouble of video capturing and syncing an real human into the game in perfect harmony with both the gameplay and the music.
PixelJunk SideScroller
PixelJunk SideScroller might as well be Child of Eden’s evil twin. Whereas the latter smothers its 80’s influence under layers of glorious confection, SideScroller proudly wears its lineage on its sleeve. While SideScroller does concede a few amenities to modern game design (continues, in particular, feel like a godsend) its roots are in the days of hazy arcades and semi-shitty cathode ray tube screens. Rather than settle for a deliberate replication (ala Mega Man 9) SideScroller goes the extra step and uses its shoot ‘em up base as a tool to enhance one’s sense of supposed nostalgia. The subtle Japanese voiceovers, the ridiculously catchy music, charming graphical filters, and endless detail on the tiniest objects charm the living hell out of anyone born in the 80’s. And the final level, with the possible exception of M.s Spolsion Man, is one of the greatest interactive climaxes of 2011. My Review.
Signature Moment: The final level. I’ll skip the context (and for shit’s sake don’t click that link if you haven’t played it), but SideScroller’s climactic finish ties the bow on the entire experience. The whole game is exceptional and on harder difficulties easily lends itself to a transcendent, almost zen-like experience in maintaining perfection, but if every level is your standard street level smack then SideScroller’s blowout would default as uncut Colombian cocaine.
Bulletstorm
It’s not just about the insane profanity. “Here comes butterdick Jones and his heavenly asshole machine” and “suck the tears off my dick you ugly mudf–kers,” were oddly endearing doses of sophomoric wordplay, but they were complimented by fresh mechanics from a developer willing to twist and turn the rules of boilerplate first person shooter game design. That’s because in Bulletstorm, you don’t just shoot dudes in the face. Using a leash, a mighty boot, and your surrounding environment, the context of the kill is just as important as actually killing someone. Racking up points for all kinds of crazy kill combinations was incredibly addictive, and creating dozens of “skillshots” remains 2011’s greatest contribution to first person shooters. In a perfect world this would have caught fire like Call of Duty 4’s infectious multiplayer and spawned a dozen clones, but that’s a topic for a different day. My Review.
Signature Moment: The Wheel of Death level. Bulletstorm was rarely at a loss for words or interested in dull moments, but I think it hit its peak when the hundred foot tall razor blade was tearing up Alderan (or whatever that planet was called) and the player was charged with murdering bad guys while all of that was threatening in the background. And that was all in a turret sequence, which is atypical for that game (and my personal taste). Pulling off seemingly impossible skillshots felt great too, but no I’d have to say the huge razor blade wins out.
Xenoblade
Xenoblade single handedly corrects the disappointment left behind by the wake of Final Fantasy XIII, Lost Odyssey, and Blue Dragon. Hundreds of quests, countless expansive environments, worthwhile fiction, great characters, a smart combat system, and a world big enough to support dozens upon dozens upon dozens of hours of playtime. Almost every other stab at the genre has carried the weight and tradition of its predecessors and subsequently failed in the current gaming landscape, but Xenoblade absolves every sin. It has fast travel anywhere at any time. It has an unlimited inventory. Your health recharges. Quests are well organized. And it has Giant god damn robots. Forget that it’s on Wii, it’s actually coming to North America in April and it’ll be worth every penny.
Signature Moment – Entering Bionis’ leg. When I got out a cave and walked into Bionis’ leg, there, right before my eyes, was a playground at least twice the size of Final Fantasy XIII’s prized Gran Pulse, and Xenoblade only spent a few blissful hours before getting there. Dozens of quests, tons of loot, countless monsters roaming the land, it was almost as if Monolith was flaunting its ability to give JRPG fans everything they were looking for.
Radiant Historia
Time travel is an ambitious concept, one that often requires a significant budget for top shelf visuals and brain melting CG. Radiant Historia, a modest DS RPG from Atlus, has none of that. The team didn’t have the resources (or the hardware, really) for whiz-bang effects, leaving their aim focused squarely on the gameplay end. It worked wonderfully. The battle system is classic turn based, but relies on a clever hook of shifting enemies around a 3×3 grid for maximum effect. The narrative is woven into the gameplay via the White Chronicle, a device that allows the protagonist Stocke to move around to different nodes over two timelines and play out scenarios in different ways. This not only alleviates the worry of missing something (you can essentially replay everything as many times as you want), but also adds the potential of consequence without the stigma of game-over failure. Radiant Historia could have easier pushed its concept harder, but what’s there is still good enough to be one of the most innovative and worthwhile games of the year.
Signature Moment: Whenever it was I finally wrapped my head around how Radiant Historia allowed the player to move forward and backward in time. It honestly wasn’t explained very well (despite being quite a wordy game) and when the light bulb turned on and I suddenly realized that I go back and do everything and/or anything over again, Radiant Historia went from good to exceptional. It’s proof that a great idea can power a game without much of a budget. (note: YouTube DS footage sucks so that link goes to Alistel’s wonderful music)
Dead Space 2
Dead Space 2 offers the player maybe a half second of control before it starts unloading lethal threats upon Isaac Clarke. The opening sequence is a haunted house of carnage, and really sets the tone for what Isaac must endure for the next ten or so hours. The fiction is ultimately hokey when examined with any sort of scrutiny, but experience as a whole, specifically when walking down abandoned (space!) apartment hallways or running the hell away from necromoprhs. With Isaac desperately shooting out airlock doors, attempting pin point accuracy on necromorph appendages, and playing cat and mouse with stalkers, the gameplay end held up its end of the bargain as well. My Review.
Signature Moment (major spoiler): Reboarding the USS Ishimura. Discovering that that ship is on the premises and realizing you’re going to have to board it again is terrifying. Better, Visceral wasn’t content to recycle the same assets or lame scares, not only canvassing the entire ship in white plastic as if it were some sort of biohazard, but also crafting gameplay segments that deliberately play with Dead Space veteran’s expectations.
Dead Island
Dead Island’s loot system was a poor facsimile of Borderlands. It’s dearth of enemies and weapon crafting reeked of Dead Rising 2. The mission structure was ripped right out of Fallout 3, and the open-world jungle setting was employed better by Far Cry 2. What Dead Island did have was an unwavering commitment to raw survival. This is an odd thing to say about a game that only penalizes death by taking ten percent of your money, that relies almost exclusively on energy drinks and power bars for health replenishment, and requires arbitrary money to repair weapons and create modifications, but it’s surprising how seriously Dead Island takes itself. Zombies that level up with the player create a constant sense of vulnerability, further enhanced when you’re in the middle of nowhere armed with a hammer, two flaming baseball bats, and a defective handgun with six bullets. Whether I was driving my truck around and exploring abandoned gas stations or walking up and down the beach, I felt somewhat prepared, but ultimately powerless and alone. Dead Island probably hit its peak on the first “area,” but that feeling lasted throughout the entire game. You’re always on edge. My Review.
Signature Moment: Pure Blood. Unfortunately this was the mission that nearly wrecked my Dead Island experience. I had to break the game in a different way in order to move past that section, and the Dead Island’s final scored ultimately dropped two points because of it. Unlike Skyrim, It was an isolated incident from a lack of testing rather than a global problem (and it’s since been patched out), but it left a lasting impression on an otherwise thrilling experience.
Portal 2
Portal 2 is Valve bringing a novelty sized calculator to a gun show and (once again) walking away with first prize. Creating a clever first person game without a traditional weapon front and center is reason enough for celebration, but Portal 2’s sentiment is magnified under the lens of its spectacular characters. GlaDOS was destined to impress, but the emergence of the spherical buffoon Wheatley and Aperture founder Cave Johnson were some one of the best surprises of the year. Stephen Merchant and J.K. Simmons, respectively, employed great writing with hilarious personality, often relying on subtlety and nuance rather than vapid easy one liners. Over time most of Portal 2’s puzzles will fade away, but no one will ever be able to forget those characters. My Review.
Signature Moment – (major spoilers) It has to be the end, right? Knowing that the white gel was composed of moon dust, looking at that hole in the ceiling, seeing the moon, and, in a split second, going from “oh shit is this going to work” to “HOLY SHIT THAT ACTUALLY WORKED” was marvelous. Yes, the game was built with that finale in mind and there’s no other way it could have possibly ended, but in the moment it felt spontaneous, like I was actively breaking the game in half.
Catherine
You wouldn’t expect beers with friends and the moral complexity of infidelity to be suitable for an interactive medium, and you certainly wouldn’t anticipate marrying those concepts to a box pushing puzzle game to materialize into anything remotely interesting. And you would have been wrong. The elevator pitch for Catherine sounds like a joke, but it’s actually one of the most thought provoking, challenging, and legitimately interesting experiences out there. It’s no secret that Atlus’ in-house development teams are something of a late bloomer in console generations, and if Catherine was Altus only getting their feet off the ground, I can’t wait for a Persona-fied follow-up. My Review.
Signature Moment – (considerable spoilers) Catherine keeps the player honest by planning Vincent’s actions in cut-scenes through otherwise unrelated questions elsewhere in the game. Meaning, when his girlfriend Katherine catches him cheating with bar trash Catherine, there’s no telling which way the shit is going to hit the fan. Wondering which way the angel or devil in Vincent’s ear was going to push him was unexpectedly terrifying, and even though it was admittedly stupid and unrealistic, the tension of that particular scene went unmatched in 2011.
El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron
El Shaddai is a work of surprising confidence. Combat that favors leveling up the player’s (as in you, not the on-screen character) skill set is worthy of admiration, as is a wildly imaginative, frenzied art department that never allows their beautiful work to overstay its welcome. In a way El Shaddai feels like it was born to be a cult classic, a game with a highly specialized aim that isn’t interested in pleasing everyone, but feels absolutely perfect for its intended audience. I haven’t seen very many of those in this generation, and El Shaddai should be commended for daring to dream up something different.
Signature Moment: Chapter 6. El Shaddai was always content to devour its scenery; a theme or visual style that could serve as a backdrop for an entire game is briefly employed before, almost immediately, being burned away, but the sixth level is where El Shaddai really blows its load. Before that the game had stayed close to an ethereal, pastel pallet of various sizes and shapes, but then Enoch dropped down into what I can best described as Tron meets Akira. I had no idea how much I wanted that until I played it. My Review.
What either fell short or what probably could have (had I played it) made the list:
Ms. Splosion Man – Great platformer with one of the best ending sequences…I don’t know, ever? My Review.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Currently at 105 hours with much more to go, but I can’t, in good conscience, praise a game that’s constantly fighting off my desire to play it. I made the mistake of buying the PlayStation 3 version, which, as history has taught us, Bethesda can’t bother to bug test properly. It’s broken, fundamentally broken, after the save file starts hitting double digits, and it really puts a damper on every moment. Nathan’s Review (of the 360 version).
Sonic Generations – This was the last one out. Loved playing the game and devouring properly induced nostalgia, but couldn’t put it before any other game on the list. My Review.
LittleBigPlanet 2 – Right behind Sonic Generations. The level where you control robot bunnies, dogs, and hamsters was some of the most fun I’ve ever had in co-op. My Review. Nathan’s Review of the Special Edition.
Trenched – Right behind LittleBigPlanet 2. Chris’ Review.
Bastion – Loved the atmosphere and music, didn’t care for player control.
Gears of War 3 – Haven’t played enough of it.
Super Mario 3D Land – Haven’t played enough of it. Greg’s Review.
Saints Row The Third – Bought it, have yet to play it. Will’s Review.
Shadows of the Damned – Bought it, have yet to play it. Steven’s Review.
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception – Bought it, have yet to play it. Steven’s Review.
Rayman Origins – Right up my alley, but waiting for Vita.
