Top Ten Games of My Year! (Numbers 5-1) HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Hey guys! See I promised I would get the second part up in a timely manner! Speaking of which, if you haven't already seen the first part make sure you check it out.

So let's jump right back into the fray here with the top ten games that I played this year, that are sort of this year, but not really because in reality I am excluding the games that I haven't played yet list.

Completely unrelated.

5. Back to the Future

Let's get it started with a bang. While episodic video games haven't really caught on yet, and may not catch on in the future, Telltale's Back to the Future game really handled it the right way. I have to admit that this game may be a bit high on the list simply because of my love for the Back to the Future series which is in my mind the greatest trilogy of films in existence. (Sorry Star Wars fans) The four part point and click game by Telltale managed to incorporate all of things I love about Back to the Future, while adding more interesting characters and situations into the canon of the universe. Back to the Future takes place directly after the third movie (which is odd because things were kind of wrapped up at the end of that film, but the game has an amusing way of addressing this issue.), but don't worry while they don't flat out erase some of the mistakes of the third movie, they do focus primarily on Doc and Marty! Oh and speaking of the characters, Christopher Lloyd returns as Doc and does a great job, but the real star here is Marty who is played by Aj Locascio doing an almost uncanny Michael J Fox impression. No seriously it's kind of scary how good he is.

The game really goes in some interesting directions, and introduces some really new concepts to the franchise. Without spoiling anything Edna Strickland, the new villain of this series, is probably one of the greatest video game villains i have encountered in a long time. I'm not kidding, I haven't actually felt this amount of hatred for a fictional character in my entire life.

I hate her with every fiber in my soul.

Overall the Back to the Future games were consistently funny, interesting, and I always looked forward to a new episode coming out. You can get these games on almost all platforms at this point, and I suggest you do, as at around $20 this series of games was a steal!

4. Shadows of the Damned

Now here is a sad story. Shadows of the Damned is one of the greatest games of the year, and unless you read my previous blog about it, or are a games enthusiast, then you may not have even heard about it. I thought long and hard about this list, and the more I thought about it, the more Shadows of the Damned moved up the list until eventually capturing this number 4 spot.

These sections are the only low point, but it does make for a hilarious photo. Right guys?

 Shadows of the Damned is a Suda51 joint, and anyone who is familiar with his previous games like No More Heroes can tell you that they are bound to be crammed with irreverent humor and dick jokes. Shadows of the Damned is no different in that the humor is childish and goofy, but where a lot of games that try to be funny fail, Shadows of the Damned is endearing, and the mix of off the wall penis jokes, mixed with the brutality of the Demon world really just works. As far as game play goes, Shadows is essentially Resident Evil 4, which is fine, but the setting and characters are really what pulled me into the experience, and made me fall in love with the disturbing but charming world of Shadows of the Damned. If you haven't already, please go pick up a copy of Shadows of the Damned... it will surely be in bargain bins near you. :C

3. Portal 2

Not very funny at all

 Let's just get one thing straight before I talk about Portal 2. Portal jokes are not funny. They are stupid. The fan base surrounding Portal is one of the most annoying and unfunny things on the planet. If I hear another "Cake is a lie", or Cave Johnson Lemons joke I will....well I probably won't do anything, but I'm just telling you they aren't funny. That being said the Portal series on it's own is one of the greatest things to be introduced to video games in the past ten years, heck you could probably argue that Portal is one of the greatest games ever made. For anyone who hasn't played Portal before, the whole concept of the game is that you are a lab rat for the defunct Aperture science, and Glados a sentient robot is determined to force you through a number of 3d puzzles using your portal gun. The portal gun itself was mind blowing in the first Portal, being able to use the physics of the portals to your advantage was just something that had never been seen before. However, Portal 2 assumes you are familiar with the portal gun and uses the opportunity to introduce plenty of new and intimidating challenges like bouncy paint, and other new tools.

The game play is sublime, although more than the original Portal 2 feels a bit like an on rails experience than a series of puzzles. It's not a totally bad thing though, as the developers used new techniques to introduce new characters and to delve into the back story of Portal itself. One of the biggest additions to Portal 2 is the character of Wheatley who is essentially just an eye, but is one of the most expressive and interesting characters in recent years. It helps that he is voiced by Stephen Merchant who does an amazing job bringing the character to life.

I won't even get into the multiplayer right now, but trust me it's great.

For a lot of people Portal 2 is going to be their game of the year, for me it's number 3. I really questioned whether or not to put this game higher, but ultimately there were two other games which I enjoyed just a bit more this year.

2. Mass Effect 2

Now I can already hear people complaining because Mass Effect 2 actually came out in 2010, but for a Ps3 player such as myself, 2011 was the first time we could get our grubby little mitts on the franchise, and oh what a glorious franchise. I have heard a lot of complaints about the series in recent days. A lot of people are complaining that Mass Effect 2 was less of an rpg and more of a third person shooter, and that it had been dumbed down for a larger audience. Now while the game play did significantly change from the first game to the second, having never actually played the first game, I didn't really mind as much. Sure the shooting mechanics were a little weak, and the actual combat customization isn't as deep as what I've seen from the first game, but I really enjoyed Mass Effect 2 for what it was. The shooting was competent and that was fine for me as the rest of the game fully made up for it.

This is why I play Mass Effect

I play games like Mass Effect for the story, but not just any story, my story. You see the most important thing about Mass Effect 2 is also the element that it does best. The amount of choice and decision that goes into the game is almost astounding when you think about it. First are you a male or a female? That is a basic decision that is not uncommon in many games, but it doesn't simply stop there. Want to be a giant dick who recruits the baddest dudes on the planet and goes around punching women and sleeping with crazy people? You can do that. Want to be a hero of the galaxy and make sure that no injustice goes unpunished? You can probably do that too.

Hello Ladies

I personally tried to make my Shepherd as much like Captain Kirk as I possibly could, and the game is so much more rewarding as a regard of this personalization. Characters can and will die if you do not make the right decisions, and seeing how your personal choices play out and effect the story is the greatest thing about this game. The promise of a personal continuity that will continue into Mass Effect 3, means that no two experiences have to be the same.


AND HERE WE ARE. THE MOMENT I'M SURE YOU ALL HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR...











DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNNNNN

1. Pokemon Black/White

If you had told me this time last year that the game of 2011that I was going to put the most time into  was going to be a Pokemon game, I would have called you a liar, but as it stands Pokemon Black/White is my favorite game of the year. I didn't expect to get so wrapped up in this game at first, and I was almost worried that it was just going to be more of the same. However Black/White has reignited my love for the franchise, and has yet again turned me into a devoted Pokemaniac.

Let's face it, if you grew up in the 90's you probably have at least a passing nostalgia for Pokemon, if not a love for the original series. However the argument I hear a lot is that the newer Pokemon are just not as good as the original 150. Well I have to disagree, after putting in over 200 hours into this game, (Yeah I know guys I know.) I can safely say that these guys are pretty cool too. Obviously with Pokemon you fall in love with your first exposure, so I can't say whether or not this generation is just as good as the first, but it comes really close. Sure some of the Pokemon designs are pretty lame in this new version. I'm looking at you stupid Ice Cream thing. But a lot of the new generation looks surprisingly good. I think if you can get over your nostalgia for the older generations of Pokemon you'll see that aside from a few new stinkers, Black and White is equally as neat. (Especially since the artists tried to draw parallels between the first generation and this one.)

So you may be asking yourself "Well what makes this any different than any of the other games, and why should I care?" Well, I will tell you. The first big thing you will notice while playing this game is that there are initially no Pokemon from previous generations. That's right you will have to play with the new boys, but never fear this gives you some time to realize how cool they are and get to know a lot of the new designs.

The second big thing about the new game is that there is actually an interesting story. No longer is the story the same generic tale about fighting the Pokemon league and just trying to catch them all. While the incentive of the Pokemon league and catching them all is still there, the main story revolves around Team Plasma who are trying to free Pokemon. That's right they are trying to free Pokemon. Plasma's goal is to release Pokemon as they see it as a cruel sport that Pokemon are made to battle one another. Kind of makes you question yourself a bit huh? Yes the moral ambiguity in this game is a first for the series as you actually aren't sure whether or not Team Plasma is inherently bad. This surprising change actually allows for a more dynamic and interesting tale.

For those of you who haven't played a Pokemon game since the original gameboy games, you'll be surprised to see how far the games have come since then. As in the previous DS games, Black and White are wifi enabled allowing you to trade online. No longer do you have to find a friend and a link cable, and thank god. Collecting them all is now a possible feat. I DID IT! For the first time in my life I collected all of the new Pokemon. Was it worth it? Hell yeah, these new guys are pretty neat.

So while the game isn't drastically different from the original games, it doesn't need to be. Enough changes were made to make this a definite step forward for the series and to easily make it my favorite game of the year! I highly recommend anyone with a DS and a passing familiarity with the series run out and pick this game up, you won't be disappointed.

Well that's my list guys. I hope you enjoyed reading, and I would love to hear what you think. Please comment below, and tell me what your favorite games of the year were. I always love hearing from you guys! As always be safe, and have a very Happy Holiday! See you soon!