KGB Game of the Year 2011: D. Bethel

Rockstar’s L. A. Noire is such a strange bastard of a game that I’m not even sure deserves the top honor of game of the year when broken apart for analysis. It has sloppy controls, some shallow and uninteresting characters, antiquated graphics (with the exception of its ground-breaking facial animation), and whose main puzzle mechanic – reading the faces of damned, dirty liars – can seem so arbitrary that one wonders if it is actually one sprawling game of peek-a-boo. It also has that weird, extra "e" at the end of the title. When examined by its pieces, a meticulous observer can be underwhelmed by L. A. Noire, but the game should not, or perhaps can not, be observed as a collection of artifacts; it must be seen as a whole.

 

KGB Game of the Year 2011: Humor Tumor

I don't know when exactly it clicked in my mind that The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was my Game of theYear. The beauty of running through vast open fields, populated by herds of mammoths, and their frost giant companions. The panic of having a dragon bear down on you from out of nowhere, knowing you aren't prepared to deal with the airborne menace.

KGB Game of the Year 2011: Adam Marcey

Allow me to apologize to all of the Gears of War, Modern Warfare, Elder Scrolls and Batman fans out there: these games did rock. Hard. And quite honestly, my original pick for Game of the Year was Gears of War 3. But sometimes a big name and highly anticipated sequel steals all of the limelight and other games fall through the cracks. This year, I’m making a sleeper pick for a game of the year and encourage you to give it a shot after you’ve worn out the other games. The game I refer to is Rage.

KGB Game of the Year 2011: AGTurbo

It was tough for me to choose between Assassins Creed Revelations and Deus Ex Human Revolution. With great thought I give Assassins Creed Revelations my personal Game of the Year. Assassins Creed Revelations had a solid story, but the ending of how it finished the stories of Altair and Ezio was very fulfilling. The platforming missions are the best in the series. Of all the games I've played that ended with 3, and provided some closure to the main timeline of the series (Modern Warfare 3, Gears of War 3) Assassins Creed Revelations ending gets the edge. The additions such as the hookblade and bombcrafting made Revelations the most refined of the Assassins Creed games. Also the soundtrack of Assassins Creed Revelations composed by Jesper Kyd and Leorne Balfe of 80 tracks, for specific missions, the ending, and even the free roaming from one set of missions to another set of missions was scored individually. Revelations made me care for the characters Ezio and Altair and the ending as resonated with me so well I give Assassins Creed Revelations the Game of the Year.

For Runner Up it is Deus Ex Human Revolution. I wasn't excited for Deus Ex Human Revolution until I tagged along with another Omeganaut at PAX East for the Deus Ex panel. I was amazed at what I saw, and it made me interested for the game. Deus Ex Human Revolution did a great job of playing it different ways. You could be super stealthy, or kill everyone. The art design and the musical scoring by Michael McCann did a great job adding more ambiance. As a player you were never penalized for being stealthy. Also on my second playthrough playing stealth without killing anyone, I discovered new locations and areas I would have never traveled to if I tried to kill everyone. To me, Deus Ex Human Revolution felt like a spiritual successor to Hitman: Blood Money, which I love very much. The boss battles and the ending held it back for it being my GOTY.

     

KGB Game of the Year 2011: Rock

As Dan Smith so perfectly stated in his GOTY article, there was a metric ass load of games all fighting for our money this year, which makes it insanely difficult to choose only one as your absolute favorite.  I really agonized a lot over this decision: do I choose the game that showed me a beautifully dirty and futuristic world?  What about the one really great shooter of the year (boom!)? In the end, I think I'll have to surprise no one and choose The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim as my 2011 Game of the Year.

Skyrim wowed me from the start. It's striking visuals and huge open world pulled my in like a lover. But, you know, one that I couldn't sex up proper-like. What?  Anyway,  Skyrim throws everything at you.  Almost every conceivable combination of weapons and skills is yours to use, and the number of unlockable abilities is ginormous! It truly seems as though I will never be bored in this world, as the sheer multitude of quests is just dizzying. Oh, and you can kill dragons. Lot's of them...


      

  

Rock wishes to live in Skyrim, but, you know, without the cold.   
Or the dragons.....

           Follow @Known_Griefers

KGB Game of the Year 2011: Dan Smith

Game of the Year is a prestigious title for any game to receive. It shows that this game, more than any other of the last 11 months, is the game you really need to play. Some years are more competitive than others (1998, anyone?), and this year stands among the best. We saw the Juggernauts of EA and Activision, Battlefield 3 and Modern Warfare 3 respectively, duke it out for our dollars. We saw another fantastic return to form for Batman, and Dark Souls proved to us that there is room for a Japanese-centric game in the Western Market. Portal 2 had us falling in love with the universe all over again, and Deus Ex: Human Revolution alongside Driver: San Francisco gave us a wonderful mix of old and new that brought us back with a hunger. Every single one of these major, triple A titles would deserve this reward.

That said, my choice for Game of the Year is the downloadable Bastion, from Supergiant Games.

Santa Claus: Videogame Hero

You might think that seasonal videogames are too niche of a market to exist, but you'd be wrong. The Jolly old fat man himself, Santa Claus, is no stranger to videogames. Little Saint Nick has appeared in quite a few adventures over the years, and Chris takes you on another flight of the KGB Nostalgia Dirigible!

KGB Top 5: Christmasgasms!

I love Christmas. Unlike Rock, I am full of Christmas spirit. One of my favorite parts of Jesus' birthday is watching children open their presents. It transports me back to a time when I was a bright-eyed child, full of wonder and joy. Now I am an empty shell of a man, whom writes about videogames. In this edition of the KGB Top 5, Chris takes a look at the best videos on YouTube of children going apeshit over their new game systems.

KGB Surveillance- Skyrim

KGB Surveillance is a new feature we'll be doing, where we'll watch gameplay footage we've captured and provide commentary.  We hope you enjoy it!

Hotness of the Week!

Well everyone, we're getting ready for our holiday break, but don't think that means that we're resting on our asses!  Check out some of the icy hotness we've got in store for you!

KGB Radio Episode 13: N.Y. Minute

Join Rock, Chris, Pat, Zack, and special guest, internet sensation D. Bethel as we discuss Bioware's new role, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, and announce our new contest! Also, in the second segment, learn all about D. Bethel as we sit down for a heart to heart!

2011: A Spaceman Simulation in Space Station 13

Five or six years ago, I found myself really wanting when it came to games. As far as I was concerned, a half dozen legitimately enjoyable games came out a year, and few of those could last me eight long, cold weeks, much less remain truly enjoyable for that long. Before long, I found myself looking into the dark corners, trying to find anything strange, weird, or just generally interesting. I found the most amazing things, stuff that you would never find on the shelves next to Call of Duty or Grand Theft Auto. I found Dwarf Fortress, WWII plane simulators, a trove of indie titles, and then I found Space Station 13.

KGB Radio- Now on iTunes!

That's right folks, after months of false starts and endless frustration, KGB Radio SHOULD be up on iTunes. Simply search for "KGB Radio" or "Known Griefers" and you should be all set. We're working on getting the backlog up, but for now enjoy Episode 12: Mario's Dad!

The Nostalgia Dirigible: Classic Christmas Commercials

It's the most wonderful time of the year. Snow is falling, bank accounts are emptying, and you've probably brought a dead tree into your home and covered it in lights. The Christmas season is a whirlwind of nostalgia, and what better way to celebrate that than with a trip on the KGB Nostalgia Dirigible?!

Pro-Tips: Snoopy's Street Fair for iOS

We here at KGB have noticed a lot of people coming in to check out my review of Snoopy's Street Fair, led in by Google keyword searches related to some in-game activities. In order to help these Snoopy-fans out, Chris has put together some Pro-Tips for inquiring minds.

Price Dropasaurus! Enslaved: Odyssey to the West

Price Dropasaurus is a new feature where we'll be looking at games that maybe weren't worth the full price of admission when they were new, but are worth taking a second look at now that they've had their prices dropped.  For our first installment, Rock takes a look at Enslaved: Odyssey to the West.

KGB Radio Episode 12: Mario's Dad

Join Rock,Chris, Zack, Pat, and Humor Tumor as we discuss Miyamoto's possible departure, studio closures, and more!  Also, be sure to catch our Nintendo quiz in the second segment!

Trials By Fire: The Fatalism of Platforming

Trials by Fire is a column from D. Bethel whereby two game demos are arbitrarily judged and one is declared the victor. The demos featured in this edition are The War of the Worlds and Oozi: Earth Adventure Episode 2.

I Stab You! Assassin's Creed: Revelations Review

Assassin's Creed: Revelations is the fourth main installment of Assassin's Creed from Ubisoft Montreal. It's the last game of the series featuring Ezio Auditore as a main protagonist. It is a historical open world game that takes place in 16th century Constantinople. KGB power-user AGTurbo stops by to share his thoughts on the latest in face-and-neck stabbing.

Hotness of The Week!

We're settling in for a nice little break in the fall release schedule, but don't think we're not busy!  We're all hard at work bringing you some great stuff!  So stay tuned!

KGB Radio Episode 11: Arnold Vosloo

Join Rock, Chris, Pat, Zack, and returning guest Jones Schultz as we talk about Star Wars: TOR, Serious Sam, and have a Star Wars quiz!

Remembering the Horror: A Resident Evil Retrospective Pt. 2

So Part 1 of my Resident Evil retrospective ended on a bit of a sad note. Code Veronica, although a decent title, felt too held back. With C:V taking steps back, while it's cousin on an inferior platform took strides to enhancing the series, it wasn't one of my favorite titles; and to this day is very devisive in terms of the fanbase. Some love it, some dislike, some speak very loudly about downright hating it.

But not all is bad for Resident Evil right? Well, yes and no.

Read on to find out dear friends....

Cult of Personality: WWE '12 Review

If you’re a fan of wrestling games, there’s a good chance you have very strong opinions. There are very few genes in gaming that inspire such slavish devotion to one franchise as wrestling games do. If you thought the war of words between Battlefield 3 and Modern Warfare 3 was a bloodbath, you haven’t been caught in the middle of a NeoGaf debate between Fire Pro Returns and Virtua Pro Wrestling 2. Fortunately, for the not crazy people out there, you don't really need to know all that much to enjoy WWE ‘12. Yuke’s has put a lot of work and promotion to make this not merely the “next SmackDown!” game, but to angle it as a relaunch of their entire WWE series.

KGB Top 5: Annoying Heroes

We like to arrange things in an order that is pleasing to us. This one is about annoying-ass heroes. Read.

Hotness of The Week!

The awesome continues, and we've got some excellent new features coming your way readers!  Stay tuned, and take a lookie-loo at some of the Hotness we've got in store for you!

KGB Radio Episode X: eXtreme!!!

Join us tonight as Chris, Pat, Humor Tumor, Zack and Rock discuss Skyrim dragons, man-rasslin' in WWE 12, get the skinny on Skyward Sword, and rant about DRM

Even My Anxieties Have Anxieties: Snoopy's Street Fair (iOS) Review

At it's core, Snoopy's Street Fair is a lot like FarmVille. If that immediately turns you off to the idea of ever playing this game, I understand. There's a lot to hate about FarmVille, and it effect on the casual games genre as a whole. While Snoopy's Street Fair doesn't deviate a whole lot from the tired and true formula, it is created with such love and respect to the Peanuts world created by Charles Schulz, that there's no way you can hate it.

Happy Thanksgiving! We're Outta Here!

Hey all! Just wanted to give you a heads-up that things are gonna be kinda slow around here for the next few days. We're celebrating Thanksgiving here in the States, and some of us are traveling for a few days. While we're enjoying our time off, our first break here at KGB, please indulge yourselves in our archived features and reviews.

Dwarf Fortress: Losing is FUN!

Greetings, readers! Today we are happy to present a special piece by one of our readers, Mr. Dan.  We hope you enjoy his look at a lesser-known gaming gem, Dwarf Fortress!

KGB Radio Episode 9: Dragons Happened

This week, join Rock, Chris, Pat, Zack, Humor Tumor, and special guest Jones as we discuss Next Gen consoles, Good Old Games, Skyrim, and arrogant-ass iOS developers.  Brace yourself for a mansplosion!

Same Old Story? Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Review

After spending a week in the most modern of warfares, Adam Marcey has come back from the frontlines. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is here, people. How does the latest Call of Duty stack up to its record-breaking predecessors?

KGB TOP 5: Favorite Opening Sequences

We like to arrange things in an order that is pleasing to us. This one is about the beginning of games. Read.

Captain Clearance Takes a Look at Red Dead Redemption

Well, ladies and gentlemen, I tried to keep him away, but the Cap just keeps coming back! So here he his to tell us about Red Dead Redemption, kind of. It's something. Enjoy?

Hotness of The Week!

 

Boom! Are we ever going to stop this party train?! Likely not!  So strap in and hang onto your butts! Lots of Hotness bombarding your eye-holes!  

An Epic Finale: Gears of War 3 Review

Better late than never! Friend-of-the-site Adam Marcey takes a break from his months-long obsession with Gears of War 3 to give us an in-depth review. Be sure to check back in a few days, when Adam will take on Modern Warfare 3.

KGB Radio Episode 8: Hey, How Ya Doin'?

Join Rock, Zack, Chris, Pat and a late-joining Humor Tumor as we talk about Skyrim, Rock's adventures at Best Buy, and a whole metric ton of other awesome nonsense.

Disney Universe Hands-On Impressions

Chris Linendoll has caught platform-fever! Check out his look at Disney Universe, out now!

Rayman Origins: Hands-On First Impressions

Chris Linendoll jumps into the gorgeous 2D world of Rayman for a sneak peek!

The Pit of Despair: Gaming Regrets

For this visit to The Pit of Despair, Rock takes a look back at a ginormous shitpile known as Boiling Point. Join me on this journey of excitement, anticipation, and ultimately, pain and suffering.

Hotness of The Week!

Woo! Games releasing. Reviewers reviewing.  The world keeps turning and we're still here.  Bunch Hot shit coming up!

OH GOD WHY?! Nintendo 64-palooza

Another week, another crappy game. Such is the life of Christopher Linendoll.

KGB Radio Episode 7: Runnin' Down A Dream

Join Rock, Pat, Chris, Zack and a mystery guest as we discuss GTA V, Origin, Silicon Knights, and announce the winner of our Modern Warfare 3 contest!  Was it you?  Listen to find out!  Boom!

Mass Effect 3 Demo Leaked...or Released? Maybe?

About a month ago, Microsoft began accepting applications for the beta of their new "Metro" styled XBox Dashboard. I was lucky enough to be accepted into the program, and just a couple of days ago, my system was registered with the program. On Friday night, some people in the beta found an unexpected gift in the pre-release channel of their LIVE Dashboard: a Mass Effect 3 Private Beta. Naturally, pants were shit. The demo gives a look at both the single player and the multiplayer portions of ME3, and there are screens and videos out there for the curious. It seems this is a true beta, with sound and graphical glitches abounding.

Highway to the Danger Zone: Battlefield 3 Review

After much anticipation, Battlefield 3 has finally come out. The fantastic ads would have us believe that this is the next generation of shooters, and also that war is staticky, but does the game live up to the hype?

Trials By Fire: Whereby Two Game Demos are Arbitrarily Judged and One is Declared the Victor

Today, we are truly excited to bring you the first of what will hopefully be many articles by friend of the site D.Bethel.  Ladies and gentlemen, we present to you D. Bethel's Trials by Fire!  We really hope you enjoy it!

GTA V Debut Trailer

This afternoon, Rockstar Games ground the Internet to a halt. The debut trailer for GTA V released, and you can watch it here! For free!

The Rockstar official page can be found here: http://www.rockstargames.com/videos/video/8001

Hotness of the Week

Another week down, and we're still kicking names and taking ass! Wait...Anyway, read on for some Hotness!

KGB Radio Episode 6: Oh The Humanity

Join Chris, Pat, Zack, Rock, and the freshly cyborged Humor Tumor as we discuss Nintendo news, industry firings, Batman, and plenty more. Also, this is your last chance to get in on our contest for a chance to win a copy of Modern Warfare 3! Contest ends November 3rd, and we'll announce the winner this Friday on the podcast!

OH GOD WHY?! Halloween for the Atari 2600

Happy Halloween! The return of OH GOD WHY?! goes into the archives as Chris takes a look at Halloween for the Atari 2600. Read on, if you dare!

What If Mario (Or this Author) Smoked Meth?

A Guest post this weekend from KGB newcomer Woodie Woodrow. We're sorry.

TOP V: WILD SPECULATION ABOUT GTA V

More of the Good Stuff- DX:HR- The Missing Link

Deus Ex: Human Revolution has only been out for about two months, and the first DLC pack, The Missing Link, is out.  How does it add to the game?  More importantly, is it any good?  Read on to find out!

Hotness of The Week

Another week, and we're still here, serving you some ultra-hotness!  Big week behind us, bigger weeks ahead!  Hold tight, squirrel-breath!

Grand Theft Auto V Announced

This morning, Rockstar Games has pulled a Rockstar Games-like move of changing their entire web presence to announce the next game in the GTA series.  Head on over to rockstargames.com to see the new logo or just, you know, look at it right here.  The first trailer will premier on November 2.  Get hype!

WHERE ARE THEY?! Batman: Arkham City Review

The follow up to Arkham Asylum has some pretty big boots to fill.  With Arkham City, Rocksteady has shown how you do a sequel to a masterpiece.

KGB Radio Episode 5: Even The Losers

With one contest finished, the only logical thing to do is announce another, right?  Read on for more!

Remebering the Horror: Resident Evil Retrospective 1996-2000

In 1996, a genre was defined. Up until then, Survival Horror was a niche genre, with only a few, mostly obscure entries. Alone in the Dark set a lot of the basics for what would comprise the genre for years to come back in 1992, and Resident Evil was the first title to truly take on that style of gameplay. Making a love child out of Sweet Home and Alone in the Dark, Resident Evil managed to do many things very well. But one thing made it truly stand out...It made you scream like a little girl.

Of Savings and Fungus and Beer: Captain Clearance

While sifting through dozens upon dozens of reader emails I came across something a little...different. This man, who will only allow us to address him as “Captain Clearance”, wanted to write for us! We get a lot of requests like this, and I would normally tell this guy to take a hike, but when I heard his story I just couldn't refuse. Unlike that Surpriselove guy, the Captain seems to not only know what this site is about, he even wrote a little something for your consideration. I hope you find it.....interesting....

(To preserve the flavor of the Captain's writing certain spelling errors have been left in)

Batman: Arkham City Hands-On First Impressions

OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD...Chris goes hands-on into Arkham City, and lives to tell the tale.