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.
Bastion comes as close to perfection in a video game I have experienced since Shadow of the Colossus. It merges sharp, responsive gameplay with subtle storytelling to create a truly remarkable experience. From the very first moments, as the Kid rises from the ground and the world builds itself around him, the Narrator ringing in your ears, you know you have stumbled across something amazing. As each piece of ground rises to meet your feet, as each dynamic narration accompanies it, you learn more about Caelondia and the Calamity.
If there is a single game you should play from 2011, do yourself a favor and make it Bastion. You won't be disappointed.
Dan is an EMT, as well as a casual Spaceman. Feel free to follow him on Twitter.
That said, my choice for Game of the Year is the downloadable Bastion, from Supergiant Games.
Bastion comes as close to perfection in a video game I have experienced since Shadow of the Colossus. It merges sharp, responsive gameplay with subtle storytelling to create a truly remarkable experience. From the very first moments, as the Kid rises from the ground and the world builds itself around him, the Narrator ringing in your ears, you know you have stumbled across something amazing. As each piece of ground rises to meet your feet, as each dynamic narration accompanies it, you learn more about Caelondia and the Calamity.
If there is a single game you should play from 2011, do yourself a favor and make it Bastion. You won't be disappointed.
Dan is an EMT, as well as a casual Spaceman. Feel free to follow him on Twitter.
What a great choice. The writer certainly must be a gentleman of refined taste and high sex appeal.
ReplyDeleteHmm I can't help but agree, sir.
ReplyDeleteI'm listening to the soundtrack at the moment. The music in this game is sooooo great.
ReplyDeleteGreat choice. It was such an original title that really deserves much more attention than it got. It was this year's "Braid" in that regard.
ReplyDeleteI bought it this past week, and don't think I like it. I dont get it.
ReplyDeleteit didn't keep my attention when i tried to play it. the music has stuck with me, however.
ReplyDeleteThis game didn't grab me, for some reason. It certainly had an interesting aesthetic, but I've just had too much other stuff on my ever-growing plate.
ReplyDeleteI agree, the music is BEAUTIFUL. Unfortunately, the game just seems really...simple? I dunno. The guys over at Giant Bomb have been making it their #2 or 3 GotY all week long, saying they felt "Compulsion to continue playing" and I just dont feel that at all.
ReplyDeleteBastion is, for me, a game that starts strong and only gets better the further you get into it. It's a combination of rock solid combat controls, a huge variety of combat options, constantly evolving and progressing mechanics, astounding music (I'd put it up there with the score heavyweights like Shadow of the Colossus or Ocarina of Time), subtle and amazing storytelling, and something I really had never seen before, dynamic storytelling.
ReplyDeleteBastion is one of the best games I have ever had the pleasure of playing.
It bums me out that you guys didn't experience it the same way I did.
I think it should also be noted than not many of us here have a nostalgia for 16-bit isometric RPGs. Zack is the only one who was really into those games, so of course, he loved Bastion.
ReplyDeleteThat's not something I had considered, but you could be right. I know that this game made it into Giant Bomb's top ten for the year, though.
ReplyDelete