Portal 2 is hilarious. Wheatley, GLaDOS, and Cave Johnson shine in Valve's new puzzle adventure. The game is more of dark comedy than the previous installment as these new (and old) characters are met. Comedy in games can be very precarious but Valve does it again. The great writing isn't just found in the humor but also in the character's story arcs. The slow drip of information about the world and characters in Portal 2comes at a perfect pace to allow for intellectual dissection of the story. Portal 2 is both silly and macabre unlike any other game out there.
The launch of the 3DS came with a bevy of 3D ports. Of these, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D takes the much beloved N64 title and cleans it up a bit. This game uses most of the 3DS's features to teach other developers what the 3DS can do. It also brings one of the most revered video games to a new generation. Here's to more higher quality remakes done right.
That's a big map. So big in fact its possible to finish the main story without visiting hardly any of the major city hubs. Good luck with that goal as the world of Skyrim (by design) dares you to explore every inch of it. Each cave, hideout, and dungeon seems to have some uniqueness to it. The most compelling part of the world of Skyrim is feud between the factions in the land. Bethesda crafted a fantastic backdrop to set the story of the Dragon slaying saviour against. It is complex and provides no "correct" path as each if wrought with moral dilemmas. The world of Skyrim is defined by this conflict between the natives and invaders not between men and monsters. And plus its got a huge map.
The most well supported multiplayer game is Gears 3. Epic implemented weekly competitions and simple twists on the competitive Gears scene ever before the full game came out. Gears 3 is also balanced on he fly in an effort to avoid problems that plagued the first games such as over powered shotguns and chainsaw duals. There are hundreds of unlockables from player skins to medals that are awarded to very specific actions that provide incentive for continuous play. Nothing else compares to Gears of War 3's support, quality, and addictiveness this year.
Shooters are stale. Each new game builds upon the foundation of the last creating a sort of Rome of shooter design. Bulletstorm does something new. Bulletstorm's "Kill with Skill" tag line seems contrived but once you play it you understand. Progressing through the combat puzzles isn't difficult, but by using the environment and weapons in novel combinations, as well as incorporating the leash and kick, the challenge is in the hands of the player. By doing crazier combos more points are awarded and the points can be spent on new weapons and ammo. This "Kill with Skill" system is even acknowledged in the fiction. The craziness of Bulletstorm breathes new life into the shooter genre and therefore is the best of the year.
[Editor's Note: On the recorded award deliberations we stated that Red Faction: Armageddon would be a runner up. We forgot to add Rage to the list and, executively, I will be swapping the two. Rage is a solid shooter that should be on this list for its level of quality.]
Day One DLC may not be the best wording for this problem. The problem is when a game comes out with included content for purchasers of a new copy. The way this content is redeemed is by punching in a code that needs to be verified online through the console. This is a poor solution to an unfair problem. Yes, as an honest consumer paying the full price for a new game isn't a problem. The dilemma is when a consumer who doesn't have an internet connection buys the new game. They are blocked from the content that should be theirs as a purchaser on day one. The simple solution would be for the consumer to just get internet but that is stupid. The point of Day One DLC is to incentivize the purchase of a new copy of a game instead of a used one. This is not the best solution to that problem as it can hurt a lot of honest consumers without internet. This needs to end now before things escalate and more more content becomes hidden away behind online verified codes.