Grayson Hunt is a jackass fueled by booze and revenge. Regard for his own well being and that of his crew's is second to a blinding desire to cram his boot into the leather Cheerio of his old commander. What makes Grayson such a remarkable character is his change from a boozing and selfish pirate captain to a compassionate leader. His concern for his friends begins to outweigh his desire for revenge. The only thing more remarkable than his growth is his sharp tongue. Grayson Hunt's proficiency with weapons is matched by his mastery of cussing. His bravado and creativity lead to some of the most entertaining curses ever uttered. Grayson Hiunt is unforgettable. And he would be great to have a drink with.
This year Batman takes the biggest beating both mentally and physically. He gets shot, poisoned, doped, clubbed, and just plain beat down. His mind isn't spared the abuse as it races to solve the greater mystery of the Arkham CIty, how to stave off his poison, and choose between the needs of Batman and Bruce Wayne. Batman stands cowl and cape above the contenders. The damage he has incurred is reflected in his increasingly tattered costume. Plus he acknowledges the repeated beatings by telling criminals that he has seen better days. Batman is tired and broken by the end of Arkham City and it shows.
With RPG elements creeping into every genre it has makes deciding what a pure RPG is rather challenging. After spending time with Skyrim its obvious that great RPGs are still abound and Skyrim is the best. Skyrim features a skill system that allows for the creation of unique characters, decisions to make to give those characters personality, and a world thriving with narrative. Skyrim is an RPG pure and simple. The degree to which it sucks the player into it with rich stories, constant progression, and eye-popping visuals is unlike anything experienced in an RPG to date.
The world of handheld games is suffering from an identity crisis. Not knowing whether the market desires bite-sized arcade style games, high production console like experiences, or just a port machine has made the handheld space very confusing. Nintendo is in a unique position to create all three with one game. Super Mario 3D Land has short but challenging levels, a surprising amount of depth in terms of story, and features the controls of a Mario game that even your mother knows. 3D Land makes the best use of the 3DS's 3D ability and is the only must play for 3DS owners.
Finally a reason to care about Gears of War. The final installment fleshes out the world Delta Squad is fighting to save. It also fleshes out Delta Squad. Finally. Gears of War 3 makes good on all that is Gears. It has refined Horde Mode, added Beast Mode, has a well supported online competitive mode, boasts four player co-op, and puts an okay bow on the story. Gears of War 3 makes it more than okay to be a Gears fan.
More and more games available for download only then go on to have a physical release which makes this category a little antiquated. The real purpose for it is to shed light on games that may not have a huge publisher backing them. Indy but without saying the indy part. Anyway, Bastion is one of the best games this year. Supergiant Games knocked this one out of the park on their first try. Combining familiar mechanics, a simple but unique world, fantastically haunting music, and a driving narration Bastion is set apart from any other downloadable game.