Deus Ex: Human Revolution - They did it. I can't believe they did it. They took one of my favorite PC FPS/RPG hybrids, made a modern day sequel that makes no attempt to dumb down the content or gameplay and manages to craft a compelling stealth/FPS/hacking/exploration/story driven cyberpunk adventure that excelled in all departments. It's not very often we see such an intelligent and reflective story wrapped up with sublime third and first person gameplay. For fans of the original or those looking for a well made single player adventure, do not miss that chance to play this. Only the lackluster bosses could bring this title down (and even then, not by much).
L.A. Noire - The story of L.A. Noire's creation may be just as infamous as the game's many criminals from shoddy work ethics to unfinished elements in the game. Despite the outside drama, the end product was something that seemed more than an open world game and more than just a adventure title. It was a game that used the aesthetics of the decade, from music to buildings to dialog and combined that with a metric ton of film noir and pulp detective novel references and you have a game that was pretty much made with someone like me in mind. This game gets recognition mainly for the the tech that went into making it (which was excellent) along with the excellent voice acting, but for me, its the aesthetics, the labyrinth story, and the excellent characters and the amazing dynamic soundtrack that grabbed my attention. L.A. Noire was every great detective and noir piece of entertainment rolled into a game and pressed onto disk. That alone is reason enough to deserve mention and recognition.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword - It's not the best Wii title of all time. It's not the best Zelda title of all time. It's not even the best Nintendo title of all time. Despite early word of mouth saying that Skyward Sword would be the best Zelda of all time, I can safely and confidently say that it is not. However that matters little since Skyward Sword was without a doubt one of the strongest Wii titles in 2011 and and equally compelling adventure that had me engrossed across its entire 90 hour campaign.
In a weird sort of twist, the gameplay was what was the least compelling to me in this case. The motion plus controls were actually not as reliable as the less advanced but more responsive Twilight Princess controls. However everything else from the cell shaded graphics to the wonderful soundtrack to the memorable environments and dungeons stood out as beautiful examples of design in games. This game looked like a painting in motion and whether I was in the darkest dungeon or the blue filled Syloft City, every angle, ever building and every character was a work of art.
The most important thing that stood out most to me in this game was the story. By taking the timeline (as vague and cryptic as it is) back to the beginning we get to see a different angle of characters than we have grown to known them over the years. I would do no justice by saying anything to give the story away but I will say that despite being mute, I ended up caring for these characters so much that I would end up playing for hours on end, just to know what would happen next and the fate of certain characters. Out of all the Zelda's this one felt the most personal.
.png)
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception - The suave Nathan Drake continues his adventures as this modern day Indiana Jones takes on one of his most personal and dangerous adventures yet. When I first heard this description, I rolled my eyes, knowing that his last adventure was both personal and dangerous (as well as awesome) but both the PR and early hype were right. The story of Drake's Deception goes back to Drake's past as well as dealing with his current personal issues while he traverses the world and prevents another crazed organization from releasing and ancient evil on the world.
I was never a huge fan of the Uncharted stories, I thought they were simple popcorn flick plots that fit the gameplay very well. The characters are what made the games for me and from the little banter that happens between Drake and his friends during gameplay or the excellently voiced cutscenes, its the human factor that made me a fan of the games and the latest in the series is no exception. Drake's comebacks are as witty as ever and while his interaction may have been cut back with some characters, the most important people in his are given extra time in the spotlight and we finally get to see just how much Drake relies on his friends and how much he means to them too.
Finally, the gameplay and level design for the game are once again, excellent. Combining cinematic camera angles and scenarios with some rock solid movement and shooting gameplay, the amount of crazy situations you get yourself into in this game is staggering. Coming at you fast and frantic, you'll escape one death defying scenario only to find yourself in another. The game, once it gets going rarely lets up and keeps going until the end. If there is a flaw to be found, its perhaps the pacing is too fast, that when the story and exposition come back into play, it comes across as sudden and jar you out of the story. In retrospect I felt that Among Thieves did a better job with pacing, but this is pretty minor when you consider how excellent the rest of the game is.
Naughty Dog has crafted a fine adventure that successfully blends cinematic moments with well made gameplay. There are moments where I felt that the cinematic angle took over too much and I was left watching or feeling like that I my participation didn't really matter in relation to the gameplay which was occurring However, once again that's nitpicking. Drake's Deception is another excellent title in the excellent Uncharted series, a series that I hope continues to grow and become a franchise that is cherished and remembered many years from now.*
*note: I played the multiplayer modes of Uncharted 3. While they were well made and featured some good level design, I did not spend long enough to warrant a full opinion. To no fault of the game's, I tend to get bored with most multiplayer modes easily.
That's all for now. I went a little short this time in order for the final four titles of 2011 to be an even four. If you've been reading, I hope you enjoy my choices and have had as much fun with these titles as I have.
No comments:
Post a Comment