Gaming Games of the Year 2011

While I've not played Battlefield 3 - and thus can't comment on it - I've sunk a heck of a lot of hours into both Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Skyrim... and I can't get over the fact that both of them impact in excellent ways at the beginning.

But it doesn't last.

DXHR has practically no replay value with the way the game rewards one method more than any other, while Skyrim really, really needs a less console-oriented UI.

 

How many of those are "can my pc run bf3?" posts?!

 

Deux Ex was a massive disappointment for me. The boss battles really drew me away from the rest of the game, those sections felt so detached that it really felt like an after thought more than anything else. Plus my build for one boss was pretty much the paper to their scissors: I rage quit after literally 20 attempts at it and never went back.

 

What utter rubbish, of course Battlefield 3 is the best game of 2011, no other game has pushed the bar on graphics and game play as it has. seriously what were you on when you wrote this, can i have some please...

 

Deus Ex was painfully average imo, can't believe anyone would even consider it being second.

My 50 hour save begs to differ!

 

Bf3 has not changed fps gaming it has good graphics but you need 32playera+ to enjoy it online

 

This is hardly a fair way to judge now is it - not least because BF3 is a multiplayer experience designed to be played with others (and so discussed) where SR is a one-man quest.

I bought both and Skyrim has taken up all my time where BF3 got returned so.. it seems fair enough to me. It's a shame SR was so, so unpolished on release - I am old enough to remember when games worked when you bought them..

Since when do we judge games just on the eye candy? This have never been the case and never will be... although I agree the FB3 engine is phenomenal it's the game not the engine we are playing...

 

Skyrim has all the mistakes that it's predecessors did. They have just thrown content at it. Bethesda is a developer that needs a damn good bitch slap so they learn some lessons and stop releasing bug ridden games.

 

Battlefield 3 was disappointing for me when it runs at all. Such a bug-infested game does not deserve to be mentioned in Games of the Year.

 

By that logic the original crysis should be number 2 or 3 then.

 

DeusEx must be#1

 

I think you need to play more games.

 

hmm no Anno 2070? Far better than what is it on 4-5 places imho.

I do not argue Skyrim for number 1

 

Portal 2 and BF3 would both rate above deus ex to me.
Deus Ex was good to play through, but it doesn't make you want to go back.
Portal 2 is so deep that you can't help go back, and then adds coop on top.

And BF3 just sucks you in (that next unlock... - addiction fostering lol) plus the experience changes when you get in with some friends, making each play through unique.

 

Ditto, Dues Ex was OK but that's about it, very overhyped IMO.

 

This isn't trolling, but I couldn't disagree more with a couple of the choices. BF3 doesn't really deserve to be #1, and it isn't, so fair does. However, those who say it should be quoting 'graphical advances' and 'gameplay advances' need to step back and realise that Crysis (1) looks just as good, if not better in parts than BF3, and it's over 4 years old now, and as for gameplay advances, it's no different to BF:BC2 or BF2, so isn't really anything new there either.

As for Deus Ex: HR, I found it very average on the whole, and the controls felt as if they'd been shoehorned into a gamepad, but then not expanded back out for the PC, the shooting mechanics were ok at best, the graphics were average, the stealth elements inconsistent. Overall, Metal Gear Solid II or III is a much better stealth game than Deus Ex: HR, and is much older.

I have both BF3 and Deus Ex, and found that neither distracted me for any period of time, which is a shame given that I spent ~£45 on the pair. BF3 felt exactly as I feared: if you're not in a vehicle on the large maps, you're screwed. If being in a tank is a pre-requisite of doing well, I'll go back to a dedicated tank game, World of Tanks (which I was surprised that it didn't make it in). Most of the small maps just favour one side way too much (Metro!), and makes for really dull gameplay.

Obviously, the choices are the opinion of those writing, and everyone's different, but for me BF3 and Deus Ex would not make it into the top 5.

On a separate note, anyone read the Bastion comments as if none of the Bit-Tech staff have played it in any great detail, and have gone more on the impressions of others? "Our experts" rather than specifically naming any staff like in the other comments.

 

Portal 2 is genius. The best game this year, for me.

 

I agree with several others -

Deus Ex from what I've seen - best game of 2011? Definitely not. Position 5 at best.

Skyrim? Hmm... Maybe number 2. Excellent open-world, but awful voice acting and not as polished as I had hoped.

BF3? Would be very good if not for the bugs, but doesn't move the gameplay on that much - perhaps number 3.

Witcher 2? Surely one of the most polished and accomplished RPGs ever? Not as open-ended as Skyrim, but more than makes up for that in quality of presentation. For me, it would be number 1.

But since it's the fashion these days to explode positive hyperbole upon indie games like bloody Minecraft, and vent bile upon anyhting released by a publisher with anything approaching half a budget...

 

Totally agree with Skyrim being no.1, it's the best game I've ever played. I would have replaced Battlefield 3 with Witcher 2. I got bored with BF3 after about 2 hours. To me it's just another generic FPS, albeit with better graphics.

 

Have to agree with others here, Witcher 2 was definitely deserving a position in the top 5.

Since news has been so quiet I am a little surprised you guys didn't opt for a top 10 or perhaps one too many mince pies has slowed down your synaptic pathways so it now takes you all a day to get anything done.