Your game of the year, what you are most looking forward to in 2k11.

[Vindekarr]

For me it's got to be by genre:

 

NFS: Hot Pursuit blew me away as one of the best racing games ever made, and took graphics to new heights of detail, beauty, and most of all, reliability.

 

COD: Black Ops blew me away as a jack of all trades, with stunning graphics, magnificent sound, awesome gameplay moments and a superb multiplayer, suplimented by some easter eggs that can only be described as EPIC.

 

Halo: Reach saw me put Halo aside after 10 years with a smile; a superb final and first chapter to the Halo universe that really showed me just what my Xbox 360 was capable of.

 

F-1 2010 left me speachless with the amazing cunning and tactical prowess of it's hyper smart AI. Furthermore, it was to sound what NFS was to graphics, it's Rapture 3-D engine when combined with high end headphones and photoreal HD graphics creating a game that looked, felt, and handled just like the real thing.

 

Limbo was simply amazing in every way. This oddball "arcade" game is what I would describe as very nearly the pinnacle of art in gaming. No music, no colours, just simply 2-D graphicsw. Even the gameplay was hyper simplistic and bordered on nonexistant, but guiding that lost child through Limbo was moving enough to make even strong people cry.

 

MineCraft was perhaps the most ambitious game ever planned, let alone planned by one man. Though still in it's Alpha phase it's already featuring endless hours of fun, a free roaming world almost as big as the earth, and an unparraleled ability to let your imagination run free.

 

Chaos Rising takes out the award for best DLC for me. What always struck me about Dawn Of War II was the lack of WarHammer's most iconic villains, The Traitor Legions. It would be like Halo without Grunts, or Dr Who without Daleks, and in the second installment, Relic re-introduced them in a grand way. The resulting new single player campaign was almost the same length as the first, featured a new and entirely polished morality system that allowed for 5 multiple endings, It was everything WarHammer fans had been looking for and then some.

 

And lastly, 'Splosion Man earns my "wierd yet wonderful" award for just plain making me laugh with glee. It has only one button, which makes you explode and fly into the air, you can explode twice before you have to land and regenerate your Mojo, explode your way through a giddy pxiar themed environment and escape, pure simple arcade game joy.

 

As for 2011, I cant wait for Space Marine. Space Marine, admitedly not the catchiest name ever, is a new game set in the WarHammer 40,000 universe-the biggest, deepest, most detailed and possibly best written Science Fiction universe ever created. Unlike it's many successful kin, such as Dawn Of War, this is to be a third Person SHooting, casting the player as a hyper augmented cyborg Space Marine of the Ultramarines legion. Probably doesnt mean much to those not up on 40K, but like all things 40K Space Marine will always be a bit niche. But damn, from a fan's standpointl, it's lookin bloody good!

 

But what are your picks?

Edited December 6, 2010 by Vindekarr

[LadyMilla]

For me:

 

The Witcher 2: the first game was an impulse purchase. This one is planned.

 

Star Wars: The Old Republic: as a former Star Wars Galaxies player this is a must.

 

Dragon Age II: even though I have mixed feelings about it. Still, considering BioWare' track record, I am willing to ignore the controversy.

 

Nothing else. The rumored 'real' Tomb Raider sequel will not be released before 2012.

[RZ1029]

GOTY, definitely MineCraft, Black Ops, or FO:NV. Or all three... that'd be nice too.

 

2011... I'm definitely going to give Witcher II a shot. I liked the first one, it was great, and I recently listened to a podcast who interviewed the developers, and I saw a few screenshots/clips that just looked awesome. So... yeah, that's my incoherent rambling about GOTY/2011. Also, Ghost Recon: Future Soldier. Looks promising, but I'm not holding my breath, just in case.

[Vindekarr]

Tom Clancy branded games are always worth a look; the last few have been truly excellent(Hawx2 is the best flying game on the X-360 for example)

 

As for the The Witcher II, it's really going to be one to watch. Though if you havent, you MUST play the first one's Enhanced Edition. It's one of those games I'd list as "you must play these to be a true hardcore gamer, or else your life is not complete" But yes, superb doesnt even begin to describe it, it's just... so freakin good in every single way.

 

And we'll also be seeing a WarHammer 40,000 MMO in 2012.

 

Let me just explain why this is an insane idea: WarHammetr 40,000 is the biggest science fiction universe ever created by humanity. 10 fully fleshed out races. Over 170 fully documented factions, many with their own omnibus of novels. 900, million planets in the Imperium(the good guys) space alone. Now, making an MMO out of that is like minecraft all over again.

 

Forget StarWars, that's just got the Jedi, Sith, and Republic. This has the Imperium, Warp, Eldar, Corrupted Eldar, Tyranids, Genestealers, Space Marines, Traitor Space Marines, Inquisition Hereticus/Malleus/Xenus, Diseased Tyranids, Rogue Genestealers, Techpriests, Titan Legions, Traitor Titans, Eldar Pirates, Corrupted Eldar Pirates, DeathWatch, Imperial Guard, Cults of Khorne, Tzeentch, Slaanesh and Nurgle, Sisters Of Battle, Kommisariat, Orkz, Necrons, Necrontyr, Pariahs, Nobz, Ork Freebootaz, MonoDominant cultists, Tau, Vespids, Kroot, Duegar, Abhumans, and Sanctioned and Unsanctioned Psykers. And that's not even the full list.

 

And if the MMO is missing even one of them, you'll have a Horus Heresy grade uprising of enraged fans. And even more, every one of those Races has atleast a dozen Factions that entirely change how they look, act, behave, and even what side they;re on.

 

So trying to turn that into an MMO is like trying to make a time machine or a reliable toaster, an insane mechanical undertaking that even if it does work, will be so insane that almost nobody will be brave enough to touch it.

[RZ1029]

So trying to turn that into an MMO is like trying to make a time machine or a reliable toaster, an insane mechanical undertaking that even if it does work, will be so insane that almost nobody will be brave enough to touch it.

 

No, a time machine is easier and a toaster is much quicker. Either way, if it's made, I'll definitely try it, but I expect there to be a large amount of nerd rage over it. I'm partial to the Tau, but I'm not lorebuff nerdrager who would mind if they simplified it. I just think it'd be cool to have a game like that.

[Vindekarr]

Total Imperialist here. Space Marines all the way, I've got a Dark Angels army, and defy anyone to find a better fighting force in all scifi.

 

ANyway, if you like WH40k, you're in for a treat next year: Space Marine is bringing some third person shooter into the mix, and looks sublime-check STEAM for a trailer. And secondly another huge DLC pack for Dawn Of War II that adds several new singleplayer campaigns-an Ork campaign, an Eldar campaign,a Tyranid campaign(all three 100% confirmed, they even have trailers out on STEAM) and most likely a Space Marine campaign, lastly, they've announced it will also add another of the legacy races to multiplayer but it's not yet clear who. Ireally hope it;s the inquisition as everyone's been saying.

 

Retribution is by all available info, almost a DOW-III. The 'Nids and Orkz campaigns introduce hugely changed unit mechanics, with the 'Nids using a rapid deployment, on the fly summon system based off their single main SwarmLord-a bit like what they beta tested on the Hive Tyrant in Last Stand DLC in '09.

 

the Orkz are all about capturing technology-you're a FreeBoota so you can also bribe beg or steal the help of native Orkz aswell. But it's a bit like the Space marine campaign blended through with Tyranid elements. You've got a few core heroes-a WarBoss, a Mekboi, a Kommando and a Stormboi, but you can also use a similar quickfire summon system to call up groups of weak units in a pinch.

 

The Eldar, are, as always, something of a mystery. We know they'll be using a hero system much like the Space Marines, and probably a similar small scale retinue system rather than full squads seeing as how they so love sneaking about. Heroes known at this point are a Warlock, Autarch, Farseer and Ranger-maybe a wraithlord too but nothing more has been comfirmed.

Edited December 7, 2010 by Vindekarr

[JimboUK]

Mass Effect 2 for me, Bioware at its best.

 

FalloutNV should get a mention, buggy as hell but it bought the franchise back towards Fallout and away from Oblivion.

 

NFS:HP was a nice surprise, I wasn't expecting much but it turned out to be one of the best arcade racers I've played.

 

Next year....

 

The Witcher 2, the first one was excellent and this looks to be shaping up nicely, no DRM either.

 

Dragon Age 2, I really hope it doesn't turn out to be a half arsed port.

 

The Old Republic, I've been on one of the beta tests for this and it's looking very good, NDA says I can't elaborate further.

 

Fingers crossed for F1 2011, surely they can't make a pigs ear of this like they did with F1 2010?

[Vindekarr]

Cant believe I almost forgot it.

 

Starcraft II.

 

It deserves a place here just for taking in game CGI to such a majestic new height. Despite it's bizaar technological relationship with WOW(check some of the animations next time you get a chance, some of the human civvies use Huamn animations straight from WOW, odd huh? aye, and I dont know just how deep the ressemblance runs, since it seems to be on the Red Alert 3 engine, but I'd love find out) this magnificently good RTS is some of the best fun I;ve had on PC this year.

 

I only begrudge it two things: it uses the Red Alert Three engine, RA 2/3 are huge favorites of mine and bring back an endless stream of joyous memories, but after 11 years I expected a bit more shineys-ness.

 

And secondly, I only have enough arms and monitors to play this or DOW II but not both at once. That would be RTS nirvana.

 

But yes, everything about this gem of an RTS oozes an almost palpable aura of polish and dev's love. Both it and DOW II, 11/10.

 

That brings me to my OTHER favorite game in the RTs genre. DOW II. If you love WH40K, this game will make you fall out of your chair it's so damn awesome. Superb yet simple gameplay, stunningly good singleplayer, stunningly good multiplayer, and five multiple endings to cap it all off.

 

The only fault was GFWL but that's not their fault. And it's only going to get better, with Retribution schedualed for Q1 2011 introducing a confirmed 3 new SP campaigns of atleast 15 full missions apiece and a new legacy race being added(at the momet the hot contenders are the Inquisition and Imperial Guard, outside chances: Dark Eldar, necrons) one of the finest RTT of this generation is only going to get better, Add SC II to your collection and you've got a truly heavenly RTS/RTT duet.

[MonsterHunterMaster]

Well, the game which got released in 2010 is definately Black Ops, the game I liked the most is CoD Modern Warfare 2, even though I played CoD Modern Warfare most of the time since october

[RZ1029]

Mass Effect 2 for me, Bioware at its best worst.

 

Fixed. Sorry bro, just wasn't feeling the ME2. I borrowed my friends laptop for a week to play it, and I couldn't stand it. Just a big letdown on ME. I never was a huge ME fan to begin with, and ME2 just put a bullet in anything ME-related for me. I heard they were actually working on a MMO/FPS something or another related to ME. I think it's starting to just milk the franchise.

 

EDIT: Hey Monster, you play Black Ops on PC, right? I tried playing MW2 the other day, and I honestly got bored to death. I thought it was too easy now, having played Black Ops. Not to mention that MW2 was dead in my region. I hit almost 130 ping before I found a game.

Edited December 7, 2010 by RZ1029