As the title suggests, this is another Game Of The Year blog. Hi, I’m your freelance writer, you may not remember me from such posts that started with ‘The War On..’, and they may return, but this is as the title says.. a Game Of The Year blog. Different in the sense, that the games mentioned may not have been released in the past 12 months, but have occupied my 2011 so much that they get a mention. So it’s less of a Game Of The Year blog, and more of a What I Liked blog.. (DISCLAIMER: This needs mentioning before I go on, all the games mentioned below are games that I have played. So don’t complain if you don’t see Call Of Duty, MW2, Battlefield 3 or Gears Of War 3, because I haven’t played them. Nor do I want to)

NHL 12

I’ve heard that most people prefer 11 to the newer version, and I’ll admit that the commentary is getting on the boring side of being the same as every other year, but from the moment Zdeno Chara put the poor Canucks player’s head through the glass in the demo, I was hooked that this was better. Gone are the days, where I could just deke the goalie and score 85% of the time. Now it’s about crowding the net, hoping for a deflection, or shooting from the point, and hope the Goalie is blocked enough for it to squeak through. With the inclusion of the Winter Classic, where it’s always snowing, this is the best hockey game yet.

L.A. NOIRE

The game that made a rendered face look more real than the real thing. I despise Erika Heynatz in real life, and I despise her character in this game because it looks remarkably like her (she plays the German woman, for those playing at home). This game makes you think, it makes you study everything about a character, from the way they look to the sudden shift in their eyes. I wonder f poker players are good at this game, for the simple reason that you need to study faces in order to work out what’s going on, much like on a poker table. Add into it 1940s Los Angeles, and it’s a great backdrop for what could be a revolutionary game.

TECHNO KITTEN ADVENTURE

The first of the unexpected. This game was technically released in 2010, but it was re-made this year, and what a ball of fun this game is. If you haven’t played this game yet, then download it in the Indie Games section of the XBLM, or on any phone device, and prepare to view images of an epileptic nature. It is one of the most bizarre games I have ever played or seen, and if you’ve ever wanted to see a kitten in the middle of your steak, then this is the game for you.

PORTAL 2

Gone are the days of Tetris and Kurushi, Portal could have very well re-defined the puzzle genre as we know it. Mix in a bit of Stephen Merchant, with an awful lot of challenge, and you have one of the not-miss games of 2011. The ending song isn’t as good as the first one, but it’s still a catchy song.

SONIC CD

The 1992 classic has been reformed in all it’s classic glory. Just make sure you change the soundtrack to US, otherwise you won’t get the best part.

SAINTS ROW: THE THIRD

This isn’t Grand Theft Auto, sure it’s the same kinda game in style, but other than that, it’s completely different. Smooth gameplay, dildo baseball bats, crude and rude humour, Bo Darville as Mayor.. what more could you want in a video game? Prof.Genki’s Super Ethical Reality Climax. That’s the more you asked for. But the game, find the Genki, have some fun. It’s that simple.

THE ELDER SCROLLS 5: SKYRIM

I wasn’t going to buy this game. I can’t stand Oblivion, and thought that this was just another Oblivion clone with dragons. I was wrong, I bought this on the cheap and have played it ever since. There’s just something about it that keeps me going. I’m normally a person who gets sick of games quickly, but Skyrim and Saints Row, have had massive amounts of game time put into it. Much like FFXIII, Skyrim has plenty on offer. I’m sure anyone who knows what Skyrim is, knows everything they need to know about it, so I’ll move on.

DEUS EX: HUMAN REVOLUTION

This what my sleeper hit of the year. If I was to use the term ‘Game Of The Year’, then Deus Ex would go in that category. I would not of bought this game in a past world. But I was won over. Mainly by positive reviews from places I trust, like this. It completely won me over. I had to play a completely different way to the normal run and gun style that I play in most games of this nature, and it made me a better player by changing. Run and gun in this game, and you will die.. a lot. Being all sneakative and asking questions will get you places. That and the upgrades can make you almost unbeatable in the game, and as my Game Of The Year, as most people would put it.

PINBALL FX2 

This was another game released in 2010, but at the end of last year, Marvel Pinball was added, and this game became epic. Marvel Pinball is a separate game for the PSN, but Pinball FX2, is not only a re-make of Pinball FX, but it includes over 25 tables . It’s multi-player, so you and your friends can play at the same time in the same house. There’s tournaments every so often, and every table brings it’s own unique mechanics to the game. Playing the Wolverine or Spider-Man table, is completely different to playing the Ms. Splosion Man or Secrets OfThe Deep tables. If there was one game you need to buy for 2011 and beyond, it’s this game. It’s available in the XBLM, PSN, and most phones as well.

ALSO WORTH A MENTION

Rayman Origins, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: the Masters, FIFA 12, Child Of Eden

THE DISAPPOINTMENTS

ASSASSIN’S CREED: REVELATIONS

This game plays so much like the last two, I haven’t really gotten into it. I enjoyed the AC story and franchise, but this one has turned me off for now. I may play it at a later date, but it feels like I’m playing AC2 all over again. Not saying AC2 was bad, but playing a more ‘updated’ game that feels like AC2, is bad.

RAGE

Most people like this game. It literally gives me headaches. It’s the only game in history that does it. All the constant turning, combined with the great look of the game, and my head just implodes on itself and refuses to continue. I was looking forward to playing it too. Maybe a later date when my head can handle he dizziness.

That’s all for this year from your favourite freelance writer. I’ll be back in the new year with more stuff, less about games and more about sports. Just to break things up a little bit. Oh, and a lot more random. In the meantime, go the Atlanta Falcons and go the Dallas Stars. Oh, and before I leave.. I wonder if Denver are quietly saying this prayer in preparation?