GOTY Staff Picks 2011: Raph Edition

This year, more so than others, was a year full of must-have titles, making it extremely difficult to pin down a top five for this list. Over the course of the year, many games surprised, while others downright failed to leave even an impression. So, without further ado, here’s my top five for twenty eleven:

5. Batman: Arkham City

Want more Batman? Well then, Arkham City provides that in spades. And if you’re looking for more of the combat that Arkham Asylum perfected, then look no further.

What surprised me most about this game was the sheer amount of things to do. If you weren’t caught up in the game’s 14 hour main quest, then the game’s side missions had you covered. These self-contained stories are so well crafted that they’re able stand on their own, each more interesting and varied than the last, feeling vastly more developed than the run-of-the mill side missions we’re so used to. Throw in all of The Riddler trophies, collectables, challenges and Calendar Man visits, and Arkham City is game that will have you returning all year round – literally.

4. Shadows of the Damned

The love child of Suda and Mikami, Shadows of the Damned takes its place at number 4 on my list. This punk rock adventure through hell features superb writing from start to finish, Evil Dead references, and enough dick jokes to… shake a dick at.

What I loved most about the game though, was how it did such a great job of humanising the demon world in such an insane and awesome way. I mean, who’d have thought strawberries were so sought after in the underworld? Some of the characters that make up this ride through hell are also worth a mention or two; in particular, Johnson, the charismatic flaming skull side kick that might just be my favourite character of the year next to another “Johnson” on this list. Garcia “Fucking” Hotspur, the game’s protagonist, isn’t too bad either.

And let’s not forget that soundtrack. This hauntingly beautiful arrangement made up of alternative rock and atmospheric jazz composed by Akira Yamaoka gives hell a soundtrack it can be proud of.

Unfortunately this game was pretty much left to rot by EA, and bombed at retail with little to no marketing prior to the game’s launch. I urge anyone remotely interested to check it out. Shadows of the Damned is easily one of this year’s unsung heroes.

3. Dead Space 2

What would this list be without the game that kicked everything off in 2011? I’m talking about Dead Space 2!

Everything from the improved gunplay, to the mind blowing set pieces Visceral employed throughout the game’s stellar 12 hour campaign; Dead Space 2 literally improved upon every aspect from the first game, and then some. The populated metropolis against which the game is set, served as the perfect hub world, giving Issac plenty to explore (schools, malls and churches), and Necromorphs plenty of places to hide.

It’s worth mentioning that I was never a fan of the original Dead Space, which was mostly down to the game’s repetitive nature, and only finished up the original days before the launch of Dead Space 2 – but boy, was that worth it! As a result, every improvement and tweak stood out ten fold. Controls were noticeably tighter, every set piece more epic than the last, and the pacing – well, it barely ever let up.

Oh, and let’s not forget that bit of fan service at the end there. A true sequel in every sense of the word.

2. Portal 2

Speaking of true sequels, let’s talk about Portal 2. Now the original Portal is what I’d like to call a perfect video game, and after finishing Portal 2, I threw it right up there with the first.

Fantastic writing, more puzzles and two of the best characters of the year make up this fantastic sequel to Valve’s first-person puzzle-platformer. Not opting for more of the same, Portal 2 breaks us out of the familiar test chambers and takes us deep into the belly of Aperture Science for more testing, patents, and – you guessed it – science. This slow ride back through time pays off in spades, and making your way back up top through the desolate hidden basement of Aperture Science, all whilst learning the secrets and horrors of a shower curtain manufacturer gone terribly wrong was just damn right amazing!

Furthermore, the inclusion of a two-player co-op mode, Cave Johnson and Wheatley somehow raising the bar Ellen McLain’s character (GlaDOS) set previously, coupled with what is probably the best ending of the year and Portal 2 was an easy choice for my number 2.

1. Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP

For me, Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP marks the day I started taking iOS games seriously. This fantastically arranged audiovisual style adventure game came out of nowhere, and was so well crafted it deserves its place at the top of my GOTY list.

It’s no secret that iOS gaming has taken off in the last couple of years, and while the likes of Doodle Jump and Fruit Ninja are nods to the arcade era with easy pick-up-and-play games, true fleshed out gaming experiences have been hard to come by on Apple’s mobile devices.

Due to the limitations of these devices – by that I mean that they feature no physical buttons – devs have been forced to explore new and interesting ways to play. It’s not a coincidence that the most popular games on these devices all have one thing in common: intuitive control inputs. One of the many ways Sword & Sworcery rocks the boat.

One control input the game seemed to introduce was the hold-to-move mechanic (at least that’s what I like to call it). Tap and hold either side of the screen and watch your character wander towards the direction of your finger. Want to head up those stairs or down an unbeaten path? It’s as simple moving your finger up or down as your character approaches the split in the road. This new control method allowed movement to feel less cumbersome than other iOS titles that employ far more trickier solutions, while still feeling natural and unobtrusive. This mechanic even made its way across to the recent iOS port of LostWinds, and hopefully many more titles in the near future. Seriously guys, it’s crazy how well it works and how much of a natural fit it is for the platform.

It’s also astonishing how well written the whole package is from top to bottom. The quality literature throughout the game is matched only by a fantastic accompanying soundtrack and interesting supporting characters that make up this unmissable adventure game, the first of its kind for iOS.

I do believe, in time, that we’ll look back on Sword & Sworcery as a title that played a huge role in the maturation of iOS games. Moments; the soft tones and hard drums of “Lone Star” that pumped through my headphones as Logfella led me through the woods; the sheer fright I felt when being chased after stealing the Megatome, or even that first time you raised your sword skyward to open the doorway to Mingi Taw. These moments, these unadulterated gaming moments were more pure than any game on this list or any game released this year. Moments I feel will inspire, influence, and define the growth of this platform over the next couple years.