![\"Ghost](\"https:\/\/aidanmoher.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/ghost-trick-phantom-detective.jpeg\" "\\"Ghost")
<\/a>Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective<\/strong>, published by Nintendo<\/p>\nIt’s stylish and funny, has a labyrinthine storyline that never peters out even as it gets more and more twisty, more and more zany, and the animations are some of the best in the genre despite being on hardware that’s almost seven years old. It does everything right and deserves more attention.<\/p><\/div>\n
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<\/a>Super Mario 3D Land<\/strong>, published by Nintendo<\/p>\nClever bite-size levels make this the best 3D Mario game since Super Mario 64<\/em>. What more needs to be said?<\/div>\n <\/p>\n Coming off of the charming, multi-tiered story of Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen<\/em> and the generational epic of Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride<\/em> (which topped my list in 2009<\/a>), this remake of the sixth instalment in the long-running series could be considered something of a disappointment. The characters aren’t quite as memorable as DQIV, the story’s not nearly as interesting as DQV, but even on an off-iteration, the Dragon Quest<\/em> series shines.<\/div>\n A beautiful, hand-drawn Diablo<\/em>-like dungeon crawler. Framed by a dynamic narrator who tells the story of The Kid as he tears through enemies and explores a lush post-apocalyptic world.<\/div>\n In terms of pure gaming hours spent in 2011, Skyrim<\/em> is top dog. Back in highschool, my friends and I would routinely dump 80+ hours into RPGs. No problem. We wouldn’t even bat an eye. As I’ve grown older and become a (semi-)responsible adult, I’ve lost the ability\/time to do so. Somehow, though, Skyrim<\/em> has 130+ hours on the clock. I don’t even know how. The world’s lush and feels refreshing compared to the typical faux-England setting of so many RPGs (*coughdragonagecough*), the sidequests are interesting (if lacking in variety) and the main conflicts \u2014 the civil war and the return of the dragons \u2014 was well-written (by videogame standards, a caveat I hate to use, but necessary) and kept me engaged throughout. I just wish that the decisions you made had more of an impact on the world around you. What, you mean I can be the leader of the Thieves Guild, The Companions, the Mages College and<\/em> The Dark Brotherhood? And none of them seem to care despite being clearly at moral odds with one another? Okay. Still, 130+ hours ain’t no joke.<\/div>\n The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword<\/strong>, published by Nintendo Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together<\/strong>, published by Square Enix Rayman Origins<\/strong>, published by Ubisoft Deus Ex: Human Revolution<\/strong>, published by Square Enix<\/p>\n I’ve been aware of the Deus Ex<\/em> series since the first game was released all the way back in 2001. At that time, though, PC gaming was low on my priority list (gotta finish Chrono Cross<\/em>, you know!) and the series continually slipped off my radar. Even when this sequel was announced, published by Square Enix of all companies, I wasn’t all that interested. It had some sort of weird piss-filter than turned the world yellow, and what the hell is with the main character’s sunglasses? Could a sequel, developed by a small, unknown team in Montreal really do justice to the legendary original?<\/p>\n But, surprising many, Deus Ex: Human Revolution<\/em> was released to heavy praise from both critics and fans alike. All of a sudden, it was back on my radar and one day I bought it on a whim. Having not played the series, I wasn’t quite sure of what I was getting myself into, but the Blade Runner<\/em> aesthetic was appealing.<\/p>\n Even with low-to-null expectations, Deus Ex: Human Revolution<\/em> astounded me with its nuance, mature story and a nice mix between established RPG gameplay and satisfying gunplay that never overstays its welcome.<\/p>\n One of my criticisms levelled towards Skyrim<\/em>, and perhaps why it doesn’t occupy this top spot, is the lack of consequence for the players, and area where Deus Ex: Human Revolution<\/em> really shines. Nearly every quest, whether part of the main story or a simple sidequest, affords the player several options, ranging from diplomatically talking their way through troublesome characters to sneaking in through conveniently placed air ducts to blowing everything (and everybody) to pieces, and requires that the player pay for these actions. Coerce a guard into you into the building? He might hunt you down later after he’s been caught and fired. Run-and-gun your way through the police station? Well, they ain’t coming back to save your ass later on when you might need it. Like no other game this year, Deus Ex: Human Revolution<\/em> asks players to commit to their choices and live with the outcome.<\/p>\n To care about these consequences, though, the player has to first believe in the story. That story is Adam Jensen’s, the character who so repelled me when the game was first announced. He’s a half-cyborg cop who wears a long leather jacket, speaks with the voice of a chronic smoker and wears sunglasses even when he’s inside. There’s not much there to like… yet by the end of the game, Jensen solidified himself as one of my favourite characters of this generation, and, maybe, in RPGs period. Under his gruff exterior, Jensen is a damaged man trying desperately to make sense of the strange world that’s exploding and evolving around him. He’s tough, but he also has a sly sense of humour and a subtle kindness to him that helps endear players to his emotional struggles. Coupled with Malik, the likeable pilot and semi-sidekick (but not<\/em> a love interest) who acts as a great foil to the greedy despots who make up most of Detriot’s population in 2027, Jensen has a depth rarely seen in videogames. I cared<\/em> for him by the end, it’s rare that a videogame can achieve that.<\/p>\n Is it perfect? No, of course not \u2014 the world’s too advanced and alien to be only 25 years in the future; the boss fights are a frustrating joke; and the skilltree doesn’t ask the player to make any difficult choices \u2014 but Deus Ex: Human Revolution<\/em> is the tightest, most well-polished gaming experience I’ve had all year and for that it deserves all the credit in the world.<\/p>\n Nier<\/strong>, published by Square Enix<\/p>\n It’s weird. The gameplay is shaky. The graphics look like a PS2 game. The world is colourless. The story is depressing. The character designs are terrible. Yet I love Nier<\/em> with all my heart. Because it’s sweet and heart-wrenching, touching and has music that’ll make your soul shiver. It’s the type of game that you’ll have to play on word alone, because it’s special, but I can never articulate why. Even more than Deus Ex: Human Revolution<\/em> or Skyrim<\/em>, this is my favourite game I’ve played this year.<\/p>\n Looking back at the list, it’s funny to see two Square Enix titles topping the list (and several others making the list). I’ve been a longtime fan of the company, since the days when their RPGs were bar-none the most impressive and immersive videogames, but feel that they’ve fallen off in recent years, especially where their major releases are concerned. Where they succeed, however, is in those titles that fall off the beaten track. When they allow their developers and creative minds to run free, great things happen and both Nier<\/em> and Deus Ex: Human Revolution<\/em> are proof of that. Thank god for them or I’d still be lef with the sour taste of Final Fantasy XIII<\/em> fouling my mouth.<\/p>\n And, for the record, my previous year\u2019s lists:<\/p>\n Aside from reading, I spend a lot of my downtime playing videogames. I always have, I suspect I always will. Here’s a list of my favourite videogames published this year, a few I missed out on and one that’s so special that I had to include it, even though it came out in 2010. Honourable… Read more »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[150,1284],"class_list":["post-7532","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles","tag-best-of","tag-videogames"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/a>Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation<\/strong>, published by Square Enix<\/p>\n
\n<\/a>Bastion<\/strong>, published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment<\/p>\n<\/a>The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim<\/strong>, published by Bethesda Softworks<\/p>\nHow’d I Miss That?<\/h2>\n
\nSadly, lost amongst the holiday shuffle. Unlike if I had missed Skyrim<\/em>, I know that I’ll make room for Skyward Sword<\/em> in the future. Can’t wait to get to this one.<\/p>\n
\nI own it. I love<\/em> similar games in the genre and have wanted to play Tactics Ogre<\/em> since it was first released on the SNES however many years ago… and yet it sits on my shelf, unplayed. Alas.<\/p>\n
\nIt’s beautiful, runs at 60 FPS and throws back to classic platformers. It’s exactly<\/em> my type of game. Definitely at the top of my 2012 backlog, but became lost in the holiday rush (and Skyrim<\/em> time).<\/p>\nMy Favourite Videogame Published in 2011<\/h2>\n
<\/a>\nMy Favourite Videogame Not<\/em> Published in 2011<\/h2>\n
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