Compared to the PS3, the Xbox 360 seems to get fewer and fewer exclusives each year. That’s mostly due to MS selling off internal studios, as well as the recent expatriation of Bungie. Still, they managed to have a handful of worth-while titles that stayed exclusive to Microsoft’s box. Even the Kinect picked up the pace with some actual good games releasing for it. Here’s hoping 2012 is even stronger, and that MS doesn’t abandon this momentum at the announcement of their next console. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ It’s not as big of a seller as Call of Duty, but the Gears of War series has always been a coveted Xbox 360 exclusive, and it’s immediately easy to see why. Gears of War 3 doesn’t fiddle with the winning formula much, but it makes great strides where it counts. The campaign is better than it’s ever been, with varied locales, gorgeous set pieces, and truly epic battles. Even better, it’s now 4-player. Epic did not coast on their past successes here. Horde Mode has been totally revamped, making it closer to a full-fledged tower defense game. The new Beast Mode allows players to take control of the Locust, starting as simple as a Ticker and eventually earning the right to spawn as a Berserker. These modes are great fun, but Gears 3 lives and dies by its competitive multiplayer. Addressing the disaster that was Gears 2’s online, Epic has moved to dedicated servers to eliminate the dreaded “host advantage.” New abilities, new weapons, and super-tight controls make this the smoothest online experience the series has ever had. It’s no exaggeration to say this is the best third-person shooter out there. If you’re not a car aficionado, Forza Motorsport 4 is far outside of your wheelhouse. But to the millions of gear-heads out there, it’s a dream come true. Beyond the expected increased car and track count, Forza 4 features an overhauled handling system, incorporating data from Pirelli tires which makes the grip and feel of driving all the more accurate. The game’s new Auto Vista mode lets you get up close and personal with 24 hyper-detailed, hand-picked cars, including the Warthog from the Halo series. This mode is accompanied with commentary from Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear, who doesn’t hold his tongue if he has criticisms. There is also Kinect functionality within this mode, as well as support for driving. It’s more gimmicky than useful, but it’s worth a try for kicks. The visuals and sound design is top notch as always, and online is robust, supporting 16 player races. Given the faltering Gran Turismo has taken as of late, Forza is primed to take the coveted spot as the king of racing sims. To be frank, there aren’t a lot of games worth playing on the Kinect. Some of the internal software like Kinect Sports is fun, but it’s nothing you haven’t seen before. Those looking for a more traditional experience were left wanting. Enter Twisted Pixel’s The Gunstringer, a charming, yet completely intuitive shooter for the Kinect. The game is set in a marionette play, as you control the titular Gunstringer, an undead puppet looking for revenge. Your left hand pantomimes holding his strings, as your right hands moves the cursor. Gameplay is similar to Rez or the Panzer Dragoon series, where you move the cursor over targets to lock on and shoot. It sounds unusual, but it works shockingly well. Add in the signature Twisted Pixel brand of self-aware, bizarre humor and you have a surprisingly satisfying Kinect game. It’s proof that there are great experiences to be had without holding a controller at all. I’m a bit biased when it comes to Treasure-developed games, as I love almost everything they do. I’m also a huge fan of the Sega Saturn, where Guardian Heroes firmly stayed exclusive for around 15 years. Regardless, it’s still one of the finest beat-em-ups around. The game stresses replayability as the campaign branches into several different paths, sometimes converging or diverging into completely different endings. Each of the 5 playable characters has unique move-sets and magic, making the experience significantly different depending on which you play as. The combat is more akin to a fighting game than a typical button masher; there are 3 levels of attack, back dashes, blocking, quarter-circle and half-circle motions, etc. Mastering a character is as rewarding as any fighting game. This port features optional gameplay enhancements as well as visual updates. You can either play with the original, chunky sprites in all their glory, or the “enhanced” visuals which are surprisingly tolerable. The Arena mode is back, upping the player count to 12 via XBL. Considering you can literally choose any of the 45 characters that appear in the game, there’s no lack of variety there. This hallowed Saturn exclusive can finally be enjoyed outside of its original release, and it’s better than ever. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ It’s literally the original Halo, but with a remake running in tandem. One button push lets you flip between the old and new visuals, letting you see just how far things have come since 2001. It also includes multiplayer that runs on the Halo: Reach engine, but with the rules tuned to Halo 1 style. It’s a great update for those who want to relive the original game. The sequel to the surprisingly great ‘Splosion Man, MSM takes the series to more varied locales but with the same tough-as-nails platforming. It’s a love letter to platformers of old but with a new-age twist. Four player co-op rounds out this fantastic XBLA exclusive. Officially releasing in the beginning of January, ilomilo came out of left field. Visually, it’s perhaps the most adorable thing ever, which stands in stark contrast to how devious the puzzles can be. More gushing praise can be read here. It stands as a personal XBLA favorite this year. It’s another Saturn-exclusive, Treasure game which means I already sort of love it. However, it also helps it’s an amazing shoot-em-up. If you want to see the game that the masterful Ikaruga spawned from, check this out. The PlayStation 3 has been hitting its stride for these past few years, PSN security breach not-withstanding. After its rocky start, it’s seen a steady trickle of experiences you couldn’t get anywhere else. This year is no exception, though it’s facing “sequel-itis” a bit harder than elsewhere. Pretty much all of the best exclusives are iterations on titles seen in previous years. That said, they’re fantastic titles, but if you’re looking for new exclusives, you will have some slim pickings. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ More than anything, the Killzone series on PS3 has been known for its fantastic visuals. While that is its initial hook, it has solid gameplay to back it up. It doesn’t have the following of Call of Duty (what does these days?), but it carves out its own unique brand of shooting in an ever-broadening sea. New to this entry are combo-based melee attacks, 2 player co-op, and the new Operations multiplayer mode. The latter includes an interesting feature, using cutscenes that highlight the best players. Many of the complaints of Killzone 2 were resolved, namely the super sluggish controls. The campaign was actually satisfying, and gave a great end to the trilogy – a feat which is still sadly rare. For those with 3D TVs or the PlayStation Move, the game features really solid implementation of both. There’s a lot to love about Killzone 3, and PS3 owners owe it to themselves to try it out. After Insomniac stumbled with Resistance 2, it’s great to see that they learned to temper their ambition. Case in point, Resistance 3 improves on the previous entry is basically every aspect. The campaign puts you in the shoes of a new protagonist, following a much more intimate, relatable, and down to earth story. The Weapon Wheel makes a glorious return, scrapping the 2-weapon system from before. Gone is the separate, 8 player co-op mode from the previous title, which was probably the only worthwhile portion. In its place is a standard 4-player co-op, where players go through the standard campaign. Also gone is the 60 player Skirmish mode, which sounded great on paper but was generally a non-starter in execution. It’s more back to basics online, featuring 5 modes allowing 16 players. Like Killzone 3, it also features solid 3D and PlayStation Move support. The Resistance series was on the verge of stumbling into obscurity, but Resistance 3 definitively brought it back to “must play” status. Naughty Dog had an unenviable task of topping Uncharted 2, one of the best games of 2009. Depending on who you ask, their success in that regard is mixed. Regardless, it’s an amazing action-adventure title and certainly one of the best this year. It brings Drake and his crew back on another, over-the-top adventure. The set pieces are absolutely gorgeous; they even manage to make a desolate desert look beautiful. The cinematics are top-tier as always, bringing strong motion capture and voice performances. Shooting has been improved, though it’s still not the game’s strong point. Multiplayer has received subtle improvements, implementing a “Buddy System”, sudden-death in case of ties, and new earnable abilities. It may not be the revelation it was 2 years ago, but Uncharted 3 is still at the top of its game. Although LittleBigPlanet 2 is technically a game, it’s better defined as a toolbox. Media Molecule has improved and expanded upon the foundations laid in the previous game, making LBP2 a staggeringly impressive product. As always, the title has several pre-built levels for you and 3 friends to play through. While there’s plenty of fun to have there, the real meat is in the creation aspect. The expanded toolsets have allowed the community to make some craziest shit, including fighting games, shoot-em-ups, and things you would have never thought possible. The creation aspect has been stream-lined and expanded, giving would-be developers an easy time to get their ideas up and running. Even if you don’t plan to make a thing, there’s such a wealth of content available that you’d be hard pressed to not find scads of things you’ll love. By far, this is the most unique PS3 exclusive to release this year. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Released during E3, thus immediately lost in the media shuffle, Infamous 2 improves upon the original in almost every way. Cole has a suite of new abilities to tear it up in the new locale of New Marais. Hell you can climb chain-link fences now. Progress! Moving out of the tropical locales of the previous game, MA takes places within a post-disaster city. It’s not just for looks, as earthquakes and other storms will change the layout of the track mid-race. The visuals are great as usual, and the racing is always aggressive. It’s a great arcade-style racer. Just like you’d expect, Shooter 2 builds on the elemental gimmick of the first, and adds in light/dark elements, as well as acid which must be washed away. It’s more of the same, but that’s not a bad thing. Sidescroller is a visually arresting throwback to horizontal sh’mups of old. And just like its forebears, it’s one tough cookie. The concept is simple, arcade action, but its executed superbly. Outside of the occasional indie game or Sherlock Holmes release, the venerable PC doesn’t see many big-name exclusives. Last year saw the release of the juggernaut StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty, but nothing quite on that level hit in 2011. At the very least, owning a gaming-quality PC these days means playing Xbox 360/PS3 releases in the best possible quality. In some cases, like Skyrim, it can become a completely different experience. But enough chest-thumping about how cool PC’s are and see what could only be experienced with keyboard and mouse nearby: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ BioWare has been hard at work on Star Wars: The Old Republic for years – clocking around 5 or 6. The results do show though. SWTOR continues in the world of the KOTOR games, making a turn from traditional, dice-roll RPG to MMORPG. Depending on who you ask, the results are decent to awesome. The biggest praise comes from the effort put into the game’s presentation. Everything is voice acted – even the mundane fetch-quests. Story quests present the player with significant light-side or dark-side choices and with options changing depending on your class; for example a Sith’s light-side option is nothing like a Smuggler’s. So while the narrative aspects are a significant leap from current MMO offerings, it’s still wrapped in a traditional, WoW-like framework. If you don’t like MMO’s, this probably won’t change your mind. However, the allure of Star Wars can always sway the unsure. Dungeon crawlers are a well-worn genre, with most releases trying to recapture the successful formula set by the Diablo series. Magicka wisely side-steps standard convention, delivering a fresh take on what could have been a boring click-fest. The first mind-blowing revelation: you have infinite mana. The second is the unique way in which spellcasting is handled. You have 8 elements to use, with up to 5 usable in a combination at a time. What this means is that if you use “Fire” once, it will shoot a tiny flame. Use 5 fires in your combo, you’ll shoot a giant flame. To make ice, combine “Water” + “Cold” or to make steam, combine “Fire” + “Water”. You can see where this is going. You can modify your combinations to create mines, beams, novas, or even imbue your sword. Since your mana is infinite, your power is simply limited to how quick your brain and fingers can work together. The game supports 4 player co-op, which can lead to hilarious results. I have literally laughed out loud because of the unintended results of killing my teammates. Luckily, the game doesn’t even take itself seriously, describing its world as “stereotypical fantasy” and full of other self-referential humor. There isn’t a lot of talk about Magicka these days, but you really need to try this one out. Although it’s been playable as an alpha and beta release for a couple years now, Minecraft 1.0 officially released late this year. It’s hard to describe exactly what Minecraft is, but it’s the sand-boxiest game you could probably play this year. Depending on the mode you pick, you can simply just have an open world to play around in or have to contend against various creatures that look to ruin you and your structures. Everything is made out of blocks, and as you craft better tools, you can mine better materials. Progression is addicting as you forge your stronghold and look to improve upon it day by day. Combine this with online co-op, and it harkens back to building forts as a young’n. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Potential GOTY candidate, The Witcher 2 is an ambitious RPG with a refreshingly adult take on fantasy. Beyond the nudity, the situations you find yourself in are beyond the typical “good” and “bad.” If you have the rig for it, it’s easily one of the most graphically impressive games of the year. It’s well worth a look for those who want to lose themselves in an RPG not called Skyrim. Mix the randomness and mystery of a rogue-like, set it into old-school Zelda dungeons, and add twin-stick-shooter-like controls, and you’re almost on track to understanding The Binding of Isaac. The pervasive Biblical theme is handled well and turns elements on their head. Let’s not pretend that the 3DS wasn’t in serious trouble for awhile this year. Until the system saw its unprecedented, 4-month price drop to $169.99, it was floundering hard. There was virtually no software, and the system cost as much as PS3. Nintendo clearly thought they could ride the wave of success from the original DS and Wii. Thankfully, they saw how bat-shit wrong they were. Now that the system is at a reasonable price, coupled with quality Nintendo developed titles slowly releasing, it’s starting to look very bright for the 3DS. With the Vita’s US launch looming, not to mention the ever-present threat of smart phones, we’ll see how well the 3DS sticks it out next year. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ There hasn’t been a true “Mario Land” game since the 2nd game released on the Game Boy. Super Mario 3D Land brings the portable lineage back with full force and is arguably the best 3DS release yet. Nintendo plays with your nostalgia a bit, bringing back the Tanooki suit and all, but it works wonderfully. The title plays like a mix between Mario 3 and Mario 64, using fully 3D environments and movement, but keeping the levels short and focused. The first run-through of the game is an enjoyable, but fairly easy romp. The real meat of the game opens up after that, tasking you with specific challenges like racing Shadow Mario or dealing with reduced time limits. The 3D effect isn’t required to complete the game, but it adds subtle visual cues to help you see around an optical illusion. It’s a smart implementation, and it doesn’t beat you in the head with it. Given that some of the best games for the 3DS are remakes, this title stands out strongly as one of the system’s best. Often considered the best Zelda title of all time, Ocarina of Time 3D had nostalgia working for and against it. Replaying an N64 game these days rarely lives up to what you remember as a child. As a remake, OoT 3D does it right. The visuals have been completely redone, but not to the point of non-recognition. The interface has been tweaked to work with the 3DS controls seamlessly. And perhaps most importantly, the 3D effect works extremely well. It was the first 3DS game that I felt added immersion to the experience rather than just be an eyesore. This version also adds the Master Quest, which is fairly difficult (or expensive) to obtain legitimately in the US. Surprisingly, OoT 3D manages to live up to my nostalgic expectations and is a fantastic remake in every sense. There must be a rule at Nintendo that any system released post-SNES must have a Mario Kart title. Given that each of them has been really great (except maybe the Wii version), it’s a doctrine I can get behind. Mario Kart 7 doesn’t radically change the series’ formula, but adds little tweaks here and there to keep it interesting. Coins, which have been MIA since Super Circuit, make a glorious return. Certain courses have hang-glider and underwater sections, which changes physics appropriately. The multiplayer supports 8 players off and online, and even allows single-cart multiplayer for all 8 players. You’re stuck as Shy Guys, but it’s a pretty awesome feature. The Street Pass feature allows you to download a players Ghost data, giving you a physical representation of a players best track run. The 3D effect isn’t crucial to victory, but it adds a nice depth of field to play. Unlike earlier 3DS releases, it maintains a smooth 60fps even with 3D on. All in all, Mario Kart 7 won’t shock you with innovation, but it’s an extremely solid racer for the 3DS. With the system’s rather anemic library, this is one of the few games to justify a purchase. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The title tells you everything you need to know; its Star Fox 64 with 3D added in. The visuals have been nicely updated, but that’s about it. Multiplayer is Arwing-only, and features no multiplayer. It’s a solid but bare-bones release. Acting as a collection of sorts of DoA 1-4, Dimensions adds a “Chronicle Mode”, which has you play through the story as different characters. It’s visually impressive, but drops to 30fps when 3D is turned on. Online play is included, making this a solid handheld fighter. As a port of the console versions, SSFIV 3D is an extremely faithful recreation. The 3D effects are more gimmick than useful, but the addition of touchscreen hot-keys makes the cramped controls much more bearable. Online works wonderfully, and the Street Pass functionality adds a fun meta-game. It’s still one of the better 3DS games. Sega smartly didn’t try to make a 1:1 recreation of the console versions. Playing more like Sonic Rush, this version is kept on a 2D plane with faithful re-imaginings of classic levels, along with some 3DS exclusives. It’s not as striking as the console version, but it’s still well done. Ya like cats? Ya like dogs? You’ll probably dig this. Spend hours fawning over your virtual pet, as you groom, feed, and play with it. The game uses the cameras for facial recognition, as well as projecting your pet onto an AR card. It’s a neat display of what the 3DS can do. Wait, a Nintendo eShop game that isn’t total garbage? What is this blasphemy? Pushmo uses the 3D to great effect, as you must pull and push blocks out of structures to reach the top. It sounds simple, but is oh so devious. It’s a wonderful little downloadable title. Love them or hate them, Apple’s iOS devices are certifiably hot shit. Millions of people own iPhones, iPods, and iPads. That means millions of potential gamers, and don’t think developers haven’t taken notice. Some of the better DS games, like Scribblenauts and Final Fantasy III, have seen iOS ports, and some big names like EA and Epic Games are increasing their mobile games focus. This year has seen some legitimately great iOS games and there’s no reason to expect the trend to stop. Perhaps the 3DS and Vita really are on the way out… _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Chair Entertainment took the adage “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” quite literally. Visually, IB2 stands head and shoulders above iOS games, but has some meat in the gameplay. Somewhat of a glorified version of Punch-Out!, action is controlled via well timed taps and swipes. Since your possible actions are fairly limited without buttons, it can get repetitive. However, it’s a shining example of what the future of mobile games holds. In stark contrast to the polygon-pushing of Infinity Blade 2 stands Swords and Sworcery. Using detailed pixel-art along with an amazing chip-tune soundtrack, the game feels like a glorious homage to adventure games of the past. Gameplay is kept simple, with you touching where to move and rotating your device 90 degrees to engage in combat. It’s an experience that can’t be fully replicated elsewhere and is yet another argument for the growing relevance of mobile games. Another entry in the “endless runner” genre, Jetpack Joyride offers more meat than a typical Canabalt clone. Controls are kept quite simple; your machine-gun-powered jetpack hovers or falls based on how long you push on the screen. Dodge obstacles and steer into power-ups to go as far as you can while dealing with ever-increasing speed. There are coins littered throughout that can be redeemed in a slot machine for random power-ups, adding a bit of luck to besting your score. For a mere 99 cents, this is a no-brainer. Clearly inspired by Yoot Saito’s classic SimTower, Tiny Tower shrinks the scope and complexity down for iOS. The goal is to continually expand floors on your tower, keep your Bitizens happy, and make money in the process. As a “free-mium” title, the option also exists to spend money to add bonuses to your resources and building time. It’s an addictive little title, and you can easily dump hours in trying to strike it rich while building the perfect tower. And since it is free, there’s really no excuse to not try it. Essentially a combination of Scribblenauts and Super Scribblenauts, SR is a game that works wonderfully on touch-enabled devices. Type out nouns to summon an item you need (i.e. ropes, whales, Dracula, etc) so you can solve the puzzle. Use adjectives to modify the object’s properties. Need a smelly zombie for some reason? No prob! It’s conceptually simple, but the sheer amount of options of summon-able items is downright ridiculous. The fact that you can get Godzilla, God, Satan, and Cthulhu to duke it out is allllmost worth the price of admission alone.
Gears of War 3
Forza Motorsport 4
The Gunstringer
Guardian HeroesOther notable releases:
Halo Combat Evolved: Anniversary
Ms. ‘Splosion Man
ilomilo
Radiant Silvergun
Killzone 3
Resistance 3
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
LittleBigPlanet 2Other notable releases:
Infamous 2
MotorStorm Apocalypse
PixelJunk Shooter 2
PixelJunk SideScroller
Star Wars: The Old Republic
Magicka
MinecraftOther notable releases:
The Witcher 2
The Binding of Isaac
Super Mario 3D Land
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
Mario Kart 7Other notable releases:
Star Fox 64 3D
Dead or Alive Dimensions
Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition
Sonic Generations
Nintendogs + Cats
Pushmo
Infinity Blade 2
Superbrothers: Swords and Sworcery EP
Jetpack Joyride
Tiny Tower
Scribblenauts Remix
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