Saturday Soapbox: Was 2011 a Vintage Year?

By Martin Robinson Published 10 December, 2011

It may have lacked innovation, but the breadth of experiences made 2011 a year to savour.

A couple of weeks back, Oli told of how he spoke to a friend who believed that 2011 was the finest year for gaming since 2001 - and then promptly disagreed, saying how this year, for all that it's offered in terms of excellence, hasn't really offered anything particularly new. Games are now bigger and better, yes, but that heady thrill that defined gaming's last golden age is now gone.

He's right, of course. The two titles that, in my mind, are 2011's best - and that's Portal 2 and Skyrim - are retreads, iterations that expand upon templates that, in Portal's case, had perhaps already been perfected before. Elsewhere, it's hard not to be disheartened by the thickening glut of lookalike shooters, or other games with pretensions of innovation merely offering up old ideas that have been twisted, bent or just plain misappropriated.

I'll come clean though. I was that friend, and it's a belief that I still stand by. 2011 has been a vintage year, not necessarily for the same rush of novelty that we saw a decade ago, but for different reasons altogether. And they're reasons that I think are just as important as the sharp thrill of the new, even if it's admittedly a less raw excitement that they offer.

It's important, first of all, to realise that the giddy euphoria of a year that brought us the bold innovations of GTA 3, Super Monkey Ball, Halo and Pikmin to name but a few is most likely lost to us, perhaps forever. 10 years ago, gaming was still in the throes of its own puberty: moody, unpredictable and occasionally incomprehensible but with its every action infused with an electric thrill of the unknown.

For better and for worse, the last 10 years have seen the medium settle down into a smoother, more sedate rhythm. There's the famous assertion that there are only seven stories in literature, those base models twisted and repurposed ad infinitum. I think that, after a handful of decades of experimentation, we've begun to settle upon our own templates, ones that will likely be at the backbone of games for many years to come.

We've lost the shocks, but we've gained a maturity that allows games - within a framework that's now been well defined - to experiment and to iterate. It's this kind of experimentation that can concoct an experience like Portal 2 - a game that doesn't quite achieve the delicately chiselled perfection that its predecessor did, but one that still manages to expand upon the original and create, arguably, gaming's first real comedy. A comedy that was defined as much by the player's actions as it was by the game's script, a facet that's further explored in the wondrous slapstick of Portal 2's co-op mode.

Skyrim, on the other hand, is the 14th release in the Elder Scrolls series - and its horrendously compelling fantasy world is a product of each game before it, its allure a result of the 17 years of tinkering and iteration that preceded it. It's not a new experience, but in Bethesda's well-established template of hundreds of stories threaded across rugged landscapes, bigger and better's certainly something to be grateful for.

Other highlights of 2011 have been the fruits of a Nintendo in panic mode, as it sought to satisfy 3DS owners who had been bereft of decent software for much of the year as well as seeing off the Wii and celebrating Link's 25th birthday in the space of three heady weeks. Nintendo's games have long been well-defined; the core appeal of Mario has been set since his first leap in 1985's Super Mario. Bros, and it's an appeal that has remained unaltered ever since, with Nintendo simply managing to frame it in ever more inventive ways.

For all of its structural innovation, Skyward Sword's the same story at heart as the one told 25 years ago. But in this year's Zelda game we have the most confident retelling and restructuring of those base elements since Majora's Mask, and in Super Mario 3D Land we have Nintendo, once more, introducing a new dimension to its mascot with a game that overflows with imagination. It's not as groundbreaking as Mario 64, of course, but it is in its own way every bit as enjoyable.

But it's not really Nintendo, Bethesda or Valve - or, for that matter, any of the names behind what's been, however you look at it, a strong year for big-budget games - that have made 2011 a year to remember. It's the names, too countless to list, of indie developers that have helped broaden the scope of gaming to a degree never seen before.

Games like Bastion, From Dust, The Binding of Isaac, Where Is My Heart?, To The Moon or Don't Take It Personally, Babe, It Just Ain't Your Story are just a handful of examples of the esoteric offerings to be found on the App Store, Steam, Xbox Live Arcade, PSN or indeed just lurking on the internet. The digital distribution that's enabled such experiences isn't a phenomenon that's unique to 2011, but it's this year when independent gaming first felt like a viable alternative to more mainstream fare, when its momentum opened it up to a wider audience.

It's allowed for games in which Werner Herzog sits proudly on top of the high-score board, for abstract portraits of a family day out told through a Mondrian filter, and for extended and ultimately touching ruminations on love and loss. It's made for inverted fairy tales, or god games that are touched with a muted mysticism that's normally the preserve of cinema's masterpieces.

It's made for a gaming landscape that's brilliantly, and thrillingly, diverse. The thrill is gone, but in its place we've a breadth and maturity that's arguably never been seen before - and it's contributed to what's been perhaps one of gaming's true vintage years.

Picture of Martin.

About Martin Robinson

Martin is Eurogamer's features editor with responsibility for commissioning, editing and often writing our feature and preview content. He's also passionate about driving games.

Read more articles from Martin by visiting the Martin Robinson archive page.

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Comments (68) Latest comment 5 months ago

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  • riz23 #1 6 months ago

    Nope. Disagree. There have been plenty of great games this year, but a vintage year, I don't think so. How many releases this year will go on to be remembered as 'classics' or defining moments in gaming history? I'd hazard a guess at none.

    As for gaming reaching a maturity, again no. Yes there is a sedate and steady rhythm to gaming but that's more to do with risk aversion and rising dev costs, rather than finding the true path. As for the indie scene personally I find it dull. There is a hipster elitism going on with a lot of accolades going to games that yes, do often convey interesting ideas or have different ways of presenting their experiences but you know, once you play them, they are actually a bit dull. I would call out the Binding of Isaac and Where Is My Heart? as examples of that. Bastion? From Dust? Good granted but no less than what they should be honestly.

    Nope we are still growing, still learning, the industry is still immature in so many ways, and sorry to say Martin this little piece proves it in a way. You're leaping too soon, giving accolades too easily. Enjoy 2011, but we should demand so much more.

  • thelatestmodel #2 6 months ago

    Deus Ex, Dark Souls, Portal 2, Child of Eden, Skyrim, Arkham City, Forza 4, From Dust, Bastion, Zelda Skyward Sword, Uncharted 3, Gears 3, Battlefield 3... I could go on. It's been such a good year, it makes my head spin.

    riz23 - really? I'd hazard a guess that you don't actually like games.
    Edited by thelatestmodel at 10/12/11 @ 08:50

  • riz23 #3 6 months ago

    @thelatestmodel I think you misunderstand. The games you mention many of them I have enjoyed very much. Dark Souls especially, BF3 too, but that's the point, of course I should enjoy games. Is this a year of defining classics? No it's not. It's a a year of great games that's all. I expect all games to be great, otherwise why bother making them, but to be special, well it has to be 'special' doesn't it, and I don't think we've seen one of those this year, yet alone a cluster to make 2011 a vintage year.
    Edited by riz23 at 10/12/11 @ 08:58

  • HandsomeCrab #4 6 months ago

    @riz23
    But the title of the article is "Was 2011 a Vintage Year?" and surely by anybodies yardstick it was. Maybe there wasn't a stand out title that rewrote the rulebook, but is that even possible anymore?

    All I know is there's been too many great games out this year for me to afford to buy or have time to play and that hasn't happened for a long time.

  • riz23 #5 6 months ago

    @HandsomeCrab I would agree with Oli Welsh and the first paragraph of the article.
    As for a further standout game in the future, I firmly believe there will be, that it is possible, but people will need to take chances and we will need to mature. This industry is not even forty years old yet there is still a long way to go.

  • CaptainQuint #6 6 months ago

    I'd say it extends further than just the last twelve months. The last two or three years has seen a dazzling array of masterful game releases, so much so that I've felt truly bombarded and frequently overwhelmed by the sheer amount of excellence seemingly on constant release.

    I'm the sort of grizzled older gamer who attempts to play every superbly rated title, with an increasingly critical eye, but whereas that was quite possible and feasible a few years ago, it just isn't anymore. I now find myself ruthlessly picking out select games simply because playing them all is no longer an option. Having a family now plays a part in my habits as well, but not as much as you might think, no - there's just too many great, great games and I accepted a while back that I'll just have to ignore a great deal of them. I have however gone out of my way to borrow a Wii and play through Skyward Sword, which is just so damn sublime.

    They'll look back on this as a "golden era" in video games.

  • Mister-Wario #7 6 months ago

    Okay, I don't agree with you at ALL on Portal 2. The voice-acting was far more nuanced and funnier in the sequel, there was a nice variety of environments, we had some great foils in Wheatley and Cave Johnson, and Portal multiplayer WORKS. I would hope it's a game that goes on to be remembered for many years to come because the strength of its script and level design really pushes the importance of context and environment in games. Obviously so do other games but Portal is a great example of it regardless.

  • Slipstream #8 6 months ago

    2011 has been a great year for gaming. Gamers will be lining up 2012 alongside 2011 in terms of quality, and it'll be a tough year for developers because as you said, whilst we've had some class AAA titles, none of them really pushed the boat out, especially since alot of them are sequals or share strong ties to the games that came before them.(See pretty much every top game released this year)
    Despite that though it has been a good year, I can agree with you about it being vintage too.

    We've pushed many of these ideas to their boarders, I believe its time for some new IPs to surface.

  • jstar #9 6 months ago

    Post deleted at 09:50:27 12-12-2011

  • SheffAl #10 6 months ago

    Vintage year my arse.

  • schnide #11 6 months ago

    Is this another article deliberately designed to stoke debate on a contentious issue?

    If so, it's worked. 2011 was, in my opinion, the best year in gaming I've ever had - I've been gaming since around the late 80's. It doesn't matter to me in the slightest whether some of the games we've had this year aren't 100% original because for me, games have the advantage over albums, movies and books in that their follow-ups can be only a measured improvement on what went before but still feel like an original experience.

    That's why I'm only grateful for being given Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Dark Souls, Battlefield 3 and Arkham City. These are some of the most engrossing experiences I've ever had playing games, and that's what I play games for.

    2011 has been without doubt a year which has shown us the high watermarks of what this industry can achieve, and I'm looking forward to the next time one of those comes around.

  • Cappy #12 6 months ago

    Considering that I've been buying less and less and losing interest rapidly, the last few years have been an all-time low for my gaming habit. I won't even dignify 2011 with the title 'worst ever' as far as I know it's just another incremental stop on an inexorable downward slide.

    A distinct lack of appeal throughout led to me buying only two 2011 games. It's like those times in the past when I'd look at the Christmas charts and it would be dominated by the seasonal purchases of the clueless, FIFA FIFA, Dumb face shooter, FIFA FIFA, Dumb face shooter, but now it's all year around.

    Worthless tat, wall to wall. Does Batman, the 'dark detective' known for his mental agility need obtrusive button prompts telling him what to do? Does he need the world colour coded to tell him where to grapple? Of course he does! 'They' need to know exactly where to go, 'they' have to know exactly what to do. Reduce all games to the level of rats pushing buttons for a food pellet, that's the way to go. Dumb it down, dumb it down again.

    The mainstream found our little enclave, now it begins to occupy the same position of irrelevance as television, popular music or mainstream cinema for me.

  • Whitster #13 6 months ago

    The depressing thing is that in the rush to push out new hardware we're probably due another 3 years of shoddieness before this kind of quality returns.

  • Spryte #14 6 months ago

    Do we think the lack of new IP is partly down to the fact we are so late into the life-cycle of current consoles? Does new technology and a general absence of back catalogue allow developers to try something new at the start of a generation, where they feel compelled, in a systems autumn years, to refine and polish established success?

  • yarkiebrown #15 6 months ago

    I agree, as you say most games these days don't give me the same giddy excitement they did 10 years ago, but I think that's just my age and having other priorities In life now, but, as others mention, I am absolutely spoilt for choice at the minute, been stuck for the last week as to what to play since finishing batman,... Dark souls, skyrim or zelda, and that is an amazing position to neon. I haven't even had chance to play deus ex or portal2 from earlier in the year yet. We really are all spoilt rotten

  • makeamazing #16 6 months ago

    I think its been one of the best years for a while in terms of AAA titles that i've wanted to buy, but many of the highly anticipated games have been a bit of a let down... or not as good as i hoped.

    Deus Ex, was ok, but lacking, Batman, for all its bigger world, felt more confusing and disjointed, AC Revelations (I love AC) was just trying too hard, and was no where as good as 2, or Brotherhood.

    So if i look back on the games on the shelf... Dead Island stands out for me, yes very rough around the edges, cheesy, but something different/new. I liked Rage, pop-in pain aside, was good fun. I also really enjoyed Uncharted 3, even though it didn't do anything new (it doesn't have to for me, regardless of EG reviewer thinking it does). Skyrim, took me a while to get into it, but after a couple of hours was enjoying it, but it did feel like an old pair of slippers (Oblivion).

    So overall, in terms of exciting large game releases, this has probably been the best year yet... but its not been a vintage year - but then to be honest i only remember games that i love and not the year... X-com, Dark Forces, Fallout 3...etc etc.

    I am excited for next with regards to releases, some big games... so we shall see if these games live up to the hype or not :)
    Edited by makeamazing at 10/12/11 @ 12:16

  • lemonfist #17 6 months ago

    I haven't enjoyed, or indeed played a game as much, as Skyrim in many, many years.

    It is a good example of how the gaming industry is now reaching a peak, so to speak, in 'perfecting' the kinds of games that were first attempted to be made so many, many years ago.

    I mean, try to go and play Elder Scrolls Arena or Daggerfall. And then go play Skyrim to see the difference.

    Sure, ideally there should be room (certainly more room than there is now in the retail market) for more ambitious attempts at innovation and forward-thinking, but I don't think that should deny anyone from enjoying old ideas now being realized better than ever before.

  • Mogget128723 #18 6 months ago

    Hm, 2011's in a bit of a weird position. Many of its big shiny breakthroughs were repetitions of tried and true tactics, but what sets the year apart is the shear QUALITY of these titles. Gaming has felt slightly mediocre over the past few years, and while many of the titles released over the course of 2011 have been far from perfect, the year hasn't been soiled by any real number of failures. So in retrospect, no it wasn't spectacular standing alone, but taken in context, it's a welcome break from the bombardment of bad games we've been pelted with lately.

    All taken into account, I'd say yes, it's a vintage year, if for no other reason than the combined awesome-factor of Human Revolution and Skyrim in comparison to other less stellar releases from previous years.

  • Old_Books #19 6 months ago

    The games this year have been good, undoubtedly; but if it has been a vintage year for games, it has also been a vintage year for publishers treating their customers shabbily. You mention Skyrim; oh if just for once Bethseda could produce a game that actually functions properly. "It is a new engine PS3 owners, honest!" You are also running an article on Arkham City; however good the game is, WB and Rocksteady deserve all the shit in the world for embracing DLC that doesn't even work and releasing a game that deletes its own fucking saves.

    Gaming is still having its great moments but no year will be vintage IMO until publishers and developers stop trying to find new ways to bend us over.

  • dingo75 #20 6 months ago

    Can we please stop calling "From Dust" an indie? It has the freaking backing / marketing machine of Ubi behind it ffs...

  • Red_Devilfish #21 6 months ago

    Some how I kind of agree both with riz and thelatestmodel. I don't earn a lot of money so I stick all my wanted games on a list, buy one, play on Normal, play on hardest then if the plat looks gettable do a trophy run. My list is the longest its ever been and will probaly take me well into next year. That's bloody impressive for the industry in my book. However there doesn't look like there will be anything that will blow me away like Shinobi (didn't even know what games were before this) Mario 64, Goldeneye, Metroid Prime, GTA 3 and Oblivion did. I am getting Skyrim for Xmas, maybe that'll do it.

    PS I missed Morrowind. Edit spelling.
    Edited by Red_Devilfish at 10/12/11 @ 14:25

  • WinstonSmith #22 6 months ago

    GTA 3, Super Monkey Ball, Halo and Pikmin are blindingly original are they ? And not, in fact riffs of previous games....so GTA 2D, Marble Madness, Doom and Lemmings don't count then ?

    A fun article, but let's face it, it's like people talking about the most important music, it's just the age that you grow up in that forms your opinion.

    Well, for the record, I'm an old bugger and this year has been impressive due to the strides in quality (Skyrim..etc.) and the indie-games continued progression, which reminds me of the 80s, which was pretty innovative for our fledgling industry.

  • Gavilan #23 6 months ago

    A vintage year for sequel games maybe, but for originality I'd give it 0/10. It seems like every game dev in the world is resting on their laurels when it comes to inovation. Where are the visionaries of the 90's?
    Don't get me wrong I love playing some of these remakes, but I'm worried that gaming is becomining a serial experience something EA have been doing with their sports titles for years. Big gaming companies are IMO too corporate these days and are only making games for the cash and not because they love games. Even Lionhead one of the most creative developers out there seems to be focusing on sequels to Fable. Sad times...
    Indie developers at the moment seem to be the only ray of light on the horizon. Here's hoping next year we will see some awesome new IP's and not just another year of ever increasing numbers after game names.

  • Kami #24 6 months ago

    I think we need to talk about the use of the word "vintage" here.

    vin·tage /ˈvintij'/
    Noun: The year or place in which an item or items of high quality was/were produced ( for example; wine - "Vintage 1989" ).

    If you're going by the very LITERAL definition of "vintage", then I think 2011 WAS a vintage year. We've had lots of very excellent games, some mediocre ones and a handful of crap ones, but the volume of decent games out there ensure that this year can be defined as "vintage".

    Was it a year for innovation? Perhaps not. Was it a good year for new IPs? Perhaps not. Was it a good year for the industry as a whole? Perhaps not.

    But like wine itself, innovation, competition and business isn't what makes a vintage - it's the crop you reap that makes a vintage, and it seems this year in terms of great games we have, by and large, been spoilt for choice. It just "happened", the time was right and projects that were started years ago all suddenly blossomed into life more or less in the same year.

    There were certainly bad things that we should remember - the PSN fiasco, Team Bondi, the financial woes that have plagued so many. But the same can be said of any truly vintage year in wine, so why not games?

    Just on specifics, it has been a vintage year. We can lament specifics, but can't escape the literal definition.
    Edited by Kami at 10/12/11 @ 13:52

  • Rack #25 6 months ago

    In the iterative nature of gaming it's likely that little will be remembered as a classic unless there's a new paradigm shift in the way games are made. ALTTP is a classic because it's the best example of its type of gameplay that got made before the genre died, OoT is a classic because it's the first example of that style of gameplay that worked in 3d. Skyrim is the best example of open world gameplay right until TES VI comes out and makes yet more improvements.

    When it comes to the here and now though the quality of titles is perhaps totally unprecendented.

  • DrStrangelove #26 6 months ago

    You forgot Terraria. An indie game that looks like it had been made in the early days of the SNES, but was an instant success.

    When it came out, I thought "Naah, this probably isn't a game for me". One or two weeks ago, it was on 50% sale, and I decided to give it a try.

    And I haven't seen the sun since.

  • Red_Devilfish #27 6 months ago

    @Spryte
    I hope your right. After reading your post I realised the my small list I put up above all came out fairly early on in the generations. Here's hoping some mind blowing titles come out next gen.

    I hope devs concentrate on A.I and story. Shiny graphics are nice but there pretty good now. Obviously no where near p.c level but the latter I mentioned are where I think console games are really lacking. With a few obvious exceptions :)

  • Jolly_Armadillo #28 6 months ago

    A year to remember will be the year the next half life arrives.

  • Jolly_Armadillo #29 6 months ago

    A year to remember will be the year the next half life arrives.

  • Xardan #30 6 months ago

    No. Quality over quantity i say. Mass amounts of good entertainment doesn't really appeal to me. Only the standouts, and i feel there has been very few this year. There has been a few disappointments and nothing felt new and special to me.

  • WadiumArcadium #31 6 months ago

    I'd say yes. I've been overwhelmed by the number of quality titles this year. Skyrim, Arkham City, Deus Ex, Super Mario 3D Land etc. One of the best hauls in recent years I'd say. I can't remember enjoying a game as much as I've loved Skyrim too.

  • syra #32 6 months ago

    I concur it was a good year for breadth of experience but there wasn't anything to it that hit you liek BAM THAT BLEW MY FACE OFF like 2004/2009 either which are better years than 2001 btw (lol halo?)

  • verynaughtyboy #33 6 months ago

    Innovation is over-rated. When companies start trying to innovate for the sake of innovating then it's often a poor result. Innovation should be allowed to come naturally. If a developer tries to make sure that they do what they do really well then the results can be amazing.

    In that regard 2011 was a vintage year. In fact it was legen... wait for it... dary, it was legendary.

  • Gavilan #34 6 months ago

    @verynaughtyboy Well it's a good job we're all different. Agreed this year had some solid games but I'm worried that next year you'll just have the same games again. Will you indeed think 2012 is legendary if Elder Scrolls VI, MW4, SR4, GTAV, Battlefield 4 and Forza 5 appear? Stale is the word I'd use.

  • JeroenZM #35 6 months ago

    Give 2011 ten years, and everyone will look back with fond memories. The word 'vintage' also describes something that has taken it's time to age.

  • Schmoke-n-a-pancake #36 6 months ago

    I don't consider 2011 a vintage year, and I didn't consider 2001 a vintage year either.

    Perhaps it is an age thing, but my two vintage years are also ten years apart and they are 1997 and 2007.

    Although, to be honest 96-98 would be the true period for the first one. In that three year spell we got Mario 64, Final Fantasy 7, Ocarina of Time, Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil, Nights Into Dreams, Goldeneye, Quake and so much more. Some of those were truly ground breaking.

    Looking at 2007, there were loads of true standouts - Bioshock, Portal, Mario Galaxy, Modern Warfare (when it was actually fresh), Mass Effect, Halo 3, and that year was sandwiched between Gears of War, Twilight Princess and Wii Sports in 2006 and GTA4, Metal Gear 4 in 2008. The current gen was coming into its own in that spell.

    I preferred last year to this year too, with Red Dead and Mario Galaxy 2 really standing out, and some other fresh franchises such as Heavy Rain and Alan Wake.

    When I look at 2011 there are just too many three-peats. I enjoyed Gears 3, but MW3 and Uncharted 3, Assassins Creed Rev (third sequel to ACII) fell well short. Portal 2 was really good, but didn't have the same impact on me as the first.

    So in summary, yes, there was a lot of quality this year, but LA Noire was the only non-sequel or non-remake that I experienced and it wasn't anywhere near strong enough to carry the whole year.

    2011 was just too familiar, and if the next few years continue on the same path then I won't be gaming anywhere near as much as I usually do.

  • rottingyoda #37 6 months ago

    I'm just astounded that The Witcher 2 has yet to be mentioned at all yet. I never actually played the first title but going on that games merit (which I believe all games should be taken, it's individual title quality) it was an instant classic. I've never seen a story told so well in a game and really believe has set a standard for RPG scripts. For me, 2011 was a fantastic year. Easily equal if not better than 2001 but not quite on the same level as 1998(HL1, Starcraft, Baldure's Gate, Thief: The Dark Project, Unreal) which, in my opinion, heralded the age modern gaming.

    EDIT: Oh yeah, not to forget my personal favourite game of all time, 1998 gave us Final Fantasy VII. Silly me.
    Edited by rottingyoda at 10/12/11 @ 16:05

  • malloc #38 6 months ago

    I think it's too easy to say because a game is a sequel it therefore lacks innovation. As pointed out in the article GTA3. Deus Ex HR for me counted as innovation and certainly deserves an honourable mention.

  • Bander #39 6 months ago

    Vintage? Given that this has been a year of so many major releases having pre-order content and online passes attached, it's not as if their value will increase or even hold over time.

  • Xardan #40 6 months ago

    I worry for the future of gaming when a year of mostly reshashed sequels is considered a vintage year.

  • verynaughtyboy #41 6 months ago

    @Gavilan
    If they are good games and well made then I will consider it a good year. I'm not saying innovation isn't important by the way. I just feel that although there may not have been much original this year, what we got was really well made, high quality and in abundance - so many great games!

    There will be innovation down the line but it will come because the ideas have come rather than been forced. Asura's Wrath looks pretty interesting!

  • Wyrm #42 6 months ago

    The thrill is gone?

    I've been playing games for 25 years and Dark Souls thrilled the living shit out of me.

  • The12thMonkey #43 6 months ago

    From my own experience, we had the very well done return of a long-absent series (Deus Ex), we had Nintendo finally managing to break away from the OoT template with Skyward Sword, and a very exciting and entertaining blast from JRPG land with Xenoblade. I've got Skyrim to unwrap on the 25th. For those reasons, it was a very good year for gaming - particularly Xenoblade, because it's both progression with new ideas and refinement of old ones, and at it's core, it is an idea game - the world of the Bionis is captivating, and I wish more gaming storytellers would aim for bold visisons like this.

    We also had games like Dragon Age 2. Competent, streamlined, full of the choices for which Bioware are renowned, but ultimately it tripped over somewhere in the execution. So there were the miss-steps of the year, but they all make up the whole.

    On the indie front, I particularly enjoyed Frozen Synapse. I think I'll be looking back on 2011 with some good memories. I hope it will be the start of things to come on the JRPG front, especially.

  • Madder-Max #44 6 months ago

    Cetainly not vintage. A new direction that coined the dreaded phrase "aimed at a wider audience" and the start of the inevitable decline into mass market attempts and rehashing of more of the same. (If we are honest whilst awesome, Skyrim is more of the same) but not vintage.

    Oh and lets not forget the few utterances of the phrase "you're playing it wrong" from developers and devs gtting stroppy in response to criticisms.

    Then there was the Q&A process cutbacks which saw games being released that needed patching immediatley. Then as previously mentioned the monetisation and digital ecosystem bullshit.

    If I have my years correct 2008 was vintage. GTA III, Fallout, Fable II, Mass Effect, Assasins Creed, Saints Row II; to name but a few. (I think Frontlines was 2007 ?)

    Please correct me if wrong but its that time period of new IP's and new benchmarks in qulity hat made that year/period vintage.
    Edited by Madder-Max at 10/12/11 @ 18:13

  • Boomalla #45 6 months ago

    Dark souls, Portal 2 & Motorstorm Apocalypse are the 3 games that i've had the most fun out of in 2011. Gimmie 3 more games like that in 2012 and i'll be a happy panda.

  • Madder-Max #46 6 months ago

    Oh and then very short games like Portal 2 and increasing marketing justifications for shorter solo campaigns and more CODsucking from other devs.

  • TazerFan #47 6 months ago

    @Cappy

    You might be the saddest chap I've come across on the internet.

  • Madder-Max #48 6 months ago

    Cappy has a good point and I agree with him. I too only bought 2 games this year. TDU2 (good game actually if playing all solo) and Skyrim. Will prolly get SR The Third in the new years.

    "We also had games like Dragon Age 2. Competent, streamlined, full of the choices for which Bioware are renowned, but ultimately it tripped over somewhere in the execution. So there were the miss-steps of the year, but they all make up the whole."

    Heh! Classic-marketing-speak-lol!
    Edited by Madder-Max at 10/12/11 @ 18:39

  • cloudskipa #49 6 months ago

    2011 was certainly 360's year and also one of the best I've ever experienced. So many great games from Dark Souls, Skyrim, Rage, DoDonPachi Resurrection, Forza Motorsport 4, Gears of War 3, Deus Ex Human Revolution, Halo Anniversary, Child of Eden, and on XBLA; Bastion, Radiant Silvergun HD, Guardian Heroes HD, Renegade Ops, Bangai-O Missile Fury, Torchlight, Daytona USA, Iron Brigade.

    Stunning year for games in general and one I'll remember fondly, in fact there was so many classics I'll still be playing through them deep into next year.

  • a.monteiro #50 6 months ago

    Although i'm all for innovation and risk taking, it's usually the sequels that refine and expand the ideas and make the best games. My problem is when there's too many sequels in a short period of time, it's exhausting and end up draining all the excitement for a new installment of a franchise.

  • Madder-Max #51 6 months ago

    2011 saw even more threads like this on eurogamer.....

  • Vaarna #52 6 months ago

    Only Dark Souls (360/PS3) and Crimzon Clover (PC) were genuinely excellent this year -- I'm still playing them now.

    However, I thought that Batman:AC, Saints Row 3, AssCreed:Rev and Zelda:SS were inferior to their predecessors. Rayman Origins was decent, but wasn't as good as Rayman 2, despite having some beautiful art direction. The humour in Portal 2 was mildly amusing, but its gameplay mainly consisted of hunting and shooting a single white rectangle amongst a sea of black rectangles. Its writing was nowhere near as good as Deadly Premonition, despite the latter probably being a Japanese translation.

    The Witcher 2 and Skyrim were OK, but their underlying gameplay mechanics are shallow compared to older PC RPGs like Ultima VII, Fallout 1 and System Shock 1.

    The so-called "indie" games were crap as usual. Perhaps indie programmers, in time, could produce something that has the impact that DOOM did back in 1993, but I doubt it'll happen for at least 5-10 years. And don't bring up sodding Minecraft -- its just a first-person CAD program for the OCD/Asperger's crowd. Similarly, Terraria was only fun for an hour or two until it became all grindy.

    Concerning FPSes: nothing I've played (in singleplayer) is anywhere near as good as the original Deus Ex, DOOM/DOOM II, STALKER: SoC/CoP, Strife or Blood. The likes of BF3/CoD:MW etc. strike me as just technically accomplished, aesthetically barren Skinner boxes for bored call-centre workers.

    Concerning Half-Life in particular: it seemed great at the time, but the CoD sequels that it inspired lead most of the industry into a cul-de-sac of corridor-based, follow-the-arrow mediocrity. Granted, Half-Life 2 had some decent art direction, but for every freedom it gave you over its predecessor, it also limited you in some way or another.

    In other news: Molyneux is still a big fraud, Mikami's rapidly losing it and SUDA 51 may finally be selling out. Even Lord British hath been reduced to making Facebook games. This was 2011: deal with it and then neg me into oblivion.
    Edited by Vaarna at 10/12/11 @ 23:22

  • silversun #53 6 months ago

    did mass effect 2 come out this year for some reasons it felt like it came last year i played it about a month ago and it amazing game.
    The pc has had a great year deus ex , skyrim , the witcher 2 , portal 2.
    Console gamers have had mortal kombat , xenoblade, uncharted 3, gears of war 3, zelda, kirby, assasins creed, a good sonic game.
    Loads of smaller niche games still came out as well and indie games gained ground a bit.

    The first game i played this year was mindjack.
    Yes it did come out this year so has been very intresting year gone by, plus we had the return of duke nukem.
    so that says it all really.

  • doyourealize #54 6 months ago

    @Whitster That might be a good thing. I'm way too far behind to ever catch up unless I've got something like 3 years. Especially since I could play Dark Souls alone for around 2 of those.

  • Alex_V #55 6 months ago

    Personally I felt the revelations in my gaming year came from ipad gaming, which for my money is an incredibly creative hotbed of new ideas, game styles, and variety. It tends to get ignored and derided by core gamers, but for sheer quantity of quality playable titles it rocked my world on a budget this year (Hard Lines, Quarrel, Mage Gauntlet, Superbrothers Sword and Sorcery, Grand Prix Story, Forget-Me-Not, Tiny Tower, Tiny Wings, Battleheart, Jetpack Joyride, Reckless Getaway, Surveillant and so many others).

    For me the consoles have slightly lost their relevance, with the big releases being well-polished rehashes of existing standards. A lot of major games were good but not great for me. The only new major IP I really rate at all was the so-so Bulletstorm. I also think, Double Fine's brilliance aside, it's been a poor year for both Xbox Live and particularly PSN. I find myself gaming so much more on the PC (Frozen Synapse, Fate Of The World, Atom Zombie Smasher, Solar 2, TripleTown and of course Minecraft) that the once-effervescent consoles are starting to gather dust under my TV.

  • photoboy #56 6 months ago

    2001 was a horrible year. It was the year the Dreamcast died. :(

  • Bremenacht #57 6 months ago

    'Gaming' is sooooo 2001. Production values is where it's at, Oli. Boy, has 2011 been a glorious year for fantastic production values! So much production has to go into these products (yes products - not games, duh!) So, let's hear it for the thousands of wonderful producers who do so much to make good product, and only receive about 200 pages of credit per product.

    Here's to an even better 2012, when outstanding products like ME3 will raise production values to even greater heights. I hear EA spent $7m on a team of Japanese nail-painting artists to ensure Shepherds nails are properly buffed and coloured to the standards that us consumers expect. Woooo! Can't wait.

    COMMENCE NEGGING, YOU SAD BASTARDS

  • franbatista123 #58 6 months ago

    This year was really good one, even if i lost a lot of money ...but didnt we all :)

    I only have a PS3 console and from the games i played: Uncharted 3, Batman, Skyrim, LA NOIRE, AC revelations, From Dust, Battlefield 3... they were all very special in different ways... its true, it was a year of sequels, but from new ips i must say LA NOIRE was the best in my opinion

  • Naster #59 6 months ago

    Let's see, 2007 vs 2011:
    Crysis >> Crysis 2
    Portal > Portal 2
    The Witcher > The Witcher 2 (imho)
    Assassin's Creed > Assassin's Creed: Revelations (arguably)
    Modern Warfare >> Modern Warfare 3

    I'll probably remember 2011 as a year of many competent but mostly redundant sequels. Actually even last year was more exciting for me, the year we got Alpha Protocol, Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Fallout: New Vegas, Assassin's Creed II (PC version), Heavy Rain, Red Dead Redemption, Starcraft II and Just Cause 2.

  • AVisualEpiphany #60 6 months ago

    This year was the first year I bought NO games on release, every big release has been a mess of bugs, glitches and WAY TOO MUCH dlc/preorder/exclusive shite
    It seems the first couple of weeks of a new release are now seen as more of an open beta
    My opinions of the video game industry have been soured by 2011

  • Bander #61 6 months ago

    @Bremenacht I must inform you that your post was brilliant and did not receive a neg from me.

    My game of 2011 was Daytona USA. Because it was an actual great game, not some wannabe movie director's wet dream with some thoughtless button bashing attached to it. Thanks to the '90s, 2011 wasn't a complete write-off.

  • Morte-360 #62 6 months ago

    Lots and lots of top quality games came out this year and I brought far too many in November, but all they did was get me bored. With a few exceptions Arkham City,Witcher2(witch I cant play),Dark Souls, Skyrim I just did not find myself exited by the games, they seemed to similar and I think thats because 2011 was the year of the trilogy, I'm trying to recall a single one of the big games that was not following on from another title.

    If anything this year's seen me buy older games I played as a kid or ones I never got the chance too for example Planetscape,Baldurs gate 1 & 2 (TOB),Vampire The Masquerade,Kohan Warchest,Gallactic Civ 2,KOTOR on and on. I brought these games because I was bored (and they were cheap) with the new realeases. At max I can only games a couple of hours a day (More if I bring my laptop to use on my journeys and break) and more and more I've played the older ones.

    Gamings biggest problem is simple storyline and gameplay is just TOO simialr and linear if you have played any single call of duty since MW you can practically copy and paste the gameplay itself (forget gimmicks such as customizing your scope or prestige I'm on about the core gamplay) and the same for the storyline. Its not that the games are bad in the same way action movies are not bad its just their is only so much of the same old same old I can take before I get bored and annoyed I wasted my money.

    Or maybe at the grand old age of 21 I'm simply bored with games I mean I've only being playing them 12 years or so. I suppose there is only so long you can partake in a hobby before you become jaded?
    Edited by Morte-360 at 11/12/11 @ 06:49

  • frazzl #63 6 months ago

    @WinstonSmith Very well said. The 2001 titles mentioned are no more innovative than the current ones listed. Sequels are the gaming industry's biggest draw and have been for decades. And just because a game is innovative, that does not necessarily mean it's good. A few minutes playing "Street Cleaning Simulator" will highlight that :)

  • Biker_Bob_1971 #64 6 months ago

    Post deleted at 16:59:10 06-02-2012

  • Farzlepot #65 6 months ago

    Whenever a developer creates something original, none of you hypocrites buy the damn things. That's why the industry now follows the safe iterative model - because outside of the hipster nonsense, that's what we all seem to be buying!

    Where were you when Mucky Foot died? Who cried for Terratools? What were you doing instead of helping Planet Moon Studios make money from their genius games? And won't somebody please think of Ninja Theory!

  • TH3WICK3D1 #66 6 months ago

    wow not a single mention of Gemini Rue?
    probably the best game i played all year

  • LordMorpeth #67 6 months ago

    I completely agree - 2011 has been a stand out year for me in terms of the sheer volume of quality that has been released. Deus Ex, Batman, Dead Space, etc... - all sequels, yes, but ones that offer fantastically enhanced and broader experiences than what came before. The fact it has a 2 or 3 after its name is irrelevant to me.

    It is also more than this, though. There is something, for me, in the tremendous strides that our passion and hobby has made in 2011 towards achieving a more mature level of cultural awareness and understanding. This looks to have been culminated in the latest issue of The Economist containing a special report on videogames - quite astonishing given everything else happening in the world...

    Keith V - if you're reading, let me have your address and I'll send you my copy when I'm done with. It contains well-rearched, experience and fact based perspectives which I am told you sorely lack.

  • funkateer #68 5 months ago

    The games that stood out for me were Limbo (I played the PS3 version), Mass Effect 2 (also a last-year game released this year on PS3), Yakuza 4, Ico Collection and Uncharted 3.

    Except Limbo, all sequels and even a remake. That's not necessarily a bad thing (Yakuza, Mass Effect and Ico/SotC were new to me), but I'd love to be wowed by an innovative new IP again. Like Flower did, or Mirror's Edge for example.
    For that I have good hopes for 2012 (Journey, The Last Of Us, The Last Guardian).

    Besides the games themselves, the most influential thing for me this year was probably stereoscopic 3D gaming since I bought a 3DTV this summer. Uncharted 3 might look a bit better in 2D, but I found it not nearly as immersive as it is in 3D. I think having a 3D option even started to influence me in my buying choices.