It’s December! Which means I need to release my picks for best games of the year. Keep in mind, these are just the games I played.

5. #SWORCERY [iPad]
An 8bit homage to sidescrolling adventurism, this game makes you feel nostalgic even though you’ve never played it before. It’s cool mix of music and motion blend well with the simple graphics and fun storyline. Even though it’s very short, it doesn’t give you any clues as to what you should be doing. I had many of those “aha!” moments after solving it’s little puzzles. Don’t play unless you have good headphones or a quiet room. 

4. GEARS OF WAR 3 [Xbox360]
This was 2011’s “don’t sleep until I finish” title. Definitely a good cap to the series, and left me wishing it wasn’t the end. I’ve fallen in love with the characters, so there were some real tear jerker moments, as well as those scenes where I was screaming and jumping up and down in victory. I really think this is one of the best storyline’s in a video game, ever. Definitely underrated by those who enjoy a real cinematic experience, but prefer to grab cleaner games like Assassins Creed.

3. HALO: COMBAT EVOLVED (ANNIVERSARY EDITION) [Xbox360]
My “must buy even if it sucks” title. The best way to spend the 10th anniversary. Nostalgia through the roof, no sleep, 100% fun. Not much to say about this game other than it’s fun.

2. THE ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM [Xbox360]
I’m still playing this, but other than WoW I haven’t played a game this expansive in a long time. While it hasn’t gripped me as much as Oblivion did, I definitely love being back in the world of Tamriel. By far the most experiential game out of the series; the different classes, races, even jobs, give hours and hours of gameplay far beyond the main storyline. Would definitely be my #1 if it wasn’t for…

1. …

This is what all games should strive to be. It’s not just an FPS, or a puzzle game, it’s an experience to be lived. Think of it this way; it’s a game where there are no enemies to fight, you don’t get weapons or power ups (not even your own fists), all you do is try to find your way from one end of a room to another. It’s such a simple idea, that requires so much time and effort. And along the way you end up (accidentally) unraveling this massive storyline that crosses into other games (go play Half Life series). I thin I’ve played through it like…eight times…and that’s not even including multiplayer!
This is the kind of thing studios should be striving for. While the “in” thing these days is giant MMORPG’s to compete with World of Warcraft (DCU, StarWars:OR, etc) Portal snuck in with a tiny game that made a giant impact. It’s not a game you have to be in the mood to play, it puts you in the mood to play it. A big seller for me is that I can pick it up at any time and feel comfortable. While the story isn’t affected if you haven’t played #1 it adds a LOT more to it, also, check out the HalfLife and Left4Dead series for lots of extra info/easter eggs.

Honorable Mentions:
Marvel vs Capcom 3, Dead Island.

WHAT WERE YOUR FAVORITE GAMES OF THE YEAR?
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