Best Games of 2011

Hello and welcome to a long-awaited edition of The Doctor's Prognosis!

Like last year, I will be giving micro reviews and scores for every game mentioned, leading up to the coveted Game of the Year spot. These, of course, are my own opinions and only games I have actually played are eligible. Let's begin with best downloadable game!


Best Downloadable Game of 2011
Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes

Never having played a Might and Magic game, I had no interest in the universe whatsoever. But the idea of an RPG with battles that are puzzle-based intrigued me. So I gave the demo a shot and I was hooked! I purchased the game and got 100% completion in about 40 hours. Multiplayer options give the game longevity. But the main game is really good, and worth the price of admission alone. Clash of Heroes also has some amazing music. Skip to 3:30 for my favorite part of the following track.

Do not just listen to me. Try out the trial version of the game yourself if you like RPGs and puzzle games. Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes gets an 8.5 out of 10, and honor of being the best downloadable game of 2011!


Best Portable Game of 2011
Super Mario 3D Land

They took the best of the 2D Mario gameplay and mixed it with the feel of the 3D games, and what we got was Super Mario 3D Land. The 3D effects were well used too. While not as good as the Galaxy series, SM3DL uses tried and true gameplay, and puts in enough new to make it one of the best games available on the 3DS. Super Mario 3D Land gets an 8.5 out of 10.


Console Second Runner-Up
Gears of War 3

The story mode of Gears of War 3 had its moments, but felt secondary to the multiplayer, which is fine. The multiplayer is what keeps everyone coming back for more. And thankfully, there are many improvements to the multiplayer. Unfortunately, there are always going to be problems and exploits that can ruin the fun a little. However, Gears of War seems to always draw me back in more than any other shooter. I am still playing this game with friends. Gears of War 3 gets an 8.5 out of 10.


Console First Runner-Up
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

I almost made this number 1. Almost. And the main reason I did not was there were some control issues I experienced. But the controls are very innovative and are amazing when they work well. I do not remember being so immersed in combat before. The battles are also some of the more difficult in the series because figuring out how to fight a new enemy can be a little puzzle in itself.

Furthermore, there are portions in the game where it felt like they were artificially lengthening the game. This isn't nearly as bad as in Phantom Hourglass where you had to return and redo the Temple of the Ocean King. In fact, I would recommend everyone stay away from Phantom Hourglass due to its tediousness. But I recommend everyone with a Wii to play Skyward Sword. Its positives are just too good. Some of the best level design I have ever seen, which is saying a lot when it comes to the Zelda series.

I also really enjoyed the story, and the music is just beautiful.

Amazing boss battles, music, art direction, and level design means this is one game not to miss. Go play it now! Skyward Sword earns a 9 out of 10 and just narrowly misses becoming game of the year.


Best Game of 2011
Batman: Arkham City

Many of you know how much I liked Arkham Asylum. Well Rocksteady took everything great about it and ramped it up for Arkham City. However, this time they made it more open-world as opposed to the closed-corridor gameplay of AA. There are both pros and cons to this approach. We don't get as much amazing level design of the closed-corridor sections. It's there in AC, just not as prevalent of course.

Amazingly, traversing the large game world is fairly quick with Batman's grappling gun, which can be upgraded to make it even faster. But there is a flaw in the game's map. There is a huge section in the middle of the map that you cannot pass. So if you want to go from East to West, you have to go around instead of a straight line. This is annoying but not a big deal. It was probably due to hardware limitations. It is also worth pointing out that there were some loading issues during gameplay (I played the 360 version), though they were few and far between.

Catwoman adds some varied gameplay to the mix.

Back to the good in the game. The fights have improved to make you choose the right moves against the right enemies to keep your combo going. The Riddler side mission is even larger than last time, and is almost a game in itself. It will take you a long time to get everything there is to find. The open-world map also allows for multiple side missions to challenge you and lengthen gameplay. The boss fights have also been improved greatly. No longer are you fighting the same goons and titans over and over.

However, the best thing about the game is the amazing story. AC has a shocking ending that I did not see coming. Even if the game has been out for a while, I won't dare spoil it for anyone. This is a must-play game. Batman: Arkham City gets a 9 out of 10 and earns The Doctor's Prognosis' coveted Game of the Year Award!


Hope you enjoyed my best of 2011! See you again soon!

Borderlands Review and my Games of the Year

Welcome to another Doctor's Prognosis! Today I will review Borderlands and give you my best games of 2009! Now I haven't played that many games this past year so it is a very short list. But quality over quantity my friends. First up is the review...

BORDERLANDS REVIEW

If Call of Duty and Diablo had a baby, it would be called Borderlands. This game came out in October and I am still playing it. That's how fun it is. The story is unintelligible, but you aren't playing this for the story. This is what you call a "loot-hoarding" game. It's extremely addictive simply because you want to keep playing to see what you can find next. And every weapon plays and feels differently so you definitely want to try them all out before deciding to sell.

Each weapon is unique so pay attention to it's attributes and compare them to your current weapons.

You have 4 classes to choose from and each one can be customized with a skilltree based on how you want to play. So the game is very flexible for different playstyles. Also, leveling up feels satisfying because you can allocate a skill point on your skill tree. Plus new and stronger weapons and items become available to use that you couldn't at lower levels.

Playing with up to 3 friends makes this game even more fun. Just make sure you play with people you know. There are some jerks out there.

Also of note is the great art design. It looks like a graphic novel come to life. It really helps lend character to the game and makes it stand out among the myriad shooters out there.

Lilith (Siren Class) and Claptrap (yellow robot buddy) look great with the unique graphic novel look.

But if this game is so addicting and fun, why isn't it my Game of the Year? Well it has some serious flaws. The music isn't so great but that's not a big deal breaker. Also, you fight a lot of the same enemies throughout the game. But the biggest flaw is the myriad glitches in the game. And I don't mean just "weird stuff in midair" type glitches but "Holy crap I lost my awesome shield mod" type glitches.

Notice you can customize your character's name and color scheme. Weapon proficiencies will level up depending on what you use most.

Yes this game is lots of fun and you will always be finding cool equipment to use but when you have to be so careful not to lose your hard-earned items, well that's just too big of a flaw. Thankfully, developer Gearbox has fixed some of the glitches since launch. But one of the new DLC caused this reviewer to lose some really cool gear. That's just too big to overlook.

Mad Moxxi(from the new DLC) will give or take advantages between Waves such as taking your shield away. If you're not careful, you may lose your shield for good like this reviewer did.

So, it is due to these flaws that I make Borderlands one of my Game of the Year runner-ups, and give it an 8 out of 10.

STREET FIGHTER IV

Not in this game.

This is another Game of the Year runner-up! Fortunately there are no horrible Borderlands type glitches, and Street Fighter IV boasts an evolution in gameplay from both SF2 and SF3. However, it still lacks some features that have become common in fighting games. Specifically the online gameplay is missing a few features such as being able to mimic arcade play with spectators. Fortunately, many of these issues will be addressed for the upcoming SUPER Street Fighter IV.

Super Street Fighter IV sees the return of Guy, Cody, Adon, Dee Jay, T. Hawk....... is that a kunai Guy is deflecting? Hmmm.....

Street Fighter IV is a great reintroduction into the series after a long hiatus. I originally gave it a 9 out of 10. But it is difficult to make it GotY when an improved version with more stages and characters (such as the Korean Tae Kwon Do fighter Juri) is coming out in only a few months. But if you love fighting games, you can't go wrong with the new SF4 series. Maybe just wait for the new Super SF4 coming out in the Spring.

According to a rumored list of additions (which has been correct thus far), a new character will be Hakan, a Turkish oil wrestler which will probably look something like the preceding picture...... (O_o)

Expect Dudley, Ibuki, and Makoto to also be announced sometime soon for SSF4. In the meantime, brush up your skills players!

GAME OF THE YEAR

Is anyone really surprised by my choice?

Batman: Arkham Asylum had very little flaws. I gave it a 9 out of 10. But it had no game-breaking glitches like Borderlands, and you didn't have to worry about people disconnecting after a hard won fight like in Street Fighter IV. Instead you had a great game inspired by the likes of Metroid and Zelda. The only disappointment was that the boss fights could have been better. But this is a very small gripe as there is plenty to love about the game. With great stealth elements, a deep fighting system, great voice acting, and an awesome story, you can't go wrong with Arkham Asylum.

If you like Batman, or just action/adventure games, buy this game! And hurry up because the sequel was announced recently!

I hope you enjoyed my year in review of the best games of 2009. What was your Game of the Year? See you next time! :-)