1) Top 3 favorite games
SSF4AE - I don't need 3, only 1. Yea, it is that good. Out of memorable 2011 games, SSF4AE will certainly stand out as one that I can keep coming back to.
2) Most disappointing
Duke Nukem Forever - Well you know, it is tough. See, I went in knowing my hopes were already crushed, knowing that reviews were already slamming the game. However, there was something inside me, something that still really wanted to believe the game would be decent, but it was just so fucking bad that it hurt to play. It really did disappoint me, kind of like going to see the Transformers movies knowing they aren't what you grew up with, but going anyways just to see your childhood shit on.
3) Biggest surprise
Minecraft - It is definitely hard to surprise someone who has been gaming for a long time. After awhile, the surprises take the form of things you don't necessarily love or even want, but that really catch you off guard in an unexplainable way. Minecraft certainly caught me off guard. Based on descriptions of the game play, I technically should not even enjoy it, but yet I did. Based on the graphics and depth, I should have gotten bored very quickly, but I didn't. Based on the fact that the multiplayer was barely implemented, I should have stopped connecting to peoples servers, but I remained. I can't say it was the best thing ever made, but certainly surprising.
4) Favorite indi-game
Cavestory+ - That's right, Cavestory re-released with a $ value. And I give it all the money in the world for that. If I can't count Cavestory (because it has existed for a long time), then what about Dungeon Defenders? Certainly another huge addiction on the forefront. I give a nod to Limbo, but it didn't hook me as much as I had hoped, there is another game that did the premise first, with a name I will not recall, that gripped me so much more (starts with you standing over a grave).
5) Most overrated
Skyrim - This isn't really fair, Bethesda games are almost universally overrated. People froth at the mouths for a game they will wander aimlessly in and never actually beat. A game with boring characters, no plot, dungeons without purposes. I say this almost tongue-in-cheek, because I haven't actually played Skyrim yet, but I certainly know I'm right, I've already seen it in what I will call the second wave of reviews that started to appear about a month after it was out (if it has been that long). However, I've learned this lesson the hard way, via Fallout, via Oblivion, via Morrowind. It is the same promises every time with a mountain of hype on top that people buy into again and again and again. They can promise all the same things for the next release, fail to deliver any of them, and people will still eat it up. And no, it isn't that I don't like the genre, I like it when it is done right - see Gothic, Grand Theft Auto. There are plenty of fully functional open world games that have a lot more story, a lot deeper characters and a lot more engaging game play. Part of me is just disappointed that people keep rewarding failure, because I know if Bethesda ever realizes the same tricks aren't working they might actually go the distance and release what everyone knows they are capable of releasing.
6) Most underrated
Brink - It is very tough for me to choose the game I play on a regular basis that is the most underrated since I'd have to follow the community (or lack thereof) of every single game. But I am going to throw a bone to Brink. Here is a game that had some technical difficulty at release, however is now fully patched and a completely solid FPS game with significant teamplay. However... the community is dead and gone, can only find about 6 servers within decent ping range of myself in the North East. It is sad, I'm pretty sure the game will completely die off, and yet is is a very engaging and solid FPS. What happened?
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