End of Year Article(s)?

I was just thinking I might write an end of year "games of the year" article. Pick out 5 (or 10, if I can't narrow it down) of my fave games of the year. Write a paragraph or two and submit it around the New Year.

Anyone else with me?

I think I played three games so far this year, so I wouldn't have such a hard time. ^^;

But seriously, I would love more articles like this, far easier to find the time to contribute to them. Hairy's idea of doing an E3 one was great, but almost no-one contributed iirc.

I'm game, I think this year is the new 1999, it's been rather great so writing some thoughts down would be a good idea.

1999-2001 (well, poking into 2002 for the UK Xbox launch) was the sort of period we *should* be just about to go into, but there's something about the lack of an actual new wave of consoles that is really starting to bore me.

I'd love to do something but time's a bit tight - I did enjoy seeing some of the results of the previous end of the year articles, they showed what a disparate bunch of tastes in gaming people here have.

Took a lot of time and effort to do those top 10 GOTY articles so something a bit simpler would be cool.

/considers resurrecting the 'Unofficial *** Awards'

/remembers the apathy from a few years ago

/goes back to sleep

So, it's November now... Anyone fancy contributing?

What I have in mind is a top 5 games from each contributor with a paragraph or two about why said game rocks. I'd even compile the lists into one document and source screenshots if necessary.

Come on - let's do this!

Ahem. I don't think I've even played five games this year. If you can shorten it to three I might be in with a shot. :)

Sure, I will, but like Neko I would have to limit it to three, maybe four games.

Well I can't limit it to that few - I've got a "bubbling under" list as well :-D

But whatever you think you can manage haha.

I'll have a pop at a top three too, if you like.

Not sure which games are from this year though, all my years run into each other now.

/Feels old.

This list should help.

Urgh, I have a list of 11...

Battlefield Bad Company 2
God of War III
Halo: Reach
Heavy Rain
Joe Danger
Just Cause 2
Mass Effect 2
Minecraft
Rock Band 3
Super Meat Boy
Super Street Fighter IV

My list reads:

Espgaluda II (iPhone)
Final Fantasy XIII (360)
Blazblue: Continuum Shift (PS3)
Hatsune Miku - Project DIVA - Dreamy Theater (PS3)

So the number of games that are 100% legitimately "this year" is actually one.

edit: aha, thank you, DDevil! I had completely forgotten about Heavy Rain, I really liked the first two/three hours and then never went back to it. I shall include it anyway so that I do just about have a top five.

There are actually five or six other games that I bought this year (SSFIV, Reach, MGS:Peace Walker, Fate/Extra, Chou Jigen Game Neptune, might be forgetting something) but they either don't sit right with me in a "top X" list (SSFIV) or I didn't actually play them yet (the other £170+ worth of games) :(

Off the top of my head, 5 games I've enjoyed the hell out of this year have been

1) Red Dead Redemption

2) Battlefield: Bad Company 2

3) Formula 1 2010

4) Joe Danger

5) The LBP2 Beta

Though I'm so muddle headed and ADD when it comes to games I'd be tweaking a top 5 list right until the 31st of December if we were going to make this semi-official.

How about "5 games you've enjoyed this year, and why" and "5 games you've been disappointed by this year, and why"

Well that's OK, we can post it early new year :-D

Worst year of gaming since the Dreamcast was out. Some *really* good titles hit, but so few of them it's unbelievable

Notables were:

- Heavy Rain (failed in some parts but a very commendable attempt at something utterly different)
- Limbo (great old-school platformer. Games are still not art though)

Disappointments:

Red Dead - absolutely no depth whatsoever.
Mass Effect 2 - a dire shift in the series. I played ME1 for the first time this year and it's the best game I played all year. ME2 is among the worst. Proof positive that Bioware can not design action games

Quite liked Heavy Rain but its been eked out of the top 5 this year by other stuff.

Mass Effect 2 was good. Good enough to make me want to play through twice in quick succession.

Halo Reach was also a surprise. First Halo game I've actually gone a bundle on.

Limbo was awesome.

Loads of stuff just bubbling under the top 5. As for it being the worst gaming year since the Dreamcast, I don't think you're going to get anyone biting on that :)

I haven't played many of the games actually released this year, but fortunately one of the games I did play happens to be my game of the generation by a country mile, so the GOTY is an easy one to pick (although I reckon I'll be the only person on here to pick it).

As for the top five... I've yet to properly play Limbo, Super Meat Boy and Lara Croft: GoL - the first two at least, from the little I've played, look like they'll easily make it into my top five. If we're counting iPhone stuff then I can think of one or two games that might make it.

I can contribute perhaps three games.

Not necessarily amazing ones, but they are good and I played them.

Dammit, that's 12 games now.

Oh and Rhythm have you ever considered getting a new hobby? It's becoming more and more clear that gaming isn't for you :-)

Actually, I think that would be a great idea.

Aye, don't see why not.

Off the top of my head I'd definitely be nominating Cut the Rope and Trainyard

Espgaluda II remains the best iPhone game for me, if only for how good the control system is (tried the XBLA trial of Guwange yesterday and found it a bit too slow and cumbersome on a pad).

Helsing's Fire and Space Miner are two others that stand out for me.

Surprising, I was deeply unimpressed with both those. For iPhone I'd probably go for Space Miner and WarpGate

I spent 10 hours in RDR before I got bored. Just Cause 2 is still feeling fresh after 25 hours. I know that one's much better produced than the other but I can't in all honesty hold a missed opportunity like RDR up highly

Helsing's Fire and Cut The Rope are the only two iPhone games I've completed; both are absolutely fantastic.

And I'm with Rhythm on this one; the second half of RDR was as dull as ditchwater.

My rough list is:
Game Dev Story
Red Dead Redemption
Halo:Reach
Mass Effect 2
Errr, thats it, I can only manage 4..

Edit: Although I imagine Need for Speed and Assassins Creed may make the list.

Highlights (off the top of my head probably will be added to with some upcoming titles):
RDR
Civ V (first big patch has helped but still not perfect)
Battlefield Bad Company 2
Halo Reach
Pinball FX2
Minecraft
Star Trek Online
Mafia 2

Disappointments:
APB
Medal of Honor
Aliens vs. Predator
Bioshock 2

Very much THIS. I haven't played the other two but my God these two made me stop and wonder "what went wrong?"