It wasn’t my favorite Lego game for sure, but that also has to do with the IP. I had serious Pirates burnout, if that’s a thing haha! You should give L.A. Noire a shot, you might like it (I say this not knowing what games you really like). It’s different, not rockstars usual pessimistic, over the top cynical take on society (I do enjoy GTA games fwiw). Thanks for reading my posts and writing, it makes it worthwhile to me.
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Hey, I love seeing what you loved. I’ve only played a few of the games, since I came to console gaming fairly late, but it’s great having a thread celebrating things instead of arguing all the time. This is absolutely one of my favorite threads.
I’ve not actually played a GTA game, I wasn’t really sure about them. I’ve had friends tell me they thought I would like the humor, but not so sure on the game - but it’s hard to say. I’ll definitely check this out. I have it in my library, not sure if I bought or if it was game with gold but I’ll check it out at some point.
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June 2011
Child of Eden
Another Kinect game? Yup, another one and this one is once again music based. There seems to be a trend with this particular product Ava what worked with it, huh? While Kinect never made a great device for more traditional gaming experiences, I loved that it found a niche in offshoot, less popular genres. This one is by the same person who made Space Channel 5, Lumines, and REZ, and carries elements of each. Truly, it can be boiled down to REZ 2 with motion control. This is a weird, colorful, trippy musical shooter. You play through levels moving along a rail, shooting objects and shapes to a musical track. The goal is to get a high score like games of old, no story exists here. This is just pure gameplay experience, and what an experience it is. It looks and sounds great, it’s one of the best experiences you can have with a Kinect and can even be played with a controller. Is recommend the Kinect, but if you aren’t uh, fortunate, enough to own one then a controller works fine. Did you like it or even play it?
Shoutouts to Alice Madness Returns, Adventures of Shuggy, Shadows of the Damned, Dungeon Siege III, Iron Brigade, FEAR 3, Galaga Legions DX, and Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition.
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July 2011
Bastion
Supergiant has become a big name in indie game development due to a string of highly acclaimed, successful titles, most recently the smash-hit (and GOTY imo) Hades. Their first title, Bastion, may not have hit the same highs as their latter titles, but the seeds of these successes can be seen here. Bastion was a big deal not only for Supergiant, but also the XBLA platform, launching exclusively and further establishing Xbox 360 as the premier place to play indie games during the generation.
Bastion is a beautiful game in terms of visuals, aesthetic, and world design. The sound and music are spot on, especially the much applauded narration which, well, narrates the gameplay live as it occurs. It’s all done extremely well and it’s shocking that this is the first game from a small studio with a limited budget.
Strangely, the gameplay itself is the weakest element - by no means bad - and clearly outclassed by the more standout pieces of the game. I’d describe it as an action RPG, broken into rooms/waves of enemies over the course of its various dream-like levels. It’s a great game with a great story, the gameplay itself simply a method to get to the rest of the good stuff. It’s almost backwards in it’s approach, as many games (MGS is one that comes to mind) make you suffer through copious cutscenes and other such nonsense between the good bits of gameplay. Play Bastion, and then the rest of Supergiant’s catalog. It’s quality stuff, and the improvement and innovation seen game to game is amazing.
Shoutouts to Ms. ‘Splosion Man, Catherine, and From Dust to round out a great month!
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August 2011
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Deus Ex: Human Revolution was a game I’d been looking forward to for a long time. As a new entry in the Deus Ex series, old school gamers in general were excited and wanted to see if the franchise could match its predecessors and establish itself as a big name in gaming once again. While the game was critically acclaimed and spawned a sequel, it was largely a commercial failure (the sequel even more so). Truly unfortunate, as there’s a lot to like here.
So Human Revolution is not really comparable to the original Deus Ex in many ways, and in many ways isn’t as good a game. It benefits from being a modern title but there’s a sense of wonder and innovation that’s missing here when compared to the original and it’s sequel. This isn’t a bad thing necessarily- it’s hard to top games in a beloved franchise - but it should be stated up front to set your expectations accordingly if you’re a fan of the older games. Human Revolution is a prequel, you play as a guy named Adam Jensen. I don’t want to go into story details, not to spoil and also because my memory probably isn’t entirely accurate, but you’re getting a sci-fi story set in a cyberpunk world. The gameplay is methodical in its approach, and reminds me of games made by Arkane of Dishonored and Prey fame. There’s a certain flexibility in the way you can tackle missions and progress that feel freeing. The game looks great and plays well throughout with the exception of a crummy boss fight or two. I love the world and vibe, honestly this is a cyberpunk game worth playing.
Shoutouts to Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet, Toy Soldiers: Cold War, and El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron. Some strangely weird, fun games this month.
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September 2011
Gears of War 3
Gears of War 3, the game I thought would be the final entry on the Xbox 360. To many, it is! I’m not a Judgment hater, but I think Gears 3 is the pinnacle of the series. It’s not the leap in quality that 2 was over the original, but it’s the best playing, looking, and sounding of the series to that point. And that’s what Gears is right? It’s a showpiece game, not one that most come to for the story. That said, the story here is heartfelt and somber, one that you didn’t want to tune out once it got rolling. The characters you’d come to know and love over the prior two games all have their moments in Gears 3. It’s not some Last of Us type game, but it does what it can with its “dude bro” vibe about as well as it can. I know a lot of folks love the multiplayer, I never really got into much outside of hoard which is great. This isn’t going to be a game for everyone, but Gears lovers or fans of action games and “oooh pretty!” shouldn’t avoid it.
Shoutouts to Warhammer 40K Space Marine, Driver San Francisco, Dead Island, Crimson Alliance, Skydrift, Bloodrayne Betrayal, The Gunstringer (another great Kinect game!), Renegade Ops, Radiant Silvergun, and Resident Evil 4 HD.
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October 2011
Dark Souls
Whatever you think of the Souls series and its fans, there’s no denying the impact and influence it’s had on the entire gaming industry. I’m a fan, not a hardcore fan, but do find the games highly enjoyable and look forward to each release. I think they should include difficulty options for those who want to experience the world and lore FromSoft created, but that’s a discussion for another thread…
At this point, anyone reading this knows what Dark Souls is, an action-RPG with challenging bosses and enemies, labyrinthine level design, and lore that you must go out of your way to discover and maybe even understand. It’s incredibly well designed, hitting all its design goals as far as I can assess. I love the methodical nature of the combat, the careful approach to each new area, the oppressive and somber feel of the world. Things can feel hopeless, you beat your head against a boss or level dying and dying. It feels impossible. You step away in frustration and despair, only to come back after thinking about the game overnight to overcome your situation. That’s a video game, that’s an experience I love having. I wish it was more accessible, truly it should be.
Shoutouts to Crysis, Rage, NBA Jam: On Fire Edition, Orcs Must Die!, Ace Combat Assault Horizon, Forza Motorsport 4, Guardian Heroes, Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure, Rocksmith, Tropico 4, Batman Arkham City, Bejeweled 3, Dungeon Defenders, Dance Central 2, Daytona USA, Space Channel 5 Pt. 2, and Battlefield 3. Absolute giant month!
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Of the titles you mentioned, I most loved Forza Motorsports 4. This was one of the first games I picked up when I got my Xbox 360, along with the first Forza Horizon. It was quite good, though I wasn’t that great at it. I really enjoyed the Forzavista commentary by Jeremy Clarkson, along with the races on a variety of tracks including some made up ones. Can’t think of the name but the Japanese mountain track was quite fun. I think it has been a fan requested track for every entry since.
This month has to go to Forza Motorspor 4, one of the best in the series.
@Zip: the track you mentioned is named Fujimi Kaido. I hope it returns in the next installment.
Yeah, that’s the one. And I think if they do add it back, they’ll immediately make a lot of people happy.
Actually, if the long awaited /rumored Forza Horizon Japan ever shows up, it would be amazing to have that location in there along with all the real places.
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I think at this point I was suffering from a bit of FM burnout. I’ve played through all except Apex, but each FM has been a bit lies exciting.
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November 2011
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Of course I was going to pick Skyrim! The hype was real leading up to its release and for good reason. Morrowind was one of the best true RPGs ever, and it’s successor Oblivion modernized the formula and made it accessible. Skyrim takes everything good about TES and pushes it to the maximum. Skyrim is peak TES, an absolutely gigantic world with seemingly limitless freedom and choice. Like other TES games, the main story is good but isn’t why you’re here. You’re here for the spelunking, the silly shenanigans you find yourself in that lead to the best water cooler moments with your pals. Everyone who’s played Skyrim has “that one story”, unique to them that nobody else seems to have encountered. Big fish? Sure, but that’s what makes life and games fun!
There’s so much to do in Skyrim, the world and life in it so vast that it’s easy to excuse the dated graphics and buggy engine. The voice acting is stilted but worked for the time. I’ve never loved the combat in TES, but this is again the best it’s been. The music though…epic at just the right time. It elevates those special moments and gives them further weight and impact. You can play Skyrim forever. I know some people who have this in their rotation literally since launch and still sweat they’re uncovering new experiences. I would say go and play the remaster if you haven’t, but you know that 10th anniversary is this year (on my anniversary no less! Hooray for 7 years here!)…maybe wait to see if they do another remaster, special edition, or director’s cut 
Shoutouts to Goldeneye 007: Reloaded, Sonic Generations, Dodonpachi Resurrection, Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, COD Modern Warfare 3, Lego Harry Potter Years 5-7, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Halo CE: Anniversary, Assassin’s Creed Revelations, Rayman Origins, and Saints Row: The Third. I don’t know that I could choose a game of Skyrim hadn’t been the pick. So many to love this month, strongly recommend Rayman and Dodonpachi as they don’t seem as popular as many others on the list.
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December 2011
Joe Danger: Special Edition
Before No Man’s Sky, Hello Games made this fun arcade game featuring a washed up professional stuntman named Joe Danger. It’s cartoony and colorful, happy and heartfelt. It’s a game you’d look at and think it was for kids, but you’d only be partially right. Sure, kids would likely love the game based on the look alone, but the gameplay is no slouch. What looks like a simpler Trials-like obstacle course quickly sheds its veneer to reveal a thoughtful platformer, requiring skill and patience in order to collect al the stars in each level (and even to simply complete some!). The story is cute and fits the game’s tone, it really is a lovely game and showed the promise Hello Games had as a development studio.
Shoutouts to Trine 2 and Sonic CD. I know a lot of people love Sonic CD, I think it’s fine but not my favorite Sonic.
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January 2012
Final Fantasy XIII-2
Look, I’m not going to sugar coat this; Final Fantasy XIII-2 isn’t an amazing game by any means. It’s the direct sequel to one of the most divisive Final Fantasy titles, stars a less interesting character cast, and overall the scale of the game is much smaller. I suppose that’s to be expected, Square Enix was likely looking to build upon the sales success of the prior game, and we hadn’t seen many direct sequels in the FF franchise.
It’s a decent enough game, a AAA production for certain. It’s beautiful, features an amazing soundtrack, and in general plays well with no major hiccups that I can remember. The core conceit is Serah, Lightning’s sister, is on a journey to find Lightning who has seemingly disappeared. It’s a self-serious yet silly plot, confusing in a way that only the XIII trilogy can be. There’s not a lot of change, but the complaints of the linearity of XIII have been somewhat addressed with the time traveling mechanic, allowing you to tackle the quest in a slightly varied order. You’re not changing the story overall, but jumping around time is interesting. This is a game for fans, specifically those of XIII, who want a little more in that world and with these characters. I don’t give it a high recommendation, but there are worse ways to spend 20-25 hours.
Shoutout to Soul Calibur V, slim month!
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Based in the conditions you’ve set, I see no issue with your request. Enjoy!
Thank you very much. And I am looking forward to your future posts!
February 2012
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
There’s a fascinating story behind the making of Kingdoms of Amalur, a story of former baseball star Curt Schilling, 38 Studios, Big Huge Games, and the State of Rhode Island. It’s detailed in great degree in Jason Schreier’s latest book, “Press Reset” and I’d recommend it for those interested in the gaming industry. Despite all the issues surrounding the creation of this game, what released was surprisingly good.
Kingdoms is a third person Action-RPG, comparable in some ways to the Fable series but with more focus on looting, slaying, and RPG elements. I’d go as far as to say I’d rather play this than Fable I-III. I don’t think the game is remarkable, but it does everything pretty well. Nothing is broken or bad, and I wouldn’t say I was ever bored playing. I have no idea what the story was at this point, but that was never the driver for me with most generic high fantasy themed RPGs. The appeal here is the great combat system coupled with loot that creates a gameplay loop and journey that’s easy to see to the end. I’ve not played the rerelease, but the fact that it received one is quite neat and I think that’s likely the best way to play it now. And play it you should, maybe you can refresh my memory as to what made it so appealing. It was mindless fun and I can’t point to anything bad about it from my recollection, a win in my book!
Shoutouts to The Darkness II, Double Fine Happy Action Theater, Shank 2, Binary Domain, Syndicate, Asura’s Wrath, and SSX. Lots of excellent “B-Tier” games to check out. I think all are worth a shot.
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March 2012
Mass Effect 3
The last of the trilogy, Mass Effect 3 was a great sendoff in the same way that The Last Crusade was for Indiana Jones. Yes, the original ending wasn’t exactly fantastic, but I never quite understood the vitriol. If that stops you from enjoying it, you do you. I’m of the mind that it worked for what it was, but the game itself was such a ride that the ending wasn’t going to spoil the experience for me. And yes, Femshep is the real Shepherd.
Everything is improved from ME2, from combat to voicework to graphics and yes, the crew of ME3 is better. I will say it was weak to lock some characters - important ones - behind DLC. That sucks, but was typical of that era of EA. The intro isn’t as strong, but outside of that the pacing of the game is absolutely non-stop, pushing you forward from meaningful moment to meaningful moment. It’s a game that doesn’t futz around and waste your time with filler, it’s packed with quality throughout. I loved seeing my choices from the first and second game carry through, truly cool after the years it’d been since playing the first game. Multiplayer was something I didn’t touch but many people loved it. The Legendary Edition is probably the best way to play this game and its predecessors now, but I can’t say for certain as I’ve only finished the first in that edition.
Shoutouts to Street Fighter x Tekken, FIFA Street, Sine Mora, DMC HD Collection, and Silent Hill HD Collection. I know folks don’t like the Silent Hill collection, but if you can’t play the on the original console these are still classics and it’s an easier, affordable way to access them.
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April 2012
The Walking Dead:A Telltale Games Series
I’m going to cheat here and consider this season as a whole and not specifically the individual episode that released this month. If I didn’t, I might have 3+ months of just Walking Dead episodes which wouldn’t feel in the spirit of the thread. Heck, there’d be a lot of Telltale episode months…
So The Walking Dead hit me hard, out of nowhere. I’m not a fan of the comics, show, etc. at all, and naturally wasn’t expecting to be remotely interested in the Telltale game. Reviews of the first episode started seeping out, forum buzz grew, and I had to check out what the fuss was about. I’m glad I did, because this first season is excellent. It takes the world of TWD and puts it into a digestible, episodic, adventure game format. Your choices mattered, or rather, Telltale did a masterful job of making you feel they did. “Kenny will remember that”, I mean, how ominous can you be? It hooked me, and I began to crave each new episode. The game had some real emotional moments, it felt impactful and made you think about your role, what had happened. It’s just lovely storytelling wrapped in a great package. My only real critique would be release cadence, as the wait between episodes could be lengthy. Now, you don’t have to wait to experience the first season or any other. Run through the entire series, it’s great fun.
Shoutouts to Trials Evolution, Anomaly Warzone Earth, Prototype 2, Witcher 2, Skullgirls, and Fez. If I wasn’t taking the Walking Dead series as a whole, this pick could have went to Fez or Trials quite easily. I love both games, and Fez is one of my wife’s favorites. Funny story - she actually beat the entire game not knowing there was a map! It blew my mind, there’s no way I could’ve done that.