[Question] The Gamingforce Game of the Year 2011: Time to Vote

REFERRED BY QWARKY, although feel free to revoke that if he gives the 5 to something other than Ghost Trick (not really) ((but really))

Alright time to give points to Ghost Trick and then waste the rest on games no one else picked:


30 Points: Ghost Trick

Yep.


20 Points: Beret

It's a platformer where you have telekinesis! Can't make a jump? Stack some blocks to make some steps! Robot up in your grill? Smash that fucker against a wall! Can't make it up a thin passageway? Stack two enemies in a specific way that allows you to defy gravity! Can't do something with gravity just going in one direction? Set up some blocks so they hit switches and fly around in a self-perpetuating cycle of gravity fluctuations!

Pretty easily the best puzzle design of any game in 2011. And just about every other year too. This game will murder your brain to death. Also it's free what the fuck http://kiwisauce.com/beret/


20 Points: Kirby's Return to Dream Land

• 5 Points: Obligatory Kirby bonus because I am HAL's bitch
• 5 Points: Soundtrack of the year '011
• 5 Points: Super abilities, especially the very last super ability area, which is probably the most satisfying sequence in a Kirby game to date
• 5 Points: High jump

15 Points: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Hub & warp navigation is cool, but aside from the awesome cast, the world feels kind of thin when you're not questing. Dungeon architecture is the best it's ever been, but in the first 3.5 dungeons it seems at the expense of flow/routing; "DUDE CHECK OUT THIS GIGANTIC FUCKING ROOM ISN'T THIS SHIT AWESOME" leads to the same layout of central room -> side room -> back to the central room -> another side room -> return to the central room again -> new central room -> yet another side room. Improves a lot in the second half of #4, and then whoa shit #5 bizarre loopy whatinthefuck awesome

Bosses are neat. I like how the overworlds are now almost dungeons themselves, especially Lanayru. Visuals are pretty stunning, especially the timeshift stones (the sea holy shit) and Silent Realms (let the timer run out, it is fucking intense). And it's Zelda, come on now.

Anyway disregard everything I just said, as the fifteen points I'm giving this game are solely because of the Bombos and Armos redesigns.


10 Points: Professor Layton and the Last Specter

It's Layton! Also it Spoiler: doesn't end in the same exact plot twist as the first three games, so that's nice.


5 Points: Blocks That Matter

It's like Boulder Dash crossed with Tetris crossed with Minecraft. The game concept makes absolutely no sense, and there is no point in the game where it will ever make sense. If you can get past that, there are some pretty decent puzzles in there. Lack of checkpoints will infuriate you. Also, indie soundtrack of the year '011 (yes I've heard Bastion; it's good but you're wrong).


I was originally going to give this points and even wrote this up but whoops reallocated: Inside a Star-filled Sky

It's like someone took the soul of Bangai-O Spirits (choosing the right combination of weapons to stack in order to beat a stage), slapped it on a procedurally generated arena shooter, and made everything recursive. Unlike BTM, the concept will eventually make sense, but it'll take like 20-30 levels. Then after that it'll be another 10-20 before you hit anything approaching a challenge. It's infinite and procedurally generated, so you'll basically be playing the same few types of stages over and over again forever, but I had a lot of fun in short bursts.

Jam it back in, in the dark.