2011 has been a strange gaming year for me. I’ve been able to follow the industry as much (or more) than ever before thanks to some fantastic web sites and podcasts, but for much of the year I couldn’t (and didn’t) buy a new console game. I’ve made up for lost time since October, but much of my attention has also gone to older titles. I almost excused myself from Game of the Year discussions by default.

But there are many games that I have played which deserve recognition. So kick back and read on!

Assassin’s Creed II and AC: Brotherhood

I may not have played this year’s offering, Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, but this has still been a very Assasin’s Creed year for me. I flashed through the two AC2 games in the early part of this year and enjoyed every bit of my brief Italian Renaissance vacation. As much as I saw the promise in the first game, it had incredibly stilted pacing and relied on the same three tricks to progress the story. However, from the moment you take control of Ezio Auditore da Firenze, the series comes into its own and flourishes. Revelations may have eaten away at some of the goodwill the series developed, but these two games were amazing.

Shadows of the Damned

Proof that Japanese developers can still produce quality games. It’s far from perfect – some sections pass over from difficulty to frustration, and the “Big Boner” section is a joke that goes on far too long – but Shadows of the Damned is an engaging road trip. The gun-play and combat is well balanced, and all of the story beats are funny and well written. In the year when Duke Nukem finally returned, Garcia F*cking Hotspur slapped him in the face and stole his crown. Props to 8-4, Ltd., for the excellent writing in the game – hardcore gamers may know their other work, including previous lives at Electronic Gaming Monthly. This game is now just $30 on Amazon new; please go pick it up.

The iOS Section: Tiny Tower, Tiny Wings, Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery EP, Ticket to Ride Pocket and GP Story

In the year of me not buying any new games, I have to add a condition: I didn’t buy any new console games. However, a fleet of iOS games – Tiny Tower, Tiny Wings, Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery EP, Ticket to Ride Pocket, and Grand Prix Story – have kept me occupied for a very long time this year. Others may write about Tiny Tower, but it’s the perfect check-in game, requiring just a few minutes every day to keep progress moving. Beyond that, it’s got a fantastic art style and sense of humor. Tiny Wings continues the strong history of bird games on iOS, and with simple but genius gameplay. Ticket to Ride Pocket is a great translation of the board game. Grand Prix Story is the newest in a long line of Kairosoft management games, but this time in the realm of auto racing – perfect for me. And Sword and Sworcery is easily the best iOS single-player experience on iOS yet. A stellar year for gaming in your pocket.

NBA 2K12

And here’s where I’m sure some of our readers will roll their eyes. I know Spencer already has! It’s hard to top the highs of NBA 2K11 last year, but somehow NBA 2K12 has managed to grab me even more. If 2K11 was the great leap forward, 2K12 is a great evolution from its predecessor. The gameplay remains fantastic and the two ancillary modes – MyPlayer and Legends mode – have been improved to be a lot more fun. MyPlayer no longer requires you to start as a nothing player, and the Legends mode has expanded beyond just Michael Jordan to encompass almost 20 of the NBA’s greatest players from throughout the league’s history. It still looks and feels like an NBA broadcast (I’ve actually fooled a friend into thinking this) and makes me fall in love with basketball even more. I’m not sure if I burned myself out on EA Sports’ football titles or if they have stayed stagnant, but 2K12 manages to feel fresh despite being iterative. I will be playing this for a while.

What, pray tell is “G”? Beyond an uninspired sports drink ad campaign, methinks the man pictured above knows a thing or two.

In any case, G’s up this weekend on the Backlog. Nick has been fly like a G6 and popped into the rejuvenated Ground Kontrol, Doug got some AP English flashbacks playing a Great American Novel-inspired flash game, and Aaron apparently has the world’s gnarliest bird flu or ebola or something and has bravely pushed through to make an appearance here this week.

Now, unfortunately, the schtick is wearing thin so onward! Backlog, ho!

Doug

Oh man, I think dozens of high school literature teachers just died and went to heaven. The Great Gatsby Game is a wonderful mash-up of the Great American Novel and 8-bit wonderment.

Guys — guys — I gotta show you something. Something awesome. Many thanks to Dan (whose first contribution to Silicon Sasquatch should be posted next week) for sending along the link to The Great Gatsby Game, which is very simple but awesome in its execution. Take one part F. Scott Fitzgerald classic, a mish-mash of NES influences (Ninja Gaiden, Castlevania, Mario, etc) and some cheeky nostalgia for both and you’ve got this Flash game. Super pared-down in its controls, you use your hat to attack, collect martini glasses to refill your health, and fight period-appropriate enemies like train engineers and flappers. It gets kind of tricky in the second level, with the Ninja Gaiden influence seen in the way birds attack. This is a fantastic example of what you can do as an independent developer.

It’s so good, it makes me want to go read a book again. That hasn’t happened in like, forever.

Otherwise, this week has seen more of my steady gaming diet — a little F1 2010 (after frothing at the mouth and taking it back from Nick), a touch of Marvel vs Capcom 3 with Nick, more Super Street Fighter IV, a bunch of PES 2010 and another touch of Assassin’s Creed II. I need to sit down and properly blitz through the very end of ACII, because I’m incredibly close to the end. Also, I’ve burned my phone battery something fierce with Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, which is awesome.

Nick

This week, Nick traveled far and wide…but nowhere better than the now-reopened Ground Kontrol downtown.

I’ve been playing an old favorite game of mine this week: The Endurance Test. For those unfamiliar, this rendition consisted of several days of job interview preparation, a marathon, 23-hour day of traveling (including four separate flights), and four interviews in a row in the space of two hours, followed by my favorite part: waiting to hear back.

Fortunately, it was all worth it: I totes got a job!

I’ll be able to talk a bit more about what that job entails in the near future, but for now I just wanted to mention a couple important things:

1. I love Silicon Sasquatch like a furry, ugly (but very charming) baby, and I fully intend to keep doin’ what I do with the site; and

2. I am totally out of it this week so our “weekly” podcast will be delayed until next Monday.

Now that the boring stuff’s out of the way, let’s talk about Ground Kontrol’s big remodel — and Pac-Man Battle Royale.

Holy shit, you guys. Holy shit. Somehow, Ground Kontrol managed to snag one of these machines and has installed it front-and-center at the iconic classic arcade/bar in Northwest Portland. The bright yellow cocktail cabinet features four joysticks, plenty of oversized cup holders, and the best multiplayer action in an arcade game since Marvel vs. Capcom 2.

The goal of Pac-Man Battle Royale is to outlast your fellow Pac-Mans by avoiding ghosts and consuming power pellets to go on the offensive. Here’s the twist: When a Pac-Man eats a power pellet, he doesn’t just gain the ability to eat ghosts. Instead, he grows to a massive size and is able to consume other Pac-Mans who are unfortunate enough to wander into the gargantuan one’s path of destruction.

It’s a nuanced, clever, exciting game, and it’s an awful lot of fun. I’d say it makes the trip to Ground Kontrol worthwhile on its own.

Speaking of Pac-Man: Namco is now three-for-three in making brilliant new Pac-Man games in recent years. I don’t know about you, but I think it’s nothing short of miraculous that a thirty-year-old game can feel so fresh, innovative and thrilling. My hat’s off to Namco; they’ve really achieved something special with this one.

Aaron

Monkey, after about 25 martinis and a ridiculous bar bill, wakes up with the world's worst hangover. Or not!

I’m going to be lame this week, not because I want to be…but well, I guess I choose to be this way.

I beat Enslaved. It was better at the end than it ever was at the beginning. Really, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime game, and it’s sad to think there’ll never be a sequel.

I also popped in the copy of Darksiders I borrowed from Nick some months ago. It’s stupid fun so far, but I definitely can’t keep my attention focused on the game. Honestly, whether or not I finish it is very much up in the air.

And that’s my contribution this week! I’ve been sick, so I haven’t really had the chance to just play games. It’s ironic to say that consider when is there a better time to veg out than when ill, but oh well. Life is strange.

It won't last, bro! Not with a goatee of that caliber.

Ah, it’s that time again. The taste of romance is in every gust of air. It rustles each leaf with libidinous intent while its bedfellow, infatuation, pours itself into our potable water reservoirs from the back of some unmarked van rented at an Avis by foreign insurgents. We’re talking about a biological terrorist attack of the heart here. That familiar, disgusting plague which incites both pleasure (a sudoric [read: sweaty] bedroom encounter) and pain (a three-course meal and expensive wine at a restaurant far out of your tax bracket) is back. A cruel holiday Valentine’s is: lovers love while the lonely get lonelier.

But who gives a shit when you’ve got videogames to play, right?

With no real honor or cause paid to Valentine’s Day (which is coming up this Monday, for those who are chronologically handicapped), I present this week’s Backlog in stunning LOVE-O-VISION ©.

Basically, I colored everything pink.

Nick:

Normally you have to pay for this kind of sexual deviance on Valentine's Day.

I am not a violent man by nature. When I’ve been shoved around or belittled, my first reaction hasn’t been to rise up with fists; instead, I try to take the high road and fire back with a wry insult or pithy rejoinder. What can I say? I have a way with words.*

But for whatever reason — carnal instinct? buried ferocity? too many demeaning camping trips in my Boy Scout days? — I get a whole lot of satisfaction out of a game that delivers raw, crunchy and, well, visceral combat. It’s related to the giddiness I get from watching a great ‘80s action movie, like the moment when John McClane sends Hans Gruber plummeting to his demise or when John Matrix (truly the golden age of brain-dead movie protagonist names!) throws an effing pipe through Bennett and urges him to “let off some steam.”

Genius.

That’s why Dead Space 2 has been such an absolute joy to play. Having devoured the first third of the game in one sitting, I’m finding very little fault in the experience. Putting a face and a voice to hero Isaac Clarke (truly the golden age of brain-dead game protagonist names!) helps give the player a more meaningful anchor within the game world. And thanks to a more-linear level structure, Dead Space 2 has honed its flow to a near-perfect pitch. Really, I think it was summed up best by @Casey_Malone when he said that Dead Space is to Dead Space 2 as Uncharted is to Uncharted 2. It really is that significant of an improvement.

But given that our theme this week is love, or whatever, I’d like to point out a game that I couldn’t help but fall for within the first ten minutes: Stacking. It’s the second of Double Fine’s quartet of downloadable new games, and it’s a strong successor to the witty and adorable Costume Quest. Pairing an industrial-age motif with Russian matryoshka dolls, Stacking is a clever puzzle-solving game filled with Double Fine’s trademark clever writing. I can’t wait to dive in deeper.

*And the muscle mass of a tiny kitten.

Doug:

If my disgusting sex-related humor continues, I may come under the wrath of Mr. Wright.

I feel about a million years late to the party, but: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is now on iOS and is awesome. I’m kind of ashamed to say that I’d only heard of the Ace Attorney series until now, but can you blame me? My DS usually just gathers dust. I’m a terrible handheld gamer. Anyway, I’m halfway through the second case, and man, I kind of wish the difficulty ramp-up was a little gentler; you go from feeling really confident burying a guy in court to then having to investigate, find evidence, keep track of it, and begin to press for falsehoods in testimony. The second court case is a lot more complicated, but it’s a fun challenge.

In any case, this is exactly the kind of game that should be on iOS devices — not terribly action-intensive, but able to take advantage of a touch screen and keep you interested. Compare this with playing the iOS version of Super Street Fighter IV on Nick’s iPhone, or the copy of FIFA 11 I bought when it was on sale — games that put a d-pad and buttons on the screen — and while it’s something that can be done, it’s just not the way I want to play those games. The touch-screen D-pad is a particular problem, though it performed better in SSFIV than I expected. I still have Broken Sword that fits these general themes, too, and I should tackle that again soon, but right now it’s Wright time. It’s now back up to $5, which is a bit dear for an iPhone/iOS game, but definitely worthwhile.

I’ve also been spending a ton of time on Assassin’s Creed II. I’m really close to the end, but I spent a bunch of time last weekend hunting for codex pages and pieces of The Truth. So I know The Truth now, but still don’t understand it; I still have some other collectibles to find, and the last few assassinations to execute, so hopefully I’ll understand everything by the time the credits roll. Nick’s also kindly supplied me with Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, which is just sitting there, taunting me, and providing more reason to finish up its predecessor.

I’m also probably going to re-start my NBA 2K11 career (again) just in time for the Portland Trail Blazers to get healthy. Again. Maybe. Hopefully.

Aaron:

Stacking is a game about being inside of people. In other words, this game is totally appropriate for Valentine's Day.

What a gorgeous week! The benefit to working a 10 hour shift for four days is that you get three consecutive days off. It’s a price that’s worth paying with the nickels and dimes plucked from the tired, defeated body you lug home after each day. Anyway, I used my last few days off to chow-the-fuck-down on my personal backlog of games.

I’m more than halfway through Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, and everyone who said good things about the game was beyond right — they were prophetic. And regardless of its sales, I’m happy to own a copy of Ninja Theory’s digital opus. The facial animation and character development between Monkey and Trip is staggering, and even poetic to a degree. What a nuanced game Enslaved is, and one that deserves to be played by all gamers.

Stacking came out this week, and I don’t know what to think about it. There’s no doubt that I find it charming, but I get a strange sense while playing it that I’m not clever enough for the game. Don’t ask me to explain that, because I have no idea what I’m talking about. I suppose, and this sounds harsh, that I’m not enough of a hipster to “get” Stacking.

Fallout: New Vegas was in my Xbox 360′s disc tray for about two hours on Wednesday. Moving on….

Let me say something about Dead Space 2: the succulent meat and tender potatoes of my gaming habits this week. It has impressed me more in an hour than any game in recent memory. I can tell it’s a masterpiece, all hyperbole taken into consideration, and I’m on the second chapter. Cinematic doesn’t even begin to describe Dead Space 2, but that’s what it is; Visceral Games has taken cues from film and injected them into an expertly paced horror title so damn well.

Truly, April may be the cruelest month, but January is getting damn close. After a respite granted by the holidays, the real world stings like the fog on a frosty January morning. Aaron’s got the working man’s blues, living for the weekend (whenever that may actually fall for him — it’s like a shell game, you see), while Doug and Nick have the non-working man’s blues. It’s enough to drive a person crazy.

Plus the days are still crazy short around here. At least we have video games to keep us company! Time for the Backlog!

Aaron

Aaron wonders whether Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game was unfairly hard or if he just lacks the intestinal fortitude to crush Gideon. I'm guessing it's somewhere in the middle.

I never thought I’d get around to beating Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game, but I did. In the end it took about two hours of focused dedication to defeat the Katayanagis, NegaScott and the many evil forms of Gideon. Looking back after a couple of days since then, the game really wasn’t that difficult…I’m just bad at beat’em ups.

It’s been another solid week of LittleBigPlanet 2 action at my house, and my appreciation of the game continues to grow. The charm of the series has never been lost on me, but I’ve connected with the sequel in a way that wasn’t possible with the first. Maybe that’s because I own my own personal copy of number two and, in a way, I feel a legitimate connection to my Sackboy and his experiences — the clothes he wears and the items he collects. Sharing the brilliant level design and quirky British charm with my girlfriend has also made LBP2 my favorite game of 2011, which isn’t really a big honor because I haven’t tried Dead Space 2 yet.

Nick

Nick calls Solipskier a cross between SkiFree and blazing guitars. I'm just glad he finds the gameplay fun.

Call me crazy, but I just haven’t been in the mood for videogames this week. I’m pushing hard to find a job and figure out how I’m gonna move out on my own once again — am I sounding like a broken record yet? — but aside from that, I’ve mostly just been sleeping.

I plunged back into BioShock 2 with Minerva’s Den, a self-contained story add-on. Look for some more on that once I wrap it up in the next few days.

I’ve barely scratched the surface of LittleBigPlanet 2 since the day I got it, and I think I know why: playing it alone just isn’t much fun. I had the good fortune of having a friend around when my copy arrived and we blazed through the first world, having a great time of it. But since then I can only get through a level or two before I get frustrated or bored and shelve it again. Much like the first LittleBigPlanet, the real value of the game is in its creation tools and not its level design; unfortunately, the only way to get the tools for level building is by playing through the single-player mode.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. I picked up Solipskier yesterday, an awesome little game that’s well-suited to a touchscreen platform. It’s available on iOS and Android, and there’s also a web-based version on the developer’s site. It’s a simple concept: draw a path for a skier to follow with your finger, building up speed and hitting gates while avoiding pitfalls. I’ll admit I didn’t get the appeal when I saw it on a friend’s phone, but that’s probably because the sound was off. Solipskier features some great music, with its ridiculous guitar-shredding gameplay song that clashes beautifully with the quiet Chopin piano composition that accompanies the game-over screen. It’s currently down to $.99 on the App Store; highly recommended.

Doug

Super Street Fighter IV, or: Nick kicks Doug's ass, repeatedly.

When the going gets tough, the tough get going. When the times are lean, then, the gamer gets creative. Over the past few years I’ve noticed myself spending a lot of time gaming forward, consuming a bit of a game then buying another new one the next month. I can’t do that right now, so it’s time to burn through my backlog of games. Otherwise, I’m liable to go insane either by overdosing on Pro Evo Soccer or job applications, and neither is a great idea.

How this turned into a ringing endorsement for Super Street Fighter IV, then, is anybody’s guess, but god damn have I forgotten how good that game is. Nick can still kick the ever-loving crap out of me at it — in ten online matches earlier this week, I won once, maybe — but I’m struggling to think of a good reason why I ever shuffled the game out of my regular rotation. It really is an amazing fighting game, matching a deep fighting engine with fast action and a great graphic style. I’ve noticed a few extra graphic flourishes of late, too, like the look of horror on your opponent’s face during the windup animation for an Ultra. I’m still really bad at the game, but improving through sheer determination and practice.

Like Aaron, I’ve also spent more time on Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Now that I know the best process for leveling up a character, I can avoid the frustration of being at a high level but without upgraded stats. The sprites, songs and beat-em-up gameplay are still fulfilling, and the DLC pack at least adds Knives as a playable character. So it’s got that going for it.

Normally I’m the guy who’s elbows-deep in sports game career modes, all worried about the dynamics going on within my soccer, football or basketball season. I enjoy story-based games, but I’ve always been really bad about justifying taking the time to complete missions. Right now, though, I’m in a real patch of single player goodness — I’m almost done with Assassin’s Creed II and my second playthrough of Mass Effect 2.

AC2 has continued to impress me in almost every way possible. The game uses so many of the same basic ideas as its predecessor, but it paces and meters them in a much, much better way. I love the storyline, finding out The Truth, exploring renaissance Italy, and all the wonderful Italian cursing.

And what can be said about ME2 that we haven’t already covered in detail? Still a great game. I think I’m going to find time next week to dive through the game’s final mission. Can’t wait for ME3.

While our Top 10 Games of 2009 deserve attention for their overall excellence, we can’t neglect this year’s other fantastic games — titles that just missed the final cut. Be it their charm or presentation, our Honorable Mentions were simply hard to forget. We’ve arrived at the final installment in our five-part series with Nick’s list of honorable mentions.

There’s been an ongoing joke about how I was the only person here who played every single game on our top ten list. While it’s a testament to my superhuman persuasive abilities, it also raises some questions about how I spend my time and money. In my defense, this was probably the single best year ever for high-quality games in both the mainstream and the independent scenes.

Below is a list of the few games that couldn’t make the list, either because nobody else at Silicon Sasquatch had played them — or because the poor fools didn’t know what they were missing.

Machinarium

October — Windows, Mac

2009 was the best year for adventure games in a very long time. With Telltale dishing out five episodes of a brand-new Monkey Island series and LucasArts providing a lovingly crafted remake of the classic Secret of Monkey Island, those of us who dream in dialog trees were pleased as punch with the selection on offer this year. The only downside was that most of the games were mere iterations on old franchises and design principles.

Except for Machinarium.

The first full-length game from Czech developer Amanita Design, Machinarium is the story of a little robot and his journey to be reunited with his metallic sweetheart. The game stands out from its peers for a number of reasons — such as the beautiful, stylish artwork and great soundtrack — but what’s most notable is that it manages to tell a story without a single word. Characters communicate with wild gesticulation and cartoon thought bubbles, adding an immense amount of personality to an already charming world. It’s the best adventure game released this year, and it comes with my highest recommendation.

Street Fighter IV

February — Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Windows

Sakura leaps over a bewildered Ken while a fat child rejoices

I’m what you might call a casual fighting game fan. I know and love the classics like Street Fighter II Turbo, Soul Calibur and Marvel vs. Capcom 2, but I’ve never invested in the time or hardware to rise to a true competitive level. The amount of manual dexterity, patience and practice required to learn how to use a character’s moves wisely is part of a fighting game’s enduring value, but for whatever reason it never clicked with me as a fun way to spend my time.

Street Fighter IV converted me to the world of the hardcore fighter with its fine-tuned roster of exaggerated personalities and remarkably well-paced learning curve. I started out just playing a few versus rounds with friends and playing a few games against the computer, but over time I began to see hints of just how deeply strategic the game could be. Before I knew it, I was spending hours grinding out the challenge modes to master a few of my favorite fighters. As of this writing, I’ve played more than 200 online matches and logged a grand total of 43 hours — and that’s in a game where a round takes just a few seconds!

DJ Hero

October — Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, PlayStation 2

I’m a pretty fierce critic of Guitar Hero, and with good reason: Ever since Harmonix and RedOctane/Activision split ways after Guitar Hero 2, the series has failed to even come within reach of its former quality. Iteration after iteration and band-specific spinoff after spinoff, Guitar Hero has all but rendered itself irrelevant.

So you can imagine my surprise when a brand-new Hero game showed up this October and it wound up being excellent. FreeStyleGames managed to launch a new music franchise with all the right ingredients: an excellent soundtrack, a solid and rewarding learning curve and a sturdy, enjoyable turntable controller. The only thing lacking was a more robust interface to help organize gigs and add some weight to the single-player experience. But with a sequel almost certainly on the way, I’m certain FreeStyleGames has great things in the works.

The only downside? Having “Poison” by Bell Biv Devoe permanently lodged in my brain. Actually, maybe that’s not such a bad thing.

Assassin’s Creed 2

November — Xbox 360, PlayStation 3

A presto, Ezio

It’s a shame we couldn’t squeeze Assassin’s Creed II into our top ten list. Although I was a huge fan of the original Assassin’s Creed, its repetitive mechanics and somewhat stunted narrative didn’t appeal to everyone. Fortunately, Ubisoft Montreal did the impossible by addressing just about every complaint that was leveled against its predecessor and producing a sequel that appealed both to fans and detractors of the original game.

I rarely take the time to complete 100% of the tasks available in a game anymore, but with its breathtaking, living cities and excellent pacing — a rarity in games with open worlds — I was compelled to find every last feather and treasure box within Renaissance Italy. Fortunately, with more downloadable content on the way, I won’t have to hang up my white cloak and daggers just yet.

Rock Band 2

September…of 2008 — Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, PlayStation 2

Just so we’re clear: Rock Band 2 came out in September of 2008. As in, it’s not a game from this year, and it technically has no business being on this list. But thanks to exceptional downloadable song support throughout the year and a patch that offered a number of significant improvements to the core experience, Rock Band 2 was the rare game that only got better with age. And with Rock Band Network launching in just a few weeks, the floodgates show no signs of closing. Based on my experiences participating in the closed Rock Band Network beta, there are a lot of interesting songs in the pipeline that are being peer reviewed and polished to the point where most are indistinguishable in quality from the weekly releases Harmonix has been putting out. It was easily my most-played game of 2009, and it’s all but guaranteed to dominate my living room in 2010.

—

And to round out the list, I’ve included a few games that may not have much enduring value but stand out for providing some truly exceptional moments:

• Windosill – discovering just how much fun a game can be when the player is encouraged to stop and smell the roses
• Bejeweled Blitz — competing in weekly tournaments against friends in sixty-second bursts makes it easily the most addictive experience of the year
• Red Faction: Guerrilla — demolishing an entire military-industrial institution with a single sledgehammer

The Holidays approach. For some that means quality time with family members not seen for a year — maybe more. Others, well…can I get a “what what” if at some point during your life you hid away in the midst of celebrations to finish Earthbound (or, insert other game reference here). However, my adult years have made me more personable when it comes to the holidays; I’m now infinitely more interested in the going-ons of my kin.

Still, I won’t lie that this year I’d prefer to mow down more of Left 4 Dead 2′s cajunized zombies with a giant plate of delicious turkey and fixins on my lap. I’m thankful for me.

We’re back on track for backlogs, and this week is mega-sized to make up for our absence. To summarize: Nick informs us he essentially played everything ever released this month, Doug gushes about his beloved Forza 3 between study sessions, and I write about why two wonderful November-born titles should be played on the PC.

Do the Mario!

Nick:

Life served up a particularly hellish week for me, so it was fortunate that I had a slew of excellent games to escape with.

I spent a few fantastic hours in New Super Mario Bros. Wii in its fantastic cooperative/competitive mode earlier this week. What Jerry Holkins said about this game’s debilitating effects on a relationship is true, to a point; while we were able to help each other out for the most part, there were times where my attempts to “take the lead” or “get us through this tough spot” often led to one or both of us being killed, prompting my girlfriend to say some things about me that are rarely included in the same sentences used to talk about a Mario game. But it was all in good fun — something this game has in ample supply. It’s Mario in his best form ever, and anyone who grew up playing these games should purchase it without hesitation.

This week also brought another sequel to a game I adored: Assassin’s Creed 2. Transporting the game to Renaissance Italy is perhaps the most significant shift in story and setting that I’ve seen in a franchise in quite some time, and Ubisoft Montreal deserves some commendation for crafting an incredible sequel to an already ambitious debut title. There’s so much I could say about how things were improved — combat, economy, actions and consequences, exploration, story — but I’ll lay it out like this instead. If you loved Assassin’s Creed, you’ll love Assassin’s Creed 2. And if you hated the original? You’ll probably love Assassin’s Creed 2 anyway.

Having completed all five campaigns in Left 4 Dead 2, I’m happy to pronounce myself an official fan of the series. Although I bought the first game and had my fair share of fun with it, I always felt a little uneasy playing it. And it wasn’t because of the game’s tension, or horror-film veneer, or anything like that; it was just that the game sent a constant message that your survival was entirely at the game director’s mercy. In the sequel, the tone has changed significantly for the better. If Left 4 Dead was Valve’s attempt to make an interactive zombie movie like Dawn of the Dead, Left 4 Dead 2 is Valve making a balls-out Zombieland-style game. Melee weapons encourage close combat, lending a sense of strength and confidence to the survivors that was sorely missing from the first. All four of the characters in the sequel have stronger personalities than the first game’s survivors, and their determination on getting to New Orleans to be rescued encourages the player to keep slogging it out through hell and high water. It’s one of the most improved sequels of the year, without a doubt.

And when you consider that Left 4 Dead 2 was developed in just one year, it’s disappointing that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 didn’t shape up to be more substantial. To be fair, Infinity Ward’s last game, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, not only reinvented the series — it raised the bar significantly for what an online multiplayer experience can be. I sank a “mere” 40 hours into COD4′s multiplayer mode, which pales in comparison to most of the people on my friends list. Multiplayer in Modern Warfare 2 is technically just as good as COD4′s, but after a solid six hours online in a variety of modes I’m struggling to stay interested. The mantra in developing this sequel seems to have been “more options in every aspect of play,” which is a good thing, but the core sensation of Call of Duty 4 has dulled for me. I was hoping lightning would strike twice, and I suppose it did, but I was hoping for a more risky and adventurous update to multiplayer — not a mere iteration. If I wanted that, I’d have bought last year’s Call of Duty: World at War. If there is one area that received a substantial improvement, though, it’s the single player. Rather than attempt to keep things within the bounds of reality, Infinity Ward opted to create an over-the-top global conflict that was flawlessly paced from start to finish. It’s ludicrous, but it’s so, so much fun. At about six hours to complete, it’s shorter than COD4′s — but considering how tedious replaying that game’s campaign was for me, I’m much happier with the new game’s approach.

I’m still slogging through Dragon Age: Origins with my city elf rogue. Steam says I’ve played for quite a long time, but I’m only at about 15% completion. Maybe it’s because I love reading every entry in the admirably written codex, or because I can’t help but talk to every NPC, but I’m getting an astronomically entertaining experience for my money with this game. I’m really struggling to fathom just how Mass Effect 2 could top the quality of this experience once it hits in January.

I also sank a few rounds in with the Battlefield: Bad Company 2 beta. I’d been hoping for a return to the glory days of Battlefield 2, and instead what I got was Bad Company with a moderate graphical upgrade; it’s good, but there are better options available. Looks like I’ll still be holding out for Battlefield 3 after all.

Doug sums up his feelings on this picture with an articulate "WEEEEEEE!"

Doug:

While I’ve been way too busy finishing up the majority of my grad school quarter, I’ve still found time to play a little bit of…erm…Forza Motorsport 3. And nothing else.

But it’s so good! I still love pretty much everything about it, even if I haven’t been able to play online with my friends at all. The rewind button is a godsend — it erases single-player frustration with the ease of control-z functionality. The selection of cars and tuning options are superb; I’ve made an old-school Volkswagen Rabbit into a fire-breathing, turbocharged four-wheel-drive monster that could eat a Ferrari for lunch and spit out its bones.

It’s been said that Microsoft and Turn 10 gets things right in the third iteration, and this particular game is a great example of that. It’s almost strange to think that all three Forza Motosport games have been released since Sony and Polyphony released Gran Turismo 4 on the PlayStation 2. It’s scary to think how much Forza has moved ahead certain aspects of console racing games.

Along with Forza, I’ve tried out a few of the Xbox Live improvements from this week’s update — namely the implementation of Facebook and Twitter. And that’s really the extent of my interaction; they’re there, they work just as advertised, but I feel like I’m kind of missing the point. It’s nice to have both services everywhere at all times, but until a real killer use for either blooms on the 360 they’re going to feel like tacked-on additions.

I don't think James Brown had this in mind when he wanted to take us to "the bridge."

Aaron:

Let’s get down to it. Left 4 Dead 2 and Dragon Age: Origins are two amazing games that deserve to be played on the PC only.

Now, I love consoles. This isn’t a fanboy thing. And I fully understand that not everyone has a modern computer capable of playing the latest releases — Boot Camp Macs included. So, let’s assume you’re a lucky gamer who has the following: a home console of the PS3 or Xbox 360 variety, and a gaming PC. Let’s also assume you enjoy co-op zombie shooting and in-depth fantasy RPGs. You’re excited about the aforementioned titles, but you’re hesitant to commit to a particular platform. Here’s the answer: Play those games on the PC, or you’re not getting your money’s worth.

That may be a blatantly ignorant statement to some, but these words come from a person who, before this month, more or less abandoned PC gaming over the past year (aside from Dawn of War II and Left 4 Dead 1). PCs get the short end of the doomsday stick these days. People say the PC as a gaming device is dead, no one makes money off of the games anymore, and pirating is ruining developers left and right. Controversies aren’t helping the perception of PC gamers amongst the general gaming populace either. So that’s why I’m glad to see Electronic Arts promoting the platform with a definitive version Dragon Age, and Valve doing their thing by releasing such a quality computer title as L4D2.

Dragon Age works best on PC because of the following: the overall better performance (higher frame rate, less glitching, faster loading), a more sensible control/camera mechanic, and a BioWare community toolset that paves the way for future user mods. If Neverwinter Nights is an example to go by, expect years of free, quality content flowing from the collective mind of an invested fan base.

Now, Left 4 Dead 2 deserves to be experienced on the PC because it’s a Valve title first, console port second — plain and simple. The Steam service is consistent in its ability to match like minded players and bring friends together promptly. PC gamers are spoiled when it comes to online play. Thanks, dedicated servers.

I’d also wager the community on Steam is better than Xbox Live’s. Actually, it is better. Left 4 Dead 2 even has a section specifically for add-ons, and it’s exciting to think of the campaigns an active community will create using the sequel’s assets. The original’s user-made maps were generally great, so expect a longer lifespan if you pick up L4D2 on the PC.

Oh, and PC versions are cheaper than their console counterparts. That’s a plus.

Just as Assassin's Creed protagonist Altaïr overlooks the city below, we take a landscape look at the game

Editor’s note: We here at Silicon Sasquatch don’t think new games deserve all the attention. To illustrate that point we’re introducing our new Retrospective features: articles that focus an analytical eye on older releases in a non-review format. Our inaugural Retrospective takes a fresh look at Ubisoft Entertainment’s 2007 action-adventure game, Assassin’s Creed. This particular title made games press headlines at release — for reasons both good and bad. Scant details about Assassin’s Creed II have trickled out over the last month, and considering the goodly amount of time since the original was released, it seems like a perfect opportunity to look over Altaïr’s adventures with 20/20 hindsight. Enjoy.

Assassin’s Creed is confusing.

Developer Ubisoft Montreal manages to simultaneously offer a graphically beautiful game with very good, fluid controls while presenting an experience with enough frustrating pacing and banal mission structures to mire the player’s enjoyment in the muck.

I had never played the game until a few weeks ago, but being an astute follower of the gaming press and culture I know that the game’s reputation precedes it. From the barely hidden initial plot twist (SPOILER: It’s about two storylines, one modern and one during the Third Crusade) to the innovative free running exploration style and the controversy surrounding the game’s review scores — yes, I know about Assassin’s Creed.

Even so I’m surprised by how much I enjoy the game. The controls seem daunting at first, but fall into place quickly for experienced gamers. Further, the usage of the controls — holding down a button to switch between “high-visibility” activities like fighting and “low-visibility” ones like blending into the crowd — meshes well with the assassin, Altaïr, and his need slither about undetected while being ready to strike at a moment’s notice.

The game shines when the player must stay in the shadows — stealth kills are a rush, rewarding the player's patience

The problem I have with the game, though, is that it takes one fun idea and rubber-stamps it into a 12-plus-hour experience. You climb towers to fill out your map and ascertain your next investigation; from there you pickpocket, eavesdrop, intimidate or help out a fellow assassin to get the info you need. Gather enough information and you can attempt an assassination on the area’s boss. It sounds fine, but repeat the process nine times and it all becomes very…average. These activities in and of themselves are fun, but no remodeling of the established pattern causes the eyelids to droop — something that happens during the course of Assassin’s Creed’s plot, too.

The protagonist slot is shared between Altaïr, the Crusades-era assassin cover boy, and his 21st-century descendant Desmond, a lab-rat for a shadowy pharmaceutical company called Abstergo Industries. Both Altaïr and Desmond are tasked with completing their missions without knowing any of the background information or, really a reason why. Only as they untangle the mysteries do they begin to feel manipulated.

But as a whole it all feels a bit flat, and the motivations for both characters aren’t believable enough to prove too interesting. However, the way the distant relatives intertwine and mirror one another over the course of the game is very impressive.

I kept playing, though mostly because of my in-game wanderlust. Exploring the ancient cities of Jerusalem, Acre and Damascus is quite visually enjoyable. The graphics and game engine for Assassin’s Creed have aged well — the game looks gorgeous, there’s still a great rush from climbing a city’s high tower and taking a Leap of Faith swan dive. Even the combat engine is reliable. Fighting is hardly a highlight, though — the swordplay is a little stiff, and ranges wildly from making the player feel like a badass to feeling cornered and hopeless.

The animations used to bring Altaïr's climbing antics to life are impressive without relying on demanding control schemes

But taking a look back at Assassin’s Creed means looking at its spotty critical reception as well. The now-defunct Electronic Gaming Monthly famously panned the game with a three score-average rating of a 5 out of 10. Just above mediocre. IGN gave the game a 77 out of 100, which, when run through the IGN score filter, is also patently average. Edge gave the game a 7 out of 10.

One of the harshest critiques came from Destructoid, which gave it a 55/100 and called it “a disappointing, repetitive game.” However the review goes on to add, “Once you get past all that…there’s absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t be able to have a hell of a fun time with it.”

Accusations at the time were whispers that claimed reviews which scored the game over a certain mark let the accompanying websites break the non-disclosure agreement’s review street date. It sounds good for Ubisoft in theory — if  all the pre-launch impressions of your game are positive, strong sales will likely follow. But it’s bad ethics in terms of principle, and the supposed pressure for “good” reviews backfired as other sites ran their own less-than-glowing reviews. Ubisoft was pushed into a corner: Would they admit they allowed positive reviews out first, or alternatively stay quiet and allow their NDA to be thoroughly abused?

In all honesty, the scores of 7s and the like seem about right. For all that Assassin’s Creed does right in terms of its gameplay, engine, graphics and design, it comes up short in a lot of other areas. Sometimes it tries too hard (the story), and sometimes it’s just uninspired (the lack of mission variety). The glowing reviews clearly came from individuals captivated by the scenery, while the negative reviews seem, to me at least, to strike a sort of middle ground.

Assassin’s Creed is neither groundbreaking nor a once-in-a-lifetime gaming experience. It’s certainly not a Game of the Year contender. Truly, it’s more akin to a movie like last summer’s Iron Man: A popcorn flick with artistic credentials that happens to do a damn good job of setting up the sequel.

If Assassin’s Creed II mends the shortcomings of the first game while keeping its solid fundamentals, Ubisoft may put out a title that won’t need manufactured positive press — it’ll make its own.