2026 - Happy New Year & 2025 GOTY is obviously not Clair Obscur.

Play

As Dusk Falls (PS5) - Completed

An interactive "telltale" like game about a family whilst relocating to St. Louis are forced to stop at a motel and chaos ensues.

An enjoyable story with multiple characters that does end on a mild cliffhanger, not sure if the studio Interior Night has any plans to continue the story.

It even has a waterfall scene!

 

Sword of the Sea (PS5) - Completed

A stunningly beautiful game where you ride a hoverboard and help to bring back water to a desert. Who else but Austin Wintory with yet another amazing soundtrack. If you enjoyed Journey you will love this & it has some amazing waterfalls!

 

Clair Obscur - Expeditions 33 (PS5) - Playing

With the extended break from work it was time to start another physical game from my backlog & what else but the darling of award shows and many gamers GOTY, Clair Obscur Expeditions 33.

I can't say anything about the game that you have not already read or listened but yes it lives up to the hype. If not the sountrack then the art style or engrossing story and characters. Maybe it's the turn-based battles with it's parry/dodge mechanic or that each character has a unique fighting style to master.

I was hoping I may be able to complete it before the end of the year but I don't want to rush it and enjoy every beautifully crafted section of the game.

In summary I wish Square Enix are taking notes, this is what the Final Fantasy games should have been.

Oh! and yes it has some beautiful waterfalls!

 

Game of the Year 2025 

Overall I'm happy with my gaming year starting with the juggernaut that is Cyberpunk 2025 & what a game it was! A pleasure to explore Night City and uncover it's many secrets. Without going any further let me just say this is my game of the year! even before I started playing the Phantom Liberty DLC.

I then enjoyed some british humour in Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe before going back to the 80s for Robocop Rogue City. We can ignore Pure Mini Golf a 32p purchase for an easy platinum lol!

Road 96 was the first of many interactive "telltale" like games I would enjoy this year and no year is complete without an RGG game and Like A Dragon Ishin! scratched that itch!

Balatro should come with a warning label, easily the most addictive game I've played in a long time and even now I keep coming back to just to have one more run!

Ghostwire Tokyo was an unexpected surprise that I enjoyed very much including the scary school sequence! Fantasy Life i told me how fragile a human being I am with constant RSI pains due to it's lack of accessbility options for the quicktime events. It also taught me I should always quit playing games if I am not enjoying.

Dredge was a relaxing fishing game with a mysterious story to enjoy & Lost Records Bloom & Rage Tape 1 another interactive game from one of my favourite developers Don't Nod.

Messenger an impressibe acheivement for a short browser based game, The Invincible is a first person sci-fi adventure based on the 1964 novel.

I then found my digital crack in Wordle, Connections & Strands. I still play all three daily but did give up on Spelling Bee & Pips.

Promise Mascot Agency was an enjoyable "Kairosoft" like game with a yakuza backstory, it is also the first game I have purchased in years that I started playing straight away.

Hole.io kep me entertained for a few days gobbling up buildings. Then back to back interactive titles in Lost Records Bloom & Rage Tape 2 & As Dusk Falls. Finishing off the year with Sword of the Sea.

2026 Gaming Resolutions

New year! and some new resolutions that I can break!

1. Purchase no more physical games until I have reduced my backlog to 3 titles (currently at 13!).

2. I did well in 2025 and avoided buying the PS5 Pro and Switch 2, I need to keep that going in 2026, no new hardware purchases except if required PS5 controllers.

3. I have £80 on PSN credit and this all I can use until I reduce my digital backlog to 10 titles (either by playing or dropping, currently at 35 games). No more shopto top up codes!

I will renew PS+ at the essentials tier in November, I don't need the extra tier it just adds more titles to my backlog!

4. I did really well this year with FOMO, I did not go back to Fortnite even with the Simpsons map or the current BTTF skins, I also avoided purchasing Arc Raiders. I don't have the free time for these type of games. Need to avoid the hype and just play what I already own.

 

Backlog

Digital Games (35) - +4 See shopping below

PS+ Subscription (3) - Reduced by 1, Sword of the Sea & As Dusk Falls completed & Planet Coaster 2 added.

PS+ Monthly (19) - Reduced by 1, can't remember what title I dropped?! It was Viewpoint!

Physical Games (13) - added two see shopping below

Total = 70 Games (gone up by three from last month!)

Shopping

Stupid end of year sales! 

Shadow Gambit - Cursed Crew - £8.74 - Backlog
Steamworld Heist 2 - £6.24 - Backlog
Beyond Galaxyland - £7.49 - Backlog
Gears of War Reloaded £15.99 - Physical Backlog
Helldivers 2 £19.99 - Physical Backlog
A Way Out £4.49 - Backlog
The Quarry £8.44 - For Nemo/Sam to enjoy
and Roger £4.29 - First game I have purchased on the switch in a long time!

2025 Total £399.72! 

2026 Target is spend less than £100

 

Want

Quite a few titles I'm interested in from The Game Awards show including

The First Shepherd, Bradley the Badger, Star Wars Fate of the Old Republic, Control Resonant, Gang of Dragon, No Law, Tomb Raider Catalyst & Tomb Raider Legacy of Atlantis, 007 First Light & Pragmata.

Bin

My own weakness for buying more games when I have enough games to enjoy already!

 

Happy New Year! 

Game of the Year 2023

It's been a busy year for gaming, starting off with The Gardens Between & my catch up of the Yakuza games is completed with Song of Life. Then back to the open plains with Aloy before catching up with Kratos & Atreus. When I decide what to play after completing a game I like to mix genres and also play some shorter indie titles after completing a longer game. Thus next came Lego Builders Journey, Lost Words & Dodgeball Academia.

A return to form for the Final Fantasy series in 16 with some great Eikon battles & then an adventure in the potterverse with Hogwarts Legacy. Old Mans Journey & Dysmantle kept me busy during August before I picked up a XSX console and Gamepass & scrapped my own rule of one console per generation.

The PS5 then took a break whilst I went on a gamepass playing spree in Unpacking, A Short Hike, Quantum Break, Venba, Halo Guardians/Infinite, Vampire Survivors, Gears 4 & 5. Gamepass offers day one releases and not just on first party games but also selected third party & I got to enjoy Jusant & Like A Dragon Gaiden.Forager then kept me busy for a while before the storm that was brewing for December arrived & swept everything aside to announce the new Fortnite, a multiverse of games now included Rocket Racing, Festival & Lego Fortnite.

2023 GOTY - God of War Ragnarok, I love a game that has a great story & God of War Ragnarok does not disappoint. The Father/Son relationship is put to the test with the arrival of Odin. The gameplay carries over the previous game with some suttle changes but it is the story that kept me glued to the controller. God of War was released in 2018 & then 2022 for Ragnarok, hopefully we do not have to wait too long for the next game in the series.

Special mention also to Final Fantasy 16 which had some truly epic Eikon fight sequences and is easily a showcase for this genertation. I also throughly enjoyed Quantum Break which I only started due to a GamePass weekly challenge and then could not put down. Last but not least the Indie games with Venba, Jusant, A Short Hike & Lost Words being great gaming experiences.

The Gardens Between (PS5)
Yakuza 6 Song of Life (PS5)
Horizon Forbidden West (PS5)
God of War Ragnarok (PS5)
Lego Builders Journey (PS5)
Lost Words (PS5)
Dodgeball Academia (PS5)
Final Fantasy 16 (PS5)
Hogwarts Legacy (PS5)
Old Mans Journey (PS5)
Dysmantle (PS5)
Unpacking (XSX)
A Short Hike (XSX)
Quantum Break (XSX)
Venba (XSX)
Halo Guardians (XSX)
Halo Infinite (XSX)
Vampire Survivors (XSX)
Gears of War 4 (XSX)
Gears 5 (XSX)
Jusant (XSX)
Like A Dragon Gaiden - The Man Who Erased His Name (XSX)
Forager (XSX)
Lego Fortnite (PS5)

Game of the Year 2019 is Spider-Man

Definitely less time for gaming this year but I still managed to complete 13 games (I did start DQ11 in  2019 but completed it this week).

Inside (PS4)
Burly Men at Sea (PS4)
Spider-Man (PS4)
Assassin's Creed Odyssey (PS4)
Football Chairman (iOS)
Children of Zodiarcs (PS4)
What Remains of Edith Finch (PS4)
Bulletstorm Full Clip (PS4)
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (PS4)
Mafia 3 (PS4)
Fifa 19 (PS4)
Dragon Quest Builders 2 ( PS4)
Days Gone (PS4)

I enjoyed playing AC Odyssey, Ubisoft finally seem to have the formula perfected, although I do with they would stick to a 2 or 3-year cycle for releases. Dragon Quest Builders 2 takes the formula from the first game & improves with better automation. I need to play more indie titles because they are much shorter but I did enjoy Edith Finch & Children of the Zodiarcs.

I have played family games on the switch with Mario Party & Kart but the majority of my gaming is done on the PS4 or iOS devices. Football Chairman kept me entertained again for a few months otherwise it has been the usual Township & Clash Royale.

I managed to complete a few PS+ titles in the forgetful Bulletstorm & Mafia 3 which I did enjoy playing. Shadow of the Tomb Raider I felt obliged to play only because I have completed the previous two games & a return to Fifa 19 after my 3-year break with Ultimate Team.

Spider-Man is my game of 2019, so much fun zipping around the city & combat is satisfying. I really enjoyed the boss battles & characters, I wish I had waited to buy the game of the year edition though to enjoy the DLC.




2020 then is the year of the new consoles, I expect to stick with Sony and get the PS5 on release especially if it is released with Horizon Zero Dawn 2, Batman Court of Owls or Cyberpunk 2020. There are quite a few releases which I will not play on the PS4 & wait for the inevitable re-release on PS5 like Final Fantasy 7 remake, Ghosts of Tsushima & Last of Us 2.

Having just completed Dragon Quest XI after 135 hours! I'm going to enjoy some indie titles in No Way Out & Steamworld Heist before moving onto the gaming shelf which includes Star Wars Fallen Jedi, The Outer Worlds & Death Stranding. 

Red Dead Redemption 2 (PS4) - What a way to end the year!

Completed - easily one of the best games this generation with an amazing narrative & enjoyable open world to explore.

It’s been a good year for me having completed 14 games.

Battlefield 1 (PS4)
Walking Dead New Frontier (PS4)
The Division (PS4)
Assassins Creed Origins (PS4)
Telltale Batman (PS4)
Dragonball Z Dokkan Battle (iOS)
Mad Max (PS4)
Ni No Kuni 2 (PS4)
Stardew Valley (PS4)
Hidden Agenda (PS4)
God of War (PS4)
Final Fantasy XV (PS4)
Qube Directors Cut (PS4)
Red Dead Redemption 2 (PS4)
Cities Skyline (PS4)

Some great games especially God of War, Stardew Valley, AC Origins & Game of the year possibly generation in Red Dead Redemption 2.

2017 Review inc Game of the Year

It has been a pretty bad year for gaming with only 14 games completed (excluding DLC)

Lego Star Wars - The Force Awakens (PS4)
Destiny - Rise of Iron DLC (PS4)
Tiny Rails (iOS)
World of Final Fantasy (PS4)
Tiny Troopers (PS4)
Costume Quest 2 (PS4)
Firewatch (PS4)
Titanfall 2 (PS4)
Letter Quest Remastered (PS4)
Horizon Zero Dawn (PS4)
Steamworld Dig (PS4)
Ghost Recon Wildlands (PS4)
Destiny 2 (PS4)
Lego Avengers (PS4)
Uncharted Lost Legacy (PS4)

It has been very difficult to find any time for gaming & it does not help when that time is wasted playing broken games like XCOM2 or games that just go on forever & I got bored of playing them like Persona 5.

I purchased a PSVR unit in June and have played various smaller games & experiences which are not on the completed list. PSVR has been a breath of fresh air & I am utterly amazed at the technology & experiences it can deliver.

From the list above Firewatch, TitanFall 2, Horizon Zero Dawn & Ghost Recon Wildlands have been the most enjoyable experiences this year but it is Horizon Zero Dawn which I have enjoyed the most this year. Aloy's adventures in a post apocalyptic world overrun with robotic creatures is a pleasure to explore & the combat is challenging with a range of various weapons that you need to switch out depending on your foe.

I have enough on the shelf already for 2018 but it is Red Dead Redemption 2 & Dragon Quest 8 that I am most looking forward to playing.

2016 Review inc Game of the Year

It has not been a bad year for gaming, 22 games completed

Lifeline (iOS)
Lara Croft Temple of Osiris (PS4)
Metal Gear Solid V (PS4)
Game of Thrones - Telltale (PS4)
Lara Croft Go (iOS)
Batman Arkham Knight (PS4)
Football Chairman Pro (iOS)
Uncharted 4 (PS4)
Ratchet & Clank (PS4)
This War of Mine (PS4)
Gone Home (PS4)
Hero Emblems (iOS)
Destiny The Taken King (PS4)
Telltale Walking Dead Michonne (PS4)
Diablo 3 (PS4)
Capitals (iOS)
No Man's Sky (PS4)
Deus Ex Mankind Divided (PS4)
Everybody's gone to the Rapture (PS4)
Dragon Quest Builders (PS4)
Tales of the Borderlands (PS4)
Rise of the Tomb Raider (PS4)

Some very good games completed this year from MGSV, Batman, Deus Ex & Dragon Quest Builders but Uncharted 4 is my game of the year because it was the complete package from gameplay, plot to dialogue. Just an amazing experience I could not put down till I completed. No Man's Sky was a disappointment but I did enjoy the experience & I may revisit once Hello Games have released a few more updates.

I have stuck to my one console this generation even though I was very tempted by Forza Horizon 3, the Wii U I did not touch & even the kids have stopped playing so it will be sold. I expect I will buy the Nintendo Switch maybe even on release depending on the games.

Looking at games for 2017 Mass Effect Andromeda & Red Dead Redemption 2 are the obvious big releases but I am also looking forward to Ni No Kuni 2, Persona 5 & Dragon Quest XI but I expect that will be 2018 before released.

2015 Review inc Game of the Year

It's been a much quieter year for gaming, the amount of time I have for gaming is forever shrinking. Excluding iOS & DLC I only completed 11 games, 4 of which were very short.

Watch_Dogs (PS4)
Peggle 2 (PS4)
MGSV - Ground Zeroes (PS4)
Knack (PS4)
Shadow of Mordor (PS4)
CounterSpy (PS4)
Assassin's Creed Unity (PS4)
Battlefield Hardline (PS4)
Journey (PS4)
Witcher 3 Wild Hunt (PS4)
Fallout 4 (PS4)

Witcher 3 was my game of the year because unlike Fallout 4 it kept me entertained for the full length of the game & had a satisfying ending. I also enjoyed Shadow of Mordor but the last boss fight was far too easy.

Maybe I need to stop playing long open world games that consume many hours to complete & enjoy the smaller indie titles like Counterspy or Journey. I have quite a few of these thanks to PS+ & the PSN sale purchases like the Telltale Borderlands & Game of Thrones games. I enjoy playing/watching a good story & it's probably why given the choice I would rather watch a movie then play a game that has resulted in less gaming time.

My predictions from last year included purchasing a Xbox1 console never came true, with my limited gaming time one console is more than enough for me. The WiiU carried on gathering dust & I expect that will be gone at some point this year.

Spending wise I only purchased 3 games on release, Metal Gear Solid V, Fifa 16 & Fallout 4. Everything else was either in a sale or from trades. I don't think I spent more than £150 throughout the year.

2016 then will be very similar to this year, just enjoy what I already own & buy the odd few titles I want on release like Uncharted 4 & No Man's Sky.

2014 Review inc Game of the Year

I completed 24 games this year (excl DLC) compared to 28 in 2013.

Champ Man (iOS)
Mass Effect 2 (360)
Deadlight (360)
Dust Elysian Tail (360)
Army of Two Devil's Cartel (360)
Danger Boat (iOS)
Football Chairman (iOS)
Deus Ex Human Revolution (360)
Pocket Mine (iOS)
Dice Jockey (iOS)
Ridiculous Fishing (iOS)
Disco Zoo (iOS)
Mass Effect 3 (360)
Portal (360)
Brothers A Tale of Two Sons (PS3)
Unfinished Swan (PS3)
Dead Island Riptide (360)
Epic Astro Story (iOS)
Monument Valley (iOS)
Kiwanuka (iOS)
Walking Dead Season 2 (PS3)
Destiny (PS4)
Wolfenstein New Order (PS4)
Ghost Recon Future Soldier (360)

Highlights throughout the year have been the completion of the Mass Effect Trilogy, Deus Ex Human Revolution, Brothers A Tale of Two Sons, Monument Valley & Destiny. I did spend a lot of time with Destiny (200 hours+) but the game could & should have been so much more. Destiny did however get me playing the PS4 again which I had not really touched since completing AC Black Flag last year.

The game of the year for me is another game from my back catalogue on the 360. Deus Ex Human Revolution is a sci-fi RPG, you are Adam Jenson and after an attack are rebuilt into robocop. You then go after your attackers using the skills & upgrades you unlock in the game to complete the various missions. I usually went for a stealth gameplay approach but the boss fights forced you to use a more full on attack style. The remastered edition of the game did rebalance the boss fights but it was a very buggy release with many issues on the 360 inc corrupted saves so I played the original release.

It has been a real disappointed this year that games are being released not fully tested like Drive_Club, AC Unity, The Crew etc. The rush to release a game for the Xmas shopping window was more important than the quality of the game. Hopefully this will be a lesson learnt for the industry & we won't get any more rush releases in 2015.

I failed on a few predictions I set last year the Vita I ended up selling without a single game completed, I really do not play portable consoles that don't fit in my pocket. I've also written off for now my Steam pile of shame. I don't have the time & I have enough to play on the consoles without thinking about gaming on a PC. 

Mobile gaming with a few exceptions like Monument Valley & Kiwanuka is now just turn based multiplayer like Carcassonne, Lost Cities, Ticket to Ride etc.

Splurge I lost interest in keeping track of what I was spending, I know that I have sold more than I've purchased this year & more important for me is not buying games to store on a shelf but to play.

Predictions then for 2015.

I will be finished with the 360/PS3 back catalogue leaving the PS4 for gaming only.

I'm not ignoring the WiiU but there is nothing I want to play on the console & it really is just the replacement of the 'family Wii console'. However I have enjoyed the time I've spent playing or should I say losing to the kids in Mario Kart 8.

History tells that I will be weak & purchase the XB1 console at some point maybe if & when it hits the £200 mark.

Happy New Year.

2013 Review inc Game of the Year

Looking back at my 2012 end of year review I managed to stick to my routine of watching less TV/Movies & enjoy gaming more this year. I also predicted last year that 2013 was going to be an amazing year for gaming thanks to my back catalogue, I did not manage to complete all the games I mention but compared to the 10 completed in 2012 I managed to complete a staggering 28 games !!

Scribblenauts Remix (iOS)
Uncharted 2 (PS3)
Skyrim (360)
Halo 4 (360)
Rolando (iOS)
New Star Soccer (iOS)
Little Inferno (iOS)
Ni No Kuni (PS3)
Borderlands 2 (360)
Fifa 13 (360)
Tomb Raider (360)
Lego City Undercover (WiiU)
Journey (PS3)
Clash of Clans (iOS)
Walking Dead (XBLA)
Forza Horizon (360)
Bastion (XBLA)
Walking Dead 400 Days (XBLA)
Red Dead Redemption (360)
Uncharted 3 (PS3)
The Last of Us (PS3)
Dead Space (360)
Mass Effect (360)
Spec Ops The Line (PS3)
Gears of War - Judgement (360)
XCom - Enemy Unknown (PS3)
Remember Me (PS3)
Assassin's Creed 4 (PS4)

Some of these games were truly an amazing experience & it was very difficult for me to choose a game of the year because there were so many great games that I had played from Skyrim, Ni No Kuni, Tomb Raider the amazingly fun Lego City Undercover to the beautiful Journey, Walking Dead, Last of Us, X-Com & Assassin's Creed 4. But above these all it was Red Dead Redemption that was my game of the year. I have always loved watching western movies from the classic John Wayne, Clint Eastwood's to the modern Tombstone, & 310 to Yuma. Rockstar gave gamers the chance to realise their love for the western genre in Red Dead Redemption & what an action packed gun touting adventure it was, like many others I look forward to the next game in the series..

Splurge wise it was a complete failure and I quote "I am really going to try and spend as little as possible this year on gaming, I will not be buying any of the new consoles on release & have no desire for a Wii U. With my iOS stack of games, back catalogue of 360/PS3 games & steam pile of shame I think I am spoilt for choice" I don't need to say any more apart from the fact that "I AM WEAK"

2014 Predictions then I plan to continue delving into my back catalogue especially to complete Deus Ex HR, Mass Effect 2/3 & the Bioshock games but my main focus will obviously be on the PS4 & waiting for the new games like Destiny, The Division, Watch_Dogs, Mad Max, The Order & hopefully Fallout 4. From the hardware I own the PC & the Vita have been neglected quite a bit so hopefully in 2014 I hope to at least complete a few games on each.

Happy new year !!

2012 Review - Limbo - Game of the Year

2012 has been an odd year for me excluding the never-ending or multi-player iOS games & DLC I have only completed the following 10 games

Enslaved (Xbox 360)

Gears of War 3 (Xbox 360)

Lara Croft Guardian of Light (360 - Xbox Live Arcade)

Limbo (360 - Xbox Live Arcade)

Grand Prix Story (iOS) 

Dead Island (Xbox 360)

Assassins Creed Revelations (Xbox 360)

Uncharted (PS3)

Gatling Gears (360)

Assassin's Creed 3 (Xbox 360) 

Only one of those games was released in 2012 (AC3) & that was ok at best but not exceptional. The AC games were more of the same, Uncharted I found frustrating but was impressed with the Hollywood style action. Gears of War 3 again was just more of the same on a bigger scale. Enslaved I did enjoy very much, it does not offer anything new to the mature gamer but what it does offer is a nice action adventure game done right.

I have been trying to go through and complete some of my many XBLA purchases during the year managing only three but it is one of these games that I enjoyed spending a Sunday afternoon tackling. Limbo with its blend of action & puzzle kept me enthralled for a few hours & even had me asking questions after I completed the game.

I am hoping to spend less time watching TV shows (which would have been easier to choose a winner “Game of Thrones”) & Movies this year which should hopefully give me approx. 10 hours a week for gaming.

I am really going to try and spend as little as possible this year on gaming, I will not be buying any of the new consoles on release & have no desire for a Wii U. With my iOS stack of games, back catalogue of 360/PS3 games & steam pile of shame I think I am spoilt for choice. I finished off 2012 spending a lot of time playing XCom, it is a shame I did not purchase this on release because this would have easily been my game of the year. 

With my back catalogue gleaming with Red Dead Redemption, Mass Effect Trilogy, Bioshoscks, Deus Ex, Uncharted 3, Fez, Journey, Mark of the Ninja & many many more I think 2013 is going to be an amazing year for gaming.

2011 - Game of the Year

Looking through my completed games for 2011. I have completed some truly enjoyable games which started with Fable 2 - I have never played the original Fable game & I managed to get Fable 2 thanks to an error on Microsoft's part that let you download the game for free but I enjoyed it's adventure in storytelling so much that I purchased the third game which I have yet to play of course.

Assassins Creed follows a similar path to Fable in that I have never played the first game yet loved the second & was happy to play Brotherhood to see the continuation of Ezio's & Desmond's storyline. If it was not for the current game I am playing I would have spent my time over xmas playing the next game in the story which was purchased for Abbas but I then promptly sold on whilst it still had it's pre-owned value. I will now patiently wait till the the complete game with dlc is released in 2012 & purchase for less than £15 to play.

In 2010 Shadow Complex was one of best games I have ever played which is why it is in my Top 30 list. I purchased quite a few xbla games in 2011 but only played Costume Quest, Vandal Hearts & recently with my son Turtles & Assault Heroes. Although quite a short game I did enjoy playing Costume Quest, it's quirky humour & Halloween setting made in an enjoyable simple rpg to play.

The iOS platform be it playing the games on iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch has for me this year been very chaotic, with too many games & thanks to appshopper/freeapphero the daily free download of never-ending titles has really now become tiresome & boring. I have enjoyed the disc drivin, carcassonne & other tournaments that I have organised throughout the year but from the many single player experiences I have completed only Sword & Poker is worth mentioning a mixture of playing poker hands in an rpg setting.

Alas the PS3 & Wii (yes I still have it somewhere I think) have been ignored through-out the year not because I do not have any games for them, the likes of Uncharted & Mario Galaxy sit on the shelf gathering dust. Lack of time & possibly also my preference to using the 360 controller has led to me ignoring these two consoles. Something I hope to correct in 2012.

The summer months were very quiet for gaming, the weather & family activities led me to do little or no gaming for 3 to 4 months but come Autumn & I returned to complete Splinter Cell Conviction, Battlefield Bad Company 2, Batman Arkham City & Rage.

Batman Arkham City & Rage were the only games I completed that was actually released in 2011 but both games disappointed me. Batman with it's open world GTA style setting did not give me the enjoyment that I got last year from Arkham Asylum & Rage, the less said about that the better I think.

Battlefield Bad Company 2 & Splinter Cell Conviction I did enjoy, Battlefield for it's design on levels, every level was different giving you a new experience to enjoy & Splinter Cell Conviction's nice stealth gameplay was very satisfying.

Looking through my completion list I have discussed almost every game I have completed except two Lost Planet 2 & Borderlands. 2011 for me was the year of the PMG (Planned Multi-player Gaming), every Monday evening (almost) without fail Gus, Jaimie, Jon (Borderlands) or Jaimie & Toby (Lost Planet 2) would connect over xbox live to game. Lost Planet 2 storyline & somewhat odd game mechanics as a single player experience would be painful to play but is just about playable on a PMG because of the other players.

Thus my game of the year for 2011 is obviously (the picture in the post) Borderlands, the game itself is a mix of a first person shooter with rpg touches but what really makes the game shine is the on-line experience you get with 3 other players. If you are dying someone will come over to heal you, out of ammo? don't worry I will equip my ammo regeneration mod & thank you 'gospvg' for being the bait in Mad Moxxi.

So take a bow Jon, Gus & Jaimie for without The Claptrap Boys, Borderlands would not have been the game of the year 2011.

2010 - Game of the Year

I have read lots of game of the year features on various gaming sites & blogs. The 2 most popular games have been Red Dead Redemption & Mass Effect 2.

Red Dead I have only briefly played on multiplayer for a few sessions, thoroughly enjoyable & good fun but I have not yet played the single player campaign. I wasted my summer trying to rekindle my love for Japanese RPGs. Mass Effect 2 I have not even played the first game in the trilogy (Mass Effect 3 releasing 2011).

So what have I been wasting my gaming time on this year. A lot of co-op games, some older titles, the ipod touch, summer wasted on an unfinished game & Fallout New Vegas. So the obvious choice would be Fallout? No, it's a good game but it's essentially the same style of gameplay as Fallout 3. Yes the setting is different but I can't shake the feeling that it feels like a long DLC.

The game of the year for 2010 is a game that was released in 2009.

Batman Arkham Asylum, this was easily the most enjoyable game I played in 2010 because I can't give a single reason why. The storyline, the metroidvania inspired gameplay, the riddler puzzles, the boss battles, the characters oh! the characters it's Batman !!

Not since Castlevania SOTN have I had this much fun revisiting locations to discover secrets that were not accessible because I did not have the correct equipment. I was Batman, I could glide, launch my batarang to take out enemies, use my grapple gun to climb & much much more.

The Joker takes control of Arkham Asylum and with his cronies plans to create an army. You are Batman and you must face some formidable foes from Bane & Scarecrow to Killer Croc & Poison Ivy.

The story, characters, gameplay all combine to produce what is easily the best superhero game I have ever played.

Honourable mentions should go to Shadow Complex, Words with Friends & Angry Birds. But for 2010 Batman Arkham Asylum is my game of the year & I am very much looking forward to the sequel this year.

Added 10/01

A few people have said that the game of the year award should go to games that were released in 2010? Why? Surely game of the year should be about all the games you have played in 2010 & which have you enjoyed the most?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_of_the_Year

From Wiki - Many publications award a single "Game of the Year" to a single title that they feel represents the pinnacle of gaming achievement that year.

So I stick by my choice for the year of 2010 Batman Arkham Asylum for me was the highlight of my gaming year.