http://i.imgur.com/flBEXN2.gif#5: Borderlands II – X360, PS3, PC – 73 pts – 6 votes - 1 top game vote
http://cdn.ientry.com/sites/webpronews/pictures/borderlands2_616.jpg
Official Game Site
Metacritic
Gameplay Video
http://i1-news.softpedia-static.com/images/news-700/Borderlands-2-Gets-New-DLC-on-PC-via-Steam.jpg?1355301896
Zero Punctuation
Quarter to Three
California Literary Review
Nightmare Mode
Extensive Video Dev Interview
That Game’s(UX)
YouTube Soundtrack Playlist
Popmatters: 1, 2, 3
How Borderlands 2 Lied To Me
The White World of Pandora
http://4playernetwork.com/static/media/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/borderlands2_top.png
BORDERLANDS - like Fallout 3 but with cars and MAXIMUM PWNAGE OMGWTFLOLNEWB FPS combat
jjjusten: Shoot shit, kill stuff, bang bang etc. It's not the most novel concept in the world, but BL2 might be the best iteration of it so far. Like Bulletstorm (well and the first Borderlands) before it, this is a shooter that understands that games are supposed to be fun, and that while depresso mope fests are one way to deal with the fact that virtually shooting people is sort of a creepy pastime, there is another answer - to turn the whole exercise into a ridiculous anti-realist romp. Gameplaywise, this is a shooter that sorta reveals it's depth as you go, and little things like frame rate are imperceptible, level design is actually pretty complicated and loaded with alternate routes and (gasp) strategic decisions if you are more of a "get the drop on them" rather than a "SHOOT U IN UR FACE NOW" player. re: improvements over the first one - the story isn't stupid, it's funnier, the vehicles are not absolute horseshit. Also, don't believe the "gotta play it multiplayer" hype, it's just as badass SP style.
CraigG: I played a ton of the original Borderlands, and it was the game that persuaded me to give FPSes a little more of a chance (I did, and I don't much like them still), so I couldn't pass up Borderlands 2. I haven't gotten really into it in the same way as I did Borderlands, but I think that's mostly because I've had so many great games to play this year (between new releases and catching up on some of the winners from C&P 2011). It's just as good, though, I think and seems pretty big so far. Now I'm armed with a decent assault rifle and a sniper rifle, I'm set to continue my rampage.
― Even by Zales standards, that's sad. (forksclovetofu), Wednesday, 20 February 2013 03:28 (eleven years ago) link
Graphics have been excellent on this thread
― The New Jack Mormons! (kingfish), Wednesday, 20 February 2013 05:13 (eleven years ago) link
you've been amazing dude. great work throughout.
OTM. Seriously impressive.
― hyggeligt, Wednesday, 20 February 2013 07:01 (eleven years ago) link
Borderlands 2 is great, but has suffered from diminishing returns a bit for me. I think I need to try one of the other character classes, though (stuck with the commando thus far).
Co-sign on the great graphics.
― Neil S, Wednesday, 20 February 2013 09:15 (eleven years ago) link
Yep, I sort of hate borderlands 2 at this stage (although I voted for it). I'm pretty close to the end of the main campaign and I've hit a massive difficulty spike, and as far as I can tell it's really just because I've been unlucky with the random weapon drops. That shouldn't really be possible in a triple-A game these days, I feel like maybe they've just tried to build in too wide a range of possible play styles and classes and loadouts, but then weren't able to fully play test all the gazillion possible permutations that throws up.
But I've still had fun times in there, and I've not given up on it yet (I guess there's always something to be said for any game where I can spend two hours dying and dying and dying but still feel like I want to keep going).
― JimD, Wednesday, 20 February 2013 10:46 (eleven years ago) link
The new game plus is pretty cool once you've done the regular game, it's when you start to get really crazy weapons too. I kind of like the randomness of it, but I do know what you mean.
― Neil S, Wednesday, 20 February 2013 11:28 (eleven years ago) link
Borderlands 2 is one of those games that looks like tons of fun until I remember that I am beyond terrible at shooters (the last one I played that I developed any type of aptitude with was... Goldeneye)
― This beat is TWEENCHRONIC (DJP), Wednesday, 20 February 2013 15:03 (eleven years ago) link
DJP - we should play Borderlands 2 together. I suck at shooters too. Might be a good laugh.
― EZ Snappin, Wednesday, 20 February 2013 15:08 (eleven years ago) link
hahaha yes
it will be 5 minutes of shooting at a wall while desperately looking around for any type of melee weapon before the first controller goes flying across the room
― This beat is TWEENCHRONIC (DJP), Wednesday, 20 February 2013 15:14 (eleven years ago) link
We'll have to play with JJJ so he can actually progress the story while we empty our guns into the ground, sky, and each other.
― EZ Snappin, Wednesday, 20 February 2013 15:16 (eleven years ago) link
things just got really sexy in here
― Z S, Wednesday, 20 February 2013 15:42 (eleven years ago) link
get a room you guys! and if you've got a room, lose some weight!
― Neil S, Wednesday, 20 February 2013 15:44 (eleven years ago) link
its still worth giving borderlands 2 a shot (heh) if you hate shooters, because its still just a shooter on the face w/rpg dice rolls behind it (or at least that is my understanding).
― O_o-O_O-o_O (jjjusten), Wednesday, 20 February 2013 16:16 (eleven years ago) link
― Even by Zales standards, that's sad. (forksclovetofu), Wednesday, 20 February 2013 16:22 (eleven years ago) link
nope, not banned yet
― O_o-O_O-o_O (jjjusten), Wednesday, 20 February 2013 16:25 (eleven years ago) link
http://i.imgur.com/ZnEcIXJ.gif#4: Fez – XBLA – 103 pts – 8 votes - 1 top game votes - Top XBLA Exclusive Game
http://tech.co/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/fez.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a7/Fez_videogame.jpg
Experience Points
Lego Fez
Flash Fez clone “for poor people”
PopMatters
Soundtrack
2007 Dev Interview
2011 Dev Interview
Renaud Bedard Interview
The California Literary Review
NY Times
More like MicroBucks mirit? ...but maybe not.
http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/kotaku/2009/04/fez-thumb-main.jpg
fez
CraigG: I've probably only put a couple of hours into Fez, but I've played enough to know it deserves a place in my C&P poll, and that when I get a chance to spend a chunk of time on it I'm going to really enjoy it.
diamonddave85: Like a lot of people, I'd been waiting for this game since its first reveal: the visual aesthetic was beautiful and the 3d rotation seemed novel and fun. When it finally arrived, it was boring as shit. This was my most disappointing game of the year.
if: Provides a kind of constant brain-tickle of enjoyment through both the puzzle design and satisfaction of just rotating the world, and the beauty of the music and visuals. I just discovered that the soundtrack album is available to buy separately and it is probably worth it! Graphically the bright and simple colours are there not just out of a desire for retro accuracy but to create some amazing scenes - there was one particular moment in my playthrough with a bright purple sunset that I am not going to forget. I actually loved the down-a-rabbit-hole design of the map too, and the sense of mystery and things lying just out of the reach of comprehension, to the extent that I didn't feel even the need to go far into the cryptography stuff because it was a joyful and complete experience as it was.
WillM: This is one of two games I included just because of feel. I mean, sure, it's a good game. It's fun to do some of the puzzles, even if some are repetitive and others are so goddamn inscrutable that it makes you wonder why the fuck you're even trying to do it without a FAQ. But there was just something about playing this game with the lights out in late summer while the sun set and dusk set in. Maybe it was the excellent soundtrack (similarly with my other similarly-chosen pick, Hotline Miami). Maybe it was the graphics being so sharp, so bright, and so well-framed. Maybe it was the hints of a bigger story that I never fully uncovered but passively wondered about. I didn't beat Fez -- to be honest, I am not sure I'll go back and do so -- but on those perfect warm summer nights, this game was my fucking jam. I felt good just hanging out in it.
jjjusten: Definitely the most interesting game of the year, and one that actually lives up to the endless development cycle hype. It is at least nominally a platformer, and it is perfectly fine at doing that, and at times even ramps up the challenge, but it has very little twitch timing going on, because it is 100% at heart a puzzle game, so platforming only really comes into play in service of that. I know that deceptively simple is one of those horrible game review catch phrases, but behind the 8-bit sensibility lurks a strange and complex beast. This is the first time that a d/l title has actually done what all the other 5 star titles (fuck u braid) claimed to, which is deliver aha moments over and over and over. Immensely rewarding in every way, and brilliantly layered - whether you are in full on cryptography mode or just finally getting to the top of a pedestal, every frustration is met with that magical all-too rare feeling of actual gaming accomplishment.
― Even by Zales standards, that's sad. (forksclovetofu), Wednesday, 20 February 2013 16:28 (eleven years ago) link
gorgeous looking & sounding, gameplay didn't grab me personally.
― Neil S, Wednesday, 20 February 2013 16:29 (eleven years ago) link
loved this; concur most definitely with the sentiment of ok-Gameplay but WOW everything else, what an experience
― Nhex, Wednesday, 20 February 2013 16:32 (eleven years ago) link
really atmospheric too. Maybe I should give it another go...
― Neil S, Wednesday, 20 February 2013 16:33 (eleven years ago) link
ok too low, now forks u are banned
― O_o-O_O-o_O (jjjusten), Wednesday, 20 February 2013 16:34 (eleven years ago) link
i dont mean to be this guy, but so journey and frog fractions made the top three? i voted for one of them, but gtfo with that nonsense
― O_o-O_O-o_O (jjjusten), Wednesday, 20 February 2013 16:35 (eleven years ago) link
i like the idea of being the kind of gamer who is super into Fez, but i gave up really early after getting bored by thought of lots of backtracking and trial & error. :(
― queeple qua queeple (Jordan), Wednesday, 20 February 2013 16:35 (eleven years ago) link
Journey already showed up at #6.
― Z S, Wednesday, 20 February 2013 16:38 (eleven years ago) link
the backtracking is not that bad since at the end of each hub, they open a portal to quickly bounce between the other hubs
― Nhex, Wednesday, 20 February 2013 16:40 (eleven years ago) link
spelunky, frog fractions and what for top 3?
― Mordy, Wednesday, 20 February 2013 16:40 (eleven years ago) link
Dishonored
― Jeff, Wednesday, 20 February 2013 16:49 (eleven years ago) link
Dishonored was #8.
― EZ Snappin, Wednesday, 20 February 2013 16:50 (eleven years ago) link
it was so good, it will also be #3
― This beat is TWEENCHRONIC (DJP), Wednesday, 20 February 2013 16:51 (eleven years ago) link
Well I guess either CODBLOPS2 got no votes, or it's top three.
― JimD, Wednesday, 20 February 2013 16:51 (eleven years ago) link
I'm really hoping Spelunky has won it though.
― JimD, Wednesday, 20 February 2013 16:52 (eleven years ago) link
guessing no votes, actually
― O_o-O_O-o_O (jjjusten), Wednesday, 20 February 2013 16:52 (eleven years ago) link
add spelunky to the big pile of idgi for me
I've never even heard of Spelunky
― This beat is TWEENCHRONIC (DJP), Wednesday, 20 February 2013 16:53 (eleven years ago) link
it sounds like the title of an Aphex Twin track
FTL totally ruined my night. I could. not. stop. And I didn't even get that far during my first two attempts! As with the best of Roguelikes, though, I feel like I know exactly went wrong during the disastrous ending of my last attempt, and I feel like I'll do much better next time. Highly recommended to fans of Roguelikes.
― Z S, Wednesday, 20 February 2013 16:54 (eleven years ago) link
I should mention I played a shitload of The Real Texas last year, before getting hung up on one of the puzzles and drifting away.
― The New Jack Mormons! (kingfish), Wednesday, 20 February 2013 16:55 (eleven years ago) link
i am legitimately baffled as to what the third finisher is.
― O_o-O_O-o_O (jjjusten), Wednesday, 20 February 2013 16:56 (eleven years ago) link
i will say that as much as i dont really want frog factions to win, i will take it if the alternatives are spelunky or blops2 winning
― O_o-O_O-o_O (jjjusten), Wednesday, 20 February 2013 16:57 (eleven years ago) link
shocking #1 finish for Lollipop Chainsaw!
― O_o-O_O-o_O (jjjusten), Wednesday, 20 February 2013 17:00 (eleven years ago) link
wait did xcom place yet
How many of us actually played cod: black cops 2 last year, anyway?
― The New Jack Mormons! (kingfish), Wednesday, 20 February 2013 17:03 (eleven years ago) link
only 5 people played blops2, but all of them used 10000 racial slurs during multiplayer
― O_o-O_O-o_O (jjjusten), Wednesday, 20 February 2013 17:07 (eleven years ago) link
there really wasnt any decent way to tweak the VU analogy but you get me
― O_o-O_O-o_O (jjjusten), Wednesday, 20 February 2013 17:08 (eleven years ago) link
spec ops 0 votes daaaaaaamn
― Bob-omb The Videogame Industry! (Will M.), Wednesday, 20 February 2013 17:11 (eleven years ago) link
i coulda figured that out earlier if i had remembered spelunky tho
since there is a lull, anybody want to offer up any recs from last year that fit my usual 50 cent blood on the sand wonderful/terrible category? lollipop chainsaw isnt going to last forever
― O_o-O_O-o_O (jjjusten), Wednesday, 20 February 2013 17:11 (eleven years ago) link
Well, Tokyo Jungle totally fits in that category.
― JimD, Wednesday, 20 February 2013 17:15 (eleven years ago) link
god, honestly spec ops fits that category.
― Bob-omb The Videogame Industry! (Will M.), Wednesday, 20 February 2013 17:16 (eleven years ago) link
wow, so either Spec Ops or BLOPS II didn't place at all?
― Nhex, Wednesday, 20 February 2013 17:17 (eleven years ago) link
jjjusten: have you tried Asura's Wrath?