Game of the Year 2011

The Nominees:

• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Bethesda Games Studios
• The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings - CD Project RED
• Dark Souls - From Software
• Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception - Naughty Dog
• Catherine - Atlus
• Bastion - Supergiant Games

And the winner is:

Dark Souls

Whilst every game on this list is easily deserving of the title Game of the Year, there can only be one winner. To be honest, I'm probably as surprised as you are. But Dark Souls has sucked me in and thrilled me like no game I've ever played. No other game challenges you so deeply, but rewards you so strongly. You feel like you are growing with your character, and after hours of playing, you begin to feel like you are a part of this world. With a combat system that rewards skill and patience over blindly attacking, Dark Souls makes you feel like a true warrior as you study each enemies patterns and weaknesses, looking for the perfect time to strike. The real challenge of Dark Souls comes from having to be at the top of your game all the time whilst you are playing. Exploration is often greeted with swift death to the unwary traveller, and this can tax on you, the gamer, as much as it must tax on the protagonist. The game is tied together by an interesting a deep lore, revealed in tantalising chunks as much by the world around you as NPC interaction, which is few and fa between. The game relies on you, the player, to go out and work out how things work. A brief tutorial gets you used to the basic controls and mechanics, but most of what it teaches you you won't even realise you've learnt until much later on. The clever open world is linked by a series of hidden pathways and shortcuts, and each time you unlock one, you feel like you're having a real impact on the world around. Also incredibly unique is the clever and surprisingly fun and effective multiplayer. From glimpsing the phantoms of other players around you, to reading messages left in the ground, and even summoning or invading other players, Dark Souls' multiplayer helps you feel like you're not alone in this dark and unforgiving world. As the first friendly NPC stipulates, you are not the first Chosen Undead, nor will you be the last; but the journey is long and rewarding for those who have the strength of character to rise to the challenge. So congratulations, Dark Souls. The title of Game of the Year is unequivocally, and deservedly, yours.

I leave you with some trailers to enjoy: