RPGWatch GOTY 2011

Which games came out in 2011 in an English speaking country? We are trying to have a complete list right from the start this time. I'll post our current list in the next post. Please tell us all games we may have missed.

Here is what we have in the database for released in 2011:
Frayed Knights
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Drakensang: The River of Time
Two Worlds II
The Witcher 2
Dragon Age 2
Avadon: The Black Fortress
Dead Island
Might & Magic: Heroes VI
Din's Curse - Demon War
ArcaniA: Fall of Setarrif
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Dungeons of Dredmor
The Sims Medieval
Two Worlds II: Pirates of the Flying Fortress
The First Templar

How about Bastion - haven't played it, but I heard good things about it and picked it up during the Steam winter sale. Not sure if it qualifies as an RPG.

I'd like to see 2 categories; Indies and BIG commercial releases. What do others think? Can FK, for example, really compete with Sky?

Corwin said:

I'd like to see 2 categories; Indies and BIG commercial releases. What do others think? Can FK, for example, really compete with Sky?

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I think that's a great idea.

Corwin said:

I'd like to see 2 categories; Indies and BIG commercial releases. What do others think? Can FK, for example, really compete with Sky?

Click to expand...

I also think that sounds like a good idea. As much as I love indie RPGs, it's not really fair to have them compete directly with the likes of The Witcher 2, Skyrim, etc.

The Sims Medieval isn't really RPG...it's a big step backward from regular Sims formula too. It won't win anything. Nor does it deserve any sort of nomination.

Nerevarine said:

I also think that sounds like a good idea. As much as I love indie RPGs, it's not really fair to have them compete directly with the likes of The Witcher 2, Skyrim, etc.

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On the other hand, if indie games were actually worse than their bid budget counterparts, then there would not be much of a reason to play them in the first place. Game of the year should go to the most enjoyable CRPG of the year, and I do think you should hold indies to the same high standards of enjoyment as you do with any bid budget game. As indies can't compete with the big guys in terms of graphics, they need to find another way to do so (which some have succeeded doing).

Grotesque Tactics 2 was released 2011 - good one.

Dugeon Siege III was in 2011, or not?
Unepic is also a fun indie RPG-platformer, full version was released in 2011

There's also Demise: Ascension, which finally got to a releasable state, even if you wouldn't easily see this from its website. But it's been finished and released.

This dungeon crawl can easily suck you in for HUNDREDS of hours!

Phileasson's Secret came out as well as TRoT in the US (not UK).

LOTR: War in the North & Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale in the ARPG category.

King Arthur had two expansions (The Druids & Fallen Champions) if you are counting the original game as an RPG (its labelled as such).

I agree to separate indie releases from commercial ones plus, you've forgotten to mention Dark Souls: altough it's more action-oriented than other ARPGs, its Factions system works well and encourages you to play a "role" by working or betraying them.

I think most years indies beat the AAA offerings, this year might be an exception though. So usually it doesn't make sense to keep them in two different categories.

Gorath said:

Here is what we have in the database for released in 2011:
Frayed Knights
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Drakensang: The River of Time
Two Worlds II
The Witcher 2
Dragon Age 2
Avadon: The Black Fortress
Dead Island
Might & Magic: Heroes VI
Din's Curse - Demon War
ArcaniA: Fall of Setarrif
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Dungeons of Dredmor
The Sims Medieval
Two Worlds II: Pirates of the Flying Fortress
The First Templar

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LOL

What's Sims Medieval like, btw? Is it actually an RPG, as in, not "a game where you play a role" (FFS) but a game with stats geared towards opening up or closing down abilities and quests in the game. Or are there even quests in the traditional sense at all?

And what about M&M: Heroes VI? What's RPey about it? It's a strategy game, is it not?

GhanBuriGhan said:

Dugeon Siege III was in 2011, or not?
Unepic is also a fun indie RPG-platformer, full version was released in 2011

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Yes, it's a 2011 release and a solid title. Most solid Obsidian game to date. Except it's rather insignificant and forgettable as an RPG. Still, it's far better experience than Diablo series for me, for instance.

Also, I think DLCs should also be on the list. Honest Hearts, Old World Blues and Lonesome Road are all 2011 releases and qualify to be on the list, either individually or under the umbrella of FNV.

Ball_Breaker said:

I agree to separate indie releases from commercial ones plus, you've forgotten to mention Dark Souls: altough it's more action-oriented than other ARPGs, its Factions system works well and encourages you to play a "role" by working or betraying them.

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Why the quotation marks? If the game provides faction dynamics and even allows you to double-cross one for the other, that's pretty much the kind of solid RP experience missing from a LOT of RPGs.

Corwin said:

I'd like to see 2 categories; Indies and BIG commercial releases. What do others think? Can FK, for example, really compete with Sky?

Click to expand...

Nerevarine said:

I also think that sounds like a good idea. As much as I love indie RPGs, it's not really fair to have them compete directly with the likes of The Witcher 2, Skyrim, etc.

Click to expand...

I see the point but I'm not sure if I agree. It gives a free pass to both poor AAA titles and poor indie titles. And it's not like indie titles are bustling with a lot of imagination or creativity to the point of completely diverging from the same formula that the big commercial titles follow. They're all on the same boat, trying to do pretty much the same thing. Eg. if one of the Geneforge titles was a 2011 release, I'd easily rate if far above 2/3s of those games on the list for providing me with a far more meaningful role-playing experience than the hallow eye-candy gimmicks that many of the big titles are going after.

I think we don't cover console only games here.... that's why dark souls is not in, although it is probably the best RPG this year.

So, Skyrim it is then?

TW2 and DX:HR for me.

Frayed Knights never worked on my W7, I'm afraid.

Avadon, Dead Island and Skyrim took up most of my time collectively this year. Avadon would win between those 3.....and I'd have to elminate DI because I don't think it's a true rpg. I'm already quite sure that Avernum will be my first choice in '12, with no KoTC 2 coming anytime soon, now =x


-Carn

@rune_74 tongue totally in cheek!
Skyrim may not win here even though it's the best game by far. There is a click that loves to hate on Bethesda and I believe we were recently infected by the Codex, so that will skew the numbers towards something else, if they're allowed to vote Also, some will be so jealous that it's an American-made AAA title that they'll vote against it in a pique. Alrik will vote for anything European (especially German), for example.

There were so many good games this year. I really enjoyed 2W2, though the expansion was kinda blah in my opinion. Deus Ex was awesome and Drakensang was solid. I'm not big into the indie scene but the eyebrow game was very popular here for a while and Jeff finally released something that wasn't Avernum/Exile/Geneforge. Best year I can remember in ages.