RipTen’s Best of E3 2011 Awards
Welcome to the RipTen Best of E3 2011 awards! Many games have fought valiantly to make this list. Many writers have stood upon boxes, yelled at the top of their lungs, shed tears and endured jeers, all in the name of the mighty E3! So come along with us as we tell you just which games came out on top at this year’s expo.
Winner: BioShock: Infinite
Why We Picked It: Every once and a while a game comes along that just blows us away. We had a few games in mind for our best of show until Wednesday rolled around and Dave went to see BioShock Infinite behind closed doors. Afterward, he immediately phoned Chad and made him cancel all of his appointments – He had to see this game. After moving things around, Chad made his way over to the very same BioShock presentation. Thirty minutes later he emerged and sent Dave a text: “Game of Show… hands down.”
This Irrational Games reinvention could have been given a multitude of awards at E3 2011, which is part of the reason we gave it Best of Show. It could have taken home Best Visuals, Best FPS, or damn near even Best New IP… it’s that much of a departure from BioShock past. BioShock Infinite has all the makings of an instant classic and we can’t wait to get our hands on it in 2012.
Winner: Arma III
Why We Picked It: Because the Witcher 2 is out already. Just kidding :-) ArmA III is a true PC exclusive if ever there was one. A military simulation with next gen graphics and gameplay targeted at its growing core audience of fans. This game is set to deliver on every promise made by Bohemia Interactive and make you proud to be a PC Military Sim Gamer. Hooah!!
Winner: Gears of War 3
Why We Picked It: The Gears of War franchise is easily one of the most identifiable Xbox 360 exclusives on the market. It’s also the best selling, and for good reason. It’s mix of iconic characters, awesome visuals, solid level design, and gameplay mechanics that are often imitated but never duplicated set it apart from the masses. The final chapter in the trilogy is ready to deliver more of what we expect with a few surprises tacked on for good measure.
Winner: Starhawk
Why We Picked It: Believe the hype. Starhawk is fun. Starhawk is fast. Starhawk is strategic. It’s an experience the likes of which console gamers haven’t had before, and it’s coming at you with next gen visuals and the production and development support of Sony themselves. A new flagship franchise may have just been born. Forget about Warhawk — Starhawk is a true AAA Ps3 exclusive and if you’re a PS3 gamer, you should be damn proud of it.
Winner: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Why We Picked It: The highly anticipated next entry in the acclaimed Legend of Zelda series is finally arriving on the Wii in 2011, and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword will be the first Zelda title to take advantage of the Wii Motion Plus enhanced Wii Remote. This will lead Skyward Sword to be the most interactive entry in the series by far. Everything from using Link’s Sword to specially designed new items all take advantage of the upgraded Wii Remote in ways that will make the player feel as if they are part of the magical realm of Hyrule. This game can’t come soon enough for Nintendo fans, especially King Nintendo Fans.
Winner: Uncharted: Golden Abyss
Why We Picked It: It almost looks better than Uncharted 2, it almost plays better than Uncharted 3, and it’s all on the new PlayStation Vita. There were a slew of awesome PSV games on display at E3 this year, but none of them made better use of, or showed off the hardware quite like Golden Abyss. Is it out yet? No? Is it out yet? No? Okay, please excuse us while we go into deep freeze mode and await its official release.
Winner: Kid Icarus: Uprising
Why We Picked It: Kid Icarus is finally returning after a 20 year hiatus and it has us pumped! The single player mode features levels that are half on rails and half running and gunning on foot in environments that the player can explore. Kid Icarus: Uprising also features a fun multiplayer mode that has two teams of three opponents squaring off against each other. The final product will also be making use of the popular 3DS AR cards. Overall Kid Icarus almost takes full advantage of what the 3DS can do and it’s a title that every 3DS owner should be watching closely. Pit is finally back and better than ever!
Winner: Wii U
Why We Picked It: The Wii U has proven that Nintendo can and will always innovate. The new console has virtually limitless possibilities and we can’t wait to see how Nintendo and third parties take advantage of the hardware’s new features. The coming months will truly be exciting times for Nintendo fans as the company readies its first HD software for the 2012 launch. The next wave of information can’t come soon enough! Oh, and Barbara Streisand approves of it as well.
Winner: Nintendo
Why We Picked It: An orchestra playing the legend of Zelda theme and mimicking sounds from the game? Iwata teasing us about their new console right off the bat? A ton of great 3DS games? A new and insane HD console that’s aiming to bring Nintendo back to core gamers? Okay, you win bitches.
Up next, we categorically deny categorizing games into genres…
