BEST CHARACTER: Wheatley (Portal 2)
It is impossible for me to explain exactly what makes Wheatley so intriguing to me, but I'll try. Desperate to prove his worth yet terrified of risk, with enough humor to make him loveable until the end of the game, he is the most prominent reason why I think Portal 2 is better than it's predecessor.
Runners up for this category include Varric (Dragon Age 2), The Kid (Bastion), and Joker (Arkham City)
BEST WRPG: Dragon Age 2
Say what you will about Skyrim, but I just couldn't be persuaded to give a damn. It's world was just TOO big that it felt unreal...and that's not a good thing when it's trying to be immersive. None of the characters ever endeared themselves to me, and the whole openness of the game gave it no structure or context and just left me dazed, confused, and bored.
Dragon Age 2 is a game that has several flaws, sure, but it knew how to suck me in. Instead of being a giant world-saving odyssey like Origins, it was a medieval soap opera with amazingly detailed, three-dimensional characters and dialogue trees that made every new quest seem new and fresh, and I actually felt like I was accomplishing something. The hub-based mission structure meant repeating environments, sure, but new stories were being explored and characters were growing. And I never lost sight of what I was SUPPOSED to be doing, and that made deviating from the story all the more worthwhile, if that makes any sense. I'm not convinced about Dragon Age 2 being the best WRPG I've ever played, but it is the only one from 2011 that I played for 10 hours straight after buying it, so it must be doing something right.
There were no runners up for this category because the only other two WRPGS I played this year, Skyrim and Fable 3, were terrible.
BEST JRPG: Pokemon Black
Yes, it's a JRPG. Deal with it. Many people dismiss the newest generation of Pokemon simply because the Pokemon "look stupid". As was the case for Wind Waker, though, looks are deceiving. I never had any problem with the Pokemon design anyway. Nintendo showed that they still know how to make Pokemon addicting, and the fact that the villains were essentially a militant faction of PETA made it doubly fun for me. Not to mention that for the first time since generation 2 post-game content was actually interesting for me, as half the game map was just becoming available and I had the option of hunting down the Six Sages of Team Plasma, which gave me a real sense of closure.
The only other new JRPG I played in 2011 was Kingdom Hearts Re:Coded, which wasn't bad, but was hampered by repetition. Easily the weakest Kingdom Hearts game I played.
BEST FIGHTING GAME: Marvel vs Capcom 3
Any scenario in which Spiderman teams up with Viewtiful Joe is a welcome one. Marvel vs Capcom is literally a fighting game that plays like no other, something I can only truly say about Marvel vs Capcom and Super Smash Bros. I definitely can't say it about Mortal Kombat, which feels like I'm playing a much gorier version of Tekken.
BEST STORY: Bastion
I won't say any more than that I was moved to near tears, which is more than I can say about any other game story, except maybe Dragon Age 2. But Bastion wins out because of the amazing narrator. Seriously, buy this game already.
Runners up include Skyward Sword, Arkham City, Portal 2, and Dragon Age 2
BEST SANDBOX: Arkham City
Infamous 2 had a great sandbox with fun missions, but Arkham City has to steal the prize. Gliding around the city, beating up thugs with your bat-gadgets, is a pleasure that just can't be matched by Cole McGrath. He's the goddamn Batman, and he might as well be the best at what he does. Besides, the sidequests with Mad Hatter and Mr Zsasz were simply outstanding.
Only runner up was Infamous 2
GAMES I COULDN'T COME UP WITH AWARDS FOR BUT WERE STILL AWESOME:
Skyward Sword and Gears of War 3
