I was going to vote for Skyrim, as it is completely worthy of the title.. And to say it wouldn't be, is an insult to the developers. The scale and scope of the game is breathtaking, not to mention the art direction being astounding. Although, I feel that people just look at simple facts when making their decisions, for example - "300 hours of gameplay! GOTY!".
Skyrim - Not my GOTY
Gameplay:
Like:
- The game feels solid. When I hit something with my sword, I feel like I'm hitting them with my sword.
- The amount of depth involved in the game is insane. There are 100s of books scattered around, all telling tales. You can get lost in this game, it's as deep as the ocean.
- Professions, enchanting... The list goes on. There's so much to do, learn and master.
Dislike:
- The user interface. It's awful.
- On more than 'rare' occasions, dragons won't attack, even if I attack them. They even flew backwards.
- The game is still addled with bugs, and it removes some of the immersion for me.
Characters:
Like:
- The characters are wholly believeable, which makes you want to go fetch their stolen jewlerry from bandits in a mountain, just for a few cabbages in return.
- The majority of the voice acting is great. Like I said, the characters are believable.
Dislike:
- As opposed to the world, as a whole, I've only felt myself connect with a few characters. My main gripe with this is when I'm running around with my House Carl. After a horrendous battle, or on the completion of a dungeon, I'd at least expect her to say, "Heyzeus! Dat vas tough, ja?", or at least thank me for supplying her with the best of gear!
- People hold grudges, for the most trivial of things. An entire village frowned upon me because I tried out some 'Doggie Target Practice'!
Graphics/Art:
Art:The game looks more like a painting, as opposed to a technical masterpiece. I could literally sit and watch the clouds swirling around mountain tops for hours. It's mesmerising.
Graphics: The dynamic lighting system they have is amazing. That's about it. It really brings the game to life. Shadows are poor, textures are poor... From a technical standpoint, this game is stuck in 2005.
The game that really stole the show for me, not even in terms of raw-gameplay (even though, I thought it was pretty solid), but in terms of voice-acting, graphics and detail - It would have to be Batman: Arkham City.
Batman: Arkham City - My GOTY
Gameplay:
Like:
- The fighting is still fluid, fast and simple. You are Batman!
- The animations are astounding.
Dislike:
- The movement could feel a bit clunky at times.
- Snipers. I hate them.
Characters:
Like:
- First things first, Mark Hamill as The Joker, literally amazing, as ever. Without him, Arkham City (and Asylum) would of had no soul.
- Hamill's laugh will haunt my dreams, forever.
- All of the characters we're excellent, even the inmates were believable. All of their actions/reactions were always in context to what was happening in the story.
Dislike:
- Batman himself was a bit shallow. I think he had 10 lines of script throughout the whole thing.
- The inmates would repeat some of their lines.
Graphics/Art:
Art: The entire city is classic noir.. Dark, dingy, run-down - It was captured perfectly.
Graphics: UE3 - What can't it do? Thankfully, they have included high-resolution textures for the PC version. Making this game look
amazing. Wish I could say the same for Skyrim.
I think I prefer Batman over Skyrim just because of Hamill/Joker.. His character is so complex and unpredictable, but he pulls it off.