#3 Portal 2
Portal 2 is the follow up to Valve's experiment in first person puzzle games, Portal. More than just a sequel, Portal 2 takes every single element of the previous game to a whole new level of complexity, while never neglecting to develop the cast of characters who inhabit the strangely vast Aperture Laboratories, or maintaining multiple narratives throughout the entire game.
Portal 2 is an example in thematic storytelling, and aside from Bastion, it's the finest story 2011 has to offer.
Matthew Stewart, Writer: It's hard for me to pass over Assassin's Creed: Revelations, because of the unconditional love I have for that game's multiplayer. But, I have to give credit where credit is due.
That's why I think Portal 2 is the best game this year. The ambient music kicking in every time a new portion of a puzzle hummed to life was a stroke of genius. Wheatley and Cave Johnson were characters that, on paper, should have felt extraneous. In practice, they were another addition that gave Portal 2 that astonishingly fresh feeling that is often missing from sequels. If you doubt my convictions, let me ask you this: how many other games have you played where you cared about the fate of a turret?
