CAGcast #264: Our Favorite Games of 2011

CheapyD

CheapyD

Head Cheap Ass
Staff member
Feedback
14 (100%)
[preview][IMG-L=5838]15060[/IMG-L]The gang offer up their favorites of 2011 and reveal a PS3 exclusive you won't believe.

Get your questions or topics answered on future shows via CAGbag or Twitter.


[podcast]173[/podcast]
Download - 83 minutes, 49.9MB
iTunes: Subscribe - Review


Support the CAGcast: FREE AUDIBLE 2 WEEK TRIAL & AUDIOBOOK
[/preview]


Show Linkage/Notes:

Intro: fuck Shop - 2 Live Crew

Follow us on Twitter
Cheap Ass Gamer on Facebook
CheapyD's Youtube Videos (Subscribe)
CheapyD's Flickr Page (Subscribe)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Yay! Time for my favorite part of the week. Listening to the Cagcast while I hammer out matches in Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3
 
Good show, guys. No real surprises, though. Except that maybe a Zelda game was released that didn't make Wombat's list.


We can play along at home, right? My personal picks:

1. Portal 2
2. Skyrim
3. You Don't Know Jack
4. Dragon Age II
5. Bulletstorm

Biggest Surprise: Dead Island
Biggest Disappointment: Battlefield 3
Least Favorite: X-Men Destiny
Worst Trend (wasn't really a trend, but I really hope it doesn't become one): Exclusive Early PreOrder Bonus Editions ala Dragon Age II Signature Edition.
Best 2010 Game Played in 2011: Mass Effect 2
 
man i think someones mic is overly sensitive i can hear who ever is moving around in their chair all too loud.probably cheapys mic.
 
It was a good idea to break up the top 5 with the somewhat less conventional awards. Nice planning on Wombat's part.

Is Shipwreck coughing going to be part of the ending tagline from now on? I approve.
 
Another disappointing trend in line with the EA login:

DLC being downloaded from a third party

I hate having to download my Dragon Age DLC from EA instead of XBL. I like seeing the check box next to the DLC I have.
 
I can't agree with the choice of Skyrim. Is the game great? Yeah. Does it offer a ton of variety? Yeah. Did Bethesda mostly send out only review copies for the 360 and PC? Yeah. Did Bethesda intentionally release a game that they KNEW was broken on the PS3? Yeah. Is it likely that the game will never be properly fixed? Yeah.

It is one of the more blatant examples of a bait and switch that I can recall in recent video game history. I guess Bethesda should be content though. They were able to sucker a lot of people in with the hype, take their money, and leave them with a nice, shiny turd in the long run.
 
i just started listening, but almost stopped because of Shipwreck's disinterest at the beginning. It really was a bummer because "Best of" shows are usually a great listen. It seems like after the initial blah, Ship is getting into it more which makes me happy again.
 
[quote name='BlindNoir']Did Wombat just call MrsCheapyD a bitch?[/QUOTE]

He might have, but he was obviously joking. ;)

I liked that Wombat was carrying most of the momentum this episode. Also that the cast were trying to remember what games came out this year. It is a bit of a problem that there was a big dry spell this past summer.
 
I am listening to this week's CAGcast in the bathtub. It's an experience like no other. I think I'll make bath time Game of the Year show an annual tradition.
 
Awesome awards show!


Format was best of all award shows.

Pretty much did not play a single game that won awards except for Portal 2. Would not have put it in my top 5. Finished it but ...was too repetive especially considering the first game. The sarcasm of the computer wore thin the 2nd time around as did the mechanics and sterile environments.

The SkyRim circle jerk was disgusting to listen to. Lol. Sounded just like my nieces playing with their barbie dolls.
 
did they even read the cagbag questions? christ what the fuck are the three amigos smoking. Is it me or have the recent cagcast been getting shittier and shittier to listen to?
 
Thanks for the show, and great job with the format. I was glad to hear Shipwreck include Dead Space 2. It's definitely part of my top 5, but I was afraid it would be forgotten since it was released so early in the year, and so many other quality games have been released in more recent memory.
 
Really, really wanted to like Deus Ex, I just wasn't having any fun. Sure I could put the difficulty down but everything before the first boss seemed so half-assed. Constant trial and error trying to sneak around. Constant reloading from old saves. Constant quicksaving everytime I did anything. Hit my first boss fight and I was like to hell with this, and gave up. I just don't get it... what was I doing wrong Wombat?
 
[quote name='Excast']I can't agree with the choice of Skyrim. Is the game great? Yeah. Does it offer a ton of variety? Yeah. Did Bethesda mostly send out only review copies for the 360 and PC? Yeah. Did Bethesda intentionally release a game that they KNEW was broken on the PS3? Yeah. Is it likely that the game will never be properly fixed? Yeah.

It is one of the more blatant examples of a bait and switch that I can recall in recent video game history. I guess Bethesda should be content though. They were able to sucker a lot of people in with the hype, take their money, and leave them with a nice, shiny turd in the long run.[/QUOTE]

Excast, what facts and/or tangible material are you basing your opinion on? What about the game do you not like? All three of the guys had SKYRIM at #1 not to mention the fact that it got a 96 on metacritic! Basically, I'm failing to grasp where you are coming from with the "bait and switch" comment and I'm sure the guys would agree.

Here's how I know SKYRIM is a BAMF game . . . Shipwreck played over 115 games this year yet he has invested over 100 hours into SKYRIM which he claims to be "The best game he has ever played". I trust Shipwreck's opinion, do you?
 
Nice job guys and thank you Shipwreck for mentioning Dead Island and remembering Dead Space 2.

If I was someone who mattered my picks would be the following and what system I played them on.

1. Dead Space 2 (360)
2. Dead Island (360)
3. Gears of War 3 (360)
4. Deus Ex: Human Revolution (OnLive)
5. Killzone 3 (PS3)

Take care!
 
[quote name='dubbfoolio']Really, really wanted to like Deus Ex, I just wasn't having any fun. Sure I could put the difficulty down but everything before the first boss seemed so half-assed. Constant trial and error trying to sneak around. Constant reloading from old saves. Constant quicksaving everytime I did anything. Hit my first boss fight and I was like to hell with this, and gave up. I just don't get it... what was I doing wrong Wombat?[/QUOTE]


I agree. . . i HATED Deus Ex and stopped playing not too far in. Limited ammo + stealth = big turd.
 
If you guys follow up then cover favorite time wasters/ low budget games.

You know the cheaper smaller lower budget games. Stuff on ios or Live arcade or independent pc or low budget lower priced handheld/console games, etc.
 
Great show. I liked the format, and it occurred to me while listening that it must be hard to get the pacing right to end up with a ~90 minute show (and not just for the awards show, but in general). Do you guys know more or less how long to talk about the topics to end up with around the right amount of material for a 90 minute show, or does Cheapy just edit out a bunch of stuff later?

I'm also surprised that Duke Nukem Forever didn't make anyone's "Disappointing" list...
 
[quote name='Kung Fu ZEPHYR']Excast, what facts and/or tangible material are you basing your opinion on? What about the game do you not like? All three of the guys had SKYRIM at #1 not to mention the fact that it got a 96 on metacritic! Basically, I'm failing to grasp where you are coming from with the "bait and switch" comment and I'm sure the guys would agree.

Here's how I know SKYRIM is a BAMF game . . . Shipwreck played over 115 games this year yet he has invested over 100 hours into SKYRIM which he claims to be "The best game he has ever played". I trust Shipwreck's opinion, do you?[/QUOTE]

I don't like the fact that it was shipped broken on PS3. I imagine the 3 of them are playing the 360 version, which does not have the same game breaking issues.

And yeah, the game did get a lot of high scores. Unfortunately, the severe PS3 framerate issues only appear many hours into the game. I imagine by that point many reviewers had already handed in their scores.

When I mention a bait and switch, I am referring to what Bethesda did during the review process. From everything I have seen and heard, review copies were nearly all from the 360. No PS3 copies were available for review. Why do you think this was? Maybe because Bethesda was aware of just how ugly things were on the PS3 version and didn't want negative press stifling sales of that version? It seems fairly obvious to me.

If a game is released this broken, it just isn't worthy of GOTY. That is just my honest opinion. Everybody else is entitled to their own.
 
Great job on the format of the show, Wombat! It had a great flow (much better than "What's your top 5?"). Really enjoyed it, looking forward to part 2.
 
[quote name='Excast']
If a game is released this broken, it just isn't worthy of GOTY. That is just my honest opinion. Everybody else is entitled to their own.[/QUOTE]

I think the fact that they're still in the middle of playing the game is heavily influnencing their decision to name Skyrim #1. And probably the same with a lot of game journalists. I know I put it high on my list because I feel sorta obligated to justify that I've spent 3x as much time on the game as I have any other game this year. And that's even though I believe that it's a lesser game than Oblivion. I think what little they added to the franchise doesn't make up for what they took away, or failed to evolve.

Plus, for the CAGcast, you have to take in consideration the Wombat Factor. Wombat is a passionate player. He loves games while he plays them, but his true feelings surface after he steps away from them. Remember how much he gushed the first couple weeks he started playing Fable 3? A month later, he pretty much proclaimed it was a flaming turd of a game. That's probably a good reason to do these Best of Year Shows later rather than sooner. I mean, new Marvel Pinball tables came out this week and Wombat didn't even mention them on his list!
 
I'm surprised you guys did not mention Duke Nukem Forever as the most dissapointing game of the year.
stupidhippy.gif
 
Last edited by a moderator:
[quote name='Xevious']I'm surprised you guys did not mention Duke Nukem Forever as the most dissapointing game of the year.[/QUOTE]

[quote name='zoward']I'm also surprised that Duke Nukem Forever didn't make anyone's "Disappointing" list...[/QUOTE]

1. I think only one of them played it
2. None of them were looking forward to it
3. A game has to have high expectations for it to then become disappointing
4. None of them had high expectations for DN:F

If you know it's going to be a crappy game, then it isn't disappointing when it actually turns out to be one.
 
I'd say my biggest surprise was Sonic Generations not sucking. I rented it at redbox and it was worth the $2.00 for the 4 hours of gameplay that was the entire game.
 
I haven't bought many games that came out THIS year, and I have played a few things like Uncharted 3 and Infamous 2. But the games I do own and bought this year, it's Ghost Trick.
 
[quote name='Excast']I don't like the fact that it was shipped broken on PS3. I imagine the 3 of them are playing the 360 version, which does not have the same game breaking issues.

And yeah, the game did get a lot of high scores. Unfortunately, the severe PS3 framerate issues only appear many hours into the game. I imagine by that point many reviewers had already handed in their scores.

When I mention a bait and switch, I am referring to what Bethesda did during the review process. From everything I have seen and heard, review copies were nearly all from the 360. No PS3 copies were available for review. Why do you think this was? Maybe because Bethesda was aware of just how ugly things were on the PS3 version and didn't want negative press stifling sales of that version? It seems fairly obvious to me.

If a game is released this broken, it just isn't worthy of GOTY. That is just my honest opinion. Everybody else is entitled to their own.[/QUOTE]

I am pretty sure we discussed this issue on the show, but I could be wrong.
 
When I saw the title of the show I thought.... I really don't want to listen to a "Best of 2011" show. But I listened anyway...and I enjoyed it. Wombat, definitely crafted one of the best Cagcasts that I've ever heard. For the next show... don't leave out the Portal 2 talk... I would like to hear the "conspiracy theories."

Regarding PS3 Skyrim: Every time you guys talk about Skyrim, I feel bad. I was on the fence about getting the game, then I saw this video
http://youtu.be/j50u0zUeCmU
and got myself hyped about the game. I bought the game, only to find out about the lag issues, so now all I have is Demon Souls and Dark Souls to quell my Skyrim lust.
 
[quote name='Excast']I don't like the fact that it was shipped broken on PS3. I imagine the 3 of them are playing the 360 version, which does not have the same game breaking issues.

And yeah, the game did get a lot of high scores. Unfortunately, the severe PS3 framerate issues only appear many hours into the game. I imagine by that point many reviewers had already handed in their scores.

When I mention a bait and switch, I am referring to what Bethesda did during the review process. From everything I have seen and heard, review copies were nearly all from the 360. No PS3 copies were available for review. Why do you think this was? Maybe because Bethesda was aware of just how ugly things were on the PS3 version and didn't want negative press stifling sales of that version? It seems fairly obvious to me.

If a game is released this broken, it just isn't worthy of GOTY. That is just my honest opinion. Everybody else is entitled to their own.[/QUOTE]

First of all, I agree with you, as I feel to some degree that Skyrim doesn't really deserve GOTY honors due to the PS3 issues. Customers from PC and Xbox, have played and enjoyed the game immensely, and with those experience held, people are going to be compelled to give the game GOTY honors. I don't think its right negate the true quality of the game itself, just because the PS3 version being unplayable. For now on, PS3 owners need to really be cautious about purchasing Bethesda games on PS3. (meaning, no Day 1 purchases)

Secondly, you have to remember that its all about the 360. As long as the game is good on the 360, then all other sins will be forgiven by the gaming community. (and you can still win GOTY). If skyrim was unplayable on the 360, and worked perfectly on the PS3, it would not have received GOTY honors. This situation also proves how video game journalism is totally bullshit because on Metacritic, PS3 Skyrim still has a 92. Sitting on top of the metacritic list is..... Playstation: The Official Magazine (US) with a score of 100. You would think that the Playstation "Official" magazine would point out the issues on its console, but they probably played the 360 version.

Finally Kudos to Playstation: Official Magazine (UK), who with their review score (70 on metacritic) pointed out the issues that Skyrim had, and thus showed some true journalistic integrity.
 
[quote name='Wombat']I am pretty sure we discussed this issue on the show, but I could be wrong.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, I'm sure you guys mentioned it many times. Heck, if I was playing the game on a 360 I would probably have nothing but good things to say as well. I take it all 3 of you are playing on either 360 or PC, right?

I guess my issue is more with Bethesda than the game itself. I think it is understandable that massive open world games will have bugs and glitches. I played through Fallout 3, Oblivion, and New Vegas despite the problems they had. None of them were broken experiences though.

Many gamers don't own both consoles and were looking forward to playing Skyrim on their PS3. None of the initial reviews mentioned this problem because Bethesda didn't send out advance copies on the PS3 for review. Therefore, there was a fairly blatant bait and switch by Bethesda,

And any company that does that to such a large portion of their customers is not worthy of seeing their game win much of anything.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
bread's done
Back
Top