The Brothers Thirteen: March 2012

Ladies and Gents, the moment you have been waiting for for far too long. It's time to bring you MY favorite games that were released way back in 2011. I tried to make sure I could beat all the games I bought last year before making this list...but it wasn't happening. So, two very important games being left off of this list strictly for the fact that I haven't completed them yet...The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and Gears of War 3. With that said, here's the list. Enjoy, and yes Uncharted 3 kicked ass.

Best Games of 2011

1. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

Ah, yes. My favorite video game series of all time. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves was one of the best games I have ever played so of course number 3 had to be good. My expectations were so high, and I was confident Naughty Dog would deliver yet again. I was right. People may disagree with me on this, but I believe the latest adventure in the Uncharted series was the best one yet. The visuals are improved (how this was even possible I have no idea), the character development was also improved and very interesting, and of course...the writing was top notch. I have never been more attached to characters in a video game. The excitement factor of this game is even greater this time around. There were multiple moments where I caught myself practically drooling in amazement. All I have to say is "cargo plane" and anyone who played this game knows exactly what I'm talking about. This game captures moments of intensity, desperation (look at the picture above for a reference on the desperation I'm talking about), sensitivity, intimacy and humor better than any game I've ever played...and even better than most movies. Bravo Naughty Dog, you did it again.

2. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

This game is MASSIVE. There is so much to do in Skyrim. I'm 160 hours into the game with no end in site. From the moment you complete the fist quest you are dropped right in the middle of this world, and the rest is up to you. No two players have probably had the same experience with this game. With countless dungeons to explore and quest to complete, this is one of those games that can keep you entertained for months...maybe even years.

3. Batman: Arkham City

Do you remember how great Arkham Asylum was? My favorite superhero game ever. Well multiply that by 5 and you get Arkham City. Most of the famous villains and heros from the Batman universe make an appearance in this game, which is intriguing enough, but it's the vast open-world of Gotham City that makes this the masterpiece it is. Even more so than Arkham Asylum, you will really feel like the Dark Knight when playing this.

4. Dead Space 2

Another game that exceeding the original in my opinion. Holy shit this was scary! With even creepier villains and locations, this game will keep you on the edge of your seat. Great sci-fi horror fun.

5. LA Noire

I have a soft spot for law enforcement and this game captures a lot of what they do pretty well. Investigating crimes is fun and engaging and the life-like visuals are breathtaking. I love that Rockstar uses the faces of real actors to play their characters. Great stuff.

6. Mortal Kombat

My favorite fighting game of all time. The creators of Mortal Kombat decided to go back and remake the original three MK games and put them together in an awesome new story mode. Other than that the versus mode is a blast and then there's the Challenge Tower you can tackle as well. And boy are they serious when they say "Challenge" Tower.

7. Modern Warfare 3

I don't know why Call of Duty gets so much hate. If you have a great formula why change it? Yea, the story may be a little short but it's still a blast. The shooting mechanics are still better than any other first person shooter game and hell, you get to play as Delta Force!

8. NHL 12

I LOVE hockey and this game comes closest to the real thing. Simple enough. Just wish I could find a Kings picture. Go Kings!

9. Deus Ex: Human Revolution

Unique. That's what this game is to me. It's a first person shooter with unique perks, and a unique futuristic setting. My favorite part about this game, punching through walls. Awesome.

10. Battlefield 3

Play the multiplayer and you'll understand why this game made the list. So intense.

Most Disappointing Game of 2011

Killzone 3

I think I'm done with this series. Not enough going on as far as story and character development. Just another first person shooter.

Most Breathtaking Visuals

Uncharted 3

Gorgeous. Beautiful. Amazing. Breathtaking. Call them whatever you want, the graphics in this game cannot be compared to any other game.

Best Multiplayer

Battlefield 3

Like I said before, intense. Even more important, you actually want to play in a squad in this game. Unlike Call of Duty where everyone is a one man army, in Battlefield 3 you are encouraged to fight with your teammates.

Best Video Game Character

Nathan Drake (Uncharted 3)

He's the man. My favorite video game character of all time. He's funny, he's badass, he's a smart ass, and he has a huge heart believe it or not. Anytime an Uncharted game comes out, it's almost guaranteed he'll make this spot on my list. If only he were real. Guess we'll have to settle for the next best thing...Nathan Fillion.

Best Supporting Character

Sully (Uncharted 3)

Nathan Drakes best friend and father figure. Sullivan is also the man. He may be getting old, but he'll throw down with the best of them and he always has Drake's back, no matter what the cost. A true and loyal friend.

Best Female Character

Elena (Uncharted 3)

Seeing a trend here? What can I say, Naughty Dog's strongest point is their characters. Elena is every mans dream women. A kind heart, and never afraid to get her hands dirty to do what's right. Also, her and Drake are the greatest couple I've ever seen in a game. There is actually one scene in Uncharted 3 where the relationship between Elena and Drake really gets to me. It will tug on your heart strings. The most powerful and emotional scene in a video game I've experienced this year.

Worst Main Character

Cole Phelps (LA Noire)

I could not relate to this guy at all. He's a dick. That is all.

Greatest Villains

Alduin (Skyrim)

Basically there's a prophesy that says a Dragon God will destroy the world. This is that Dragon God. Bad ass.

Mr. Freeze (Arkham City)

I love Mr. Freeze. He's one of my favorite Batman villains. I thought he looked great in this game.

Least Favorite Villain

Talbot (Uncharted 3)

This guy pissed me off. What a prick he was. The scene where you have to chase him down on foot....ahhh man, I wanted to beat the shit out of this guy.

Favorite New Character

Charlie Cutter (Uncharted 3)

Charlie is a big bad ass who looks like Jason Statham. He is funny and gets along great with the rest of the Uncharted crew. Hope to see him again in the next game.

Best Gaming Soundtracks

-Uncharted 3

-Arkham City

-Skyrim

Well there you have it. It was a great year for gaming but obviously Uncharted 3 was my ultimate game of 2011. Here's what I'm looking forward to in 2012...

- Bioshock Infinite

- The Last of Us

- Mass Effect 3

- Far Cry 3

Keep it real homiez!

I know, I'm sorry! It's been awhile but I have a good excuse....Mass Effect. Good, right?

Okay, lets get this here Kings Corner rolling. Today we're going to talk about...offense. A month ago nobody wanted to talk about the Kings offense. In fact, there wasn't any offense to talk about. Well, since acquiring Jeff Carter right before the trade deadline things have most definitely changed.

According to unofficial Kings' statistician and historian, Nick Nickson, the King's aren't merely scoring more since getting Carter. They're scoring more than anyone else in the Western Conference. Read that again...let it sink in. Awesome right? Nickson ran the numbers, and the Kings have scored 42 goals in their last 12 games. That's an average of 3.5 goals per game! Since Feb. 25th the only team to average more goals is Pittsburgh, who've averaged 4.25 goals over the last 12 games (yowza). After todays practice, Justin Williams agreed with the popular theory that Carter's addition has provided balance to the offensive attack.

WILLIAMS: "I think we seem to trust each other a lot more on the ice. We're doing our own jobs, and trusting that other people are going to do theirs. I think, because of that, we're reading off of each other pretty good and moving our feet. We're working together as units out there."

As you can see here, some NHL players are pretty frustrated with the way the Kings have been playing lately.

*SOURCES*

LA Kings Insider