MCV has revealed the Games Media Awards 2011 nominated finalists. According to the announcement article there were 800 emails and 1000s of individual nominations, a strong amount for what remains a niche part of this country’s media.
Despite encouraging sales and positive reviews, Platinum Games’ Vanquish passed me by. In fact, until this week I had it in my head that it had come out in January of last year rather than October, so the paltry £10 I paid for it a few days ago seemed less generous than it actually was.
If you haven’t yet listened to Brainy Gamer Episode 31 then do. It’s like kicking back at the bar while your geeky friends shoot the shit about their favourite video game music. It’s just very chilled; Michael Abbott has the butter-like voice to create that kind of atmosphere.
Recent BioWare games have been magnificent, with last year’s Mass Effect 2 as strong as any role-playing game released since. Yes, they had their avoidable flaws, but none were so big as to impact too heavily. Yet a number of flaws seem to have congregated in Dragon Age II, and as a collective they devastate. It’s a real shock to see such a meticulous creator of fantasy worlds produce as undercooked a fantasy game as this. Dragon Age II is a stark reminder that even the best can trip over themselves.