Best 'Original' Game - 2011

[JonnyPoots]

Not to be completely parodic to this thread (GBAtemp's best game 2011!, Any console, any game.) but seriously, has anyone even played one of this years 'originals'? While I'm sure many here have, it has still been a year of sequels/series, remakes, and nostalgia.
Of this years originals I found (and, no, I wasn't completely thorough) these:

• From Dust
• Catherine
• Journey
• El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron
• Rage
• Dead Island

I am sure there's more but these are some of the more interesting ones. Admittedly, I have not played any of these. If you have played any of these or any other ORIGINAL game that ORIGINATED this year, I (and possibly the rest of the temp) would like to hear about it/them.

 

[emigre]

Excellent game. It did a good job merging the adventure and puzzle elements together.

 

[Ace Overclocked]

Excellent game. It did a good job merging the adventure and puzzle elements together.

i thought you were a nintendo hater?
and well i can agree it's awesome!

 

[emigre]

Where did this notion of me being a Nintendo hater originate from?

 

[JonnyPoots]

just looked into it - looks cool
and an early one from this year at that, January 11, 2011

 

[Gundam Eclipse]

While i fucking loved Ghost Trick, i would have to tip my hat of to Catherine, it was bloody amazing.

 

[JonnyPoots]

also on the ghostly level of originality, for 3ds we have The Hidden. has anyone played it yet?
and i very much want to look into Catherine.

 

[Master Mo]

Excellent game. It did a good job merging the adventure and puzzle elements together.

Most definitely... by far the best original game. Gotta love Capcom for giving some love to handhelds!

 

[AaronUzumaki]

L.A. Noire was pretty good.

 

[JonnyPoots]

Right, LA Noire, can't believe i forgot 'bout that one

 

[jalaneme]

ghost trick FTW, thats why i have my avatar

 

[JonnyPoots]

hmmmm, seems i should really look into this 'ghost trick'

 

[Gahars]

I guess Shadows of the Damned counts then.

Quick question: Does El Shaddai count as original if it's adapting much from the Book of Enoch?

 

[FIX94]

Ghost trick hm? I should take a look at it.

 

[Guild McCommunist]

I really can't think of any "original" titles I've played this year. Most all of the games I've played this year have been sequels.

 

[Hells Malice]

Original...

Does Fate/extra count as original. I have no idea.
I've never seen a game with a rock/paper/scissors gameplay mechanic before, anyway.

If not, Corpse Party. I assume that's original since i've never heard of it before people talked about it on here near the english release.

Also thoroughly enjoyed Catherine.

 

[Sora de Eclaune]

Journey doesn't count as it's still unreleased as of yet.

I'd say the best game I've played this year...Hmm... i'll have to go with Skyward Sword. I think that's the only game from 2011 that I've played.

 

[Gahars]

Journey doesn't count as it's still unreleased as of yet.

I'd say the best game I've played this year...Hmm... i'll have to go with Skyward Sword. I think that's the only game from 2011 that I've played.

Isn't Skyward Sword, you know, part of a 25 year old game series?

 

[JonnyPoots]

Original...

Does Fate/extra count as original. I have no idea.
I've never seen a game with a rock/paper/scissors gameplay mechanic before, anyway.

If not, Corpse Party. I assume that's original since i've never heard of it before people talked about it on here near the english release.

Also thoroughly enjoyed Catherine.

I'd say that Fate/Extra is fairly original in game-play. Though when I started this thread I was sorta meaning completely original (though that's nearly impossible: a story has to start somewhere), by that I meant not based on a previous game/visual novel, movie, television show, book/comic, anime/manga, etc. I guess if an exception had to be made, it would be in the vein of anime etc. considering nationalizations and the fact that sometimes (rare) the game gets to westerners before any other media. That said, this exception would not apply to Fate/Extra as Fate/stay night was a visual novel for PS2 (say what you will about light novels and whether of not they are games).

Corpse Party is a remake of a 1996 game by the same name, though it wasn't nationalized until this year, yes.

 

[Wizerzak]

Minecraft. Although it was released in 2010 I believe that most of it's popularity, fanbase, and support for the game came in 2011. And there's no denying Minecraft is original which is why I think it's the best original game of 2011.