The Salties (Best Game)

Unlike it's treatment of the cinema, 2011 was particularly kind to the world of interactive entertainment. As stated in declaration of candidates, video games are unique as a medium in that sequels frequently surpass their predecessors in overall quality. Given this penchant for improvement coupled with the fact that the medium is barely out of its infancy, video games, almost annually, continue to see genre-defining works.

2011 was no exception. That an incredible achievement like Skyrim could only crack the Honorable Mentions is telling.

The Salties
Best Game


And the winner is....

Uncharted 3 - Drake's Deception

Naughty Dog

Best Game of 2011

This was closer than one might. As fantastic as Drake's Deception appears on the surface, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, with all its well documented flaws and sunglasses at night, was a serious contender for Game of the Year. Ultimately, the decision didn't come down to any amount of technical brilliance (Uncharted would have one handedly) or replayability (Deus Ex, without question), but to a core difference in game design philosophy, with the trophy being handed to the game taking a more important step for the medium as a whole.

Video games are based around a single core concept: Player Choice. The degree of freedom the player experiences may vary, but, unlike any other medium (except for choose your own adventure novels!) video games present their audience with a chance to directly affect events through their actions. 

Drake's Deception allows for a great degree of freedom, but confines it to a narrow corridor of a pre-set, linear story. How Nathan Drake gets from Point A to Point B is up to the player, you can eliminate enemies with militaristic marksmanship or (if you're a cool person) squirrel-pounce everyone to death, but no matter what, you have to get Drake to Point B, or the story can't progress.

So while the degree of gameplay freedom in Uncharted 3 is admirable for a linear game, Human Revolution makes it seem like a coffin simulator. Points A and B are more of theoretical concepts in the latest Deus Ex; if you want to swing by Point C for a bit? Go for it. Maybe check out Point A: Section IV, Article 21F while you're at it. The player has complete narrative freedom, allowing for endless narrative permutations.

 While Drake's Deception emulates the formula of a cinematic blockbuster, Human Revolution is a uniquely interactive experience. Player choice is put before all else. This is its greatest strength. And it is also why it didn't win Best Game.

Video games are at a tipping point. They are on the verge of being universally accepted as an artistic medium, with deniers finding themselves increasingly viewed as the bigoted, uniformed pariahs that they are. Gamemakers have mastered the art of interactive world-building. Human Revolution is proof of that. But video games are still eons behind other mediums in terms of storytelling. Human Revolution is proof of that, too. Sloppy writing, mediocre voice acting, stock characters and absolutely zero narrative urgency are all highly noticeable counterpoints to its myriad of triumphs.

(About to use myriad as both a noun and an adjective within two sentences, hold on...)

Storytelling, however, is a high point in Drake's Deception's equally myriad list of triumphs. It is one of the few examples that the interactive medium can hold in comparison to the best film and literature has to offer. It stands proudly beside games like Bioshock, Portal 2 (also a serious Best Game candidate), and its own predecessor as hallmarks for interactive storytelling. While it doesn't ask the same societally charged questions found in Human Revolution, its genre-questioning themes of motivation and greed haven't been presented this eloquently in any medium.

The quiet brilliance of its characterization are juxtaposed with stunning, explosive set pieces; both of which are made possible by the game's stunning animations and incredible graphical fidelity. And as incredible as the visuals may be, their realism pale's in comparison to the realism of the characters. What started as standard, albeit wonderfully written, adventure archetypes in Uncharted - Drake's Fortune have grown into characters with profound emotional depth and resonance. 

Nolan North delivers his most nuanced performance as Nathan Drake, perfectly complimenting Amy Hennig's script, which supplants quippy comebacks with moments of genuine introspection. Don't worry though. There are still plenty of quippy comebacks.

Above all, Uncharted 3 - Drake's Deception is proof that an interactive narrative can surpass its cinematic inspirations and stand next to any medium as truly unique and supremely excellent experience. It is a perfect example of interactive storytelling, and it is exactly what video games need. It is Ultimate Salt's Best Game of 2011.

Portal 2 probably should have factored into the above discussion, but, it's like, bro. If you wanna crack the top two, you've got to have podium hair.

Check yo coif.