2011 was a pretty damn good year in terms of these piles of plastic to which we devote so much of our free time. Was it as good or better than 1998 or 2001? Only time will tell. But, forget about all that historical nonsense for now. Let's just look at this year for what it was. It's the end of the year, so we are required to make lists. And here's my top 10 followed by some honorable mentions.
Best of 2011
 | 1. The Elder Scrolls V: SkyrimNo surprise here. 152+ hours and there's still soooo many dark icons on that map. Despite all the reported issues with the game, I experienced virtually no problems. I think I had a hard lock-up twice. I'm engrossed in the world of Nirn so much that I'm seriously thinking about going back to play Morrowind since Oblivion was my first game in the series. |
 | 2. Mortal KombatI love MK. Some of the first work I did on the wiki here was adding infofortheactorsinthefirstthree MK games. MK9 sets the bar frighteningly high for any future fighting games in terms of story and overall single-player content. It masterfully straddles the line between nostalgia/fan-service and competition-worthy gameplay. |
 | 3. Uncharted 3: Drake's DeceptionUncharted 2 was so amazing that making a follow up to match it had to be almost impossible. For the most part, Naughty Dog pulled it off. But, since that jump from 1 to 2 was so drastic, the jump from 2 to 3 pales in comparison, which is unfair when evaluating U3 itself. It's still an incredible feat in design, character, and story telling. I played from chapter 3 to the end in one sitting, and the game only left me wanting more. |
 | 4. Deus Ex: Human RevolutionThis game came out of nowhere. I had absolutely no interest in it prior to release. But after hearing so much about it during PAX, I ordered it online during the show to have when I got home. I quickly fell in love with the game's world and wanted...no...needed to read every single email and hack every single door I could find. And I actually completed it without killing anyone. |
 | 5. BastionI was lucky enough to play Bastion at its first public appearance; PAX Prime 2010. You almost always know that when someone hands you a headset for their demo that the sound is a big deal. Well, it was never more true than in Bastion. But the game isn't a one-trick pony. It takes the brilliant narration mechanic and beautiful soundtrack, then combines it with a combat system that was rewarding to master and a story with characters that compelled you to want to finish the game in one sitting. |
 | 6. Portal 2Spaaaaaaaaace. Space! |
 | 7. Battlefield 3Forget about the single-player. Just forget about it. I know I did. And for someone that doesn't often play online with random log-carrying folks, I spent a considerable amount of time doing just that, and had a pretty great time as well. I dumped countless ours into BF2 many years ago. I only wish I had a PC capable of running this one as well. |
 | 8. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The MastersThis was the only game I took the time to write a review for in 2011. After taking several years off from the franchise due to various issues with the games, I couldn't resist returning for a chance to play my home state's Augusta National Golf Course. EA successfully utilized The Masters license in such a way that brought about the sense of grandeur that the actual event displays every April. |
 | 9. Assassin's Creed: RevelationsDiminishing returns are a bitch. I love the AC franchise. I even loved the first game. ACR is pretty damn good too, but it's not what fans of the series really wanted after that massive cliffhanger at the end of Brotherhood. It's still good enough to break into my top 10 though. And it hasn't ruined my hopes for AC3. |
 | 10. Batman: Arkham CityI like Batman. How can you not like Batman? But, I wouldn't necessarily say I'm a fan though. I certainly wasn't buying Batman games before Arkham. I won't act like I know what I'm talking about when it comes to the world of DC, but I can say that I enjoyed the journey through a cavalcade of villains. |
The B-Team
This year's release schedule was dense, especially the last few months. Nothing new about that though. In no particular order (except alphabetical), here's a few games that didn't quite make it on my list.
 | CatherineIn 2011, no game review caused as much controversy on Giant Bomb as Catherine. Personally, I rather enjoyed its originality in terms of story-telling. I also am a sucker for a good puzzle game, and that's what you spend most of your time actively doing in the game. Did it go on a bit too long? Yeah, probably. But I still enjoyed the journey and the fact that I had to stop and think about several of the morality decisions in the game. If you must know, I stuck with Katherine the whole way through. |
 | Gears of War 3While not being a huge fan of the series, I had still played through both of the first two games. Strangely, though, Gears 3 was the first one that I did not play through in co-op. In a way, I'm kind of glad I didn't though. As the third and final (?) game in this trilogy was quite a bit more emotional and personal than its predecessors. Brothers til the end and all that. It just doesn't seem like the heavier moments in the game would've been as resonating if a friend was playing as that character, then it's like, "Well, you play as this person now, cause...yeah." I still haven't found its multiplayer appealing at all though. |
 | inFamous 2I love me some inFamous. While the sequel is, to some extent, more of the same, that was good enough for me. The implementation of the user-generated content was great, and even if the premise of the main villain was a bit hokey, it was still a fun ride. And, without trying to be too spoilery, it took some guts from Sucker Punch to do the ending the way they did. The door is still cracked open a bit I guess, but I'm looking forward to whatever Sucker Punch is working on next, whether it's anything related to inFamous or not. |
 | Saints Row: The ThirdI couldn't put this on my list for one very important reason. I haven't played it yet. I simply ran out of time. I ordered it Christmas morning using a Best Buy gift card I'd received the night before, but it hasn't arrived yet. I feel confident, based on what I've heard from friends and from Giant Bomb staff/users, that it would've breached my Top 10 if I had played it before now, but I thought the same thing about Skyward Sword before I played it, and you don't see that anywhere on my list or here on the B-Team. |
 | Super Mario 3D LandSimilar to the Super Mario Galaxy games, all that needs to be said about this game is that it's pure fun. It's what games were meant to be. The 3D effect is nice, but not entirely necessary. Also similar to Galaxy, the real challenge begins once you've 'completed' the game. |
Marino's Award for "Does This Qualify as a Game? Because I Had the Most Fun with It!" Award
 | StreetPass Mii Plaza - Find MiiIf you made it to PAX Prime 2011, and you had a 3DS, you know what I'm talking about. That little green light is a magical sight to behold, and it was non-stop flashing all five days that I was in Seattle. Going through the very basic RPG that's built into the Plaza was quite fun. And, thanks , we have a new word to add to the vernacular; StreetPAXin. |
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