Best of 2011

I did not play many games at all this year, and for once I didn't play the new Assassin's Creed, however that was due to a dead Xbox and severe lack of money. Most of this year was spent finishing my HSC, refusing to play Dragon Age II and waiting in sheer excitement for The Old Republic, which you will not see on this list. An MMO of that caliber can't have a six or seven day play session and then be judged. However there were a few gems this year which really astounded me. Here are my games of 2011.

List items

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  1. Dead Space 2

  Straight off the bat, this game is a no-brainer for me. Having fallen in love with the "Event Horizon-meets-The Thing" theme of the original, there was no way that I was going to pass up playing Dead Space 2. After picking it up on a surprisingly cool March day, I spent the next week finishing it, and it delivered. Dead Space 2 provides a much more action-y feel than the original, but the overhanging feeling of dread still hangs in many of the areas of Titan Station. Exploring more into the origins of the Marker and Unitology was also a harrowing experience.

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  2. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings

  The Witcher 2 and Dead Space 2 are just about tied in terms of my Game of the Year. Only thing that puts TW2 in second place is that my shitty laptop couldn't run it at its native resolution. However, that's not to say that the engine that was used isn't well made. In fact, this is easily one of the most well scaled engines that I have ever had the pleasure of playing. I ended up finishing it on 800x600 resolution, so when I rake up the dough to get a new PC, this game is well and truly at the top of the list.

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  3. Deus Ex: Human Revolution

  The Deus Ex series has been the only one to ever conjure up those same feelings I felt when I saw Blade Runner for the first time. Human Revolution only amplifies this feeling with one of the most atmospheric games I have ever had the privilege of playing. The thing that sets this game apart from many other releases of the year is the excellent sound artistry. Not since Mass Effect and Tron: Legacy have I heard such and awesome synth soundtrack for a movie or video game. I will admit that I have not finished this game, but I have taken a very large chunk out of it. I will enjoy finishing this.

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  4. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

  I was going to comment about this game. But then I took an arrow in the knee.

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  5. Battlefield 3

  DICE have just about crammed everything I love, and would love to see, about first person shooters into one game. Battlefield 3 is the pure incarnation of the reason we bought better computers for gaming, especially back in the days of BF1942 and BF2. There are only a few bad things I feel that I can say about this game. Sure, it has more than its fair share of bugs, the hit detection can be way off and the odd graphical bug here and there. These few things may sting at first, but I found it hard not to enjoy this incredible looking game. The gameplay is intense and about as visually realistic as you can get, not to mention being able to go PRONE!!! The only reason this game is not any higher in my Best of 2011 list is because I did not have a computer good enough to run it (as is the general theme of this list), and had to mooch off my brother every now and then to get my BF3 fix.