Top ten games of 2011
Just my rundown of the top ten games of this year. It's PS3-heavy, as that's my only console, and I don't play the PC very much any more. Even if I did, it would just be a list of ten Defense Grid entries!
List items
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A bug-ridden cacophony it may be, but no game does atmosphere like this. Creating a fully-realised world with it's own history and dynamic events, putting you in the middle and just letting you run rampant; it's impossible to sum up. I had tried Oblivion and hated it, but Skyrim has to be experienced to be believed.
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I had my doubts, I'll admit; the first Portal was a stroke of genius, a bite-sized PC gem, but could it be successfully stretched and moulded into a full-price console game? The answer is yes. Tremendously rewarding gameplay, amazing tone, snappy dialogue and an incredible co-op experience make for something truly special.
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Say what you will about the repetitive dungeons and spawning enemies, I still hold that, story-wise, this is the bravest RPG in years. There's no evil being lurking on the fringe, waiting to devour the world, waiting for your spiky-haired adolescent, self-doubting protagonist. No, this is a tale of survival, a personal story set against an amazing backdrop.
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If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Unfortunately, Naughty Dog almost broke Drake with an underwhelming story, iffy aiming and a pervading feeling of deja vu. On top of that, we'd already seen the game's high points months before release! However, you can't disguise quality, and even with it's flaws, this game towers over most others without even trying; extraordinary visuals and another great script married to awesome gameplay. Excellent multiplayer is just the icing on the cake.
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After the runaway success of Arkham Asylum, expectations were high for this sequel, and it hit every beat whilst adding some. However, over 400 collectibles, an ever-trusting protagonist, forced storyline and excessive sidequests left the Dark Knight feeling a little swamped, missing the tight narrative arc of it's predecessor. The fact that it was still far and above most other releases this year puts it in the same territory as Uncharted 3 - the quality still shone through.
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A satisfying, heavy shooter with amazing visuals and awesome multiplayer allowed us to overlook the hammy storyline and protracted melee attacks. But even they were awesome. But not as awesome as your triple-barreled hand-held shotgun. Oh yeah, baby.
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Man, what a story! The animation on the characters truly brought them to life, and the powerful evocation of the era made for a game experience like no other. Until Dexter: The Game comes out, this is the closest you'll get to playing a psycho cop!
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The best tower defense game since Pixeljunk Monsters, and they both had something in common - there was always stuff to do, no waiting around to see if your towers would handle it. In this game you ARE a tower, capable of building, repairing and destroying. Great visuals and cool co-op options round out a wonderful package - now when are they going to fix the damn trophy glitch!?!?
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I'll move right past the 'How did the PS3 version pass quality control?' question and on to the amazing atmosphere generated by this game. I'll admit I'm a sucker for anything Jurassic Park, but as a long-time dismisser of Telltale games' products, this was a refreshing change. The animation of the dinosaurs is truly incredible (the humans, not so much) and somehow, they manage to keep the tension high at all times. The plot is a little weird, but this was a great rollercoaster ride!
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The first fighting game in years to allow me to get competent makes the list for that reason! I just couldn't get to grips with SSFIV, no matter how I tried, but the learning curve in this game was consistently rewarding and I eventually reached a basic level of competence. A really smart re-imagining of the series.
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