Red5's List of the Top 24 Games of 2011

Before we start, I have two notable games that I have not played yet. These are Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood and Call of Duty 3. These are the 24 games I have played in 2011 in order of best to worst. All games were played on an Xbox 360 unless otherwise noted. These are console only. I played plenty of the classics (Atari), 3DS, and iphone / ipad as well, but that is for another thread...

Skyrim : Quite possibly the best video game ever made to date. A completely engrossing game that you would be able to play for months at a time and still not do everything. The depth and of the game and sheer number of weapons, spells, armor, horses, houses, quests, guilds, and shouts mixed in with one of the biggest worlds a video game has ever seen is staggering. You can play for 30 hours and still stumble across an entire town you had no idea even existed with a whole set of 20 or more quests to add to your ever growing list. What is most stunning is the variety. You can be exploring your 30^th cave or dungeon and somehow Bethesda found a way to make every single one a unique experience. Even the bugs in the game are fun and quirky enough to make you laugh instead of frustrating you. What it comes down to though is story. The best part of the game is that while the main story is engrossing, so are the many stories you will find along the way with the countless side quests and guilds. There is no disappointment here as I am probably 50 to 60 hours in and still finding myself surprised. It doesn’t get better than this.
Zelda Skyward Sword : (Wii) Skyward Sword is the best Zelda game ever made, and that is saying a lot. In a video game world full of sequels, it is almost impossible to re-imagine the same characters over and over again and make everything feel like new. Skyward Sword takes the best of every Zelda game, adds incredibly fun new items and elements and creates a masterpiece. I love every Zelda game, but the one problem I had was the sometimes tedious task of finding the next dungeon. While of course there are dungeons in this game as well, getting to them is just as much fun and challenging as being in them. The game is deep with exciting side quests and if you go out of your way to explore, you will not be disappointed. While I am not a big fan of the motion controllers on the Wii, I was impressed this time around. Nintendo found a way to not only make it work, but to make it feel like part of the game. For the first time it did not feel like an afterthought or gimmick but an actual necessary part of the game. As for the graphics, well, it’s on the Wii so you know what you are getting. However, the artistic style of the game makes it easy to forgive. This is a perfect swan song for the Wii.
Portal 2: The original Portal was just a little experiment. It was not intended to become a game, but when it did, it became an instant classic. It became a classic by doing two things perfectly that most video games never do. First, it was unique. The portal gun was something we have never seen before. It created a whole new set of puzzles and concepts we were never introduced to before. Secondly, it was a great story with an amazing character. GLaDOS gave us some of the best moments in gaming history. These are big shoes to fill for poor Portal 2. This could have been a disaster, but instead Valve made something great even greater. GLaDOS is joined by Wheatly, another insane AI, who fits in perfectly. New “weapons” and a great backstory complete the package. If you loved Portal, you will love Portal 2 even more. It simply expands upon what was there in perfect strokes of genius. When you finish the game solo, there is an entirely new adventure waiting for you. Playing online with a friend adds a whole second game to the mix and the best part is that it is just as much fun as the solo campaign. Another great song during the credits ties a nice bow one of the best games of the year.
Uncharted 3: (PS3) : The Indiana Jones crew needs to play Uncharted 2 and 3 and take notes before letting Harrison Ford throw on the old hat and bullwhip again. Once again, the key to great games, unique gaming with a great story and characters. While the unique game aspect is not quite there, it is still incredibly fun. So fun that they probably have a few more in them before it seems old and worn. Once again, Naughty Dog finds a way to mix a perfect blend of action, fighting and mayhem with moments of storytelling, puzzle solving and exploration. Uncharted 3 really builds up the characters this time around and by the end of the game you are completely invested in the story. The game looks so stunning and crisp that this is one of those games that people in the same room can enjoy even if they aren’t playing.
Batman Arkham City : After Arkham Asylum I couldn’t wait to put on the bat suit again. Everything that made the first game so good is still here. Essentially it is everything you loved about the first game but bigger and more. More Super-Villains, more Riddler Riddles to find, more weapons and abilities, and a much bigger playground. Once again they nailed the look and feel of The Dark Night and the art style is a magic mix of film noire / horror movie / Nine Inch Nails video. On the downside, there is absolutely no in game tutorial. If you are looking for help from an instruction manual, forget it. It will take an hour or two of playing to get the controls down. The other downside is the game comes to a screeching halt without much warning. The game is still well worth the price of admission and rounds out the top 5 games of 2011.
Rocksmith : Okay, it’s not really a game, but this title needs to get some love. I am an advanced beginner / intermediate on a good day. If you are in that niche, then this is the most fun you may ever have with a guitar. For absolute beginners, it may be a bit too much and a bit too complicated. And for the pros out there, this would be the guitar version of karaoke. Even for the pros though, there is something you get here that is more than worth the money. Your home theater becomes your amp. Simply select the amp feature on the title screen and you can play away. But wait, there’s more! You know those $100 or more pedals / stomp boxes you can buy for your guitar but would never spend if you’re a mediocre guitar player like myself? They are all here. Bunches of them! You unlock them as rewards for playing a song well or you can chicken out and unlock them all for some cash in the Xbox Live Store. All I know is that nothing feels better than nailing a song just right. I have learned more in the last month or two than in my years of teaching myself. If you don’t know your basic major chords it may be a rough road, but you will learn. I LOVE this title. There is something for everyone with bands like Radiohead, Muse, The White Stripes, Rolling Stones, Soundgarden, The Pixies and so many more. The mini games are also fun and a challenging way to learn different techniques. The intelligence of the game is impressive. If you mess up on a section, it will immediately dumb it down for you. If you’re playing great, it will up the difficulty until eventually you are playing the entire song. If you are learning guitar, this is simply a must have.
Catherine: I love quirky, unique, oddball games, and I love a good story. Also, coming from my old school days of the Atari 2600, I miss the days when a game didn’t hold your hand and gently guide you through a game. Catherine will kick your ass and will never apologize. You will play some levels over and over again. You will want to throw your controller out the window. I was inches away from switching from “Normal” to “Easy” but when I finally beat this game it was like reaching the top of Mt. Everest. A lot like it actually. Your objective is simply to climb to the top of a bunch of blocks. You will frantically push and pull blocks and maybe use a skill if you are lucky enough to get one on the way up the stairs you desperately try to create. It’s Q*Bert on acid. It is addicting as anything can get and the “one more try” factor will keep you up until well past midnight, even on a school night. You will curse this game for existing and love every minute. The story is a bold, adult themed tale of betrayal. You cheat on your longtime girlfriend Katherine with a hot flirty girl named Catherine that you meet in your favorite bar. At night you have nightmares that lead to the actual game. As much fun as you have in the actual game, the story that takes place in the bar (and a few other places) is like a reward you get for finishing a level. You can’t get enough of the story. You want to beat those insane nightmare levels to get to the next “scene”. There are great plot twists and shocking events that will make you want to keep playing and pushing to see how this messy situation will end. The artistic style is your typical anime, and very nicely done. The characters are all memorable, especially Catherine.
Gears of War 3: It’s more of the same from the franchise we love. Bigger and better and a climax to the story we love. The whole gang is here for one final romp fighting the locusts. There is not much to tell you here. Multiplayer is great. Graphics and sound are great as always. No surprises, but hours of fun.
LA Noire: I wanted to love this game more than I did, but it still gets high marks for effort. The game was an excellent attempt at creating a gumshoe film noire detective game. The problem is that there was really no way to fail your investigations. Everything played out the same way no matter what. In classic RockStar fashion they through in the old GTA driving mechanism, albeit from the 50’s, which really didn’t add much to the game. It was fun to find the hidden cars but really didn’t keep pace with the story. The technology of facial expressions was incredibly impressive. It was great to read people based on the expression on their faces, but I still felt like I was guessing sometimes if they were lying or not. A great attempt, but there was much to improve upon.
Deus Ex – Human Revolution : This new iteration of Deus Ex remains faithful to the older games in the series. Updating your character with new augmentations is great and brings a decent RPG element to the game. The side missions are actually important and add to the story and never feel like thrown in “fetch this” type of quests. The areas are huge and it can be a bit too easy to get lost or not know how to find your next location, but once you get where you need to be, the story and gameplay make it easily forgivable. This is a top of the line RPG / FPS game with a deep story. While it begins to get repetitive by the end, it is well worth the journey.
Rage: At the core, this game is a first person shooter but mix it with a bunch of gambling games when in towns, compete in some violent dune buggy races, throw in a few RPG elements and you have yourself a great game. It’s an interesting departure for Bethesda, but it won’t come close to the Elder Scrolls and Fallout games it is famous for. One issue is that the game comes screeching to a halt at the end though. I think I actually uttered, “that’s it!?” when the credits rolled. Not that the game is short by any means, but the end of the game appears out of nowhere.
Vanquish (sleeper #1) If you can get by the ridiculous pop up boxes with horrible voice acting (a la StarFox) you are in for a real treat. This game is a blazing fast game with an incredibly unique style. The pace is relentless. The boss battles are insane. It has an almost arcade game feel to it at times, but that is by no means a knock against this game. Vanquish is a unique game or at least a type that hasn’t been seen in a while that is thrill ride from start to finish.
Rayman It is still too early to tell if this will be a game that many miss out on due to the huge amount of great games available this holiday season. It shouldn’t be missed because it is a great game in itself. The cartoon animation is the best I have seen in a game. It looks better than most of the hit cartoon shows right now. It is also a brilliant platform game in the vein of Mario, but with enough originality and style to maybe even one up the old plumber. Playing alone or co-op with a friend, this game is just plain fun.
Bulletstorm (sleeper #2) If you missed this game, you want to check those bargain bins now. It is a unique tale about space pirates set in a Gears of War style of game. The dialogue contains ridiculously childish humor and I have no idea why I was cracking up at all the ‘dick’ jokes, but it just worked in context with the characters and story. The game is set at a breakneck pace and is an adrenaline rush all the way to the end. Since it sets up an obvious sequel, get on board now and enjoy the ride.
Child of Eden: (Sleeper #3) If you have a Kinect, this is a must buy. It is a lot like the game Rez but using your body to play. The game is a thing of beauty to behold. At times you feel like you are conducting an orchestra instead of playing a game. It is really a work of art. I shooter? A rhythm game? I am not sure where to put it, but it is unique (a big plus in the “make another FPS!” world of video games) and interesting all the way through. While very short, it takes time to figure out just what you are doing in each level so you will play each multiple times and enjoy every minute.
Battlefield 3: You have played this game before. This is the latest version. It’s really fun. It looks incredible. The sound is fantastic. Online is great. It’s like pizza. It’s so good. Then, next year, you find a place a little better. It might have a couple of different toppings and look fancier, but in the end, it’s still pizza.
Forza 4: Many may argue that this should be higher up the list and you would be right. If you LOVE driving games that is. I like them. This one is great. Maybe even the best driving game ever made. The graphics are as good as you can get this generation and the game is as deep as can be. The greatest part is that this is the first driving game where the ‘behind the wheel’ perspective works better than any other view. In the end though, it’s still a game where you race cars. Been there.
Driver San Francisco: This game was surprisingly fun. The release date was horrible timing, getting lost amongst the blockbusters, but this is a really fun driving game. The game gives you a bunch of standard driving missions that we have all played a bunch of times with a great twist. Your spirit can leave your body and possess any other driver you want. In a police chase and the culprit is getting away? Fly out of your body and jump in a tanker truck a half mile ahead coming in the other direction of the chase. Swerve into the culprits lane at the last second and cause a head on collision that takes him out. Not realistic like Forza, but tons of fun. (Drive the Delorean at 88 mph for a fun surprise.)
Crysis 2 : Oh the hype that followed this game. In the end, what we got was a great looking FPS with a few moments that stuck out, but way too far and few between. If you missed this game, fear not, you aren’t missing much.
Hunted - Demon’s Forge: Looked great in previews, but was completely forgettable. A month after you play there will not be one defining moment that sticks out.
Homefront: Great FPS but brings nothing new to the table. Nice looking game, great story. The HUGE downside is that it’s over in about 4 hours.
Dead Island: Left for Dead on a tropical island with some RPG moments. I like zombie games, but this just didn’t do it for me. The game looks beautiful and if you are a zombie nut and online play sort of person, go for it.
Captain America : I broke my number one rule of video games… never never never play a movie tie in game. I like Cap A. I couldn’t help it. It wasn’t horrible, but it certainly wasn’t good.
Brink: I see what they were going for here… they failed.