Games Xtreme's Games of 2011
Posted: 2012-01-02
Games Xtreme presents: in no particular order, the Games of 2011
It has been a great year for games in general, and we've pretty much narrowed down our list of games we really enjoyed in 2011. These are in no order at all, nor are there any numerical value attached to them.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
This is the first/third person sequel/prequel to the Deus Ex series, generally well received and loved by a fair few gamers. It makes a few mistakes here and there and could have been given a better ending. However, it more than makes up for it with engaging gameplay, interesting characters and a pretty solid story. The soundtrack is pretty fantastic and the visuals are extremely well designed.
Saints Row: The Third
We never got to do a review of this one, but that’s ok, I spent a ton of time over Christmas on my retail version of the game and it’s a good Saint’s Row game. It feels vastly different to 2 and that’s a good and a bad thing. Some of my gaming peers felt it went too far from what made 2 great, it lacked the idle animation quality of the second game and it also lacked the interactivity with the world. These are valid points and the game is missing a lot of the interior exploration, funny actions and NPC crazy that made 2 such a blast. It feels more static than the previous game in terms of the city design and the people that inhabit it. There are not as many ludicrous moments with naked streakers, random fights breaking out and other crazy things.
It’s still a good game though, one worth getting! It looks nice and it’s got a pretty slick soundtrack. The game still has popup issues and the engine isn’t as solid as it could be.
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
It may have some bugs and some issues, but this is the best game that has come out of 2011 as far as we’re concerned. It’s Wolf’s Game of the Year and he certainly has put an obscene amount of time into the game so far. It has a fairly simple combat system but it provides a truly amazing world to get lost in, to explore and it’s packed with content with random quests and NPC’s galore. Skyrim looks nice and there’s a hell of a lot of detail in those graphics and design. A whole world has been brought to life right down to the smallest butterfly wing. Bethesda deserves all the accolades they have already and more, we can’t wait to see what DLC will bring to Skyrim since we’ve been promised something other than Horse Armour!
A special mention to the Skyrim soundtrack too, the music is powerful, sweeping and has some great atmosphere to match the visuals and game sound. Expect to sink around 300 hours or more into it if you want to get the very best out of this amazing GotY 2011.
Batman: Arkham City
Rocksteady and Warner Brothers have managed to top the previous Arkham Asylum by a mile or more. Batman AC is packed with more to do, it’s got a refined combat system and a fantastic story that drags you in and doesn’t let you go even at the end. With several extra game modes, side quests and more the game delivers at least a 30-40 hour story with the core split between Batman and Catwoman, along with side missions and things to collect. Then there are the challenge modes which are also robust and have numerous challenges that demand a good deal of skill.
Basically everything that made Arkham Asylum is back and better than before. With roles reprised by Kevin Conroy and the Batman TAS crew. Mark Hamill is back as the Joker and his dulcet tones are as always perfectly delivered with a hint of madness.
Graphically the game is superb and shows what the engine can do. Definitely a one for Batman fans and non-fans alike!
Battlefield 3
The single player side of BF 3 isn’t really anything amazing, it has some interesting moments and set pieces – it has the Frostbite 2 engine destruction and visuals, especially on PC which are actually fantastic to see. Where BF 3 triumphs over Modern Warfare 3 is in the sheer scope and size of the multiplayer, especially now that Return to Karkand is finally out and Wake Island is back!
Battlefield 3 features a Spec Ops style co-op mode that is quite tasty, however the main meat of the meal is in the comprehensive multiplayer and the whole crazy slew of weapons, vehicles and the massive maps that make up the whole package. This is the best slice of multiplayer for people who want something a little different to Modern Warfare 3.
Visually, it’s nice on console but not as nice as the PC version. It is however a great multiplayer experience and if you’re into squad based warfare, look no further than this entry in 2011. Battlefield has never been so great!
Assassin’s Creed: Revelations
AC: Brotherhood was a superb leap forwards for the series, Revelations wasn’t so much a leap forwards as a refinement and a finale for both Altair and Ezio. The single player has been well crafted and whilst there are a few new elements in terms of navigation and gameplay, it’s still the great AC experience that we’ve come to know and love. It’s a fitting end to the Ezio and Altair story and there’s a lot more potential in the new Creed game that should roll around in the next year or so. Visually it’s the best looking one yet, the soundtrack is superb and the game feels a bit shorter than Brotherhood did.
The multiplayer has been refined and retooled, it works really well and the new experience/unlocking system seems to level the playing field a lot. It’s another title that we considered to be a great game of 2011.
Uncharted 3
Nathan Drake returns for another globe-trotting Indiana Jones meets Tomb Raider style adventure. This is Naughty Dog’s most ambitious Uncharted yet and boy does this game live up to all the hype. Yeah, it’s a solid one and it has some amazing set pieces that prove Naughty Dog is atop of their game regarding Uncharted. The visuals, soundtrack, animations and gameplay are all highly polished and the moment to moment shooting action is excellent. The traversal and puzzle solving is likewise excellent.
Then you have the cinematic multiplayer with cooperative modes and adversarial modes. The multiplayer is fast, frenetic and most of all a lot of fun. If you’re a massive Uncharted fan and you have a PS3, Uncharted 3 is the game that really brings out the best in the console and genre.
It has been a great year for games in general, and we've pretty much narrowed down our list of games we really enjoyed in 2011. These are in no order at all, nor are there any numerical value attached to them.
This is the first/third person sequel/prequel to the Deus Ex series, generally well received and loved by a fair few gamers. It makes a few mistakes here and there and could have been given a better ending. However, it more than makes up for it with engaging gameplay, interesting characters and a pretty solid story. The soundtrack is pretty fantastic and the visuals are extremely well designed.
Saints Row: The Third
We never got to do a review of this one, but that’s ok, I spent a ton of time over Christmas on my retail version of the game and it’s a good Saint’s Row game. It feels vastly different to 2 and that’s a good and a bad thing. Some of my gaming peers felt it went too far from what made 2 great, it lacked the idle animation quality of the second game and it also lacked the interactivity with the world. These are valid points and the game is missing a lot of the interior exploration, funny actions and NPC crazy that made 2 such a blast. It feels more static than the previous game in terms of the city design and the people that inhabit it. There are not as many ludicrous moments with naked streakers, random fights breaking out and other crazy things.
It’s still a good game though, one worth getting! It looks nice and it’s got a pretty slick soundtrack. The game still has popup issues and the engine isn’t as solid as it could be.
It may have some bugs and some issues, but this is the best game that has come out of 2011 as far as we’re concerned. It’s Wolf’s Game of the Year and he certainly has put an obscene amount of time into the game so far. It has a fairly simple combat system but it provides a truly amazing world to get lost in, to explore and it’s packed with content with random quests and NPC’s galore. Skyrim looks nice and there’s a hell of a lot of detail in those graphics and design. A whole world has been brought to life right down to the smallest butterfly wing. Bethesda deserves all the accolades they have already and more, we can’t wait to see what DLC will bring to Skyrim since we’ve been promised something other than Horse Armour!
A special mention to the Skyrim soundtrack too, the music is powerful, sweeping and has some great atmosphere to match the visuals and game sound. Expect to sink around 300 hours or more into it if you want to get the very best out of this amazing GotY 2011.
Batman: Arkham City
Rocksteady and Warner Brothers have managed to top the previous Arkham Asylum by a mile or more. Batman AC is packed with more to do, it’s got a refined combat system and a fantastic story that drags you in and doesn’t let you go even at the end. With several extra game modes, side quests and more the game delivers at least a 30-40 hour story with the core split between Batman and Catwoman, along with side missions and things to collect. Then there are the challenge modes which are also robust and have numerous challenges that demand a good deal of skill.
Basically everything that made Arkham Asylum is back and better than before. With roles reprised by Kevin Conroy and the Batman TAS crew. Mark Hamill is back as the Joker and his dulcet tones are as always perfectly delivered with a hint of madness.
Graphically the game is superb and shows what the engine can do. Definitely a one for Batman fans and non-fans alike!
The single player side of BF 3 isn’t really anything amazing, it has some interesting moments and set pieces – it has the Frostbite 2 engine destruction and visuals, especially on PC which are actually fantastic to see. Where BF 3 triumphs over Modern Warfare 3 is in the sheer scope and size of the multiplayer, especially now that Return to Karkand is finally out and Wake Island is back!
Battlefield 3 features a Spec Ops style co-op mode that is quite tasty, however the main meat of the meal is in the comprehensive multiplayer and the whole crazy slew of weapons, vehicles and the massive maps that make up the whole package. This is the best slice of multiplayer for people who want something a little different to Modern Warfare 3.
Visually, it’s nice on console but not as nice as the PC version. It is however a great multiplayer experience and if you’re into squad based warfare, look no further than this entry in 2011. Battlefield has never been so great!
Assassin’s Creed: Revelations
AC: Brotherhood was a superb leap forwards for the series, Revelations wasn’t so much a leap forwards as a refinement and a finale for both Altair and Ezio. The single player has been well crafted and whilst there are a few new elements in terms of navigation and gameplay, it’s still the great AC experience that we’ve come to know and love. It’s a fitting end to the Ezio and Altair story and there’s a lot more potential in the new Creed game that should roll around in the next year or so. Visually it’s the best looking one yet, the soundtrack is superb and the game feels a bit shorter than Brotherhood did.
The multiplayer has been refined and retooled, it works really well and the new experience/unlocking system seems to level the playing field a lot. It’s another title that we considered to be a great game of 2011.
Nathan Drake returns for another globe-trotting Indiana Jones meets Tomb Raider style adventure. This is Naughty Dog’s most ambitious Uncharted yet and boy does this game live up to all the hype. Yeah, it’s a solid one and it has some amazing set pieces that prove Naughty Dog is atop of their game regarding Uncharted. The visuals, soundtrack, animations and gameplay are all highly polished and the moment to moment shooting action is excellent. The traversal and puzzle solving is likewise excellent.
Then you have the cinematic multiplayer with cooperative modes and adversarial modes. The multiplayer is fast, frenetic and most of all a lot of fun. If you’re a massive Uncharted fan and you have a PS3, Uncharted 3 is the game that really brings out the best in the console and genre.
