My Top Ten Games Of 2011

2011 was a year full of great games. Though few new IPs were able to make their mark on the industry, hordes of big-name sequels and reboots ran riot on gamers’ bank balances throughout the year. This is a list of my ten favourite games from the last year. Any resemblance to a list of the top ten best games of the last year is completely unintentional and, considering some of my more eclectic tastes, unlikely.

#10. DRAGON QUEST MONSTERS: JOKER 2

I’ve been a big fan of the Dragon Quest Monsters series ever since the first instalment, Dragon Warrior Monsters hit the GameBoy Colour way back in 1999, so it’s no surprise that I’d enjoy this latest instalment in the series. I’ll admit that when it comes to raising little killer monsters I’m more of a Pokémon guy, but DQM’s addictive monster fusion and skill learning mechanics make it stand apart as its own game and not just an overshadowed wannabe. Anyone who enjoys JRPGs and the Dragon Quest series in particular will probably enjoy this.

#9. MORTAL KOMBAT

If any series was in dire need of a reboot, it was the hyper-violent product of the 90s that is Mortal Kombat. Following the incredibly clunky gameplay of the dire Mortal Kombat: Armageddon and the toned-down relatively bloodless superhero crossover Mortal Kombat Vs DC, it fell to the ninth game in the series to redeem Mortal Kombat in the eyes of both critics and fans. While blood-thirsty fans having been let down by the PG-rated MK Vs DC, they were no doubt pleased to see the series’ trademark gore return bolder than ever. But what won over more discerning fans was hopefully the much improved gameplay. Abandoning the stiff, unpopular 3D movement of the last half a dozen entries in the series, MK9 returned to the traditional 2D gameplay of the much earlier and well-received Mortal Kombats 1 – 3. This return to basics combined with the slickest combo-based fighting ever seen in the series made MK9 the best Mortal Kombat yet. With an impressive character-driven story mode and a plethora of challenges and unlockables, Mortal Kombat proved to be the best single-player fighting experience in a long time.

#8. DRAGON AGE 2

With the first Dragon Age Bioware returned to their roots of high fantasy RPGs. Dragon Age 2 would continue that work, though it would scale down the scope of the first game’s massive adventure to instead focus on the more personal story of one man/woman, Hawke. Fleeing from the events of the first game, Dragon Age 2 follows Hawke’s efforts to settle into the city of Kirkwall, eventually taking a position to influence the fate of the entire city. Though many fans of the first game were put off by Bioware’s efforts to streamline and refine the series in a similar manner to their Mass Effect series, some of the changes made for an entertaining if different experience. Dragon Age 2 might have been disappointing to many and may have failed to exceed the standards of its predecessor, but it still offered one of the best RPG experiences of 2011.

#7. DISSIDIA 012 FINAL FANTASY

More of a remake than a true sequel to the first Dissidia, Duodecim expanded and rebalanced the gameplay of its predecessor by adding a new assist system, allowing you to choose an ally who could be summoned into battle, and adjusting ground combat so that things weren’t just as focussed on the high-flying aerial fighting this time round. What really had Final Fantasy fans interested was the inclusion of a new group of characters pulled from the history of the series. The story mode was remade, incorporating an old school Final Fantasy world map to explore in between conquering dungeons, and entirely new chapters were devised in order to introduce the new group of characters and tie the full story together. It was still fairly incomprehensible abstract gibberish for the most part, but there will still some nice character moments and awesome encounters. Brainless fanservice perhaps, but ultimately harmless. Duodecim is better than the original in almost every way, and offers the same tense, exciting and strategic combat.

#6. DEUS EX: HUMAN REVOLUTION

A prequel to the original Deus Ex, Human Revolution tells an intriguing story of corporate espionage, secrets and betrayal against a background of scientific advancement and the resulting social upheaval. Which is very nice, but what really won me over was the sheer scope of the environments, which depending on your choice of upgrades and weaponry gave you plenty of options on how to stealthily make your way around the semi-futuristic cities and top secret facilities. An excellent dialogue system made conversations almost as entertaining as gunfights, with the results you achieve in interrogations or debates often having dire unforeseen consequences further into the game. So slick graphics, a well-told story, interesting characters and solid gameplay, all add up to one of the most polished and engaging games of the year.

#5. WWE ALL STARS

Probably one of the more personal choices on this list, I had more fun with WWE All Stars than I’ve had with a wrestling game in years. Its fast-paced, combo-based and arcadey gameplay put it head and shoulders above the stiffer, more simulation-based Smackdown Vs Raw games. But it was the bold and vibrant graphics and exaggerated characterisations of the most iconic figures from throughout WWE history that first attracted me to the game. Though its roster and match types were both sadly small and limited compared to other wrestling games, WWE All Stars’ fun and energetic gameplay made me a fan regardless. Most of THQ’s experiments with the WWE license never amount to anything, so I’m definitely taking a long shot in hoping that All Stars gets a bigger and better sequel.

#4. POKÉMON BLACK/WHITE

I’ve been a big fan of Pokémon ever since the beginning, though I’ll admit that some of the more recent offerings in the series were starting to feel a little uninspired and rehashed. I was definitely impressed by this year’s Black/White instalment’s efforts to reenergise the series through enhanced graphics and more dynamic battles. I always enjoy training up a new generation of monsters to add to my ever-growing army of elite fighters, and every Pokémon being more animated than ever before really helps bring the little critters to life. The inclusion of a host of more strategic moves can make battles a little more challenging, and the new three-on-three fights definitely provide a new experience in chaotic warfare. These might be mostly light or superficial updates, but the series’ gameplay was always sound and a new coat of paint really helps things feel a bit more interesting.

#3. BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY

The second game in Rocksteady’s growing Batman series, Arkham City expands on almost everything that Arkham Aslyum did so well. Shifting the action to a much larger free-roaming city environment rather than the fairly isolated island prison facility of the first game might make things feel much bigger, but there are still plenty of indoor environments for you to explore as you work your way through Bruce Wayne’s latest rough night out. Packed with even more classic Batman villains than before, Arkham City one-ups its predecessor with far more entertaining boss battles and a slightly wider range of enemies. Arkham City isn’t perfect of course, its flaws are just different to Arkham Asylum’s. There is a disappointingly lower focus on stealth in this game, and the much wider scope and larger cast of villains means that the story gets a little more convoluted. Nothing last year made me feel more like being Batman than gliding over rooftops to drop in on some unsuspecting criminals.

#2. GEARS OF WAR 3

Gears of War became one of my favourite series’ of this generation, and my multiplayer shooter of choice. This year Gears 3 provided a satisfyingly awesome conclusion to the trilogy. The introduction of the Lambent faction allows for a far wider range of enemies than in the previous two games, as well as providing a more chaotic and tense environment for our seasoned Gears Marcus and Dom, who are joined by a more expansive cast of rotating supporting characters in order to accommodate the four-player multiplayer, which is itself one of the best reasons to buy the game. With hosts of unlockables and achievements ranging from the mundane to the ridiculously time-consuming, there’s plenty of stuff for the slightly obsessive gamer to work towards here. But when it comes to the slightly more casual fan all that matters is that the gameplay is a solid and visceral as ever before, and the variety of multiplayer modes gives the game massive replayability as long as you’ve got a busy friends list of similarly-minded Gears fans. The Gears of War trilogy has been consistently good throughout, and while I’m sure the franchise will eventually be milked to hell and back, at least for now Gears 3 provides a satisfying conclusion to the story and closure to its main cast.

#1. THE ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM

I’d love to have a more unique and personal opinion here, but I’m going to have to agree with the fairly dominant number of people who proclaimed Skyrim to be one of the best things ever. Skyrim is everything I’ve wanted from the Elder Scrolls series since the first time I dipped into Morrowind almost ten years ago. The unmatched freedom to explore and adventure that the series is known for is back, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t prefer Skyrim’s mountainous wintery wonderland scenary over Morrowind’s desert wastelands and strange mushroomy elven villages and Oblivion’s ye olde medieval farmlands. But what really seals the deal for me with Skyrim is the gameplay. Morrowind’s dated combat mechanics and unhelpful journals and map made it feel somewhat cumbersome even when it was new. Oblivion’s dodgy levelling up system and weak main quest prevented it from really setting me on fire. But Skyrim avoids all those pitfalls. Combat is smoother than ever and is now far more engaging and diverse. Levelling up is natural and the perk system is a neat way of tweaking your character to your liking. That’s not to say Skyrim is perfect, many of the quests are fairly short and uninspired and the overpowered crafting systems make most of the loot you can obtain from the many dungeons of Skyrim obsolete, but when it comes to roaming across the mountainside smiting trolls and assorted wildlife, nobody’s done it better than Bethesda did here. Skyrim has already soaked up far too much of my time and I’m certain it’s something I’ll continue to dip into well into 2012 and beyond.

2011 was a great year for gaming and saw a lot of massive releases. While no doubt the same few games will be making the rounds in the top numbers of anybody’s list, there are more than enough gems to choose from. Hopefully 2012 will prove to be packed with just as many quality titles.

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