Top 10 Games of 2011: Part 1

Happy New Year! 

This post was supposed to be up about a week ago but I've been slacking during the holidays. It seems almost every year in the past 5 years has been a 'great year for gaming' and 2011 was no exception. There were so many top notch games that I wish I was back in undergrad and actually had time to play half the games I wanted to! That said, these were my Top 10 Games for 2011.

Note: Since I didn't play all the games I wanted to (damn you adult life!) the following are some notable titles that I didn't play but suspect they could/would have made my personal Top 10:

Batman: Arkham City

The Witcher 2

Uncharted 3

Football Manager 2012

Skyrim (!)

Deus Ex: Human Revolution 

Of those titles I strongly suspect that the Witcher 2 would be on this list since I had so much fun playing the first Witcher game and from all accounts the sequel is even better. 

Macca's Top 10 Games of 2011

10. Spell Tower (iPad)

I think it's a testament to the addictive nature of this iOS game that I I've only been playing this game for six days and yet it still makes my personal Top 10 ahead of a number of other games. 

A genius combination of Scrabble and Drop 7 combined with a sub-$5 price point makes this game a must buy.

9. Bastion (PC)

I picked this game up for only $5 on a Steam sale and at that price I really feel like I stole it. Bastion is an old school-style 3/4 isometric view shooter/adventure game but what makes it so special are the gorgeous visuals (check out the screens below), the unforgettable soundtrack and the great story. 

It's a fairly short game but what it lacks in quantity it more than makes up in quality.

8. Rayman Origins (360)

There aren't too many 2D platformers that come out nowadays, let alone a 2D platformer that retails at a $60 price point like Rayman Origins does but Michel Ancel's newest game is worth every penny. Controls are super-tight and the level design, while the very definition of linear, is ingenious. It also doesn't hurt that the game looks like a Saturday morning cartoon and the soundtrack is on-par with Bastion. 

I absolutely adore this game.

7. FIFA 12 (360)

I love the online play, be it the new head-to-head leagues mode or the utterly amazing online teamplayer. I love the absolutely unparalleled feature-set from the myriad of teams, leagues, tournaments and the super-addictive RPG-like development of your Be A Pro player. I love the top notch visuals and audio. I love the new 'tactical defense' controls and the improved responsiveness of the attacking play. I even love the FIFA Ultimate Team mode.

But I absolutely fucking hate how utterly monotonous this game in single-player. FIFA 12 suffers from the same problem that hampered last years title in that every CPU controlled team plays the exact same way, particularly when it comes to playing defense. It doesn't matter whether your playing against against Barcelona or Accrington Stanley - every CPU controlled team is equally adept at defending with even the crappiest rated defenders able to emulate Franco Baresi in his prime. 

It's the only blemish on what is otherwise an absolutely outstanding package but it is significant enough to keep this game out of my Top 5 and also put FIFA 12 behind PES for the for the first time in a number of years.

6. Crysis 2 (PC) 

A title that I think was unfairly maligned in the gaming press, I think Crysis 2 on the PC was easily one of the best shooters of 2011. 

It wouldn't be a Crysis game if I didn't mention the visuals and despite the complaining by hardcore PC nut jobs Crysis 2 looks incredible. If you doubt the fidelity of the visuals just take a look at Duncan Harris' stellar Crysis 2 gallery at DeadEndThrills. The game's depiction of an under-attack New York is both stunning and haunting at the same time

However, it's not just a pretty face - CryTek refined the already solid gameplay of the first game and it's significantly easier to switch between suit powers/abilities. The ability to approach mission objectives on a spectrum of a stealth to full-out guns blazing is still present and provides a much appreciated break from the scripted corridor shooter formula that you see in games like Call of Duty.

Rounding off the package is a solid narrative and stirring score composed by Hans Zimmer.

That's half of my personal Top 10, games 5-1 on Thursday!

Lavan