Editor’s Corner 01.02.12: Top 10 Games of 2011

Posted by Adam Larck on 01.02.2012

From Gears of War 3 and Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim to Saints Row: The Third, Batman: Arkham City and more, 411's Adam Larck counts down his top 10 video games of 2011!

Welcome to the Editor's Corner. I'm Adam Larck, and with the new year just beginning, it's a good chance to look back at the 2011 and see what games were some of the best out there.

Keep in mind that these are my own choices over games that I played. So, while I'm sure there may be some games that you think are deserving of the list, I simply can't put them on because I never played theme. However, I encourage all of you to leave your own lists below.

With that being said, let's get started.



10. Mortal Kombat - I don't mind fighting games from time to time. However, the story mode always just gets brushed aside with me for the multiplayer, and that's normally short-lived.

Not so with the newest version of Mortal Kombat. The story mode was probably one of the most compelling I've seen in a game in years. It walked through each of the first three games in the series, and didn't make battles seem random. They each fit into the story nicely, and gave you a reason why each person should be fighting each other. Plus, it forced you to play with all characters, meaning you actually had to semi-learn how everyone worked, instead of just breezing through with your main character and calling it good.

That's not to say the rest of the game wasn't good either. The fighting was balanced, and there was plenty of extra to do in the game with the challenges and Krypt. Warner Bros. showed that the MK series is far from over, and did a great job with the reboot.



9. Saints Row: The Third - Sometimes, you don't want realism in a game, you just want to hit people with a big dildo bat.

Saints Row: The Third is a game I keep going to when I want to relax or just kill time. The story is basically pointless, it's just there to give you money and experience, along with the occasional weapon or costume.

I keep coming back to the game because the freedom it gives you with weapons, vehicles and whatever you want to do. Want to blow things up with a VTOL? Go ahead, Prefer the Penetrator instead? Hell, why not. It may seem to over-the-top for some, but for me it's perfect.



8. Bastion - The only downloadable game to make my list, Bastion was a great experience to be had.

The game may just be a simple adventure game, but the graphics in the game are great to see and it's always fun to watch the world be built around you. What made this game stick in my memory, though, was the Narrator.

Sure, it was pretty much scripted, but the way it was presented was amazingly done. The Narrator chronicled your tales as the world formed around you, making it feel like the world was actually being built all for you. Sure, it wasn't, but the presentation was still top-notch.



7. Dark Souls - Easily the hardest game on my list, Dark Souls also feels like one of the most rewarding.

The game throws you in to the thick of things with basically no help. You don't know where to go, what to do or even if you're doing it right. It punishes you for trying new things, and wants perfection through repetition. However, when you did finally get a section right and make it to the next campfire, it makes all the deaths and suffering worth it. It's a great game, but definitely not for everyone.



6. Dead Island - Until 2011, I had never paid attention to Dead Island. Sure, it had been announced years ago, but after that it seemed to have vanished.

Now, it's one of my favorite four-player co-op games since Borderlands, and I think it's because it reminds me so much of that game. There's plenty of weapons to collect, along with plenty of quests to do. The game shines in co-op, and what better way to play co-op than destroying hordes of zombies. Sure, there were a decent number of things that irked me about the game, but the co-op easily outweighed that.



5. Gears of War 3 - Epic Games did a great job wrapping the series up, and added a ton to the game in the process.

It should be no surprise that the gameplay remains unchanged. Epic did add a few more players into the mix for a four-player co-op, and did a solid job with the story and bringing it to a conclusion. The story mode is just a starting place, though. Both Horde and Multiplayer are back, along with an entertaining Beast mode and Arcade mode to go through. There's plenty here for a shooter fan to do, and will keep you occupied for a while.



4. Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Before this game came out, I'll admit I was a bit nervous. I didn't know if I should expect a game similar to the first, or more akin to the second entry in the series.

I'm happy to report the game is a return to the glory of the first game in the series. You have freedom to complete missions in any way you want to. Want to go in guns blazing? Go ahead. If you try to be a bit more sneaky, that's cool too, and it may even lead to different parts of the game as you try to avoid enemies. While the boss battles may be the worst part here, even these are short and make sense in the game. This gives me hope that maybe the series isn't dead just yet.



3. Portal 2 - You know it's a big year if a game like Portal 2 is coming in third with me.

Coming into the game, I wasn't sure how Valve would improve on the original formula. However, plenty of new features and great commentary again by GLaDOS and newcomer Wheatley. What really stuck out to me, though, was the co-op.

I never figured that Portal would be a great game for co-op. It ended up being the most played part for me, though. It took a lot more strategy than I imagined, along with co-operation and timing. Sure, co-op games should always be about co-op, but this one always left me with a sense of accomplishment and achievement.



2. Batman: Arkham City - The bat is back, and just as good as the first time.

The fluid combat made a return, as did the detective vision. What's new, though, is the scope of the world. Arkham City was huge compared to Asylum, and gave players a lot more chance to explore the world and see what had been changed since the criminals took over. If that wasn't enough, there were also new Riddler challenges to do, and various side quests that would pop up. Even the addition of Catwoman wasn't bad. While she may not have been the strongest or had a great skill set, it was a nice change of pace from time to time.



1. Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Like I said in my review, you can kill dragons, need I say more.

In my playtime, I've become leader of the Companions, Dark Brotherhood, College of Mages and am almost finished with the Thieves Guild. Plus, I've completed the main quest. I still feel like I've barely scratched the surface though. There's a ton of side quests I want to do along with learning all the shouts and collecting the Daedric artifacts, and that's just for starters.

That's what make the game fun, though, there's so much to do that you always keep finding more. Sure, there might be glitches here and there, but the game is still a blast to play overall. Bethesda made an amazing game here, and will be entertaining for months.

So, there you have it. My top games of 2011. Leave me your choices below to see what you thought were some of the best games last year.