Whew -- 2011 was a hell of a year for video games. In fact, it’s arguably the best year the industry has ever seen, with wall-to-wall AAA releases from January through December. This past Friday we revealed our 10 favorite games of the year (the Friday before that we chose our 10 favorite downloadables), and while we completely stand by those lists, they still doesn’t cover everything that deserves recognition. That’s why we came up with this list idea, giving credit where credit is due to nearly every game worth playing from this past year. And the scariest part? This list doesn’t account for everything! Like we said, 2011 was stacked with stellar gaming releases, but the below 50 titles should not be missed under any circumstances.
Assassin’s Creed: Revelations
Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC / Release Date: 11/15/2011
At its core, Assassin’s Creed: Revelations is very much the same game you played when you picked up Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood a year ago. However, if you consider yourself a diehard Assassin’s Creed fan, Revelations’ release should register as a momentous occasion; Revelations brought the storylines of Ezio and Altair full circle. For that release alone, Assassin’s Creed: Revelations is worth taking a leap of faith into.
Bastion
Platforms: XBLA, PC / Release Date: 7/20/2011
It’s a shame there aren’t more award shows with categories for narration. Ron Howard would clearly be the king for his work on TV’s Arrested Development. Logan Cunningham should get a lifetime achievement award just for his work on Bastion. Artistic style mixed with crazy cool narration and classic dungeon crawling action makes for a game that’s heads above the downloadable crowd.
Batman: Arkham City
Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC / Release Date: 10/18/2011
One of the year’s best games, without a doubt. You’re Batman, evil’s afoot, you need to take care of it. A great use of gadgetry wrapped around strong combat and an unbelievable storyline are what awaits gamers willing to take the plunge in this follow-up to Arkham Asylum. What are you waiting for, go buy it.
Battlefield 3
Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC / Release Date: 10/25/2011
If Modern Warfare 3 is Michael Bay’s interpretation of war, then Battlefield 3 is war; except, y’know, with more respawns and stuff. Although it may have lost out in terms of sales to Activision’s behemoth, those who did choose the squad shooter over the Jean-Claude Van Damme simulator (and the greedy buggers who got their hands on both) know that it offers one of the most engrossing and addictive experiences yet seen in a first-person shooter.
Brink
Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC / Release Date: 5/10/2011
Developed by Splash Damage, the makers of Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, Brink is a class-based online first-person shooter with a heavy emphasis on teamwork. Brink definitely suffered from some launch window technical issues, but the game has since been patched and is currently running smoothly. When it performs without a hitch, Brink represents one of the best class-based shooters released this year (yea, even when stacked against Battlefield 3).
Bulletstorm
Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC / Release Date: 2/2/2011
This ballsy third-person shooter was the perfect example of aggressive entertainment. The developers of Bulletstorm weren’t looking to change the wheel. They were looking to provide the best damn rim the world has seen. At the time of our review, Joey Davidson captured the essence of Bulletstorm in a nutshell: “The game is lengthy, gory, comical, challenging, pulpy, edgy, innovative and pure bliss. I can't recommend it enough.” That dude was spot on and Bulletstorm’s early release hasn’t caused us to forget how badass this game truly is.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, Wii / Release Date: 11/8/2011
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” – while Activision’s obvious employment of this phrase when it comes to their Modern Warfare series has led many critics to brand Modern Warfare 3 as “Modern Warfare 2.5”, in reality the latest installment is a fully fledged sequel that improves upon MW2’s myriad online flaws whilst also offering the series’ best single-player experience to date.
Catherine
Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 / Release Date: 7/26/2011
This title is, honestly, one of the weirdest games we played in 2011. It’s a puzzle game set in between the real world and this odd, hellish playground where men are sheep and giant fetuses yell out your doom. Catherine is crazy, no doubt, but it’s some good fun worth having for those looking to enjoy something a little...different.
Dance Central 2
Platforms: Xbox 360 / Release Date: 10/25/2011
One of the top titles for the Kinect this year, Dance Central 2 has a ton of fans out there willing to go to bat for the game. While dancing in your living room is not a universally enjoyed experience, for fans of the genre, Dance Central 2 is heads-and-tails in front of the pack. This game was packed to the gills with intelligent controls and only the best songs. If you dig dancing by yourself or drinking and tapping with friends, Dance Central 2 is a must own.
Dark Souls
Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 / Release Date: 10/4/2011
If you consider yourself a hardcore masochist, Dark Souls might be your favorite game released this year. Dark Souls is the spiritual sequel to 2009’s Demon’s Soul, carrying over the franchise’s tradition for brutally difficult gameplay. If you don’t have the patience to watch yourself die over and over and over again, hopefully learning from your mistakes to push forward, then you need not apply to Dark Souls. It’s that kind of game. But if you crack its incredibly hard shell, there’s a beautiful game awaiting within.
