By Daniel Rutledge and Dylan Moran
As 2011 draws to a conclusion, it's time to reflect on what has been a fantastic year for gamers.
It’s become the norm for videogames to break entertainment records and this year was no different with Call of Duty: MW 3 pulling in a mammoth US$775 million in just five days.
That sort of money means publishers want to pump out more and more titles and while that does mean many more bad games are released, the amount of classics is also increased.
But what were the best of the best? Below is a list of our favourite titles released this year, many of which would make great last-minute Christmas presents for a gamer.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Just as Oblivion did back in 2006, the latest Elder Scrolls title has been picking up Game of the Year titles all over the place. It deserves to. Skyrim is the sort of game you get stuck into for several months, maybe even years, before its appeal starts to wane. It’s not only the ridiculously vast gameplay area and hugely satisfying, complex quests, it’s the feeling of playing in a living, breathing world that is so marvellous, you can stop at almost any moment and stare at the screen with a huge grin on your face. Developers need to make more games like this, it really has set the new standard.
- Daniel Rutledge
Battlefield 3 – This is the first-person shooter of the year. There are others which try to come close, but they can’t give you the same adrenalin rush as blowing up an apache with an RPG or C4ing a tank, turning around and dropping three guys and capturing a flag. It has its annoyances – like the fact it has more lens flare than a JJ Abrams movie – but the sheer amount of amazing things you can pull off, and the bigger lobbies than its only legitimate rival, make it that much better.
- Dylan Moran
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 – Yeah Battlefield 3 is great. Like, really great. But for over-the-top epic action in a single-player campaign and the most fun thrills in a multiplayer shooter, Call of Duty is still the king. Flying jets and choppers around in BF3 is fun, but it’s not as fun as manning the weapons on an AC-130 or controlling an assault drone in MW3. For me and millions of other gamers, there’s something very special about playing COD that no other title can compete with, and this latest edition is the finest yet.
- Daniel Rutledge
Rugby Challenge – It was the year of the All Blacks and Rugby Challenge came out just in time to capitalise on rugby fever. This is the flashy rugby game – the rival Rugby World Cup does the basics better than RC but doesn’t look as good. However the fact RC has all the licenses relevant to New Zealand and making smashing your mates fun is enough to fend off RWC.
- Dylan Moran
Batman: Arkham City – The superhero genre has been doing some wonderful things in the film world for years while we gamers are often stuck with crazily crappy movie tie-in releases. Arkham Asylum changed all that with a game that was just as great as Nolan's The Dark Knight. Arkham City kicks it up a notch higher. It’s just so polished, with such a great story, a best-of Batman comic roster of villains and such super cool Bat-toys to play with.
- Daniel Rutledge
Deus Ex: Human Revolution – An RPG/FPS which didn't treat gamers like idiots and let them take creative control over their character, and in return got genuine investment from the players. It had its flaws but these were more than made up for by a tight storyline and the ability to shoot people in the face with rocket launchers.
- Dylan Moran
Portal 2 – That something so simple can be so rewarding still boggles my mind. The joy of the original Portal is expanded here into an incredibly entertaining full game that never deviates too far from the basic fun of ‘thinking with portals’. Throw in a brilliant performance by UK comedy powerhouse Steve Merchant and a great bunch of original songs and you have unquestionably one of the best games of the year.
- Daniel Rutledge
Madden NFL 12 – It was good to see EA take a good hard look at the Madden series and finally put some development into the franchise mode, with several new features on offer. Just hope it continues into some of the other game modes for next year’s release.
- Dylan Moran
Child of Eden – This is not really one of the best games of 2011, but I feel it deserves a mention in this list. It’s hugely original, insanely trippy and the best use of Kinect thus far. Trying to explain the game is difficult, but basically you move your body around to control light weapons that fire beams of light into psychedelic images which all triggers dynamic changes in the music… or something. It’s a crazy ride I keep going back to, especially when I have guests over, and I recommend it.
- Daniel Rutledge
Forza 4 – I honestly don’t think there is a competitor for the title of best racing game this year. Nobody even comes close. Forza, as always, combines fun with stunning graphics and physics. Burnouts on the Top Gear test track in a DeLorean, anyone?
- Dylan Moran
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception – The closest anyone has come to delivering Raiders of the Lost Ark style joy is the stunning Uncharted trilogy. The gameplay has become a little dated and they need to rejuvenate it before the fourth game, but the series still has the best acting, wonderfully endearing characters, a fantastic story, epic set-pieces and it’s all driven along with a brilliant score.
- Daniel Rutledge
Grim Joggers – An iPhone game which was helpful for wiling away countless hours this year, the hilarious tongue-in-cheek nature of the game and the fact each attempt ends up differently helped relieve some of that passive-aggression we all feel toward people who keep jogging on the spot at the traffic lights.
- Dylan Moran
We here at 3news.co.nz wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Cheers to all the great games to be released in 2012. Follow us on Twitter - @DanielRutledge, @Naly_D and @3Entertainment.
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