Sunday Mercury Top Ten Video Games of 2011
It's been a bumper year for computer games. The Sunday
Mercury's STEVE WOLLASTON selects his top 10 of 2011.
1 ELDER SCROLLS V - SKYRIM
GAME of the year couldn't be an easier decision, despite it being an incredibly strong 12 months for gaming.
Image via Wikipedia
Skyrim takes the top spot for its sheer depth, ingenuity, fantastic plot and immense visuals.
Imagine playing in a Lord Of The Rings film where you can just about do whatever you want.
There is something truly fantastic about strolling through beautiful landscapes while wielding a huge sword and waiting for something to try to decapitate you.
Add in a wonderfully stirring classical score, oodles of gore and mystical madness, and you have the perfect game. This one will take over your life.
2 FIFA 12
PERFECTION is something EA strives for and since forcing Konami's Pro Evolution series into runner-up position, they have polished and fine-tuned the FIFA bandwagon.
The game is as fluent, in-depth and gripping as any football fan could want.
Playing online is a true joy, as long as you like being verbally abused by 12-year-old Amercians in Iowa.
"Man you English are lame at soccer," I was told. Duh, it's football, kid.
3 DISNEYLAND ADVENTURES
I CAN guarantee that if you scour the net and every gaming magazine worldwide, nobody will have placed this game in their top 5.
That puzzles me because this aims squarely at its target audience and delivers a very playable game which is cute, colourful and quirky.
Of course, nothing can be a substitute for a trip to Disneyland itself but this game does bring the magic of Mickey and pals to your living room in a triumph for Kinect.
The game menus are very responsive, as is the gaming experience itself.
4 CALL OF DUTY MODERN WARFARE 3
YOU can't ignore COD, it's everywhere.
MW3, as it's affectionately known, dominated the gaming industry ahead of release and, not for the first time, garnered huge TV coverage.
Aside from the superb graphics and top-notch warfare gameplay, the storyline is not hugely important.
The game excels in the online arena with the whole world seemingly rejoicing in blowing each other to smithereens.
As ever, the quality is unquestionable and the fun is endless.
5 PORTAL 2
WONDERFULLY complicated and beautifully unique, Portal was the thinking man's puzzle/platform game.
Portal 2 primarily comprises a series of puzzles that must be solved by teleporting the player's character and simple objects using the portal gun, a device that can create inter-spatial portals between two flat planes.
The game's physics allow momentum to be retained through these portals, which must be used creatively to manoeuvre through challenges. It's a game that will test your grey matter.
6 THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: SKYWARD SWORD
THE Legend of Zelda games have been a central part of the Nintendo franchise for many years, peaking with the N64 Zelda game more than a decade ago.
Now it can be said the game has surpassed that. This latest offering is a huge shot in the arm for the ailing Wii console, and proof that there is life in it yet.
As ever, the mix of RPG, adventure and combat are perfectly woven into the magic of the game.
The controls are absolutely first-class and help to make this more than just another game. It oozes with quality throughout and proves a big hit with fans and newbies alike.
7 UNCHARTED 3
THE Indiana Jones-inspired series that Spielberg would love to direct, Uncharted reaches another level on its third outing as it takes you from a grimy London pub to a bustling Columbian town.
Relentless action, diverting puzzles and wonderful visuals combine to ensure the game stands out even in a year full of spectacular games.
Uncharted 3 is so monumentally enjoyable that it shines like one of its hero Drake's buried treasures.
IT didn't seem possible that Batman Arkham Asylum could be bettered, but that's exactly what's happened.
There is no great secret here, just a huge Gotham City to explore, all the traditions of Batman mythology and a hell of a good combat system.
Gameplay has been tweaked and improved since last time out with a deeper combat system. Graphics are fantastic and really it's one title that every self-respecting gamer should own.
9 F1 2011
THIS is probably a strange choice to some people.
There's no denying the quality of the game but my reason for picking it is sheer personal enjoyment alone.
This is the best Formula 1 game to date and one that delivers the action, atmosphere and thrills of the sport perfectly.
IN many ways it has been the year of the first-person shooter, with the genre enjoying a higher quality of overall releases.
Gears Of Wars 3 for many was a very significant release and in many ways as important as Call Of Duty Modern Warfare 3.
Once again, it was a game rich in narrative and full of action, but the high-octane gameplay, edgy nature and superb online play made this a must have game.
For me, it really was as much fun as MW3 both online and offline.
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Authors
Steve Wollaston - Sunday Mercury games reviewer Steve has been writing about video games for donkey's years. In fact he is probably far too old for it now which is why you will see a lot of reviews been done by kids... He has been nominated three times for Regional Games Journalist Of The Year at the Games Media Awards, but never wins. His major love is sports games and rates Sensible World of Soccer circa 90's as the greatest game ever made - closely followed by Championship Manager 2. Skyrim has currently taken over his life.
