What’s in a list?
Better still, when’s the best time to select the top games of the year? For some it would be at the chimes of New Year, others would suggest it should be later, when alcohol is having less of an impact on the senses and here at Square-Go we have a December to November vibe going on.
Yeah, there are releases in December but we need some time to compile the results, write the articles and still get merry with Christmas cheer.
So without further ado we’ll start with our countdown. It has some points of controversy, as any list should, and we’ll also talk about the ones that were left behind due to their release date, so as not to miss out on any of the glory.
This year thirteen games made the break and they break in this way.
13. Ace Combat: Assault Horizon
For years my personal favourite arcade style combat flight simulations had to be the GameCube’s Rogue Leader – who doesn’t want to fly an X-Wing – and Battlestar Galactica. I found both of them hard to beat for entertainment and quality but finally Namco cracked the grade with Ace Combat: Assault Horizon.
Bringing in real locations, a risible plot and good characters the story flows across the globe as you try and stop a super weapon reaching US shores. Set pieces are the name of the day but so well settled into the rest of the game that you enjoy the experience and the final level is as truly poignant as the multi-player action is fun.
12. Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
Plot and character come to the fore as Nolan North returns to the character we most love him to play. Yet again the adventures take you across a part of the globe as Drake and Sully solve riddles from their past in order to discover just what his forefather (or is it) was doing in the desert.
If one problem beset the game it was the linearity and those annoying “run towards the camera” scenes the series seems to have become obsessed with. Shooting was a little clumsy and a few re-spawn points were a tad lethal, but for set pieces in the heart of the action, you can’t really go wrong, can you?
11. Minecraft
Yes, yes PC gamers. We know you’ve been here since 2009 but in some ways 2011 became the year Minecraft spread its wings onto a vast number of other platforms. The name of the game is creation and many people have become inspired to build vast empires of blocks by digging up the surrounding land.
This land itself is a living breathing world populated by creatures that can be hunted, or cause you danger, as well as the chance to compete against other players. Either directly or by building a big monument for others to marvel at, Minecraft has caught the imagination of many who put Lego down years ago.
10. Yakuza 4
Ah those Bitsocket boys were adamant about what their favourite game of the year was, Yakuza 4. Not that this opinion was’nt widely held here in the East of Scotland, as anyone who had dedicated their time into the previous games received their pay check here.
With four characters and four chapters per character the period covered and the span of the game is immense. This isn’t just due to story size but also simply in the styles and abilities available to each character.
With sub games aplenty and again the sheer depth, with reminiscences to draw the new players into the plot, it’s probably time to try Japan for a gaming holiday.
They say you can’t keep a good plumber down and it was only a matter of time before Mario got a look in on the 3DS. Expectedly, the 3D realisation of the plumber who has achieved everything is excellent on the 3DS and everything expected was realised in the new medium.
As expected there were new abilities, as well as numerous returning powers from previous entries in the series, but what really shone throughout the game was the use of 3D and the attention taken on level design. Combining these elements proved, along with some re-imaginings of some older titles, that the 3DS could belay some of the critics and produce and utilise its capabilities well.
Coming up next… 8 to 4.
