VIDEO: The games of 2011, in less than two minutes

It’s been said often, but Jesus, a LOT of games came out this year, many of them quite good. And the following is a visual checklist, for those who might have missed or forgotten anything.

Via Joystiq…

So I was planning on passing along a rundown of the best games that came out in 2011, but truth be told, because I didn’t get a chance to play (and beat, that’s the most important part) every single thing, I felt a bit awkward doing so. So instead, here’s a brief rundown of waht the video highlights, roughly in the order they appear, and with my two cents. Again, time spent with each one greatly varies, but I am the gaming expert here, not to brag…

Assassin’s Creed: Revelations – It’s funny how I had shunned the series up until this installment and am finally okay with the wacky “experiencing the past through some VR simulator that’s driven by the Freemasons” or something like that, but all diehard fans are officially done with the game.

Rage – It kinda sucks when you’re depending on cutting edge graphics to be the star of the show, when said graphics have so many issues. Leaving the “back to basics” gameplay somewhat out there to dry.

Modern Warfare 3 – Certainly not my kind of game, but if you want ultra realistic military simulations, and blow other people up in said virtual environments, the latest Call of Duty can’t be beat.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution – The cyberpunk sandbox game experience that everyone has long dreamt off. Sucks that the boss battles are so wonky and out of place.

Uncharted 3 – Really say something when a game that basically gives more of what everyone loved, i.e. part 2, and it’s no longer good enough. Though now that we know half the team was working on The Last of Us, at least we know why.

Gears of War 3 – The final GoW was a damn fine one! Not sure what else needs to be said; a satisfactory conclusion to a trilogy, which is kinda hard to pull off a lot.

Catherine – Every loved the ultra adult subject matter, but the wacky, block-based puzzle gameplay? Not the best of mixes. Sorry, I like metaphors, but in my video games? Guess it varies.

Saints Row: The Third – Well, the GTA wannabe had their best showing yet. Having a big purple dildo as a weapon definitely helped.

Portal 2 – While it didn’t have quite the magic (or the accessibility) of the first one, the sequel was quite excellent, though you definitely need to play with a buddy to see the game truly shine.

Skyward Sword – Believe the hype; it’s the best Zelda game ever, period, without question. It’s both funny and sad that after this time, we finally have the second game (the first one being Wii Sports) that truly legitimizes motion gaming.

Rayman Origins – Years after getting lost in the mediocre 3D shuffle, and cast aside fro frankly unfunny spin-offs starring rabbits (hey, the French just have strange sense of humor), Ubi’s mascot is finally back in tip top form.

Yakuza 4 – For those of you who would rather be a virtual bad ass on the streets of Tokyo instead of New York City, the latest Yakuza happens also be the greatest one yet.

LA Noire – Rockstar really nailed the look and feel of the LA circa the 40s, but the gameplay unfortunately couldn’t quite match up in the end. Still a fun romp.

Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet – One of the hits of the XBLA scene, it does what promises, and that’s deliver old school gameplay in a super stylish, modern threads.

Child of Eden – Speaking as a fan of Rez, I simply had no patience for this pretty but fundamentally (as well as long-winded) broken shooter.

Infamous 2 – Yet another GTA-esque game, except you’re a bad ass with super powers, and running around the south. Haven’t touched this one, but fans of the first say it’s pretty awesome.

Alice Madness Returns – Hey, I guess everyone else is finally sick and tired of Alice In Wonderland, but all dark and gothic! Guess everyone became pals with lazy and uncreative art school hacks.

Arkham City – Hey, it’s Arkham Asylum, but bigger and bolder, with more stuff to do and more characters to do it with. Any wonder why everyone loves it death and that it sold like a billion copies?

Dead Space 2 – My vote for best game that everyone forgot game out this year. Whereas everyone who tried to make survival horror games have basically given up on making stuff scary, not the folks behind Dead Space.

Skyrim – The game of the year for many. Never has running around in a fantasy land, with swords and spells, yelling like a dragon, been so vividly realized in video game form.

Battlefield 3 – I guess what I said about Modern Warfare 3 could be said about this one. I honestly can’t tell the difference, but once again, I’m not the biggest fans of these types of games, so there ya go.

Fear 3 – I can’t believe this one got included, cuz it flat out sucked, and even fans of the first two games (which I sorta am) could tell from a distance.

Dead Island – I don’t recall seeing it in the video, but it just has to be there (I mean, if you’re going to include Fear 3). People said it’s actually a good game, but that douche-y trailer with the sappy piano music totally turned me off permanently, sorry.

And the one game that I can’t believe was not included, because it was my personal game of the year? Believe it or not, that would have to be Mortal Kombat. Seriously, that game was amazing! Sorry, but I love comeback stories, and talk about a franchise that was on the blink of oblivion. Just goes to prove that, if you go back to basics, but the kind people have been long clamoring for, and really go the extra mile and overload the thing with a ton of extras (like a RIDICULOUS amount), then you’re going to have a package that reminds you of the good old days, and why you love video games in the first place.

So yeah, get the latest MK if you haven’t done so already!

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