Xmas Gift Guide With the likes of Bulletstorm, Gears of War 3 and Frozen Synapse narrowly missing out on this list of top ten games, it would seem 2011 has been a pretty decent year for videogames.
The vulture-eyed PHT reader will, however, notice the list is dominated by sequels and franchises – for which I make no apologies. It's simply representative of the industry at present, and, in my opinion at least, reflective of their individual merits – each and every inclusion granted not because of the game's pedigree but in spite of it.
If you'll excuse the aside, it's also worth mentioning the ubiquity of sequels usually heralds the end of each gaming generation. With next-gen details presently limited to speculation, and with the PC still heavily restrained by multi-platform development, the industry is in real danger of stagnating.
While it has successfully navigated cyclical troughs before, it has never done so in the face of such stiff competition. This year's top ten might represent an industry at the top of its game, but another year of reboots and sequels could do irreparable damage given the inexorable rise in smartphone and social gaming.
1. Batman Arkham CityArkham City wasn't simply a much bigger game than Arkham Asylum - just about everything from the original was improved. New stealth moves and gadgets made Batman feel more invincible than ever, and the already excellent one-button combat was polished and refined into arguably the most elegant fighting system in videogame history.
The Joker's relegation to cameo appearance deprived the narrative of its most memorable antagonist, but it was a natural concession to the real star of the game: Arkham City itself. Bursting with character and variety, the vast digital playground was the perfect fit for the comic book source – allowing developer Rocksteady to splice Arkham Asylum's concentrated gameplay with sandbox mechanics and allowing Batman Arkham City to swoop effortlessly in to take 2011's open-world crown from Infamous 2 and Saints Row The Third.
2. Battlefield 3Have you heard the one about Battlefield 3's Easter Egg? Apparently, there's a full single-player game tucked away on the menu screen right above Multiplayer. It's called Campaign, or something. I mean, who'd have thunk it, eh?
Seriously, though. Ignore the instantly forgettable single-player - BF3 is all about multiplayer mayhem. Whether base jumping from the helipad at Damavand Peak, dogfighting above Caspian Border or suppressing a gagglefuck of noobs in the close quarters labyrinth of Grand Bazaar, BF3 hits the perfect tone between realism and fun.
While the game's Frostbite 2.0 engine impresses across all three platforms, the PC's next-gen graphics coupled with support for 64-combatant multiplayer mean it's the definitive version to own.
3. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3The minute I've finished writing up MW3 in my top five I'm off to the shower with a bottle of drain cleaner and a Brillo Pad. That's how dirty and ashamed I feel. Especially when its inclusion comes at the expense of games like Frozen Synapse and DiRT 3.
You see, like the Metacritic trolls, I was ready to pour hate on the series for all the right reasons: repetition, repetition, repetition. But try as I might, I just couldn't. From the peerless production values and neat narrative conclusion of its single-player to its honed-to-perfection multiplayer, MW3 oozes inimitable quality. For all its familiarity, then, the call of duty remains difficult to resist.
4. Dark SoulsThe uncompromising follow-up to the most difficult RPG of all time, you'd be forgiven for protesting about Dark Souls inclusion in this top ten. But this isn't a democracy, I'm afraid. This is my list, and Dark Souls fully deserves its place.
Sure, you need three hands to play it. One hand to wield the Drake Sword, one to clench the Crystal Ring Shield, and one to type the boss names into YouTube. And yes, it's likely most players gave up long before the end. But no other game was as compulsive and satisfying. While Dark Souls presented 2011's sternest gaming test, it also provided its greatest sense of achievement.
5. Deus Ex: Human RevolutionWith its intricate neo-noir narrative and distinctive black-and-gold cyber renaissance palette, Deus Ex: Human Revolution was easily 2011's most memorable game. While it lacked the radical, genre-defining innovation of the original Deus Ex, Ubisoft Montreal nevertheless delivered a game with both obvious affection for Warren Spector's work and considerable merit of its own.
It wasn't perfect, however. Misguided boss battles ran contrary to the guiding principle of freedom, and a flaccid middle-third temporarily diluted the narrative drive. But considered alongside the game's other achievements, such as the impeccable stealth and cover-based combat system, these were minor blemishes in an otherwise astonishing game.
