Top 5 Games of 2011

Starting 2012 by looking back at 2011. Here are my top 5 games of last year. Remember this is my top 5. Check that nerd rage at the door.

5) LA Noire

Set in post World War II Los Angeles, LA Noire tells the story of Detective Phelps. Atypical gameplay mechanics have players finding clues and integrating people in addition to the traditional driving and shooting. State of the art video capturing, and excellent acting from numerous celebrities also made this tittle stand out from the rest. Rockstar continues to prove that the Grand Theft Auto formula can be tweaked to create new, yet familiar, experiences. 

4) Modern Warfare 3

The good stuff keeps on getting better. The single player comes to a satisfying conclusion. Spec Ops adds a new game mode called Survivor, and Multiplayer sees some welcome changes. All the while it maintains the level of excellence fans have come to expect from Call of Duty.  

3) Deadspace 2

This action packed survivor horror started 2011 off right. Issac Clark's nightmare continues, but this time he's on a space colony. The larger environment compliments the deeper story--thanks in part to Issac finding his voice. Improved gameplay mechanics and edge of your seat encounters are also sure to please horror and shooter fans alike.




2) Portal 2

The most creative game of the year. Valve took the ideas from the first Portal to new heights. Expanding on the story behind Aperture Labs, players are treated to another round of puzzles and sarcastic robots. Co-op adds another delicious layer to this already awesome cake. My only gripe is the low replay value. The game looses its charm when you know all the answers. 

1) Batman: Arkham City

Surprise surprise. My top pick is Batman: Arkham City. Rocksteady took everything that made the first game great and made it even better. A larger sandbox dilutes the narrative, but the sheer volume of content makes up for it. New game plus and the challenges will keep me playing this game for years to come. 

Cha Ching!

Game: Modern Warfare 3 (MW3)

System: Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Wii

Release: November 2011

Here we go again. Another installment of the popular Call of Duty franchise. The last game made by the original creators of Modern Warfare; due to legal disputes with Activision. The tittle forge by three studios--Treyarch (Wii), Infinity Ward, and Sledge Hammer--with support of the new Call of Duty Elite by Beachhead Studios. Can the latest tittle keep the money train running?

Of course it can. This isn't their first rodeo. MW3 offers the tired and true formula with a few minor tweaks to multiplayer and the long drawn out conclusion to the adventures of Captain Price and pals. Spec Ops also makes a triumph return with new missions and a survivor mode. The gameplay is still smooth. The action just as intense and exciting. The story just as ridiculous as ever. It's everything I could have hoped for.

Multiplayer is given the largest overhaul. Players can now create classes with customized kill streaks. There are three categories Assault, Support, and Specialization. Assault is a heavily offensive strike package that is very similar to previous CoD titles. Support keeps your kill streak going after death, and offers more defensive options like SAM turrets and ballistic vests. Finally Specialist classes can unlock additional perks in lieu of strike packages, and after a certain amount of kills, all perks are granted. This can really tare through enemies, and all three categories are a great addition to the multiplayer formula.

Maps and weapons are your standard lot for any Call of Duty. Each map has three major paths. Some favor close range fighting others are more open for snipers. The same old weapon categories exist with a few pristine selections in each. My particular favorites are the PP90M1, Type 95, Striker, and FMG-9 akimbo. This time around weapons have a separate experience bar. Each new level opens additional attachments, color schemes, and weapon perks. The perks offer a variety of new bonuses to the gun that range from increased bullet damage to reduced recoil. Nothing new to the franchise, but presented in a different fashion.


The same could be said about the single player. The campaign is intense, and the conclusion is satisfying.  Visiting major cities like New York, Paris, and London is awesome. MW3 doesn't shy away from destroying national landmarks either. There are more AC-130, sniper, and rail gun segments. The Americas are still fighting the large battles while the British find the evil ring leaders. Russia continues to supply a seemingly endless supply of soldiers to shoot. (Seriously who has the man power to invade the United States and all of Europe.) The developers also do a decent job connecting the events of the first two games to the third.

Finally there is Spec Ops. Players can team up to take on a series of missions like MW2, or they can try their luck at the Survival mode. The missions loosely tie into the main plot which is a nice touch. The survival maps offer a good variety of difficulty, and can be quite enjoyable in both split and full screen versions. Overall a nice update to a previously successful game type.

Odds are you have made up your mind to purchase or avoid the latest Modern Warfare 3. Die hard fans have made this franchise the most successful FPS in console history. The multiplayer formula sees minor adjustments that have big results in game. The story comes to an end--for now--and the Spec Ops mode keeps on truck'n. Add to this CoD: Elite, a separate paid subscription service that offers a variety of downloadable content, and you have a game beaming with replay value. Snerts Snazzy Score is Full Price!

Welcome to CoD Land

Activision threw the first ever public Call of Duty event on September 2nd and 3rd, 2011. Call of Duty XP The Event drew in thousands of people to experience multiplayer tournaments, a host of CoD themed attractions, and live musical performance by Drop Kick Murphy and Kanye West.


Arriving at about 10:30am on Friday I noticed a familiar sight--long lines. This would be a theme frequently found throughout the two day event. Luckily I got to wait in the shorter line because my employer advertises for Activision. After an hour an a half delay I was in the door, and listening to the keynote opening speech.

Things kicked off into high gear after some words from our sponsor and a handful of videos illustrating how Call of Duty is awesome. The massive crowd fanned out to explore the two large hangers and outdoor areas. One hanger was the main stage used for press interviews, panel discussions, tournament finalist, and the closing musical acts.

The other hanger was the gaming hub of the venue. Large fenced off sections had various Call of Duty MP games to play. Visitors could experience the new MW3 multiplayer, and/or Zombie DLC Resurrection. There were also MW2 and Black Ops areas for those wanting to play the classics. Each area was well organized with plenty of attentive staff to corral the lines, and ensure everyone got a chance to play. For those not willing to wait in line there were plenty of televisions to display the digital action.

Smack dab in the middle of the second hanger was the Sumo ring. This was one of many Call of Duty themed attractions. Participants would dress up in a sumo suite that mimicked the juggernaut outfits found in the game. The goal was to pin your opponent, or knock them out of the ring. Like many of the attractions at the event I enjoyed watching, but didn't feel the need/desire to wait in a two to three hour line. Besides more lines awaited outside.

Behind the two hangers was the outdoor attractions which included paint ball and off-road courses, a zip line, and an overpriced Burger Town. For those who aren't fans of Call of Duty Burger Town is the fictional fast food chain found in MW2. The prices were ridiculous, $12 for a burger meal and $17 for a double patty. The food quality was the equivalent of a cheap theme park. Beer was $7, and your choices were between cheap canned bear and cheap beer in plastic bottles.

Luckily the recreational activities were top notch. Scrapyard and The Pit, based off MW2 areas, were recreated for paintball. The former was for team games, and the latter was a one-man course. Once again I didn't feel like waiting in line for three hours so I decided to watch a few matches and move on. Same can be said for the off-road course. It looked like a lot of fun. Good steep climbs and even a little river to go through. Perhaps I will be more patient the next time around, and go to the event from open to close. This way I could wait in line more, and actually experience the action first hand.

The one thing I did wait around for was the zip line. Even with a fear of heights the ride was fun. The top platform gave a nice view of the entire area, and until I started spinning I felt super bad ass. Worse part was the stop---sorry groin. FYI: The video below is not me on the zip line--seriously.

After zipping about I headed inside to meet up with some old Activision co-workers, and to watch Kanye West perform. I would have seen Drop Kick Murphy's on Friday, but I had a previous engagement watching the great Andy C perform quality drum n' bass at the Music Box. From what I've read DKM did an excellent job, and brought a ton of energy to the crowd. West had a bigger turn out. You could easily tell who was there to see the game, and who was there to see Kayne. The biggest hint was the clothes. People came dressed up in club wear to a concert in a hanger. It was an odd fit. After two hours of solid entertainment, and lackluster sound, the event came to a close.

There was plenty of merchandise to remember the good ole days of Call of Duty XP The Event. T-shirts, hats, patches, and more were for sale. Those who waited in the gift bag line got a free copy of the hardened edition of Modern Warfare 3, which comes with a free year subscription to the recently announced Call of Duty Elite service. (Incidentally I waited in that line.) Other interesting areas that I didn't check out included the CoD museum, and the "Pros vs GI Joes" section that allowed attendees to play games with veterans. I would have liked to do the latter, but they were shutdown by the time I was off the zip line. All in all it was a great time, and I thank my employer for their generosity--e.g. getting me in the door.

Attack of the Clones!!!

I started writing a review for Homefront, but then fell into a rant. Enjoy. 

Homefront has everything that a solid FPS should have. Dynamic characters, solid gameplay, and well done cinematography. Despite having all this I will inevitably don the score of Gamefly--rent, play, move on. Why? Because I'm bored. 

Yes bored. 

I am tired of the tedious clones and other crap that graces the current console generation. 

There are a plethora of great shooter franchises to pick from, and I seldom find the new comers (Bulletstorm, Homefront, Borderlands) worth the full price of admission. The genre is overloaded with gimmicky copy cats. They add one or two neat ideas that often fail to hold interest over the coarse of the game. Bullet-time in FEAR. The leash in Bulletstorm. The nano suite in Crysis. All were fun at first, but didn't add enough to the basic formula. Shoot, run, shoot, find cover, reload/heal, repeat. The best I can hope for is a decent story that encourages me to finish the game. 

I find myself buying sequel after sequel. I have five Halo's, three Call of Duty's, two Left 4 Dead's, and one Bioshock. Each of the sequels offered something new, and often have the multiplayer community to warrant the purchase. Still I doubt Halo 4 and MW3 will offer anything substantially different. Yet I, and millions of others, will probably buy the next sequel because it's better then the clones. 

Hack n' slash games fair no better. God of War and Ninja Gaiden were games that broke barriers. The sequels were fantastic additions to each of the franchises, but it was more of the same. A few new comers pop up hear and there. Bayonetta was decent, and so was Heavenly Sword. I also enjoyed Force Unleashed and Afro Samurai. None had the same impact as the first God of War. None were as challenging as Ninja Gaiden. 

Next up on the chopping block is Bioware. I've thoroughly enjoyed most of their games, but I'm no fool. I can see a pattern that started with Knights of the Old Republic on Xbox. Moral choices, elite secret organizations, wacky friends, love affairs, and deep conversation trees; all while touring world/galaxy. This is in every title since KOTOR, and I doubt Mass Effect 3 will be any different. 

Similar statements can be made about the Fable and Fallout franchises. The first Fable and Fallout 3 were fantastic, but the sequels tended to be more of the same. A young child has something traumatic occur that leads him/her on a life long path to redemption...or revenge! Along the way they have to perform a bunch of tasks to become famous...or infamous! You make allies, gain abilities, and complete quests in the same world over and over again. RPG developers are also notorious for bugs, which is pretty sad considering the lifespan of the current console generation. 

Genres I'm unfamiliar with will only lead to speculation. So here we go!

Open world titles are series of already known mini games spread across a vast area.  New sports games, and fighters, offer roster updates and a few new moves. Racers are the same old tired franchises. JRPG's seem to be stuck in a rut, and RTS games still suck on consoles. Music inspired games is a dead genre beaten by Activision and slightly kicked by EA. Finally, since 2004, the MMORPG genre continues to be equated with World of Warcraft. Everywhere you go it's clones and sequels (or expansion packs and dlc).

I want a new and amazing videogame. I want that same feeling I got playing Splinter Cell, Shadows of the Colossus, or Halo for the first time. I want to play a game over and over again because it's that good. Something that hasn't happened since Batman: Arkham Asylum. 

One day my Gamefly account will be used for something besides sequels and clones. I'll be patient, and save money. I don't have any fantastic ideas after all....just complaints. Perhaps it's just me, or maybe developers need start coming up with better material to earn my money. Either way I'm bored. Time to take up some new hobbies, and catch up on that reading list; in between the drum n' bass events and pool parties.