The Top Picks from 2011

Michael Cook goes for Team Fortress 2

Team Fortress 2 is not a new release for 2011. But the renaissance it underwent over the last 12 months means it might as well be treated as such. A huge number of new ideas have been ploughed into this game, and it remains as fresh, vibrant and playful as it ever has been. The humour, the experimental nature and the inventiveness of Valve has been evident in every update, every store release and special event, and it continues to shine.

It's lost a lot of followers over the years, and those it gained back through free-to-play mechanics may have found themselves bewildered by the ever-shifting nature of its UI, class system, and bugs. But the servers are still flourishing, the unusual and rare items still enticing. Having given rise to the Steam Workshop, Trading and Cloud, I'm excited to see what the next twelve months herald for this game. No doubt I'll still be playing.

Laurence Pope picks Dead Space 2

Dead Space 2is a game I maybe slagged off a little bit in the past, but let’s be honest here – I foul-mouth most games. Dead Space 2, at the end of the day, is a solid game with solid (and fairly original) gameplay mechanics; I have yet to play another game where dismembering your enemies plays such a crucial role in surviving. You can shoot the necromorphs in the chest all you want, but it’ll leave you as so many bloody pieces on the floor.

There’s been a fair amount of DLC offered for the game, all of it free, which keeps everything interesting (if not somewhat imbalanced in single player). Hardcore mode still presents a deadly challenge, and to this day I’ve still yet to get through the game on the three saves the mode allows you. The multiplayer aspect of the game has died down a little bit since release, but on the basis of single player mode alone it gets my vote.

Laurence Pope (also) suggests Limbo

Why am I getting two bites of the apple? Why am I selecting a game that technically came out in 2010 on the XBLA? Because I’m the Games editor that’s why, and if I can’t exert my influence in real life I’ll darn well exert it here to boost my meagre sense of self-esteem.

Limbo is dark, depressing and an absolute gem. You play as a young boy, stuck in a world filled with devices and creatures that just want to kill you.

You face buzzsaws, rolling stones and giant creepy insects, all black and featureless, only adding to the sense of foreboding the game seeks (and manages) to create.

Unlike Dead Space 2, Limbo is not for those looking for a high-energy, high action thrill ride. Ultimately, it boils down to a side-scrolling horror experience that aims to creep you out, and does so masterfully. Give it a shot.

Oh, and it came out on Steam in ‘11, so hah!