2011’s Perfect 10s – Are They Still Worthy?

Here at The Gaming Review we pride ourselves on reviewing games honestly, fairly and steering away from being influenced by the gaming bandwagons that so often rumble through Reviewtown. But despite this passion for fair and accurate reviews it’s very easy to get carried away in the moment, or maybe neglect to realise some faults that are lingering in the shadows.

So, in the name of fairness we’ve decided to look back at those games that have been awarded perfect 10s this year by our team of devoted reviewers to find out if they’re still deserving of their full marks or if we just got a bit carried away. There haven’t been many, but starting way back at the start of the year, we have…

Mass Effect 2 (PS3)

PS3 fans were overjoyed when this was released, months after 360 owners had been enjoying it. Mixing an impeccable blend of exploration, combat and fantastic conversation trees you could easily lose 30 or 40 hours playing it through once, and there’s every reason to go through several times with a totally different version of your character. The fact is you can now buy this for under £15 which is just crazy value for money. It was worth full marks nearly a year ago, and it’s worth full marks now. Still brilliant. New Score: 10/10

Limbo (PS3)

Limbo was, and remains to be, one of the most artistically beautiful games available. With no spoken words, a fantastic soundtrack and an attachment to the character that takes you by surprise when you realise just how much it’s developed, Limbo was easy to love. Some brilliantly designed puzzles challenged even the sharpest mind, and with some hidden extras to find there was plenty of reason to go back and have another search around. But in retrospect, it’s possible I was a bit swept away by the experience. It’s a game everyone should play, but it is a little short and many people probably wouldn’t play it again. It pains me to say it but maybe Limbo isn’t quite a 10/10 game. It’s desperately close, but isn’t quite there. New Score: 9/10

Batman: Arkham City (PS3/360)

I’ve read a lot of mixed opinions about Arkham City. Some say the missions get samey, others say there’s just too much to do and it gets confusing. But several weeks after first receiving the review copy, and I’m still picking off small missions here and there. Maybe it was the fact I didn’t really play Arkham Asylum that made me enjoy it so much, or maybe it was the fact I’m such a fan of Batman as a whole. Either way, Arkham City remains a massive game that despite the critical comments is neither samey nor confusing, and as long as you “get it” and everything slides together then it is, without doubt, one of the best games this year. Others are allowed their opinions, but mine is staying strong: this is brilliant. New Score: 10/10

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (PS3)

Drake’s back again with an adventure that takes everything that Uncharted 2 had to offer and ups the ante to a whole new level. More fantastic animation and voice acting, fighting dynamics that make you feel like you’re better than James Bond and some heart-thumping set pieces give the single player campaign a seriously enjoyable edge. The multiplayer too is rock solid (strange, this is the only 10/10 with a multiplayer mode…) and gives you plenty of reason to stick at it and rank up to get hold of new toys to kill people with. Not much time has passed since its release, but it’s still a fantastic game that will be the envy of 360 owners for a long time. New Score: 10/10

Skyrim (PS3/360)

Not only has this been a potential Game of the Year for all the right reasons, it’s also been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Despite a couple of patches from Bethesda; bugs, lag and game breaking problems have all marred what is otherwise a simply stunning game.  I hate to sound all smug and all, but I personally haven’t encountered any “game breaking” lag on the PS3, only had one quest issue which seemed to resolve itself, and am still thoroughly enjoying my time in the game. Whilst I don’t dismiss other people’s problems with the game lightly that fact that I am still having a tremendous amount of fun with it some 30+ hours in, means that I stand by my 10 mark.  If you haven’t played this yet you really are missing out on one of the most content packed fun and breathtaking experiences this generation. New Score: 10/10

 

And Finally…

So out five perfect 10s are reduced to four. Are we being too generous? No, not at all. Look back at our reviews, and there’s been a fair few 9s awarded too, but that’s just showing what an awesome year for gaming 2011 has been. There’s concern that this generation has reached its peak this year, and that’s certainly a possibility. But don’t dwell on that, just enjoy having some amazing games to play, maybe 2012 will hold a few surprises…