Personal Thought: 2 more games that deserve mention in 2011

As you've already gathered, I spent plenty of time deliberating what the best games of 2011 were. The more I thought about, the more it became apparent that there really were more than 10 huge titles available last year. This was made more apparent by my Captain Hindsight article in which I could practically forge a whole new top 10 after releasing an initial list.

I am totally ashamed that I forgot two games in particular that really deserved recognition. I still can't believe that even after revising my top 10, I just brushed them aside -- shame on you Igor, shame on you.

The two games that deserve serious praise are Rayman: Origins (multiplatform) and Infinity Blade II (iOS). 

Rayman: Origins

It's always nice to see when a classic franchise makes a triumphant return into gaming. It's even more fantastic when that particular game has a long lasting impact on the gaming community. Rayman: Origins is a terrific platformer that really embodies the notion of 'artwork' as the key resource for pushing the game forward. Don't get me wrong, Rayman's controls are precise, level design is fantastic and audio is in tune, but this is game is a testament to how art design can be correctly used to create a truly magnificent game. Ubisoft had a vision and it has certainly come to life through one of the most enjoyable multiplayer games you could get your hands on last year. 

Infinity Blade II 

Perhaps more deserving of recognition than the former, Infinity Blade II has without doubt set a precedent for handheld gaming. I didn't really buy into the whole 'mobile phones as the future of handhelds' gimmick but upon falling ill and the idea of spending a whole week in bed looming over me, I decided to purchase the game. How glad am I that I did wow! Set as an on-rails RPG, Infinity Blade II is visually stunning, technically efficient (considering it's always hard to make any form of coherent control system on a touch screen) and plenty of fun. Infinity Blade II really showed me what hand-held gaming could do on a mobile platform and if this is one of the first steps, then I can't wait to see what the future holds for both iOS and Android markets.

So yeah, just a quick thought more than anything. Two more games you need to try if you happened to miss them last year -- trust me, you won't be disappointed! 

As always, check me out on Twitter @ss4Igor