Some years are just unbelievable for gaming. They're rare, and more often we have years with three or four exceptional releases and a bunch of fun but forgettable games. Years like 2023, 2016, and 2011 are a different breed. Going in, gamers already expected banner years for the industry, but even they couldn't have predicted just how exceptional the release calendar would be.
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These open-world games didn't sell GTA-level numbers on day 1, but they've slowly gained a dedicated fanbase that has earned them cult classic status.
For a year like 2011 to feature so many games that are considered modern classics today feels like an aberration. Yet it's not unprecedented. After all, many of these games were sequels to already great games, revivals of a classic series, or development studios at the height of their creative power. Of the next ten games, all of which are now gaming classics and all of which were released in 2011, only one was a true dark horse, and today, it's arguably the most popular game of the bunch.
Portal 2
Valve's Iconic Puzzler, Perfected
Portal 2
- Released
- April 18, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ for Everyone 10+: Fantasy Violence, Mild Language
- Developer(s)
- Valve
- Genre(s)
- Puzzle, Platformer
The first Portal, included in Valve's Orange Box collection, almost felt like an afterthought. That's no fault of its own, but it was grouped up alongside the long-awaited Half-Life 2: Episode 2 and Team Fortress 2, with Half-Life 2 and Half-Life 2: Episode 1 completing the package. The pedigree of all these other games outshone Portal, which at the time was an unknown quantity. That quickly changed once people played it, and when it was time for a sequel, Portal 2 wasn't outshone by anything.
The hype for this sequel was at a fever pitch, and yet it lived up to every bit of it. It captured what made the first game so special — brilliant, mind-bending portal puzzles — but expanded on it in every area. It not only introduced co-op to the equation, but built an entirely separate campaign for two people to complete together. The solo campaign doubled down on the first game's surprisingly deep story, expanding the strange world of Aperture Science and culminating in one of the best final levels in video game history.
Deux Ex: Human Revolution
The Return Of A Classic Franchise That Gets Everything Right
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
- Released
- August 23, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Eidos Montreal
- Genre(s)
- FPS
Rebooting a cult classic game like Deux Ex was a tall order, one that Eidos Montreal handled admirably and accomplished with flying colors. The modern reboot, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, does everything that one could want from an HD generation Deus Ex game, while adding a lot to what was missing from the classic 2000 game.
Both stealthy and guns-blazing approaches are treated with equal reverence on every mission, allowing you to play as whatever kind of cyberpunk agent you envision. The narrative offers some branching paths as well, including a few that will significantly alter how the game's ending and final boss fight play out. Deus Ex: Human Revolution received one sequel (titled Mankind Divided) but the series has not been seen since. That's a shame, because Human Revolution is still talked about as one of the better immersive sims of the last 15 years.
L.A. Noire
Rockstar's Brilliant Period Piece
LA Noire
- Released
- May 17, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
Back when Rockstar Games was releasing new games regularly, L.A. Noire landed in between Red Dead Redemption in 2010 and Max Payne 3 in 2012. Unlike both of those games, L.A. Noire is less about operating outside the law and far more about enforcing it, a major departure from Rockstar's traditional fare.
You take on the role of Cole Phelps, a World War 2 veteran who has moved on to a position in the LAPD. You follow him as he rises through the ranks, from a patrol cop to an arson investigator, solving crimes throughout Los Angeles while managing his own PTSD. The game's facial animation tech is nothing revolutionary today, but it still works surprisingly well. The main draw, though, is following through on each investigation, identifying suspects, and compiling a case, all while working within the technological confines of the 1940s. There has never really been another game like L.A. Noire, and it still stands as one of Rockstar's best non-GTA or Red Dead projects.
InFAMOUS 2
Quietly One Of The Best Sequels Of The Decade
inFAMOUS 2
- Released
- June 7, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Blood, Drug Reference, Language, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Sucker Punch
The first InFAMOUS game was part of a release showdown between superhero games, facing off against Prototype to see which game would be the more popular open-world action game. InFAMOUS came out on top, although not by much, but that edge gave it the momentum it needed to get its sequel out sooner. For everything the first game did well, InFAMOUS 2 did it even better.
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Cole's powers are more potent, his moral alignment more directly portrayed in the world around him, and the narrative, while not as jaw-dropping as the first game's twist, feels more fleshed out, delivering a character who was, very briefly, a PlayStation mascot and the figurehead for Sucker Punch Productions. InFAMOUS 2 was one of the most hyped games of the year going in, but no one knew how good of a year 2011 was going to be.
Dead Space 2
A Perfect Blend Of Sci-Fi And Survival Horror
Dead Space 2
- Released
- January 25, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Visceral Games
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
The first Dead Space came out of nowhere, adapting the survival horror mechanics of classics like Resident Evil 4 while contextualizing them in a sci-fi setting that felt entirely new. That first game was a pleasant surprise, but its sequel, Dead Space 2, was carrying a lot more expectations leading up to its launch. Much like Portal 2, Dead Space 2 knocked it out of the park.
The series' iconic dismemberment combat was back and better than ever, while its narrative was cranked up a notch. Despite what 2023's Dead Space Remake implies, Dead Space 2 was actually the first time Isaac Clarke was a voiced character. His journey through The Sprawl — a massive space station orbiting Saturn's moon, Titan — is harrowing, as he is hounded by Necromorph enemies both new and familiar. The level set in the Sprawl's nursery is iconic, but one particular scene, involving a needle and an eyeball, cemented Dead Space 2 as one of the greatest horror games of all time.
Dark Souls
The Advent Of A Brand-New Genre
Dark Souls
- Released
- September 22, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Violence
- Developer(s)
- From Software
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Soulslike, Adventure
While the Soulslike genre technically took its first steps with Demon's Souls in 2009, the spiritual successor, Dark Souls, is when the genre finally caught on in the mainstream. Unlike Demon's Souls, where levels were split up between different portals located in a hub world, Dark Souls was one seamless kingdom, with a variety of semi-linear areas connected by twisting pathways and surprising shortcuts.
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Featuring gripping combat and some of the most iconic boss battles in gaming history, Dark Souls almost instantly cemented itself into the greatest games of all time conversation, and it took developer FromSoftware from a fringe studio best known for the Armored Core series to one of the hottest names in the industry. That's without even mentioning the lore, which became an obsession all its own and made the careers of YouTubers like VaatiVidya, who still makes their living by parsing through FromSoftware's dense narratives and converting them into stunningly beautiful stories that even those unfamiliar with Dark Souls can enjoy.
Batman: Arkham City
The Pinnacle Of Batman Games
Batman: Arkham City
- Released
- October 18, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Alcohol Reference, Blood, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Tobacco, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Rocksteady Studios
The Arkham Trilogy games are widely considered some of the best superhero games of all time, and within that trilogy, Batman: Arkham City is held up as the best of the bunch. Going bigger from the more self-contained setting of Batman: Arkham Asylum, Arkham City takes place in a fully open-world portion of Gotham City that has been walled off to contain the asylum's escapees. The whole operation is spearheaded by Dr. Hugo Strange, who somehow knows that Bruce Wayne and Batman are one and the same.
The open nature of Arkham City takes Batman's grapple-into-glide movement and turns it loose, providing tons of opportunity to generate momentum that simply wasn't possible in the first game. On top of the gripping main story, Arkham City is reknowned for its fantastic side quests, featuring iconic Batman villains who don't play a role in the main narrative. Then, of course, there's the series' patented freeflow combat, which doesn't add a ton to what worked in Arkham Asylum beyond new animations and a few new gadgets, but that's not a failing. As they say: if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
Added More To Drake's Backstory And Took Him On His Most Harrowing Journey Yet
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
- Released
- November 1, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Naughty Dog
At the height of its popularity following the smash-hit Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, the Uncharted series — originally slated to be a trilogy — culminated in Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception. Heavily marketed with a jaw-dropping plane crash sequence that is still a highlight of the series as a whole, this game upped the stakes for what many assumed would be Nathan Drake's final adventure.
Where Drake's Deception stands out from the previous two games is the depth given to Drake himself. We get way more backstory about his journey to becoming a thief and treasure hunter, including how he met Sully and when he acquired Francis Drake's ring, which kickstarted the series. That said, it wouldn't be an Uncharted game without larger-than-life set pieces. From the aforementioned plane crash to a sinking ship to the collapse of an ancient city, Drake's Deception takes the spectacle of the series to its peak, giving fans what felt like, at the time, a fitting conclusion to the franchise.
Minecraft
The Ultimate Creative Sandbox
Minecraft
- Released
- November 18, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
Of all the games released in 2011, none has the longevity of Minecraft. It's the ultimate sandbox, a world where you can go where you want, do what you want, and build anything you can imagine. Minecraft is all about the community; recipes for building even simple materials can be complicated, but with the abundance of online resources that sprang up almost instantly upon its release, there is very little to hold you back.
Today, that community is massive. From online crafting recipes to one of the largest selections of mods for any game, there is basically nothing you can't do in Minecraft. Whether you want to build a massive mansion or recreate a fictional city, all it takes is the imagination to envision it and the dedication to see it through. Minecraft is undoubtedly a modern classic, but even more so, it's one of the most beloved video games of all time.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
Still The King Of 2011 Gaming
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- Released
- November 11, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
Of all the games listed here, by far the game that was considered "the best" of 2011 was The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. Bethesda's open-world fantasy RPG is a stunning achievement, one that still holds up today. Sure, there's a main narrative, but most players ignore that entirely. Skyrim is all about exploring; seeing something in the distance and making your way there to discover what secrets it holds.
From combat to magic to stealth, there are no limits to what kind of character you can build in Skyrim. This is further enhanced by its three DLC expansions and the massive number of mods available for installation. Skyrim has been the premier open-world RPG for the last 15 years, and while some games have matched its quality, none have come close to topping its popularity.
Honorable Mentions:
- Dead Island
- Resistance 3
- The Witcher 2: Assassins Of Kings
- Dragon Age 2
- Warhammer 40K: Space Marine
- Gears Of War 3
- Battlefield 3
- Crysis 2
- Saints Row: The Third
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