Christmas 2011 was the best Christmas for gamers

summation

• 2011 is often forgotten as a legendary year in gaming, but it's definitely one of the best.

• This was especially true for gamers like me who had to wait until Christmas to play everything.

• Skyrim is just the beginning of one of the most prolific holiday seasons of all time.

Over the last few decades of gaming, there have been certain years that are often known as 'all-timers'. 1998, 2007, 2018, and 2023 all immediately come to mind, but one year that doesn't get enough respect for how legendary it is is 2011.

I love the era that gave us Banjo-Kazooie, BioShock, God of War, and Alan Wake 2, but they all pale in comparison to the huge success of games released in the same years that Charlie Sheen and everyone else came out. 'victory': Gears of War 3, Dragon Age 2, LA Noire, LittleBigPlanet 2… And I haven't even seen it yet. really Still good stuff.

Anyone lucky enough to be an adult in 2011 would have been able to buy whatever they wanted. But I wasn't like that. As a 12-year-old at the time (yes, you were old), I had to put all my eggs in Santa's basket and I hoped he was as much of a gamer as I was.

Even though I'm not old enough to toddle over to a game station (yes, you are) really old) had to wait for the last six days of the year to play everything, and even I knew what a landmark year 2011 was for gaming. So, let’s take a walk down memory lane and remember Christmas to win every Christmas.

The RPG to end all RPGs

We started things off here with a dragon-sized gimme, but arguably the biggest Christmas game of 2011 was The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. I mean, we're still talking about it 10 years later. Especially since Bethesda re-releases it every couple of days.

Although Skyrim: Extremely Special Edition, no really makes any sense this time. Even though it's only a few days away, the first release was something truly special and something gamers everywhere were obsessed with all holiday. Bonus points if it snows a lot.

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

Hoho this trash

what didn't do it It's Uncharted 3 that has a drop of snow but somehow manages to be the perfect holiday game. The game took Drake to the Rub' al Khali for the most personal and forward-thinking journey of the series until A Thief's End.

Although it's on the weaker side of the Uncharted trilogy, its blockbuster action set-pieces, simple but satisfying multiplayer component, and correct assessment that sand is the worst thing ever have solidified this game as another highlight of every gamer's Christmas.

rayman origins

The best games of 2011 for people with good taste

Skyrim and Uncharted 3 may have been the biggest games of 2011, but for actual gamers, Rayman Origins was a limbless horse to bet on. In fact, it's one of the best games to come out of Ubisoft over the last two console generations, and it's also the second most recently released Rayman game.

I jumped through a lot of games during Crimbo 2011, but some of my favorite memories from that year are playing the lifeless Rayman Origins and experiencing pure platform perfection. And again, bonus points for the seasonally appropriate level of snow cover.

If you're still mad about Xbox discontinuing PSN

Pour one into the PlayStation Store

Unfortunately, one of the most notable things to happen in the gaming world in 2011 was the infamous PlayStation Network outage. This outage lasted a whopping 23 days and gave Xbox fans plenty of ammunition for the big green box. I could do it.

Sony eventually gave away a few free games (funnily included with Famous) to try to repair the damage, but it was like putting a bandage on a bullet hole. Many gamers have used the holidays as an opportunity to completely change their stance, and who can blame them?

Kinect, if you trusted Xbox too much

An eye for an eye – toys

PlayStation may have had a tough year in 2011, but at least Xbox hasn't shaken up its response? Unfortunately, as Kinect actually proved, the grass on Microsoft's turf isn't all that green.

Sure, there was fun to be had with Kinect Sports and Kinect Adventures, but most people thought Kinect was a mess that never lived up to its potential. no every The year Will and Kate got married, their Christmas presents were truly shocking.

Nintendo 3DS and Super Mario 3D Land

Ah, it’s the era of 3D gimmicks

When Kinect pushed gaming technology back, Nintendo advanced it again with the 3DS. The annoying DS sequel was actually released in early 2011, but not every gamer was able to pick it up at the time.

With that in mind, the 3DS was the perfect Christmas gift for 2011, almost certainly matching Super Mario 3D Land as the best game on the handheld. Failing that, Mario Kart 7 and Ocarina of Time 3D were also good options. I'm glad we didn't get Sonic Generations.

Battlefield 3 or Modern Warfare 3

Battle of Threequels

In 2011, a much bigger battle broke out between Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Battlefield 3 as Xbox and PlayStation struggled to maintain their player bases. Unless you're lucky, chances are you'll have to pick up the trilogy shooter that Santa left under the tree. .

So what was the difference between the fast-paced gunfights of Modern Warfare 3 and the city destruction of Battlefield 3? Dear reader, the choice was up to jolly Saint Nick, but regardless of the choice, we think it's fair to say gamers had a happy Christmas online.

Battlefield 3 was a better choice and worth it.