Pads & Panels

Best Video Games of 2011 – Honorable Mentions

 

Pads & Panels will soon be counting down its Top 10 Video Games of 2011, but before we get to that point, we’d like to pay mind to 10 other games that stood out as top contenders for the year. They were all part of our discussion and all deserve some recognition for their achievements in gaming, even if they didn’t quite make the cut of the illustrious Top 10. All 10 of these titles were games that earned our attention and respect in one way or another in 2011, the list of them effectively serving as our 11-20 choices, presented here in no particular order. (more…)

Title: LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game

Platform: 360 (PS3, Wii, PC, Mac, 3DS, DS, PSP)

ESRB Rating: E10+

Publisher: Disney Interactive

Developer: Traveller’s Tales

Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

The latest franchise to be stamped with the LEGO makeover is Pirates of the Caribbean, following the release of the fourth film in the series. Fans of previous LEGO titles (like Harry Potter, Star Wars and Indiana Jones) already know what to expect here, and the Pirates franchise proves a great fit for the zany LEGO characters and stories. Players can, as usual, go solo or play with join-in/drop-out co-op, working through 20 stages divided evenly between the four movies, with cutscenes done only the way LEGO can. Port Royal serves as sort of an expanding hub in this one, where players can accomplish more by earning characters of differing abilities, the most noteworthy of which is the addition of underwater elements. All in all, it’s a great addition to both franchises, and fans of the series will get a kick out of the game, even though the later films undeniably sucked. (more…)

Title: Disney Guilty Party

Platform: Wii

ESRB: E

Publisher: Disney Interactive Studios

Developer: Wideload Games

Rating: Rating:

Review By: Archie Easter

Quality titles on the Wii that aren’t made by Nintendo can be few and far between. So it’s refreshing to see that the Wideload Games developed Disney Guilty Party stands out as a generally well-designed and family-oriented party game that is both entertaining and filled with humor that will appeal to both children and adults. Unfortunately, there are a few minor missteps preventing it from reaching super-sleuth status. (more…)

Title: Split/Second

Platform: 360 (PS3, PC)

ESRB: E10+

Publisher: Disney Interactive

Developer: Black Rock Studio

Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

Split/Second is another one of those games, much like the Burnout series, a racer that appeals to the crowd that doesn’t like traditional racing games. There’s no modding of brake tension or tweaking of horsepower necessary. Split/Second doesn’t even feature real life automobiles. But they sure look badass, the race tracks are solid, and ultimately Split/Second is about driving really fast, spectacular crashes and destruction so massive it actually alters the courses. (more…)