Can say that I don't have a single one of these. x_x
http://ps3.ign.com/articles/121/1215236p2.html
The PlayStation Network had a good year in 2011. A plethora of solid titles came out to entertain the PlayStation Faithful, though it can certainly be hard to boil it all down. But naturally, that's where we come in.
IGN's PlayStation Team recently sat down to pour over everything the PSN offered in 2011. We cut the list down to the ten best games, which we've presented below. All ten games are worth being in your PSN library, though the further down the list you go, the better the games get! So if you only have a limited amount of funds but want to sample some of PSN's finest, here's a great place to start.
10. Explodemon!
An old-school style title fashioned after some of the retro greats, Explodemon! prides itself on its precise, difficult gameplay. The main character -- aptly named Explodemon -- is a robot with a problem. You see, he explodes randomly, and gamers must figure out how to harness his powers to defeat enemies while working through a series of levels, collecting well-hidden collectibles along the way. This PSN exclusive got a bad rap because of a similarly named XBLA exclusive (even if Explodemon! was in development first), but old-schoolers looking for a challenge will find plenty to like with Explodemon! nonetheless.
9. Sideway: New York
Platformers are a dime a dozen, but Sideway: New York figured out a way to do things in a radically different way. Instead of putting players in a run-of-the-mill situation, Sideway altered the rules by which platformers are played. Because of the fact that your character is actually paint on a wall, the camera angle constantly changes with this in mind. Jumping to the top of a wall, for instance, will force the camera angle up, so that the floor you're appearing on is now the wall behind you. When this gameplay is coupled with an awesome soundtrack and plenty of replayability, Sideway: New York is bound to pleasantly surprise you, even if it is abstract.
8. Tetris
Tetris is an old game, but then again, it never actually gets old. EA's iteration of Tetris, released early in 2011, gave players more options than ever. This isn't the Tetris game you may be familiar with from the earlier days of gaming. Rife with a slew of modes that turn the rules of classic Tetris upside down, this iteration of an overly-familiar classic kept players enamored with its hyper-competitive leaderboards, fluid online gameplay and, above all else, the ridiculous amount of skill some of these modes required. It's easy to see Tetris and ignore it with so many other great games swirling around you, but this one absolutely demands your attention.
7. PayDay: The Heist
While PayDay: The Heist wasn't technically the finest game, it delivered an outrageously unique and addictive experience for PSN gamers. This is especially true for those looking for an online multiplayer romp. Sure, PayDay could be played alone, but it was with friends over the PlayStation Network that the true potential of PayDay shone through. A game that put up to four players in the role of criminals, PayDay forces gamers to cooperate with one another to rob banks, escape the cops and more. PayDay: The Heist is one of those games that could easily suck hours out of your life, and frankly, you probably won't miss them very much. Think of this one as the Left 4 Dead PS3 gamers never got.
6. BloodRayne: Betrayal
Some gamers simply don't like difficult titles, and BloodRayne: Betrayal would instantly turn those kinds of players off. But for those of you out there that love hard games styled with old-school mechanics, BloodRayne: Betrayal is an exceptional choice. Don't let its corny license fool you; it's clear that BloodRayne: Betrayal was heavily inspired by the classic Castlevania games, which should be an indication to you of how outrageously good it is. Of course, Betrayal requires a lot of skill and patience too. But those who manage to see the game through to the end will find plenty of reasons to come back. After all, chasing high scores in a game like this is plenty addicting.
5. Alien Zombie Megadeath
Out of all of the games on our list, this one is perhaps the most under-the-radar and obscure. Yet, it's also one of the best. Alien Zombie Megadeath is an arcade-style game with one goal and one goal only: – getting a high score. By working your character around a series of platforms in ever-evolving, increasingly-difficult stages, you can rack up higher and higher scores by avoiding damage while keeping your kill chains going. Few games on the PSN are as outright addictive as Alien Zombie Megadeath, and even though it was criminally ignored and underplayed, those leaderboards sure are competitive. And better yet, high scores are required to unlock the game's incredibly big roster of stages, which allows you to build up your skill at just the right cadence.
4. Limbo
Like many classic downloadable games of this generation (such as Castle Crashers), PlayStation gamers had to patiently wait to get their hands on Limbo. It took over a year for Limbo to meander over from XBLA to PSN. But when it arrived, players found something worth waiting for. Limbo's artistic style is both unique and pleasantly eerie, and its gameplay, which revolves around an experience devoid of dialogue or even a simple explanation of just what was happening, makes the game what it is. Limbo is indeed more an experience than a game, and a hell of an experience at that -- one that every PSN player should try.
3. Rochard
It's hard to explain just what Rochard is, though it can perhaps best be described as a "Metroid-vania"-style game with a heavy twist. That's because while Rochard requires exploring large maps, just like in Super Metroid or Symphony of the Night, the game also relies on gravity-bending gameplay to find your way around. Rochard isn't nearly as deep or non-linear as the games that inspired it, but it's still an incredibly fun title with great characters and awesome voice acting. And most importantly, it has rock-solid gameplay, which is at the heart of what makes Rochard so damn good. This is a game you could easily lose a weekend to.
2. Plants vs. Zombies
By the time Plants vs. Zombies found its way to the PlayStation Network, it was old news just about everywhere else. It was on everyone's phones and tablets, and rival service XBLA had the game for some time, too. Yet, when PvZ became accessible to the PlayStation gamer, they found something worth waiting for. Plants vs. Zombies is the epitome of addictive tower defense games, a title with enough options and versatility to keep you staring at your television for unhealthy amounts of time. And with the game now confirmed to be coming to PlayStation Vita, there's even more reasons for PlayStation gamers to be excited for Plants vs. Zombies. Now if we could only get a sequel…
1. Outland
It would be hard to argue against Outland as the best PlayStation Network game of 2011. Designed by Housemarque, the creators of PSN exclusive titles like Super Stardust HD and Dead Nation, Outland wasn't an exclusive, but it didn't matter to the legions of PlayStation Network gamers that played the game from beginning to end while loving every minute of it. A side-scrolling, exploration-based action game, Outland's minimalist approach combined with its stunning graphics made it a game that's hard to ignore. Of course, its grueling gameplay will turn-off less skilled gamers, but for those who have the tenacity to stick with it and see it through, it will become rather obvious why Outland is the best game on PSN in 2011.
http://ps3.ign.com/articles/121/1215236p2.html
The PlayStation Network had a good year in 2011. A plethora of solid titles came out to entertain the PlayStation Faithful, though it can certainly be hard to boil it all down. But naturally, that's where we come in.
IGN's PlayStation Team recently sat down to pour over everything the PSN offered in 2011. We cut the list down to the ten best games, which we've presented below. All ten games are worth being in your PSN library, though the further down the list you go, the better the games get! So if you only have a limited amount of funds but want to sample some of PSN's finest, here's a great place to start.
10. Explodemon!
An old-school style title fashioned after some of the retro greats, Explodemon! prides itself on its precise, difficult gameplay. The main character -- aptly named Explodemon -- is a robot with a problem. You see, he explodes randomly, and gamers must figure out how to harness his powers to defeat enemies while working through a series of levels, collecting well-hidden collectibles along the way. This PSN exclusive got a bad rap because of a similarly named XBLA exclusive (even if Explodemon! was in development first), but old-schoolers looking for a challenge will find plenty to like with Explodemon! nonetheless.
9. Sideway: New York
Platformers are a dime a dozen, but Sideway: New York figured out a way to do things in a radically different way. Instead of putting players in a run-of-the-mill situation, Sideway altered the rules by which platformers are played. Because of the fact that your character is actually paint on a wall, the camera angle constantly changes with this in mind. Jumping to the top of a wall, for instance, will force the camera angle up, so that the floor you're appearing on is now the wall behind you. When this gameplay is coupled with an awesome soundtrack and plenty of replayability, Sideway: New York is bound to pleasantly surprise you, even if it is abstract.
8. Tetris
Tetris is an old game, but then again, it never actually gets old. EA's iteration of Tetris, released early in 2011, gave players more options than ever. This isn't the Tetris game you may be familiar with from the earlier days of gaming. Rife with a slew of modes that turn the rules of classic Tetris upside down, this iteration of an overly-familiar classic kept players enamored with its hyper-competitive leaderboards, fluid online gameplay and, above all else, the ridiculous amount of skill some of these modes required. It's easy to see Tetris and ignore it with so many other great games swirling around you, but this one absolutely demands your attention.
7. PayDay: The Heist
While PayDay: The Heist wasn't technically the finest game, it delivered an outrageously unique and addictive experience for PSN gamers. This is especially true for those looking for an online multiplayer romp. Sure, PayDay could be played alone, but it was with friends over the PlayStation Network that the true potential of PayDay shone through. A game that put up to four players in the role of criminals, PayDay forces gamers to cooperate with one another to rob banks, escape the cops and more. PayDay: The Heist is one of those games that could easily suck hours out of your life, and frankly, you probably won't miss them very much. Think of this one as the Left 4 Dead PS3 gamers never got.
6. BloodRayne: Betrayal
Some gamers simply don't like difficult titles, and BloodRayne: Betrayal would instantly turn those kinds of players off. But for those of you out there that love hard games styled with old-school mechanics, BloodRayne: Betrayal is an exceptional choice. Don't let its corny license fool you; it's clear that BloodRayne: Betrayal was heavily inspired by the classic Castlevania games, which should be an indication to you of how outrageously good it is. Of course, Betrayal requires a lot of skill and patience too. But those who manage to see the game through to the end will find plenty of reasons to come back. After all, chasing high scores in a game like this is plenty addicting.
5. Alien Zombie Megadeath
Out of all of the games on our list, this one is perhaps the most under-the-radar and obscure. Yet, it's also one of the best. Alien Zombie Megadeath is an arcade-style game with one goal and one goal only: – getting a high score. By working your character around a series of platforms in ever-evolving, increasingly-difficult stages, you can rack up higher and higher scores by avoiding damage while keeping your kill chains going. Few games on the PSN are as outright addictive as Alien Zombie Megadeath, and even though it was criminally ignored and underplayed, those leaderboards sure are competitive. And better yet, high scores are required to unlock the game's incredibly big roster of stages, which allows you to build up your skill at just the right cadence.
4. Limbo
Like many classic downloadable games of this generation (such as Castle Crashers), PlayStation gamers had to patiently wait to get their hands on Limbo. It took over a year for Limbo to meander over from XBLA to PSN. But when it arrived, players found something worth waiting for. Limbo's artistic style is both unique and pleasantly eerie, and its gameplay, which revolves around an experience devoid of dialogue or even a simple explanation of just what was happening, makes the game what it is. Limbo is indeed more an experience than a game, and a hell of an experience at that -- one that every PSN player should try.
3. Rochard
It's hard to explain just what Rochard is, though it can perhaps best be described as a "Metroid-vania"-style game with a heavy twist. That's because while Rochard requires exploring large maps, just like in Super Metroid or Symphony of the Night, the game also relies on gravity-bending gameplay to find your way around. Rochard isn't nearly as deep or non-linear as the games that inspired it, but it's still an incredibly fun title with great characters and awesome voice acting. And most importantly, it has rock-solid gameplay, which is at the heart of what makes Rochard so damn good. This is a game you could easily lose a weekend to.
2. Plants vs. Zombies
By the time Plants vs. Zombies found its way to the PlayStation Network, it was old news just about everywhere else. It was on everyone's phones and tablets, and rival service XBLA had the game for some time, too. Yet, when PvZ became accessible to the PlayStation gamer, they found something worth waiting for. Plants vs. Zombies is the epitome of addictive tower defense games, a title with enough options and versatility to keep you staring at your television for unhealthy amounts of time. And with the game now confirmed to be coming to PlayStation Vita, there's even more reasons for PlayStation gamers to be excited for Plants vs. Zombies. Now if we could only get a sequel…
1. Outland
It would be hard to argue against Outland as the best PlayStation Network game of 2011. Designed by Housemarque, the creators of PSN exclusive titles like Super Stardust HD and Dead Nation, Outland wasn't an exclusive, but it didn't matter to the legions of PlayStation Network gamers that played the game from beginning to end while loving every minute of it. A side-scrolling, exploration-based action game, Outland's minimalist approach combined with its stunning graphics made it a game that's hard to ignore. Of course, its grueling gameplay will turn-off less skilled gamers, but for those who have the tenacity to stick with it and see it through, it will become rather obvious why Outland is the best game on PSN in 2011.
