The Best Games Of 2011: #15-#11

It's time to start looking at the best video game releases of 2011, and to do that I'm going to count down the top fifteen titles made available in the past twelve months. So, let's start the big list up with #15-#11, the five great games which just missed out on the Top Ten but still made big impacts upon their respective launches...
#15- LA NOIRE (8.5/10)- Despite Rockstar's latest lacking in the replay value department, no one could possibly say that L.A Noire provided anything less than a thrilling homage to the world of 1930s Los Angeles and the entire genre of detective movies it went on to inspire.

#14- GEARS OF WAR 3 (8.5/10)- Gears was by far Microsoft's biggest entertainment launch for its Xbox 360 in 2011, and while it was hardly any different to its brilliant predecessors, the campaign and multiplayer had both been fine-tuned to their best!

#13- LITTLEBIGPLANET 2 (9/10)- One of the PS3's best exclusives of 2011, what LittleBigPlanet 2 lacked in originality it completely made up for with near limitless online possibilities and constantly impressive DLC packages!

#12- RAYMAN ORIGINS (9/10)- I don't think anyone was expecting Origins to be much more than a basic, predictable platformer. What a great surprise it was, then, to get such a beautifully crafted and lengthy title, similar to Mario but with a newfound sense of wit and charm too. Ubisoft have brilliantly rebooted their tiring franchise for a new generation.

#11- THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: SKYWARD SWORD (9/10)- It's an intensely tough year when Nintendo's flagship title for their Wii console can't make the Top Ten, yet I didn't think I could justify giving their new Zelda such an accolade as the franchise seems unable to shift out of its repetitive formula. This makes full use of the Wii MotionPlus, but check whether your Triforce replica is still standing upright and proud before you head out to buy Skyward Sword.