TSA’s Top 100 of 2011 Recap: 70 – 66

Here we are with another batch of titles as we recap the games we were most looking forward to in 2011. As you’ll see, plenty of titles might have to make another appearance in next year’s list, thanks to delays and our rather hopeful outlook.

70 – Interstellar Marines 

This is a peculiar entry on our list. It has never had a firm release window and although Zero Point has stated an interest in bringing it to consoles, it is currently only promised for PC. It’s a First Person Shooter with one foot in the RPG genre and action adventure leanings. It doesn’t have a publisher and it is being funded via pre-orders and personal finance by a Danish studio that is steadfastly independent.

The game is set in the distant future and aims to take a more realistic, perhaps gritty look at what the world would be like after humans make first contact with a hostile alien race. It’s the first of a trilogy and you can already play some demonstration scenarios on the official website. You might also want to check out the AAA-Indie development model there as trying to explain it here might take over the whole section.

In short, Interstellar Marines still hasn’t been released, it still doesn’t have a firm release window and it still looks very interesting. It probably won’t arrive in 2011, either. One for next year’s list, perhaps.

69 – Hunted: The Demon’s Forge

This cooperative fantasy RPG was released back in June and reviewed reasonably well here. The story and characterisation were praised by Dan but the glitches tested his patience a little.

The setting was one we should be used to by now. A fantasy world featuring all manner of traditional fantasy races and beasties. Dragon Tears act as a kind of in-game power-up enabling you to buy new magical abilities and weapons are picked up from the landscape as you find them, seemingly discarded at random.

So, in short, it’s an entertaining cooperative romp with competent AI to fill in for the single players. If you can ignore the glitches and slightly sub-standard graphics on offer then it is well worth a look for fantasy fans.

68 – Final Fantasy Versus XIII

A Final Fantasy game, set in the Fabula Nova Crystallis universe, like XIII, XIII 2 and Type-0. The game is set in the same universe but uses an entirely different cast and even a different visual style from any others in the same series so it is a completely unrelated story taking part at the same time as XIII, in a different area of the same universe. Hey, we never said it wasn’t bewilderingly complicated.

A Final Fantasy game is always going to raise a certain degree of excitement though and even though XIII was found to be a little underwhelming by many, we’ve got to trust that Square Enix knows what it’s doing with this flagship series.

There’s still no release date though, so it looks almost certain to miss our predicted release in 2011, slipping at least into 2012.

67 – Trine 2

Another game in a fantasy setting, again with an emphasis on cooperative play. This time it’s the smart puzzle platformer sequel to one of the genre’s best titles.

It’s still hoped to be available in September this year on XBLA, PSN, Steam and even for Linux but there has been a lack of activity on the official website so we’re starting to get a little nervous. There is a trailer available though, and it’s looking gorgeous.

As you can see, it retains the charm and intelligence of the first Trine but seems to add a lot of vibrant colour. That water and plant growth mechanic looks new, too. Still one to be excited about, then.

66 – Street Fighter X Tekken

This one has been given a proper release date. Unfortunately, it isn’t a 2011 release date. Street Fighter X Tekken (pronounce the X as “cross”) will, pending any future developmental issues, be landing on your store shelves in March 2012. We’ll add it to this year’s Top 100 voting form.

The Tekken cast are simply licensed in this one, with the gameplay being more similar to the Street Fighter series. It has been mentioned that players will have the option of using Tekken’s four button system as opposed to the six button system Street Fighter uses, for Tekken cast members a least. Aside from that, it’s Street Fighter’s projectiles and 2D viewpoints all the way.

Street Fighter X Tekken is a two-on-two tag style game which sounds similar (Im sure Isaac will correct me here) to the Marvel Vs Capcom titles in the way the two teams of two works.

We’re still looking forward to throwing a few Hadoukens at Eddy Gordo’s ever-shuffling torso but we’re going to have to wait a little longer than we first thought.

Join us tomorrow for five more and don’t forget, next week we get into the top 50 so things should really start to heat up!