As the past year of 2011 slowly grows ever more distant in our memory now is a good time to cast our minds back to the Xbox’s version of 2011 and reflect on what titles made 2011 an ‘X’-tra special year for Xbox owners.

Without further ado, here are the top games for 2011 based on unique users connected to Xbox LIVE or the number of full versions purchased between January 1st, 2011 and December 31st, 2011.

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Blackwater is a game that endeared itself to me before I had even inserted the disc. Blackwater is trying to be a little different from most other games - I like different. It’s not your typical first-person shooter and it’s not your typical Kinect game - Blackwater certainly is trying to be new with its choice of Kinect or traditional controller for shooter gameplay.

I appreciate the practical side of a game that offers gamers a choice and even if the Kinect or traditional controller option doesn’t work this time around, the idea is a sound one that hopefully more developers will consider in the future if their game seems suitable for both types of control.

Continue reading El33tonline’s review of Blackwater

I still remember fondly the very first computer game I ever played. It was a little ZX Spectrum title called Manic Miner. I was three years old at the time and that game had me hooked for weeks. It was nearly impossible for me to finish but, boy, did I try!

When Happy Feet Two: The Videogame landed on my lap for review I had very little background on the game, the animated movie, or the previous game and movie releases. My closest link to imparting a fair review of the game was to relate this title (suitable for three year-olds and older) to my own experiences as a child of three years of age and see how it measured up.

Continue reading El33tonline’s review of Happy Feet Two.

There’s such a thing in the gaming world as a ‘bargain bin’ and for those out there not too proud to be willing to humble oneself and dig elbow-deep into the bin and rummage about, there are some truly wonderful gems to behold. And as with all bargains, remember this - the more you spend, the more you save!

Here at El33tonline we’ve done a good share of the hunting for you but please don’t let that stop you from doing a bit of the seasonal bargain hunting yourself! As with all the bargains listed below, it can sometimes pay (ahem) to shop around - but even at these prices, they’re still a steal! I’ve used Takealot as the starting point and I’ve managed to get a general idea of what bargains are out there.

Continue reading this El33tonline editorial, El33tonline’s Special Price Offers and Savings for South African Gamers in Holiday 2011.

Let’s face it, December is that time of the year where all anyone ever talks about is Christmas Day. As the years have gone by and as the shops have slowly dominated the festive season, so even the holiday period has shifted name and is now more largely known by its colloquial phrase ‘Xmas.’

My personal feelings on the matter aside, it seems a little interesting that December is, then, the month of Xmas, and I trust most of you can’t think of a better way to celebrate the month of Xmas than with a little loving time with your Xbox! After all, we can all agree it’s not called ‘PSMas’ or ‘WiiMas,’ so the only article that really matters this happy season is the one about the ‘Top Ten Games for Xbox 360 of 2011.’

Continue reading this El33tonline editorial, El33tonline’s Xbox 360 Buyer’s Guide for Holiday 2011.

Rise of Nightmares for Kinect is a game that sets a few milestones, both globally in terms of being the first M-rated Kinect game released and personally in terms of being my first real foray into Kinect gaming. The game is published and developed by SEGA and touted as a survival horror videogame - certainly an interesting approach to the Kinect controller considering that almost every other Kinect game presently available is geared towards family entertainment.

Continue reading El33tonline’s review of Rise of Nightmares.

One thing I realised a few years back about this time of year in the US, and in particular New York City, was just how crazy the country’s specials were. If you ever needed a kick-start to your buying addiction then the Christmas season practically injects a mega-vial of shop-a-holic tendencies right into your jugular. The best part of it is if you somehow miss out on these great season specials you can still find (sometimes even better) clearance sales at the end of it all.

Either way, Black Friday (and now also Cyber Monday) is the precursor to the Christmas rush and if you want to hook some decent deals, now’s the time!

Continue reading El33tonline’s editorial: Videogame Bargain Hunters: The pre-season season is open and online!

What would you do if you woke up one day and discovered you suddenly had extraordinary powers? The newest addition to the X-Men series of genetically mutated superhero games raises precisely that question to players in Activision’s latest title, X-Men: Destiny.

Continue reading El33tonline’s review of X-Men: Destiny.

Dina namona from Banoi, your tropical paradise located off the coast of Papua New Guinea and a stone’s throw away from the Rugby World Cup! Come treat yourselves to the abundance of relaxing activities on offer at the Palm Resorts hotel and make yourselves at home in the land of sun-kissed bodies! Try a gentle snorkel in the crystal clear waters or simply lounge about the sun decks sipping on a refreshing cocktail as you while away the time.

If you’re the more adventurous type you could test your hand at sailing through the undisturbed seaside caves, or perhaps some lively skeet shooting is more your style? Here at Banoi there’s guaranteed to be something for everyone to sink their teeth into!

Continue reading El33tonline’s review of Dead Island.

Do you own a PS3 and are you presently enjoying an all-expenses-paid holiday on the tropical island of Banoi? Those pesky zombies getting you down? Wanting to exit your game but you’re never quite sure whether the autosave checkpoint has saved your current session?

Fret no more because there is light at the end of this dark tunnel!

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Within the first five minutes of firing up Ugly Americans: Apocalypsegeddon my wife and I were subjected to a cut-scene involving ‘The Devil,’ a demon prostitute pregnant with his love child, a drunk wizard, and a sex doll, before starting the game in the first level, aptly entitled ‘Suck my balls.’ Ahem.

Continue reading El33tonline’s review of Ugly Americans: Apocalypsegeddon.

If you were a little boy growing up in the seventies or eighties then you will know all about toy soldiers. These little green plastic G.I. Joes were the dedicated men that stood vigil over you from the vantage point of the bookshelf and bedside table while you slept soundly at night, safe in the knowledge that Major Gore and General Mayhem would make short work of any approaching night terrors. Buried inside most of our repressed childhoods is that yearning for one last chance to unleash John Rambo against the Soviet armada in one final, grand, epic showdown to determine whose nukes are truly bigger. Thanks to the men at Signal Studios we can all now get one more chance to unlease our inner child without looking like total fruitcakes in the process - Toy Soldiers: Cold War is here and it’s all about plastic toy soldiers!

Continue reading El33tonline’s review of Toy Soldiers: Cold War.

Following on the heels of Call of Duty: Black Ops’ previous map packs, First Strike, Escalation, and Annihilation, comes Rezurrection (did anyone else notice the first letters of the map pack titles spell out F.E.A.R?). For many, the sad news is that Rezurrection will be the final map pack released for Call of Duty: Black Ops, but the happy news is if you felt there weren’t enough zombie maps to play on before, this time around it’s all about zombies - Nazi Zombies, Hellhound Zombies, and now Phasing Zombies and Astronaut Zombies.

Continue reading El33tonline’s review of the Rezurrection Map Pack.

When I was tasked with writing a preview for Driver: San Francisco, I jumped at the chance. You see, not only do I happen to be a USA fanatic (well, certain cities within USA, to be precise) but I am also currently the only qualified San Francisco driver on the El33tonline team, so I’ll try to provide my opinion on how the game is looking in terms of reproducing a true San Fran experience, and get my nostalgia-junkie fix at the same time!

Continue reading El33tonline’s hands-on preview of Driver: San Francisco.

The world of Warhammer 40,000 (or Warhammer 40K) comes to life on Xbox 360 in this fast-paced 3rd-person action shooter. Thrusting the player (and optionally a co-op partner) directly into the heart of battle as one of the Emperor’s Elite Space Marines on a vital mission to assault a gigantic Ork Kroozer headed for an Imperial Forge World, Kill Team is unequivocally geared towards the action fans out there.

Continue reading El33tonline’s review of Warhammer 40K: Kill Team.