Few what a year we’ve had? From fresh and exciting original IPs to hefty helpings of ‘threequels’, you can’t claim that it hasn’t been jam-packed!

Out of the forty video games I’ve played this year I believe it’s now time to wither them down to my personal best. This year I’ve played a mixture of 2011 releases, HD re-releases and of course cheap ‘n’ cheerful past entries. But however tempting it was to rank in previous releases. I thought it best to stick to two thousand and eleven appearances. ‘Technically’ all my top five fit that bill…

Before I announce this year’s top notchers. I’d just like to mention two games that had a very large shout at ranking in. But due to reasons, which I shall state, wouldn’t make sense to be there.

Because it was released in 2010…

According to my Xbox LIVE Rewards Stats I’ve spent a whopping 74 hours playing Split/Second: Velocity (360, PS3, PSP, PC, iOS & Java ME). In total that is the most time I’ve spent playing on one game alone this year. I only purchased the game this year and I wish I had bought it sooner because it is FANTASTIC!

Quite simply put Black Rock Studio’s final release (before Disney Interactive Studios gave them the axe) is to this date my favourite racing game. From the combination of superb drifting mechanics, an original soundtrack, cinematic explosions, a tidy HUD to dynamically shifting racetracks this game pleases on so many levels!

There’s nothing quite like scarpering through ‘power play close calls’…

If you like racing games I thoroughly encourage you to pick this up. If for anything to at least pay homage to an ace development team that once was!

Because I purchased it too late…

Rock of Ages (XBLA, PSN & PC) cropped up in August this year, however I only added it to my collection come its recent price crash in Deal of the Week. I’d already settled on my 2011 contenders before I picked it up, sorry Rock of Ages I’m dearly sorry…

So what in god’s name is this game? Well ponder this… What if Super Monkey Ball and Monty Python went on a date with a tower defence game tagging along as the third wheel? Rock of Ages would be that initial icebreaker of a conversation. This game is a whole bunch of silly but at the same time truly terrific! If you like a dash of quirk to your video game Rock of Ages could be a happy partnership.

There’s nothing quite like tumbling into a historic 2D bystander…

Right then without any further a do, shall we see what made it to number five?…