2021 is a year full of big gaming anniversaries. Not only is Nintendo’sThe Legend of Zeldafranchise celebrating its 35th anniversary, butPokemonhas its 25th anniversarythis year as well. 2021 also marks the 10 year anniversary for some of gaming’s biggest hits, serving as a reminder of how great 2011 was for the industry.
There were quite a few remarkable games that launched in 2011, some of which became some of the highest-rated video games not just of their generation, but of all time. With2001 being a great year for gamingas well, hopefully it’s a sign that fans have plenty to look forward to in 2021.
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Here are five notable games that are celebrating their 10 year anniversary in 2021.
Batman: Arkham City
For the most part, licensed video games are written off as being cheap cash grabs, as the vast majority of them are inferior quality. So when Rocksteady’sBatman: Arkham Asylumwas such a smash hit, it came as a big surprise to fans and critics alike. Earning widespread critical acclaim,Batman: Arkham Asylumis often named one of thebest superhero games ever made, and so the bar was set incredibly high for the sequel.
Defying all odds, Rocksteady managed todeliverBatman: Arkham Cityto even more acclaimthanArkham Asylumenjoyed. Featuring a more open environment and an even more gripping story with some of the industry’s most jaw-dropping plot twists,Batman: Arkham Cityis widely considered to be an absolute classic video game. Luckily, it’s easily playable on modern consoles, so those wanting to revisit it don’t have to dig out any old hardware.
Mass Effect 2
Another blockbuster sequel that launched in 2011 wasMass Effect 2. Offering a more streamlined and action-packed approach to gameplay,Mass Effect 2otherwise enhanced everything that fans loved about BioWare’s original sci-fi RPG adventure. Players were once again able to make universe-altering choices that would have a massive impact on the storyline leading in to the third and final game in the original trilogy,Mass Effect 3. Plus,choices players made in the originalMass Effectgamewere taken into account for the sequel, which gave significantly more weight to the choices players made in each title.
Mass Effect 2was one of 2011’s most-acclaimed games, and it will soon find itself in the spotlight once again. BioWare has remastered the original threeMass Effectgames with plans to release them later this spring asMass Effect: Legendary Edition. This version ofMass Effect 2will have all of the DLC collected together, plus some various quality of live improvements that should make it a generally superior game if everything goes as planned.
Portal 2
The originalPortalproved to be a pop culture phenomenon, with various lines and moments from the game still referenced in memes to this day. Like some of the other games listed here,Portal 2was a sequel with a lot to live up to, yet it somehow managed to defy expectations. Finding itself on many “Best Games of All Time” lists,Portal 2takes the mind-bending puzzle-solving gameplayof the original and ups the production value significantly, offering a full single-player story as well as a fun co-op mode. But even though the budget is higher,Portal 2retains the tongue-in-cheek humor and charm that helped the original game become such a classic in the first place.
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The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
The biggest games of 2011 simply can’t be mentioned without bringing upThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, which remains one of the industry’s most popular open world games to date. One of the most successful video games of all time,Skyrim’s staying poweris staggering, with new versions of the game still played regularly to this day. A healthy mod community has also gone a long way in keeping interest inThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrimalive, though it’s definitely upsetting to some fans that it’s been 10 years with no new main series entry in the belovedElder Scrollsfranchise.
On the bright side, there is a light at the end of the tunnel when it comes toThe Elder Scrolls 6. While fans have had to wait an excessive amount of time to play the game, Bethesda has at least confirmed that it’s in active development. After Bethesda’sStarfieldgame comes out, fans should be able to look forward to learningmore information aboutThe Elder Scrolls 6and what it has in store for them.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Released as a swan song for Nintendo’s innovative Wii console,The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Swordis a somewhat controversial entry in the long-running action-adventure franchise.Skyward Sword’s forced motion controls didn’t sit well with all fans of the series, but that didn’t stop it from earning significant critical acclaim in 2011. There are rumors that aSkyward SwordSwitch portmay be in the works, perhaps to help celebrate the franchise’s 35th anniversary this year, soZeldafans should keep an eye out for more information.
Besides the games listed here, there are many other notable games celebrating their 10th anniversaries in 2021. This includes the likes ofDark Souls,Dead Space 2,Gears of War 3, and many other titles. Perhaps those games will be celebrated in some way this year as well, though any plans to that effect have not been announced at the time of this writing.
