The Giant Bomb Community's 2011's 2010 Game of the Year - Starcraft II
The original Starcraft was one of the most revered and influential franchises to ever hit the market. It became so popular that it became treated as a national sport. So being asked to make a sequel to that is akin to being asked to make a sequel to basketball. That is exactly the problem Blizzard was tasked with solving and 12 years later they found the answer. Starcraft II was released on July 27th, 2010 to overwhelming critical acclaim and financal success. The single player campaign was the first part in a trilogy that continued the story of Jim Raynor and his fight against the Dominion as well as his continuing search for Sarah Kerrigan. While the storyline was well done and the missions were varied, the life of that game and its sustainability is rooted in its multplayer. The multiplayer alone is what continued to push the game back. It was tested over and over again and when everything seemed ready it was sent back to the drawing board to be refined even further. This was all done in order to provide an experience that every company strives to achieve when making a sequel: an experience that is both comfortable yet fresh.
Many games attempt to extend their influence through DLC or by adding multiplayer to their seqel. Some companies handle these really well but despite their best efforts those games fade into the archives until the inevitable sequel is announced. However, Starcraft has the distinct honor of being a relevant and powerful game to this day on its own terms, and it does so not through a persistent leveling system or through map packs, or DLC but through the sheer brilliance of its gameplay and the strength of its community. Whether you are a member or a spectator Starcraft II is a phenomenal game to experience. When the dust has settled on every other game Starcraft II will still be around. It is your choice for Giant Bomb's 2011's 2010 Game of the Year.
Runner Up: Civilzation V
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