This is that time of the year again. All of these great games have come out and now must be placed in a list to see what is deserving of the title 'Game of the Year.' I present to you, the reader, my picks for this year. I will have another post of other picks for 2011 soon.

1. Batman: Arkham City

This was a hard choice to make, but this game deserves it. A love letter to Batman fans, Arkham City is one of the best experiences I've had in gaming for a while. The villains you meet along the way, plus the side characters and missions that they have really expand the world and make players believe that Arkham is where these guys belong. One great moment after another and always wanting to see what or where The Dark Knight will go next. If there's going to be another game, how will that top this?

2. The King of Fighters XIII

This game is the best example of a developer listening to their fan base and how to make a proper sequel. After the abysmal failure that was The King of Fighters XII, there was a lot of expectations and anticipation when the next installment was announced. Suffice to say, SNK Playmore have hit this out of the court. Including a plethora of modes, more fighters, balanced gameplay, and functional (yet room for improvement) online play, The King of Fighters XIII has the king return to glory as one of the top fighters of this generation.

3. Dance Central 2

Dance Central was the reason that I bought a Kinect. After that, there have been some alright games for the device, but nothing can top that. That is until now. Dance Central 2 brings with it a better song selection, more interesting dance routines, and a interesting Crew Challenge mode. I know this will keep my Kinect busy for a while and hopefully keep me fit and hopefully get me back in shape.

4. Rayman Origins

I'll always have a place for Mario for my platformers, but the best character for that is Rayman. This game signals a proper return to the gameplay that made Rayman popular and amazing. The last time we saw the man in a platformer was Hoodlum Havoc. The return to a simple, yet gorgeous art style and tough as nails, but precise platforming. This was the reason that I got into Rayman and I'm glad to see the man and his rag tag team back in style.

5. Deus Ex: Human Revolution

The original Deus Ex was, at least to me, a pioneer in letting players have multiple approaches to an objective. Many games today give this option, but still nothing can beat this series. Human Revolution has one of the most believable worlds that I've experienced and bring the series to the modern era of hardware while not sacrificing what made the series fun. Well, the exception to that is the boss fights, but that's just a minor blemish on what is a entertaining experience from beginning to end.

6. Battlefield 3

I've been a fan of this series since Battlefield 2 came out on the PC back in 2005. The wait has been long for sure, but DICE delivers on what they do best and that is Multiplayer. Bringing back 64 player battles (at least on PC), the fun of the game is cooperating with your squad and the whole team to take out the objective. No other game that I've seen has this level of fun and strategy included.

7. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

I'm going to be right up front with this, I didn't like Oblivion at all. To me, that game had a lack of direction at first and was just boring to play. I had the same thoughts going into Skyrim as well. After reading about what the game has changed and the improvements added, this is what a RPG should be. The game gives players a focus on what to do, if they choose to and a huge open world to just let loose in. The main quest is fun, but my fun came from slaying dragons and seeing what lies over the horizon. A huge improvement in every way possible.

8. Portal 2

While this wasn't surprising that Portal would get a sequel, despite the short length of the game, Portal 2 surpasses the first in every way possible. The single player had an excellent pace to it and the writing was top notch. The puzzles were a little tough, but when the solution presented, there was a moment of "Why didn't I see that before?" Add in cooperative play, and the craziness goes up a notch. Plus, coop is a great way to screw around with you partner.

9. Dead Space 2

Even though the changes and additions seem minor at first, they all add up to what is probably the most atmospheric horror game that I've seen in a while. The multiplayer was a bit of a let down when compared to the excellent single player campaign. I'm still surprised that Issac has a voice, but the voice actor who plays him nails the role.

10. Bastion

The first time that I saw this, I was stunned with what I saw. On the surface, the game appears to be another typical action RPG. Beneath that surface lies an enthralling and well told experience presented by one heck of a narrator to boot. The game is also fun to play and has enough depth to it for players to return and enjoy the experience.

Really glad to see Rayman Origins and Human Revolution there.

Maybe two of your games would be on my top 10. It goes to show what an awesome year 2011 was for gaming.

That my good friend is an awesome list, love that god damn Rayman.

If only they would have improved on XIII, it would have easily been mytop 1 :(

Even where I disagree with the order, this is a pretty amazing list. Just curious, what other titles did you play this year that were considered?

@Little_Socrates: I'm planning to write another blog post on some other games that I also enjoyed, but didn't make it. Stay tuned for that one.

Also, thanks for the comment.

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car race games

@tonnygreg786: That is true. I only took into consideration what I managed to get my hands on and play most of or finish. I have Dead Island, but haven't opened it yet. Same with WWE '12 and Assassin's Creed Revelations, just to name a few.