First off, I must let you know that I missed out on some *'critically acclaimed' games due to uncontrollable circumstances aka time. You see in the year 2011, I have been swamped with work and school and other activities such as traveling, watching movies, going to concerts/sports games etc. Oh yeah and I spent the last 4 1/2 months busting my balls trying to graduate from college, not bad considering I'm only 22 years old. So when I did have time to dedicate to games, this is what I enjoyed

10. Dead Space 2

2011 started off with a scare(and I mean that in a good way), Dead Space 2 was one of my most highly anticipated titles and it fulfilled my expectations for the most part. It was bigger and more 'brutal' than the first one, although not as terrifying as it focused on the cheap predictable scare, rather than the creepy ambiance the first one nailed so well.I thought the addition of multi-player was a complete waste as well.I enjoyed it from start to finish and I'm looking forward to Dead Space 3.

9. Bastion

One of my biggest surprises of 2011, it was a colorful, fun and simple alternative to everything else that was released this year. The art style was superb and the gameplay was great, not to mentioned the narrative was brillant

8. Portal 2

I didnt experience Portal 2 until well into August (thats when Gamefly sent it to me) and I beat it in 2 sessions(3 if you count the multiplayer). I literally couldn't put it down. I was completely shocked at how much improved the game was over the original, but also how well the story was written, not to mention the actors behind it.

7. Shadows of the Damned

Shadows of the Damned was probably the most fun I've had in the last 10 years from beginning to end playing a videogame. Going in literally based on a friend recommendation to try it out, I couldn't have asked for much more. Shadows of the Damned was the absolute funniest game I've ever played, even if it was all dick jokes. Also helped the gameplay was very solid.

6.RAGE

While most people felt RAGE was a bit underwhelming, I was more than satisfied with RAGE. It was graphically the best looking game of 2011 and really liked what id did with their 'post-Apocalypse' wasteland. The unique racing elements also stood out and put a unique spin on an otherwise watered down genre.

5. Gears of War 3

Brothers to the End and the End it was. Marcus Fenix and crew saved the world...again and this time the brought a plethora of modes. I was less-than-thrilled with Gears of War 2's multiplayer and so I was really excited after playing the beta and then the final product.However, the thing that stood out the most, was the revamped Horde mode. Just wish I could put more time into it.

4. Alice: Madness Returns

Alice: Madness Returns was a sequel to a game that probably didn't need one, but im glad EA decided to make one. Alice: Madness Returns is full of elements that brought back of staggering amount of nostalgia on things that grew up on in gaming. Games in the genre are getting few and far between and it was equally refreshing to run through it. Alice: Madness Returns is the only game in 2011 that I immediately started the campaign over after completing it.

3. Uncharted 3

Uncharted 3, while my most disappointing of 2011, I still rank it at number 3. I honestly think my expectations were unreachable. While most people complain about the story( lets not get started) the total package of the full game is exceptional. Naughty Dog improved everything and more that needed to be improved and left most of what made Uncharted 2 so great alone. The addition to a greater focus on mulitplayer paid off as well and even with all the complaints, Naughty Dog actually listens to its community and fixed it.

2. Batman: Arkham City

How could Rocksteady make a better Batman game than Arkham Asylum? By making it bigger and adding more villains of course! Batman Arkham City was one of those games that you literally get sucked into. Although, I felt Asylum was a better game, I was still blown away by how solid and how damn awesome Arkham City was. I just wish the DLC would've been more single player focused with Robin/Nightwing

1. Mortal Kombat

What can I say, anybody that knows me knew that no other game stood a chance once Mortal Kombat came out. Mortal Kombat being my favorite franchise of all time, I am a bit biased, but lets be honest, Mortal Kombat set the standard for fighting game story telling and the amount of content crammed in one disc. Not to mention there DLC was handled well. A reboot of sorts, Netherrealm studios took Mortal Kombat back to its roots and its bloody brillant!

Other games I really enjoyed!

Resistance 3

From Dust

Rayman Origins

LA Noire

NBA 2k12

*Games I didnt play

Skyrim

Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

The Witcher 2