The most comprehensive GOTY list of all...in other words, this is gonna be loooooong. As long as a black mans...nevermind. If i may also add, the numbers are places, but they aren't exactly strict. Frankly, getting into someone's GOTY list is an achievement, being a top 10 game in a year where Behemoths were released, is no small accomplishment. Each and every game on the list is above and beyond great, and it's pathetic that i try to describe them with words, and feelings and bad English...with that said, let's get down to business. Also, sorry for the many grammatical errors, i haven't slept in nearly 24 hours, and i was writing this as fast as i could. Now, seriously, down to business.

1) The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

I used to post blogs on the Giantbomb forums until i took an ARROW IN THE K...ARROW IN THE...ahem...ARRO, fuck it. That meme has lost all meaning and comedic value, and yet, it stands as a testament to Skyrim's greatness! Or shame...I don't know, you decide.

Skyrim is a gem, a flawed one, but still a gem. It's not the greatest but it is great. Bugs, a somewhat weak story (at least when compared to other aspects of the game), generic meaningless characters that have 1-2 dialogue lines. Bugs. If you were living in a cave for the past few weeks, this may seem like some pretty complaints. And they would be, for lesser games. Skyrim? Skyrim is no lesser game. From the moment you're thrown into the frozen wasteland of the Nords, you forget all complaints, and you're immersed in the blizzards, Arnold Schwarzenegger sounding dudes, civil war, magic, thievery, combat and god damn dragons....just so much stuff. This game is praised from up on high, to

down... on... below? The one thing that both God and the Devil have in common? They both love Skyrim. Skyrim simply improves every formula used in Oblivion, every...single...one. Except spells, there simply isn't enough, and that's my only (pretty minor) gameplay criticism. Nothing about Skyrim is ground breaking, or revolutionary. But it doesn't have to be, because the quality, size and freedom in the game are abso-f***ing-lutely amazing. Unless you only own a PS3, then, don't, just don't. There, really aren't words that i can use to describe this game, so I'll use facts instead. The week i got this, i spent every minute of my freetime playing it! Sleep? Who needs it, when i have Skyrim...okay, yes of course i slept, but there was serious sleep deprivation going on. Skyrim, you stole my SLEEEP!!!! Seriously, just shhh, shh shh shhhh.... *whispers* get this game.

2) The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings

Where Skyrim falters is where Witcher 2 successes. Breath taking, interesting and engaging story and an equally impressive universe inspired by Slavic mythology (somewhat) and high fantasy. What the f*** is not to like? The universe of the Witcher, its protagonist and story is strong, which leads me to the question, why isn't it more popular? It took a while before the first game got its cult status among gamers? Is this going to happen with Witcher 2? Yes, the game had a lot of coverage, yes it was praised by many critics. And yet, it feels as if though the game simply isn't receiving enough praise, this is especially true, due to it's quality. In many ways it is better than Skyrim, but in the end Skyrim is Skyrim. The graphics are pretty awesome, as are the cinematics, and the music? Fugetabouti. With all that said, i haven't actually completed the game. I have played it quite a bit, unfortunately i have a pretty low end PC, and it's time to upgrade, so there just came a point where i said "fuck this, i can't play a great game like this!"

And yet, I'm still very confident that this game deserves, if not numero uno, then #2 without a doubt.

3) Deus Ex: Human Revolution

My favorite setting? Post-apocalypse (you just can't beat that smell of radiation in the morning). My second favorite setting? Cyberpunk. Blade Runner made me fall in love with the genre, Deus Ex, the original game solidified that love into worship. So when the second game (yes, it is the second game, the other one doesn't count) was announced i was hyped, i was ultra-hyped, i was hyped to epic proportions, more so than for Skyrim, although i was hyped more for F:NV. Anywho, like the Witcher, Human Revolutions is built upon the foundation of story focus, great characters, amazing atmosphere and unlike the Witcher, has much freedom and flexibility. Do you want to be a hacker? A stealthy bastard that goes around banging the heads of two enemies against each other causing them to fall unconscious? Or just go in gunsablazing shooting the f*** out of everything and anything that moves? Maybe, maybe you want to be a ghost, maybe you don't wanna engage any single hostile....well, you can do that too. It's not so much that Deus Ex: HR is open world, as it is about freedom of both choice, and gameplay. (Ironically, Skyrim, an open world game with little to no (meaningful) choices) But it's more than simple freedom of choice and gameplay. It's about an engaging story of a serious topic. Augmenti...sm? The changing of humans by building in artificial limbs that are able to withstand huge amounts of damage, as well as being physically more able. The implementation of devices that alter sight, and mind. The big question, is it moral? Is it right? Are humans supposed to have such power? Like i said, engaging but also well crafted, interesting, original and deep i guess. With that said the game has two problems. Shooting and bosses. Simply put, not as good as everything else in the game. The bosses DO feel out of place, even though i didn't mind it that much, and the shooting is not really good. And yet, who cares? It's Deus Ex.

4) Saints Row: The Third

Cause you know i had to. It is in my fair, worthless opinion, that the sequel isn't quite as good as the second one. Despite the many problems #2 Saints Row had on the PC version, i still say it's better than The Third. Simply because, freedom. When i started the second one and got out of prison, the first thing i did was complete the C.O.P.S. activity. Why? Unlimited ammunition, that's why. This time around you have to be level 50 to unlock unlimited ammo for different types of weapons, and even though i think it's a good system, it can be difficult to get to level 50. Add to that the fact that some activities remain locked until you get through a chunk of the story...bullshit. Also, the first game was a bit more charming, with wittier dialogue (which is not to say that The Third didn't have some funny moments, in fact I laughed too hard many, many, many times) With that said, The Third is still an impressive addition to the series, it may sacrifice (to a degree) some things that made the second one so great, but it makes up for it simply by the insanity levels. Professor Genki's Super Ethical Reality Climax is a great addition to the Row universe. The story, is pretty good, but not great. In any case you do NOT play a game like Saints Row for the story, but rather the insanity. There are a few more complaints, but I'll just add two more, pretty big ones. Shaundi, why the f*** was she changed? She used to be SOOOO hot. And secondly, the gangs simply aren't as good as in number 2. They just aren't. With that said, the leaders of the gangs are.

In conclusion, Saints Row: The Third is a great game. Possibly, the most insane game ever created. You can streak naked, you can kill thousands of people using a giant purple dildo bat. You can fly a VITOL and crash it amidst a bunch of people. You can customize your character in a limitless amount of combinations, ranging from cool, awesome, serious to insane, outrageous and hilarious.

5) Heroes of Might and Magic VI...or rather Might and Magic Heroes VI...or whatever the f*** they call it now a days. Might and Magic: Heroes VI, that's it.

Wait what? Yes, i know, i was as surprised as you, but not really. I've been a long time fan of the Heroes of Might and Magic series, and while this one may be called the greatest fuck up since HoMM 4, I'll just add it to the list and be glad that the series is still going. HoMM is, was and will be my go-to strategy game. Along with the Total War series. I've spent countless hours with V, the first HoMM game i was introduced to. I went back and played both 3 and 4. Although the truth is, i think that I played #2 a long, long time ago, it's one of those things of which you simply can't be sure of. In any case, "Might and Magic: Heroes VI" (i hope they don't continue calling it that, although they probably will) may not be the greatest in the series, and die hard fans will always bitch. But i enjoyed it. My favorite turn based strategy game continues. The story, unfortunately, is...shit. It's incomprehensible babble, that's difficult to follow and at times makes no sense. And despite HoMM 3 and 5 having pretty good stories, frankly you didn't play them for that. You played them for the ever so addictive turn based strategy formula that kept me up at nights. If nothing else VI successes at that. And to close the part of HoMM VI, it is partly due to nostalgia that this is here. But it's a subjective list, so, in the words of the great Penn...

Too strong? Yeah, i apologize.

6) Total War: Shogun 2

The one thing about the Total War series is that the fans are bickering c***. Those who first played the first shogun swear by it. Those who played Rome first swear by it. Those who played Medieval...well you get the picture. I'd like to extend a big, painful bitch slap towards all those people, through teh invisible internet....conectionz. Yes, there are better Total War games, and there are those who aren't quite as good. But really, they are ALL great, so why the bickering? In any case, Shogun 2 brings a few improvements to the formula. The two biggest ones, improved AI and general, or rather avatar customization, increasing the role playing aspect established way back in the day. it was also nice to see the reduced influence of religion and the fact that different clans had different abilities. With that said, the greatest thing about Shogun 2, is the same thing that made the original game so great. Real time strategy battles, along with grand map turn based strategy. And Samurais...Samurais are awesome.

Total War remains my favorite strategy game. It may not be quite as great or complex as anything by Paradox, but it's still amazing.

7) Batman: Arkham City

Yes, it's out for PC finally. No..........i haven't played it yet. Don't make me get out the Penn video again. I know, i know, I'm a terrible human being, but can you blame me? Skyrim...Saints Row The Third? No money, and even less time. But based on my, very astute and professional (hehe yeah right) observations of the game, it definitely would get a place on my list, which place? That was the problem. On one hand it obviously is a great game, on the other, you're playing as Batman. I'm not big on superheroes, comics are awesome, but superheroes, in my opinion are obsolete. They've run their course, i doubt that anyone can create a new superhero character, that character to be original and innovative, and still be called a superhero. They're goody too shoes, always doing what's right, and even when they fall to the dark side, they always come back and redeem themselves. The problem with that is that no one is truly good, and no one truly evil (my favorite thing about the bible is that the devil was once an angel). In any case, despite for my dislike for the concept of a superhero Batman: AC looks awesome, and I'll play it as soon as i have enough cash, even if it means i won't be eating anything for a week....could stand to loose some weight.

8) Portal 2

Puzzles...platformers...not a big fan off (point and click adventures are cool though). Yes, again, I know I'm a terrible person, but i simply didn't grow up with those kind of games, and i still don't like them. But if you play a game whose genre you don't like, and love the game, then that speaks volumes of the game in question. And if not for my, some would say illogical dislike for puzzles/platformers Portal 2 would be way higher on my list. But really, arguably the best story, characters and ending to almost any game (except perhaps Planescape: Torment) this game is truly amazing, the voice acting and character development, well, you're only able to admire it and enjoy it. It proves that the potential of the gaming industry, in what i consider the most important aspect of a game. The story and characters (and yet i put Skyrim on number 1, I'm ashamed).

And here is where i decided to put Portal 2 at number five. But it requires too much work, I've already written so much....words really can't do this game justice, and if it only wasn't puzzle-platform it would probably be my number 1 game of the year. But then Portal wouldn't be Portal...would it?

9) Bastion

The first time i got interested for this game was when i learned that Greg Kasavin was going to work on it. That was a while back. Bastion, like all the games on top 10 lists, fail to disappoint. With that said it really is a great game. The sweet, charming, and innocent quest of The Kid to rebuild his world is memorable indeed. Coupled with great RPG mechanics and a great narrator....seriously, this guy is better than Morgan Freeman. The game fails to not impress. Sure, some people might not..."get" it. But hey, to each his own. As for me I'm colored amazed, that a handful of people can make a great game like this. Like Portal 2, Deus Ex:HR or Witcher 2, it shows where the video game industry got. From Mario and Pacman to here...it's been a long and hard journey. Filled with controversy and FOX. But we made it. With games like this coming out in 2011, imagine where we'll be in 10 years. Ahhh, gets me all teary-eyed.

10) Battlefield 3

You knew it, right? Yeah you did. First off, like Portal 2, the genre doesn't sit well with me. When it's multiplayer, it's only MOBA games for me. But I'm always open to new things, and while i have played other FPS multiplayer driven games (COD 4 and MW2, Counter Strike), i tend to not play too much of those. With that said, Battlefield 3 is something that i followed with quite a bit of enthusiasm, they called it the CoD killer...were they right? Did the epic battle between EA and Activision end with a clear winner? For me yes, for others, perhaps not. Unfortunately, this place, which may as well be the best multiplayer game of the year, was either or. CoD MW3 or Battlefield 3. And CoD is a great game, for a while, but sooner or later you'll have to bring new things to the table before things get old. And things got old a long time ago. Little wonder then, that i opted for Battlefield 3.

That said, I'm not going to install fucking Origin on my PC, plus the low end PC thing, no chance in hell i could run this. No, I've, or should i say my friend and I, played the game for quite a few hours at his house. Needless to say, jets, teamwork and...well, I'd imagine actual wars were like that...except this game has better graphics ^^

But the thing that makes Battlefield 3 great, is the thing that also ruins it, at least for me. The human element. You can play for fun, and you can play to win. When i play multiplayer games, you're damn fucking right i play to win, and it's what i expect from my teammates, ie. people I don't know, have never met and never will meet. With that said, the winning part is the fun for me, and the playing part is fun for (most) of them...at least i think so. Needless to say, them and I do not mix, so tend to leave them to it. Still Battlefield 3 is a very impressive game, and if you're a CoD player, despite the petty rivalry and the opinion you've groundlessly formed due to being in the other camp. I'd encourage you to go out of your way, and try something different like Battlefield 3. It's worth it....but not worth installing Origin on your PC. NEVAH! Steam is king of downloading...deal with it EA!

Also, i haven't played a single minute of single player, but i hear it's pretty bad so...does it matter?

Oh noes, teh disappointment, teh pain, teh sadness. In other words, the fuck you section.

Where as previously numbers meant little, and were there to just give you a sense of greatness by comparison, here every number means exactly the number it is. At least for number one.

1) Dragon Age 2

Some like it...I'm inclined to calling those people some rude names, but i won't...i really want to, but i won't. In any case, in my 17 winters that I've spent on this God forsaken planet, Dragon Age 2 is, and will be the biggest fuck up in gaming to have ever happened. It's just bad. Many have spoken, and we all know the deal. This...game, has been released, and no amount of hate, debate or bitching and moaning is gonna change that. What i wanna know is...WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED BioWare?!?!?!?

I suppose Dragon Age 2 isn't all to blame. It's vastly superior, blonde haired, blue eyed, older Aryan brother, Origins, is hard to live up to. By Hitler philosophy Dragon Age 2 is Jewish. And right now, even I'm going "Jesus, that's fucked up". But it's written and it's done. Seriously though, simply put, this is what happens when you have a dev cycle of one year (i really hope that was the reason anyway), and you release a mediocre sequel to an amazing game.

2) Lord of the Rings: War in the North

I should have known better...i should have fucking known better. A game based on a movie based on a book never turns out good (although the book was above amazing and movie was freaking epic). I've played Scarface, I've played Reservoir Dogs, I fucking promised myself I wouldn't do it again. And yet, after becoming a Tolkien admirer recently, i decided to hold my breath and hope for a game that is just as good or...gasp, there i say it, better than Lord of the Rings Battle for Middle Earth 2....Never, the fuck...again. What started out as enjoyment "Oh look, holy shit, It's the prancing pony, and there's Aragorn, holy shit this is bad ass!" turned to disappointment when i realized how repetitive this game is. Turned to dread, after having to do the same shit 20 hours of gameplay later. Still better than DA2 though...like a lot!

3) Mass Effect 2 (PS3)

Because i haven't played it on the PS3, but this is my last chance to spit on it in a GOTY list/blog/thingy.

Dear BioWare, seriously, what the fuck happened?

Yours sincerely

-TheDudeOfGaming.

I don't know, is this because BioWare wants more people to play their games, more money? I understand BioWare, you have kids to feed and shit, but there's a limit to how much you can use that argument until you become money grabbing whores. Was it EA? The ruthless publisher? Demanding simplification and wiping the poor developer to deliver the promised goods on time? Or was it just....something else? I don't know. What i do know is that BioWare used to be great, and their games used to be great. And this developer will always have a place in my heart, just like your first love. But then you realize that your first love is actually your first ex, and then you remember you hate the bitch.

4) Dead Island

What at first was enjoyment turned to bitterness. Surprisingly, games and movies for that matter, that are exclusively built around zombies aren't as common as you might think, especially if you consider the fact that zombies are a well known...cultural...thing. And good ones, exist even less...Dead Island proves it. Paper fucking thin story, and it had a trailer where you believed that you had some difficult choices to make, ie. do i kill my infected, fictional, virtual zombie daughter, or do i try and find a cure? Nope, sorry, fuck yourself, I'm not gonna give you any story whatsoever. With that said, the melee system is fun, and zombies are zombies. But the game gets repetitive sooner rather than later, and frustrating as hell if you play with asshole friends. Not a bad game, not the most disappointing, but i had high hopes for this one. Alas, turns out it was Diablo meets Zombie apocalypse meets tropical island. Sounds good on paper, not so much in practice.

5) Sniper: Ghost Warrior (PS3)

Again, last chance. May the impulse in my brain that made me buy this game be damned for all eternity in hell! IN HELL! I was hoping for another Sniper Elite, i was hoping for a sniping game that would be realistic, and fun, and stealthy, and somewhat difficult. Afraid not, and i really have nothing more to say about this "Sniper" game. You bastard, i was ready to love you!

That was long...wasn't it? But if you read everything till here, i take my hat off to you sir.