Top 10

10) Dead Space 2

-I've never been a huge fan of survival horror games. I sort of liked Resident Evil (though I loved 4) and I liked Silent Hill's atmosphere but really I've liked survival horror more in theory then practice. However, the Dead Space games are different. I adored the first game and the second game really took the premise of that game and injected it with steroids. This is one intense game with moments in it that I won't soon forget despite the somewhat lackluster final boss.

9) Crysis 2

-I'll borrow the opening paragraph from my Crysis 2 review to explain why this game is so great. "As of late, the first-person shooter market has grown a bit stale. For every Fallout 3 or Borderlands there's ten Call of Duty clones. Publishers and developers can't be blamed for trying to mimic the franchise which contains the two highest grossing video games to ever be released. But as a person who plays as many video games as I do, I don't want one of my favorite genres to produce game after game that looks, feels and plays the exact same way. Crytek, whether you love or hate the games that they've made, like the Far Cry games and the first Crysis, are one of the few developers that are ignoring this current trend. Their games haven't been perfect, but they've been unique if nothing else. Crysis 2 attempts to meld this uniqueness with a bit more consistency in quality. This attempt is a resounding success. While not a perfect game, Crysis 2 represents the type of quality that can come out of developers and publishers who take a chance and fly in the face of convention."

8) Bulletstorm

-Few games are just fun for the sake of being fun. So many times games want to set a mood. Create an atmosphere and amaze us with realism and subtlety. Not Bulletstorm. Bulletstorm is pure, stupid fun that is fast paced and exciting to the end. Some of the set pieces are amazing and the gun and leash mechanics were really well done. Yeah, the story is dumb. The jokes mostly fall flat. But who cares? I didn't come to Bulletstorm for its literary merit. I came to shot some dudes and blow shit up.

7) Portal 2

-The original Portal is, to this day, one of my favorite gaming experiences of this console generation. Portal 2 takes the foundation laid by that game and builds on it in some unique ways. The puzzles were great, the graphics were beautiful, and the atmosphere is still really well done. It didn't have the same punch as the first game but it was still a great experience.

6) Torchlight (XBLA)

-I love loot. Loot just sends all of my Dopamine receptors into overdrive. Torchlight has a shit ton of loot. Therefore, I love Torchlight. I put a lot of time into this game and love every second despite technical problems that plagued the game throughout.

5) Batman Arkham City

-Batman kicks ass. What's great about the Rocksteady Batman games is that they realize this truth in the best ways possible. Though it is more of the same that 'same' is still great.

4) Bastion

-Bastion wowed me with its atmosphere, graphics, and fluid combat system. It did become slightly tiresome near the end but it still offers a great amount of fun.

3) Stacking

-Stacking is charming as shit. I loved it. I loved the mechanics, I loved the puzzles, I love the atmosphere and the graphics. This was one of the most fun games to become lost in this year. If you missed it you're doing yourself a disservice.

2) Forza 4

-Forza has some of the most satisfying driving I've ever experienced. Hitting turns at break-neck speeds and just barely holding on to the road is so satisfying. The cars have such a great feeling of weight and trying to feather the brakes and gas to hit that sweet spot between grip and speed is so much fun. Match this with improved AI, physics, graphics, sound and amazing extras makes this one of the best experiences I've had all year.

1) Skyrim

-Wow. The first time I fought a dragon and the music swelled I was awe-struck. Yeah, the game still has Bethesda-ness written all over it (both in a good and bad way). But it is also a very well thought out, realized, and atmospheric game that offers an experience that is both original and incredible.

Honorable Mentions

Skyward Sword

Mercury Hg

Beyond Good and Evil HD

Sonic CD (XBLA)

Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet

Outland

LA Noire

Deus EX Human Revolution

Uncharted 3

Could Have Been If I Played Them

Rayman Origins

Trine 2

Gears of War 3