1.  Crysis 2 (PC/PS3/360)

Crytek’s new game Crysis 2 is our most anticipated game of 2011. With system stressing graphics and a smooth as silk game engine, it promises to be one of the best titles this year. Set in a beautifully recreated New York City this sequel will pull us out of the Korean jungle and into city streets, filled with war torn buildings and vehicles. We were struggling with our number 1 choice for this list, but after playing the 360 multiplayer demo, it was clear which game we wanted the most.

2.  Star Wars: The Old Republic (PC)

Star Wars: The Old Republic (TOR) comes in at second place of our highly anticipated games. Although it seems unlikely to us that EA and Bioware would release three major hits in one year (Dragon Age 2, Mass Effect 3 and TOR), we can only work on the assumption that their expected release date is correct. This MMO sports a fully voiced game, making the small tedious missions feel a bit more important. We haven’t seen a lot of gameplay footage, but the class descriptions and developer diaries we have seen give us high expectations. As former Star Wars Galaxies players we are looking forward to a new Star Wars MMO that doesn’t suck. I guess what we are saying is, “Bioware, you are our only hope.”

3. Guild Wars 2 (PC)

Number 3 on our list is Guild Wars 2 whose predecessor made us realize that just because there isn’t a monthly fee doesn’t mean it’s shit. Guild Wars was a breath of fresh air in the gaming world. It showed us that you can make a fun MMO with addictive loot runs and fantastic cooperative gameplay without having to pay 15 dollars a month. We have no doubt that it is one of the reasons many games (such as LOTRO, Global Agenda, Everquest 2, and just recently Champions Online) have become subscription free over the past year or so. Guild Wars 2 looks just as promising as the first game with added features and better visuals.

4.  Brink (PC/PS3/360)

UK Developer Splash Damage the makers of Wolfenstien: Enemy Territory and Quake Wars: Enemy Territory have been teasing us with footage and video documentary’s for over a year and all it has done is make us want to play this game immediately.  Taking what they have learned from both ET games, Brink takes the multi-objective approach to gameplay and adds classes similar to TF2.  If that isn’t enough to make you want to play, add in a movement system similar to Mirror’s Edge. Brink is on the top of our list for a reason. Look out for it this spring.

5.  Rage (PC/PS3/360)

When John Carmack chooses to make games he does so by making game engines.  Id software’s Tech 5 engine is possibly Carmacks greatest masterpiece.  This time however he has a development studio in place that can make an excellent game.  Rage puts the player in a dystopian futuristic environment and has him fight his way through the open world with vehicles and cool boomerang throwing knifes.  The game promises amazing combat AI and obviously visual fidelity.  When Id makes a game everyone pays attention and with their studio being acquired by the very lucrative ZeniMax media, they have the resources to market and develop something that will stand out.  Watch 30 seconds of Rage footage and you will want it as badly as we do.

6.  Deus Ex: Human Revolution (PC/PS3/360)

The first Deus Ex game was a changing point in gaming for FPS RPG’s. Being one of the first games to truly give you a choice on how to approach a situation, it allowed us to see how great an RPG could really be. You had the ability to talk, hack, sneak, or fight your way out of most situations. It really set the precedent for newer RPG’s like Dragon Age and Mass Effect. Human Revolution, the third installment of the series, shows finely tuned graphics and a detailed storyline set prior to the first game. It has been said that this installment will be slightly more linear, so we hope that Eidos Montreal keeps the strong fundamentals of the first game.

7.  Portal 2 (PC/PS3/360)

It was tough to put Portal 2 as far back as number 7, considering how much we loved the first. We are a little weary on how Portal, which was originally a tech demo, will be as a full game, but their technology is innovative and fun and adding cooperative play should only make it better. However if they make us selfishly destroy our companion cube again, we might just cry.

8.  Dragon Age 2 (PC/PS3/360)

Follow up to many PC gamers games of the year for 2009. Dragon age II puts the player in a specific roll with events taking place over a period of several years.  A lot has changed for this second game, developer Bioware is not resting on what made the first game so successful but rather learning and making something even better.  You play Male/Female character named Hawke who is fully voiced and take part in adventure that has you making moral decisions that will not last a mere year but several years and decades.  The action looks vicious and the women look sexy, two major reasons among many that Dragon Age 2 has our hearts for 2011.

9.  Witcher 2 (PC/PS3/360)

The year of excellent sequels continues with CD Project Red’s Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings.  Playing as Geralt of Rivia, the Witcher (a monster hunter) with a soft heart for the ladies, The Witcher 2 promises all the great things we came to love about the first game with a brand new in-house developed graphics engine and a redesigned questing and combat. The Witcher 2 has the PC community salivating to go through Geralts next adventure.

10.  Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (PC/PS3/360)

Recently announced at Spike TV’s VGA awards, Skyrim takes us back to the world of Elder Scrolls.  Promising a refreshed graphics engine and some pretty amazing NPC AI, Bethesda plans on making this their best open world RPG yet allowing for players to experience the northern territories of Skyrim and face off against an ancient dragon god. Updated graphics combat AI, and dual wielding weapons have us excited to go back to Cyrodil.

11.  Mass Effect 3 (PC/PS3/360)

The final game in the Shepard trilogy rounds out our top 11 games.  It is hard to think that a Mass Effect game would be on the bottom of our list, but in a year that includes names like Battlefield 3 and Diablo 3 not making the top 11 it is easy to see why Mass Effect 3 should be honored to even make it on the list. Earth is under attack by the reapers and it is up to Shepard to stop the annihilation of the human race. Not much story has given away by Bioware up to this point but with the way that Mass Effect 2 ended we expect more main characters to die and Shepard to be pitted against some difficult choices.  Look for Mass Effect 3 this holiday season.

Honorable Mentions

L.A. Noire

Red Orchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad

Battlefield 3

Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Fear 3

Diablo 3

Uncharted 3

Duke Nukem Forever

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