1. Duke Nukem Forever ; it was released this year, which automatically renders it Game of the Year. Hail to the King, Baby! 
2. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword ; This game excels in areas that I find severely lacking in so many other big games: charme and character.
Little, but profound human motives are everywhere in this game. A father cares for his daughter, but is too afraid to really show it; one shopkeeper is a little bit too eager to sell stuff and is bound for diappointment; a timid man loses sleep over his crying baby and his indifferent wife; weaklings shape up and strong men get paralyzed in face of tragedy; demons try to become human; a boy complains that his mother works too much; Heck even robots falling in love and horny elders trying to impress cute girls are in here, and the list goes on. The cast of Skyward Sword is well designed, expressively animated and honest in its wishes, hopes, and fears. None of theme are necessarily too deep, but as a whole they make for one of this years greatest assembly of characters.
Combine this with Zelda staples like top-level dungeon design, a world stuffed with things to do and explore, beautiful music and almost perfect Motion Controls, and you get one memorable 40-50 hour experience that I will remember for years to come.
3. Portal 2 ; Valve take their style of games to its logical next step and deliver a refined, tight rollercoasterride with wonderfully written characters, well-timed scripts and breathtaking visuals. All elements are so perfectly placed and balanced that Portal 2 makes for a completely film-like experience while still being one of the most inventive and enjoyable games of the year. Linear Videogame narrative in perfection.
4. Deus Ex Human Revolution ; I find it rare to see a game that takes a topic, like here the "Augmentation of the Human Body and Spirit", and completely commit itself to showing all aspects and sides to it, especially to a topic I think will become reality within our lifetimes. Deus Ex does a tremendous job in showing different opinions and philosophies on the artificial alteration of yourself, from the CEOs of involved corporations to the simple man on the street, without leading the player to any prescribed conclusions, and leaving it up to him, till the very end of the game, to evaluate, judge and then act on what he has seen and experienced through the game. Outstanding.
5. Minecraft ; There really is nothing that needs to be said about Minecraft anymore. Game-changing in every way.
6. Rage ; This game is about killing monsters, and seldomly has killing monsters felt better, juicier and more satisfying than in Rage. The most basic game elements, running and shooting, have been polished to highest levels through superb control feedback, weighty and expressive animation, meaty sounddesign and 60 FPS. The weapon arsenal is well-balanced, inventive and plain fun, monster encounters diversified and unpredictable. The narrative provides context for the shooting, but doesn't get in the way too often, the characters are weird and loveable, the story forgettable and the ending just really bad; but the gameplay left me longing for more. Fun for the whole family!
7. Xenoblade Chronicles ; Breathtaking, living environments, a fun and fast battle system, likeable characters and distinct voice work. One particular feat of Xenoblade is the effective use of scale: It's no average sized adventure with average sized characters. Adventure is grand and exciting, the bond between people the cozier and closer. Haven't finished the game yet but will hopefully soon.
Honorable Mentions:
x. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim ; Haven't played it enough yet, but will soon hopefully. The world is big, beautiful and diversified, a dream to be explored. But it remains to be seen whether Skyrim can also offer compelling narrative, or fun gameplay. I'm looking forward to it!
x. Tactice Ogre: Let us cling together ; Haven't played this one enough, too, but from what I experienced yet it offers an epic, monumental story and a deep, complex and rewarding battle system, for which I need to get holidays to really dive into.
2010. Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker ; I played PW in early 2011 and put dozens of hours into it. It's really a perfect handheld game: Modular, exciting gameplay chunks, that however do not contradict the grand Metal Gear style of storytelling. Easy, but rewarding management of your own mother base; fantastic voice work; crazy story and mindfxxking revelations about the Metal Gear universe; strategic depth in combat and stealth situations, Metal Gear humour and, as a personal favorite of mine, hours of Codec Conversations as bonus material that give background information on literally EVERYTHING. Perfect to listen to during work or commute. I love this game.
2. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword ; This game excels in areas that I find severely lacking in so many other big games: charme and character.
Little, but profound human motives are everywhere in this game. A father cares for his daughter, but is too afraid to really show it; one shopkeeper is a little bit too eager to sell stuff and is bound for diappointment; a timid man loses sleep over his crying baby and his indifferent wife; weaklings shape up and strong men get paralyzed in face of tragedy; demons try to become human; a boy complains that his mother works too much; Heck even robots falling in love and horny elders trying to impress cute girls are in here, and the list goes on. The cast of Skyward Sword is well designed, expressively animated and honest in its wishes, hopes, and fears. None of theme are necessarily too deep, but as a whole they make for one of this years greatest assembly of characters.
Combine this with Zelda staples like top-level dungeon design, a world stuffed with things to do and explore, beautiful music and almost perfect Motion Controls, and you get one memorable 40-50 hour experience that I will remember for years to come.
3. Portal 2 ; Valve take their style of games to its logical next step and deliver a refined, tight rollercoasterride with wonderfully written characters, well-timed scripts and breathtaking visuals. All elements are so perfectly placed and balanced that Portal 2 makes for a completely film-like experience while still being one of the most inventive and enjoyable games of the year. Linear Videogame narrative in perfection.
4. Deus Ex Human Revolution ; I find it rare to see a game that takes a topic, like here the "Augmentation of the Human Body and Spirit", and completely commit itself to showing all aspects and sides to it, especially to a topic I think will become reality within our lifetimes. Deus Ex does a tremendous job in showing different opinions and philosophies on the artificial alteration of yourself, from the CEOs of involved corporations to the simple man on the street, without leading the player to any prescribed conclusions, and leaving it up to him, till the very end of the game, to evaluate, judge and then act on what he has seen and experienced through the game. Outstanding.
5. Minecraft ; There really is nothing that needs to be said about Minecraft anymore. Game-changing in every way.
6. Rage ; This game is about killing monsters, and seldomly has killing monsters felt better, juicier and more satisfying than in Rage. The most basic game elements, running and shooting, have been polished to highest levels through superb control feedback, weighty and expressive animation, meaty sounddesign and 60 FPS. The weapon arsenal is well-balanced, inventive and plain fun, monster encounters diversified and unpredictable. The narrative provides context for the shooting, but doesn't get in the way too often, the characters are weird and loveable, the story forgettable and the ending just really bad; but the gameplay left me longing for more. Fun for the whole family!
7. Xenoblade Chronicles ; Breathtaking, living environments, a fun and fast battle system, likeable characters and distinct voice work. One particular feat of Xenoblade is the effective use of scale: It's no average sized adventure with average sized characters. Adventure is grand and exciting, the bond between people the cozier and closer. Haven't finished the game yet but will hopefully soon.
Honorable Mentions:
x. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim ; Haven't played it enough yet, but will soon hopefully. The world is big, beautiful and diversified, a dream to be explored. But it remains to be seen whether Skyrim can also offer compelling narrative, or fun gameplay. I'm looking forward to it!
x. Tactice Ogre: Let us cling together ; Haven't played this one enough, too, but from what I experienced yet it offers an epic, monumental story and a deep, complex and rewarding battle system, for which I need to get holidays to really dive into.
2010. Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker ; I played PW in early 2011 and put dozens of hours into it. It's really a perfect handheld game: Modular, exciting gameplay chunks, that however do not contradict the grand Metal Gear style of storytelling. Easy, but rewarding management of your own mother base; fantastic voice work; crazy story and mindfxxking revelations about the Metal Gear universe; strategic depth in combat and stealth situations, Metal Gear humour and, as a personal favorite of mine, hours of Codec Conversations as bonus material that give background information on literally EVERYTHING. Perfect to listen to during work or commute. I love this game.
