TOP TEN PC GAMES OF 2011

Top 10 PC Games of 2011

Looks like 2011 is all set to be another great year for PC Gaming. Here's our list of the Top 10 PC Games to look forward to in 2011. / By Gameranx Staff

They say PC gaming is dead, but as Valve has proven time and time again with the success of Steam, they, whoever "they" are, couldn't be more wrong. The PC gaming community is thriving despite stiff competition from its console counterparts and next year promises to be a year like no other with a slew of highly anticipated games. Here is the list of top ten PC Games to look forward to in 2011. 

The Witcher 2 

The Witcher thrust you into the role of Geralt, last of his kind--a Witcher. Genetically engineered and trained in the deadliest skills, a Witcher's task is do do battle against supernatural creatures. 

The sequel to The Witcher, titled Assassins of Kings, puts you back in Geralt's shoes. There is a storm on the horizon. A war is coming. Little else is known about the game's plot, but it is rumored to feature 16 different endings. The game features an entirely new engine--one that's leaps and bounds better than the highly modified Aurora (NWN) engine used by it's predecessor, and a similar combat system.

Players can expect to make a wide array of decisions throughout the game, much like in the original, and follow a multilinear story with branching paths.Needless to say, the game is one of the most highly anticipated titles on the PC platform due to it's exclusivity. 

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

The latest addition to the Elder Scrolls universe is expected to elevate the series to new heights. Featuring a brand new engine, Skyrim is shedding the poorly aged GameBryo. 

Players enter the role of the Dragonborn, an individual prophesied to take on the Sons of Skyrim, an army not unlike the Vikings of old. If you're wondering where Skyrim happens to be, it lies somewhere to the north of Cyrodiil in TES4: Oblivion. 

Not much else is known about the game at the time being, but you can expect to be able to choose from a variety of races and fully customizable classes during character creation, and explore a vast expanse of land. 

 Deus Ex: Human Revolution

Fans of Deus Ex may be bemoaning it's recently announced delay, but the game remains highly anticipated nonetheless. Set decades before the events of the game, Deus Ex: Human Revolution is a prequel that promises to reinvigorate the cyberpunk setting and the Deus Ex franchise.

Human Revolution is primarily a first person shooter with strong RPG elements that, if it's anything like the first two games, will allow you to approach combat situations based on your own personal preference. You can take out enemy combatants through stealth, brute force, or even use your hacking abilities to get sentry guns and armed robots to do your bidding for you. 

Taking a cue from Ghost in the Shell, Deus Ex carries a strong cyberpunk motif. If things continue to head in the direction they're heading in the real world, there's little doubt that we'll be living in a world just like the one depicted by these games.

Rage

Coming from the godfathers of the FPS genre, Rage is set to be one of the most anticipated titles of 2011. Rage features expansive open world combat and even racing in its dusty post-apocalyptic setting that seems inspired by a Firefly motif.
True to form for id Software, Rage features a brand new engine that promises to deliver stellar graphics and equally good gameplay.

Unlike the cake, Portal 2 is no lie. Though, I suppose you could argue that there was a cake at the end of it all, but Chell never got to eat it. Slated for a Q1 2011 release, Portal 2 promises to contain over 9 hours of gameplay and two separate campaigns--one of which is cooperative for two players.
You take on the role of Chell once more, who has found herself captured by GLADOS once more and placed in a stasis. Hundreds of years have passed since then, and the Aperture Labs have reconstituted themselves into a labyrinth of organic and mechanical layout. With the help of rogue AIs formerly a part of GLADOS, Chell must find a way to escape, and defeat her nemesis once more.

Dragon Age 2

Dragon Age 2 takes place a continent away from the first game. No longer in Ferelden, you take on the role of Hawke (who's either male or female, based on your choosing) and his/her rise to fame as the defender of Kirkwall.
Unlike the first game which had a straightforward story, Dragon Age 2 is the first Bioware  game to feature an interesting narrative structure, split between embellishments and fact as a character recounts the tale of the game's protagonist. This time around, the story focuses not on some great evil that threatens the land. Instead, it focuses on the personal adventure of the protagonist and his/her companions.
Combat is largely the same as the original, though more action elements have been added for players keen on a more fast paced experience, while fans of the older game can stick to the tactical pause-and-play style of combat. 

Mass Effect 3

Shepard's back. And so are the Reapers. Recently revealed at the terrible Video Game Awards on Spike, Mass Effect 3 depicts Earth besieged by an armada of Reapers, and the only hope of humankind's survival depends on Commander Shepard.
Mass Effect 3 promises to bring back the role-playing and action elements of the first two games with a number of (as yet unrevealed) improvements, and it takes all the events of the first two games into account, provided you have a save file to import and carry over to Mass Effect 3. All the actions you commit in Mass Effect 2 are therefore etched in stone, and you'll have to deal with the consequences.

Diablo 3

Like Shepard, Diablo's back, too. But he's been gone for a much longer time. He might have been killed in the first two games, but there's little doubt that he's returned in some new form. It's probably that flaming iguana-looking thing in the trailer. But I digress.
Needless to say, Diablo's is going to be huge. We've all been waiting for the game to come out for close to 10 years, and the fact that it's finally coming out is an occasion not only to celebrate, but to play the game non-stop for at least 24 hours, if not longer.
Featuring 4 all new classes and the return of the Barbarian, Diablo 3 promises to retake the action RPG throne that's been left vacant since furor for the 2nd game died down. So far no other title, not Titan Quest or even Dungeon Siege have managed to claim it. It's up for grabs, and the king is back. Long live the king. 

Dead Space 2

As if the first game wasn't scary enough with its monstrous dead babies and the protagonist's creepy girlfriend Nicole, Isaac Clarke is suited up again to take on even more undead nightmares, this time aboard the highly populated space station of Sprawl, plunged into chaos by the same outbreak of violence that occurred aboard the now derelict ISS Ishimura.
You'll be painting the walls red with the blood of monstrous necromorphs, which now also come in the form of teenagers and children, as you figure out the mystery behind the Unitologist cult. With any luck, you'll get to kill an undead Tom Cruise. 

Guild Wars 2

The first Guild Wars redefined the MMORPG genre with its free to play set up and competitive leagues. With a tightly knit cooperative gameplay experience, Guild Wars went above and beyond what most pay-to-play MMORPGs (with a few exceptions) accomplished.
Guild Wars 2 is a return to that setting, now featuring many different races to play as, including the dog-like Charr with whom you did battle in the first game. The game promises to feature a more open environment, with larger scale battles and an interesting story to boot. If you aren't willing to invest time and money in a hardcore MMORPG but want to enjoy a cooperative online experience, Guild Wars 2 is definitely your best bet.