GT Community: Pick your favorite PC game of 2011

[Ridah]

Hey guys and gals, I know we have another thread going for GOTY votes but we need an official thread because we're going to be doing an article about it.

Now that the last few decent titles have been released, throw in your single vote for best PC game of the year. We'll simply tally up the majority and pick the winner. Nothing too fancy, we won't be going into specific genres or categories. We just wanna know what the majority of you felt was the best game this year.

Also, if you include your reason for why it's your choice, and that game is chosen, we may quote you in the article.

So by all means, throw in your votes!

[Ridah]

My vote goes to Dead Space 2!

[CeeKay]

Skyrim

[Razgon]

Skyrim!

[wonderpug]

Portal 2

[Purge]

Tough... Portal 2 was fun, whereas Skyrim is freakin' impressive.

I'm going to go with Skyrim.

[Beer Goggles]

The Witcher 2.  I loved Skyrim, but The Witcher's characters and story make it a better overall game.

[Destructor]

Skyrim.

It's an epic 100+ hour long game that drags you in and refuses to let go until you've searched every dungeon, cave, and temple across the land.

[Bullwinkle]

Specifically PC realm, then it's To The Moon, without question.

No other game this year has connected with me as deeply or amused me as much.  I wish everyone would play it.

[Gratch]

Another vote for To The Moon, a wholly remarkable game.  It created a far more compelling and touching story in 4 hours using SNES-level graphics than most games can create with 100+ hours and the ultimate in "next level" visuals.  It's a testament to the fact that rich, powerful stories can actually be told in a medium which is typically blasted for it's lack of intellect and creativity.  Like Bullwinkle, I wish everyone could play it.

[Crux]

Battlefield 3.

[Teggy]

I don't play many games on PC, so I'll just go with SWTOR.

[Blackjack]

I'll go with SWTOR because in spite of my spouting literally pages of reservations and concerns and "why doesn't it try to innovate and do this and that," it's hooked me to the point of staying up til 4:30 a.m. some nights and to the point of being a zombie at work. Which is bad bad bad for me and my physical condition and sleep and my job, but I think -- along with the fact I'd given up on the mmorpg market altogether after losing interest in Rift -- attests to its addictiveness and sheer fun factor.

I wouldn't pick it just because of that. I'd pick it cause everyone I know (which doesn't mean everybody likes it by any means) who has tried it has gotten hooked even if they came in jaded, cynical and not wanting to like it, and some who never had interest in an mmorpg before. Provided that it works for a person of course (still technical and billing issues to work out I know). 

I suspect many folks would vote for Skyrim and Battlefield 3. Some nights my Steam buddies list would only have Skyrim listed.

If SWTOR hadn't made it out this month, I'd probably be picking bargain dark horses like Renegade Ops (the most fun I've had in co-op in ages). And maybe something pricier like Lord of the Rings: War in the North, though the bugginess and savegame pickiness drove me a little crazy eventually. I just don't suspect those would get many votes, per se.

[Blackadar]

Skyrim

A massive improvement over previous Elder Scrolls games, it's the perfect blend of fun gaming in a sandbox.  It has a beautiful open world, compelling quest lines and the freedom to do what you want, when you want to do it.
 

[Sarkus]

Skyrim.  I spend way more time with this then any other 2011 release. 

[Enigma]

Skyrim!  I think I could play this for the next year.

Terraria was a real surprise...but doesn't have the staying power that Skyrim has.  For what it is, I think Terraria is excellent.

[Lordnine]

Bastion.

[Gratch]

After spending a week with it, SWTOR is becoming a very, very close second.

[Lockdown]

Skyrim ...with SWOTR a very close 2nd.

[Arnir]

Skyrim hands down.

[hitbyambulance]

Minecraft

[Morgul]

1) Skyrim
2) The witcher 2
3) portal 2

In that order, but all very much good games.  Skyrim was over the top good though.

[kronovan]

The Witcher 2

[Crusis]

Skyrim all the way.

Not a 2011 release but I have been enjoying the hell out of playing Dragon Age Origins again. I'd call it my second fav game in the last year.

[Gratch]

After much deliberation (and about 45 hours over the past week), I'm going to officially change my vote to Star Wars TOR.  This is the first time an MMO has engaged me at all, and I've been thoroughly enjoying the experience.  The fact that there is an actual compelling story and not just a mindless grind makes all the difference in the world.  Kudos to Bioware for finally figuring out how to implement that aspect.

[Suitably Ironic Moniker]

Skyrim, please.

[Ridah]

Going to keep this thread going until the end of the week so people who were on vacation get a chance to vote 

[PR_GMR]

My vote goes to.... Skyrim! I put more time in it this past holiday weekend, and was just taken aback by the immersiveness of it. It's also go some tremendous graphics. At one point, I was just prancing around in my horse at night and the scene was so gorgeous--two full moons in the sky--I just had to stop and say 'Wow'.

[raydude]

Skyrim. No other game this year has captured my attention and gotten me playing it exclusively for as long as this game has. My play time on it has only been usurped by Star Wars: The Old Republic and only because I have to pay a monthly fee and therefore I feel I need to play it to get my money's worth.  Don't get me wrong, SW:TOR is a good game but if it was F2P then I would be spending half my game time on Skyrim.

[Sarkus]

Skyrim.  I've put 120 hours into it so far and probably only seen 60% of the world.  The only reason I'm taking a break is because of Steam sale induced gaming guilt. 

[Jaymeson]

Skyrim - Love the game for all the same reasons already noted; game world has pulled me in as no other Elder Scrolls before it.  I actually find myself interested in the politics, race details, back-history, and religion that is laid out in the quests, and supplemented/enhanced in the 500+ books.  Really well done.  And after 35 hours, not one single CTD. 
The avalanche of new material that will come when  the tools are released means i'll be playing this game throughout the year.

Runner's Up:
Witcher 2
L.A. Noire

[KC]

I didn't buy any new PC games in 2011, but did buy lots of old games from gog.com that can run on my laptop.  Can I vote for gog.com instead of a game?

I like everyone's Skyrim suggestion, but am playing the game on my 360.

[Blackjack]

Bastion.

fwiw, Bastion made the Game Developers Choice Award Finals (yeah I dunno what it is either  )
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/portal-2-the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-bastion-lead-finalists-for-the-twelfth-annual-game-developers-choice-awards-136743443.html

Nominations this year are led by three studios and their games, each of which received five Choice Award nods, including Bethesda Game Studios' long awaited open-world fantasy RPG The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and Valve's cunning, charming sci-fi puzzle action title Portal 2.

Also nominated five times was newcomer Supergiant Games and its acclaimed downloadable action RPG Bastion, which saw nominations in four categories, plus one for the studio itself, for Best Debut.

Both Portal 2 and Skyrim were nominated for Game Of The Year as one of their nods. The other Game Of The Year nominees are Rocksteady Studios's dark superhero game sequel Batman: Arkham City, FromSoftware's immersive hardcore RPG Dark Souls, and Eidos Montreal's acclaimed franchise update Deus Ex: Human Revolution, also all multiple award-nominated.

[Dunamis]

Skyrim with SWTOR being a close second.