PC games

Of the scored PC games (i.e., those games with at least 4 reviews from critics) released in 2011, a total of 101—or nearly 42%—were positively reviewed, a percentage that nearly matches the year's top-performing console (the Xbox 360).

And PC gamers could choose from six "great" games (with Metascores of 90 or above) in 2011, compared to just 4 the year before. In fact, that's the highest total of great PC games in a single year since 2007. While four of those great games could also be found on consoles, Total War: Shogun 2—2011's top PC exclusive—could not. And while the hugely popular indie sandbox building game Minecraft—available in alpha and beta releases for years before finally getting its first official release this fall—could also be found in (inferior) mobile versions, the PC version received such stellar reviews from critics that it finished among the year's 10 highest-scoring games overall.

Note that our stats and rankings for PC games this year do not include one of the year's biggest releases: Star Wars: The Old Republic, a MMORPG released just a few days ago (an unusually late release for such a major game). While, at press time, the game has a handful of (very positive) reviews already posted, it will take several more weeks (if not longer) for the bulk of the reviews to trickle in—such is the nature of online multiplayer titles, which cannot be accurately graded prior to launch. So it's possible that there will be one more very good PC game for you to mentally insert in the lists below.

Best PC Exclusives, 2011

#1		#2		#3		#4		#5
	90		88		85		85		84
Total War: Shogun 2 Sega		The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Atari		Amnesia: The Dark Descent ValuSoft/Frictional		Frozen Synapse Matrix Games		Rift Trion Worlds

Best-Reviewed PC Games, 2011

	Game	Publisher	Metascore	Users
1	Portal 2 PC Game of the Year	Valve Software	95	8.4
2	The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim	Bethesda Softworks	94	8.3
3	Minecraft	Mojang AB/Mojang Specifications	93	7.1
4	Batman: Arkham City	Warner Bros. Interactive Ent.	91	7.5
5	Deus Ex: Human Revolution	Square Enix/Eidos Interactive	90	8.2
6	Total War: Shogun 2	Sega	90	8.2
7	Battlefield 3	Electronic Arts	89	7.4
8	FIFA Soccer 12	Electronic Arts	89	7.5
9	LIMBO	PLAYDEAD	89	7.8
10	Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood	Ubisoft	88	8.1
11	The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings	Atari	88	8.4
12	Dead Space 2	Electronic Arts	87	8.1
13	Bastion	Warner Bros. Interactive Ent.	87	8.6
14	Crysis 2	EA Games	86	6.5
15	DiRT 3	Codemasters	86	7.1
16	Amnesia: The Dark Descent	ValuSoft/Frictional Games	85	8.8
17	Saints Row: The Third	THQ	85	8.0
18	Frozen Synapse	Matrix Games	85	7.9
19	Trine 2	Atlus Co.	85	9.0
20	SpaceChem	Zachtronics Industries	84	8.4
21	Football Manager 2012	Sega	84	7.5
22	Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition	Capcom	84	7.3
23	L.A. Noire: The Complete Edition	Rockstar Games	84	7.8
24	Rift	Trion Worlds	84	7.2
25	Shift 2: Unleashed	Electronic Arts	84	5.6
26	Orcs Must Die!	Robot Entertainment	84	8.4
27	Anno 2070	Ubisoft	83	8.1
28	The Binding of Isaac	Edmund McMillen	83	7.7
29	Terraria	Re-Logic/Redigit	83	7.9
30	The Book of Unwritten Tales	Lace Mamba Global/KING Art/Dreamcatcher	83	8.3
... and the worst:
183	Painkiller: Redemption	JoWooD Entertainment/DreamCatcher	43	5.5
184	Sword of the Stars II: Lords of Winter	Paradox Interactive	42	2.2
185	Battle: Los Angeles	Konami	38	2.5
186	Shadow Harvest: Phantom Ops	Viva Media	34	3.2
187	The Asskickers	AGO Games	26	n/a

Note that games are ranked prior to rounding. Only games with 7 or more reviews are included in this and other rankings on this page.

PC Games with Highest User Scores*, 2011

	Game	Users
1	To the Moon	9.5
2	Trine 2	9.0
3	Amnesia: The Dark Descent	8.8
4	Serious Sam 3: BFE	8.7
5	Alice: Madness Returns	8.6
	Bastion	8.6
	Gemini Rue	8.6
	Panzer Corps	8.6

* Minimum 25 user votes.

Nintendo 3DS/DS

Though the three highest-scoring handheld games (not including iOS) in 2011 could all be found on Nintendo's new 3DS platform, the 3DS actually finished the year with the lowest average Metascore for its games; both the standard DS and Sony's PSP had higher average scores. Only 14 of the 74 (just under 19%) scored 3DS releases this year received positive reviews. There were fewer releases for the older DS, but more of them received positive reviews: 20 of 61, or nearly 33%.

Best 3DS Exclusives, 2011

#1		#2		#3		#4		#5
	94		90		90		85		85
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D Nintendo		Super Mario 3D Land Nintendo		Pushmo (aka Pullblox) Nintendo		Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition Capcom		Mario Kart 7 Nintendo

Best-Reviewed 3DS Games, 2011

	Game	Publisher	Metascore	Users
1	The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D 3DS Game of the Year	Nintendo	94	8.5
2	Super Mario 3D Land	Nintendo	90	7.7
3	Pushmo	Nintendo	90	9.4
4	Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition	Capcom	85	8.5
5	Mario Kart 7	Nintendo	85	7.7
6	Cave Story 3D	NIS America	83	8.6
7	Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure	Activision	82	4.8
8	Star Fox 64 3D	Nintendo	81	8.0
9	Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked	Atlus Co.	80	7.6
10	Dead or Alive: Dimensions	Koei	79	8.5
... and the worst:
60	Driver: Renegade	Ubisoft	48	2.3
61	Combat of Giants: Dinosaurs 3D	Ubisoft	44	3.3
62	Asphalt 3D	Ubisoft	43	3.3
63	3D Classics: Urban Champion	Nintendo	37	5.0
64	Transformers: Dark of the Moon - Stealth Force Edition	Activision	30	n/a

Best-Reviewed DS Games, 2011

	Game	Publisher	Metascore	Users
1	Pokemon White Version DS Game of the Year	Nintendo	87	8.0
2	Pokemon Black Version	Nintendo	87	8.0
3	Radiant Historia	Atlus U.S.A., Inc.	85	8.8
4	The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition	Nintendo	85	6.5
5	Professor Layton and the Last Specter	Nintendo/Level 5	84	9.3
6	Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective	Capcom	83	8.6
7	Kirby: Mass Attack	Nintendo	83	8.6
8	Okamiden	Capcom	82	8.6
9	Mighty Milky Way	WayForward	81	n/a
10	Plants vs. Zombies	PopCap	81	7.1
... and the worst:
27	Cars 2: The Video Game	Disney Interactive	58	n/a
28	Captain America: Super Soldier	Sega	56	n/a
29	Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of Osborne House	THQ	48	n/a
30	1950s Lawn Mower Kids	Zordix AB	43	n/a
31	Duke Nukem: Critical Mass	Deep Silver	29	3.3

3DS/DS Games with Highest User Scores*, 2011

	Game	Users
1	Pushmo 3DS	9.4
2	Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective DS	8.6
3	Dead or Alive: Dimensions 3DS	8.5
	The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D 3DS	8.5
	Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition 3DS	8.5

* Minimum 25 user votes.

PlayStation Portable

For perhaps one final time, the PlayStation Portable had a higher average Metascore for its games than either of Nintendo's two handhelds. But even by PSP standards—the platform typically has fewer releases than any other—2011 offered slim pickings; we calculated Metascores for just 40 releases for the device all year. Fortunately, 17 of those 40 (42.5%) were reviewed positively by critics, so PSP owners could find something decent to play this year (though many of those good releases were smaller downloadable games, including the year's highest-scoring PSP exclusive). Next year, of course, will bring the PSP's replacement in the form of the PS Vita.

Best PlayStation Portable Exclusives, 2011

#1		#2		#3		#4		#5
	80		78		77		76		75
Where Is My Heart? Copenhagen Game Collective		Dissidia 012: Duodecim Final Fantasy Square Enix		Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection Square Enix		1000 Tiny Claws Mediatonic		Corpse Party Xseed

Best-Reviewed PSP Games, 2011

	Game	Publisher	Metascore	Users
1	Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together PSP Game of the Year	Square Enix	87	8.4
2	The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky	Xseed Games	80	9.2
3	Where is My Heart?	Copenhagen Game Collective	80	n/a
4	Legends of War: Patton's Campaign	Enigma Software Productions	79	8.8
5	Dissidia 012: Duodecim Final Fantasy	Square Enix	78	7.5
6	Angry Birds	Chillingo Ltd	77	5.7
7	Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection	Square Enix	77	8.5
8	MLB 11: The Show	SCEA	77	n/a
9	Shift Extended	Zallag	76	9.7
10	Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 2 - Innocent Sin	Atlus Co.	76	8.2
... and the worst:
20	Ys I & II Chronicles	Xseed Games	63	9.2
21	Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Impact	Namco Bandai	59	7.8
22	Naruto Shippuden: Kizuna Drive	Namco Bandai	57	n/a
23	Ninjamurai	Open Emotion Studios	55	n/a
24	Lord of Arcana	Square Enix	53	5.2

PSP Games with Highest User Scores*, 2011

	Game	Users
1	The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky	9.2
2	Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together	8.4
3	Dissidia 012: Duodecim Final Fantasy	7.5

* Minimum 25 user votes.

What do you think?

What are your favorite games of 2011? Let us know in the discussion section below, or cast your vote for your favorites in our Best of 2011 Users Poll.