GS.com GOTY Overall XBOX 360 PS3 PSP Wii NDS PC Special PC Game of the Year: Dragon Age: Origins Despite the fact that Dragon Age is an original IP complete with its own history and cultures, this was Bioware getting back to its fantasy roots, despite the lack of D&D licensing. In many ways this is a typical Bioware RPG, only using modern gaming technology. It's both a brand new experience and Baldur's Gate throwback. It's also truly epic in size and scope. When playing an RPG and it flat out tells you that you have explored 30% of the world and you are 25 hours into the game - you know you are getting your money's worth. We give a special nod to the PC version as we feel it is by far the best way to experience Dragon Age thanks to a tougher campaign on Normal difficulty and the fact that you can zoom the action out via the mousewheel to get that old Infinity Engine perspective. The game also looks better on the PC so while the console version is a fine game on its own merits, the PC version of Dragon Age is something truly special. From our review: "Ultimately, Dragon Age: Origins is quite possibly the best game ever to come out of Bioware. That alone puts it on the short list for best role-playing game ever made." Left 4 Dead 2 Sure, this is basically Left 4 Dead 2 with a closet full of more "stuff" but really - who cares? It remains the king of the zombie shooter with better map design, tighter gameplay, and you get to chop the head off a zombie in a Hazmat outfit with a katana. The PC version is also a fantastic way to play as it offers more precision than what you'll get on the Xbox 360. Seriously, Valve could crank out sequel after sequel by adding new locations and new infected and new items year after year and we'd be happy. From our review: "Left 4 Dead 2 is the Empire Strikes Back of zombie games. The momentum has clearly swung in favor of the bad guys. But also much like Empire, this is clearly the best of the bunch and is a required purchase for fans of the genre." Torchlight As fans wait... and wait... and wait for Diablo III, Torchlight hit the scene at exactly the right time. This indie game from Runic Games pressed all the right buttons to deliver a single player hack and slash epic. This is indie gaming at its very best and a reason why the PC remains a great gaming platform. From our review: "I would happily have paid 60 dollars for this game, as I received more enjoyment and quality play time from it than most of this year's big budget hits. You may not have heard of it, but you owe it to yourself to play this game." Dawn of War II This was a risky game for THQ and Relic - to take a popular franchise like Dawn of War, which already had a well established fan base, and completely change the focus for the sequel... well that's a rare thing in today's stuffy, low risk industry - particularly when it comes to sequels. Normally the idea is, "Hey let's just make more of what we did before." Dawn of War II isn't that. It's on a smaller scale - more personal. It also has a brilliant co-op mode which is something you rarely see in an RTS. It also has the honor of being one of the best multiplayer games of 2009. Oh yeah... and Tyranids. We can't forget the Tyranids. From our review: "...taken as a whole it's impossible to not recommend the game to 40K fans and to those who are willing to accept that this is not a linear sequel to an aging franchise. It's a new direction - embrace it - or be smashed by the Imperium." Men of War What would our Best PC Game list be without some sort of wargame? Men of War may have a terribly generic name but it's also one of the best PC games of the year, again mainly due to its brilliant co-op multiplayer support. It's still for the hardcore crowd but Men of War proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that this genre isn't going anywhere anytime soon. We may never stop fighting World War II but when companies develop games like this, why would we want to? From our review: "...it's by far one of the better titles in my collection, and one I'm proud to recommend to fans of either action or strategy games. Do yourself a favor and ferry this game over to an impromptu LAN party the moment you pick it up - you won't regret it."