I'm going to rank based on the games I played this year instead of the games that came out this year. Too many potentially great 2011 games I haven't played yet (Uncharted 3, Skyward Sword, Arkham City, etc.). Naming the best games in November is like naming the Oscar winners in November.

10. Uncharted - This is the original Uncharted that I picked up used since Uncharted 2 was so good. Clearly not as polished as the sequel but it was still a fun adventure.

9. Final Fantasy: Four Warriors of Light - I think I said somewhere that this game is like if FF and DQ had a baby. It's a nice little old school RPG that may seem archaic at first, but I found those elements grew on me and added to the challenge.

8. Pokemon: Black Version - Like Bolivar said it's the same game every time but somehow that doesn't make it less fun. I got the itch for Pokemon about a month ago and this has satisfied me nicely. It's still not better than my favorites (Yellow & Silver), though it is better than Pearl.

7. Portal 2 - Improved on the first in every way. Just when you think one set of levels is getting boring it switches to new scenery, which I appreciated a lot (since the environments of the first Portal got pretty stale). I also loved the Cave Johnson clips and the storyline was great with some nice twists. For a game with not a lot of character interaction it has some great characters. I've only played a bit of multiplayer but that's hugely fun too.

6. Batman: Arkham Asylum - Easily the best comic game ever. Handled Batman exactly how you are supposed to: dark with his own confidence and stoicism and of course with plenty of gadgets at his disposal. Really loved the Metroid-like exploration aspect of it too. My only gripe is that the compat and boss fights were repetitive.

5. Golden Sun: Dark Dawn - Hadn't played a Golden Sun game in many years so this was a nice reminder of how fun this series is. It really is a great JRPG series and I'm glad it has so many traditional elements that have been lacking from modern RPGs. Collecting Djinn and rare weapons is always a fun hobby.

4. God of War Collector's Edition - This is really two games in one but no one's going to read this anyway. I have never played the GoW games before this and I was blown away by these HD versions. Such a great blend of action, RPG elements, puzzle-solving, and storytelling in one of the coolest settings you can have: Greek mythology. Can't wait to play GoW III.

3. Red Dead Redemption - I'm not really a fan of open world GTA style games (I get confused when I have too many options ) but John Marston's adventure in the old west has captivated me. I never really thought a game set in what is probably South Texas could be as beautiful as this. The story is also very intriguing and all the old western elements are freaking awesome. The shooting is also easy to get used to which I appreciate because I generally suck at aiming.

2. Mass Effect 2 - This game was simply awesome. I don't think I've ever played a sequel that makes me want to have played the first one more than ME2. But not playing ME1 did not detract from my experience. The characters and setting were great, maybe even the best of any non-Square game I've played. Buidling Shephard into a fighting machine is so much fun, and using your powers as well as your guns to kill everything is also quite enjoyable. I almost want to get an Xbox just to play ME1 now.

1. Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together - If any developer ever needed a blueprint on how to remake a game, they should look at this game. God damn was it awesome. So many branching paths, items to collect, characters to recruit, jobs to level! The story is also pretty kick ass. One of the few games in a long time that I want to go back and play only a couple months after finishing it.