DC Universe Online - The first major PC game of 2011 happens to be an MMORPG. Sony Online's long awaited game based on the DC Comics' super hero universe and characters is due to launch on January 11. The game has gotten a lot of input from major DC Comics creators including legendary artist Jim Lee who served as the game's art director. You get to create your own super hero or super villain character and battle alongside some of the most famous fictional characters in the game.

Dragon Age 2 - Developer BioWare's first of three games scheduled for release in 2011 is the sequel to the fantasy RPG that first came out in late 2009. Due for release on March 8, this sequel lets the player control a human character Hawke in a storyline that takes place about 10 years after the conclusion of Dragon Age: Origins. Save games from the original can be imported into Dragon Age 2.
The Witcher 2 - Developer CD Projekt RED's sequel to its acclaimed fantasy RPG is one of the biggest exclusive PC game releases of the year, bar none. The sequel takes place just two months after the end of the original game and save games from The Witcher 1 will cross over into the sequel as well. Oh and did we mention the 16 different endings, the new "die once and start over from the beginning" Insane game mode and the fact that The Witcher 2 is DRM-free if you get the game from GoG.com?

Torchlight 2 - The original Torchlight was made in less than a year and ended up becoming a critical darling and a sleeper sales hit for start-up game developer Runic Games. Now the team is working hard on the sequel to the fantasy action-RPG that's due out later this spring. In addition to the already fun single player game experience, the sequel will add co-op multiplayer support for the first time. Rift - Several years after Trion Worlds was first established, the MMO game developer is finally close to releasing its first game. The fantasy MMO game (which has had two title changes before it finally settled on Rift) is promoting the fact that the game will feature a dynamic game world that will have events that will be unique to each player. The game just started holding closed beta tests which likely means that Rift should be launched around mid-2011.

Dungeon Siege III - One of the most acclaimed action-RPG franchises is getting a bit of a reboot for the third game in the series. Due out sometime in 2011, the game will be developed by Obsidian Entertainment as it takes over from the game's originators Gas Powered Games (although Gas Powered's head man Chris Taylor will be involved as a consultant). The game will use an all new graphics engine developed by Obsidian as it continues the storyline from the first two titles in the series.

Deus Ex Human Revolution - After a multi-year break, the innovative and acclaimed cyberpunk themed first person action-RPG series is coming back (hopefully) sometime in 2011. Developed Eidos Montreal has already wowed a lot of journalists with demos as press events showing that the third game on the series, at least on the surface, has the look of the first two Deus Ex games as well as the biomechanical upgrades and gameplay. Publisher Square Enix recently announced that the game was being delayed from a planned first quarter 2011 release. Hopefully the delay won't push the game into the next year.

The Elder Scrolls V Skryim - Developer Bethesda Game Studios heads back to the Elder Scrolls universe in November 2011 for the fifth game in one of the most acclaimed and respected fantasy RPG of all time. At the moment we know very little about the game aside from the title and release date but more info should be revealed in January as the first previews start popping up. In any case the reputation of the previous titles should make Skyrim one of the biggest games of the year.
Mass Effect 3 - BioWare returns us to the sci-fi universe of its first two Mass Effect games with the highly anticipated third and final game in its trilogy of titles. Not much is known about the game at this point but the trailer that was first shown at the Video Game Awards earlier this month showed a massive alien attack on London. You will be able to transfer your Mass Effect 2 save game files into Mass Effect 3 when it comes out sometime in the holiday period of 2011.
Star Wars The Old Republic - Few games have had as much advanced hype or anticipation as this game. It's the first MMO from BioWare, the masters of the single player RPG title. It takes place a few hundred years after the events of the Star Wars universe that BioWare first explored in Knights of the Old Republic. And BioWare promised it will combine great MMO gameplay with its own knack for making a story-based game. Due out sometime in the second half of 2011 this could be the game that makes a real challenge to Blizzard's huge World of Warcraft's audience.


Games on the 2011 release bubble - There are not too many PC games that gamers want to play more than Blizzard's long awaited action-RPG sequel Diablo III. A lot of people think that Blizzard could release the game, which was officially announced over two years ago, by the end of 2011 but we wouldn't bet the house and camper on it as Blizzard tends to take a long time in play testing.

Ditto for ArenaNet and its upcoming fantasy MMO sequel Guild Wars 2. The game, which like the original won't require a monthly subscription fee to play online, has been in development for years but ArenaNet is being coy on when gamers will finally get their hands on it. It might make the 2011 timeline but we are not holding our breath.

Honorable Mentions - Neverwinter, Tera, Fable 3, Two Worlds 2, Lord of the Rings: War in the North, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, Dungeons and Dragons Daggerdale, Magika, Bastion, Darkspore, Hunted The Demon's Forge