In a similar vein to the Oblivion post I'd go for Skyrim legendary. Incredible sophisticated engine, huge amount of content. Breathtaking scenery and a completely open world. Always seem to be discovering something new about it.

I don't understand how such a huge detailed world is possible. Probably the greatest game ever in sheer ambition.

Closest game yet to a feeling like a real living world.

On the PC you can also tailor it to your own desires with mods which enhances the gaming experience even more.

Also Bethedsa had the foresight to provide both third person and first person perspective choices to keep everyone happy. So many games are ruined for me by insisting on third person which I personally don't like as much.

- Uncharted 2.
Solid platforming
Perfect controls
Voice acting was top knoth
Perfectly paced
Exciting fresh approach to Multiplayer
Graphically stunning
Multiplayer kept you coming back for more and more and more
1 of the best 3 player co-op out there

Uncharted 2 was a game that when you played it, you had to replay it again to really take it all in, it was that good. Plus the multiplayer was so addictive, you just had to grab 2 buddies and sink your evening away with fun and challenge.
Uncharted 2, best overall game of last gen.

Xenoblade Chronicles. On "limited hardware" the scale and scope of the game surpasses the majority of the games on the HD twins. The soundtrack is the best I've ever heard, with music that NEVER gets old even after spending hours in each area and over 100+ hours in the game as a whole. The art style is so wonderful that even on the "limited hardware" the game manages to be consistently beautiful and downright STUNNING at times with an impressive draw distance to boot. The "world/s" and all the distinctive areas are imaginative and creative and exciting to explore. The characters are likable and memorable. The story is deep, engrossing and constantly expanding. It kept me wondering and thinking and guessing all the way through. The battle system is fun, easy to understand yet with a good amount of depth and strategy and freedom. The exploration is phenomenal. There are quests and collectibles galore. The game itself is addicting…when I knew I was near the end, I literally did NOT want it to be over…and thankfully there was so much content that there was plenty for me to do to extend the game before the end. Only after doing the majority of the quests, getting all characters to lvl 99, unlocking and completing almost every skill tree, raising affinity between all party characters AND "area affinity" in the different locations, and doing some of the collectopedia was I finally able to bring myself to do the ending…125 hours in. When it was over, I played the "ending sequence" several more times because it was an ending that did NOT disappoint. Then…after a short break I went back and did a NG+ run bringing my total up to 150 hours. And now, a year later, I'm playing it again from the beginning from lvl 1 (already 10 hours in…lvl 17) and I'm already hooked again. From start to finish it is a masterpiece. I literally LOVE this game…and as good as games like Super Mario Galaxy, Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword, and others were…Xenoblade Chronicles is unequivocally my game of the generation. :)

Mario Kart Wii

1000 hours can't be wrong.

Ditto.

For me personally Gears of War. Halo and Metal Gear Solid IV after. It is hard to pick with so many good games this gen.

Dark Souls:

-Challenging difficulty
-Atmosphere
-Boss battles

Arkham City:

-Proved that super hero games can be amazing and not shit.
-Perfected the multiple enemy combat system (nice try dynasty warriors).
-Delivers a solid story.
-Packed with content.

wow suddenly this is a Mario Galaxy's thread =O

Dragon Age: Origins. Overused but well executed story with multiple origins and multiple races provide good re playability, the ability to mod the PC version expands this further.

I fully agree.