As gaming makes the push to digital, the downloading of games has becoming more common. With entire retail versions of games appearing on the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live, hopes for a digital future has pushed the limits of what types of games can be downloaded. This year we’ve seen some great new titles launch exclusively as downloads for the PSN & Xbox Live. Here are the top digital releases to hit the networks in 2011.

Limbo – The shadowy world of Playdeads hit sidescroller will quickly win over all who look to survive its creative creepiness. Limbo has a level of detail placed into its puzzles, and a use of physic that makes the world a prime place for players looking to spending more time killing shadows.

What seems like the simplest brainteaser can quickly become a very difficult challenge to solve. A game with only two colors really shouldn’t be as good as Limbo has turned out to be, however, because of the games unique artist tone, and its very clever puzzle design, this is an adventure you shouldn’t miss.

Renegade Op’s –  From the creators of Just Cause & Just Cause 2 comes one of the best car combat games ever to grace the online networks. With co-op both online and off, Renegade Op’s offers some of the best action, and the most beautiful isometric destruction you’ve ever seen from the top down perspective.

Using the Avalanche 2.0 engine, the explosions and destruction in the game look amazing, they're also fun to create. The games missions will carry you along a comic book styled story that requires you to explore a wide range of objectives, and some challenging mission types. This original take on a classic form of gaming makes Renegade Op’s a fresh new adventure for fans of car combat action.            

From Dust –  Eric Chahi has been a long time game creator for many years now. His work is considered to be the best around, and the inspiration for a number of major games releasing today. His latest creation takes man back to his roots, and puts players in control of a tribe searching for the story of their past.

From Dust in many ways is a creative take on games like Pikmin or Lemmings. As players mold and shape the Earth in order to protect the people form the natural destruction that’s always before them, they will uncover new powers and pieces to the story of the tribes past. This beautiful game, though it doesn’t have a clearly defined story, will have you trapped by the gorgeous landscapes and intuitive gameplay. This is surly one of the best new games to release, and clearly one of the most original games to hit the PSN & Xbox Live Arcade.  

Sideways; New York – This mind binding 2D adventure has you twisting and turning the 3D city as you try to solve the puzzle of playing as a painted graffiti artist. Though the entire environment is render three dimensionality, players navigate the world from a two dimensional perspective. 

With one of the most original takes on the platforming genre, PlayBrains intriguing rhythm base adventure makes our list for the year’s best digital releases because its one of the most original games of the year, and one of best takes on sidescrolling we’ve played.