Wow yeah, hard to say who would/should/could take GOTY.
Oh, wait a minute, no it's not because even Skyrim is just more of the same, with a coat of paint. I'm still running along rocks and hiding behind a bowl to steal a greatsword from the only other person in the room. I love the dwemer structures, I love the incredible thought to the landscape, and everything.
Skyrim is my personal favorite as well for everything that makes it amazing, including the dragons, of which no fps game has had since Quake (they never made release, but they were there goddamnit).
Deus Ex had story, cohesive structure, and a tight path the story wove through that structure.
It was a really smart game. Sadly, the schwag was shit, and I think schwag makes or breaks GOTY status.
My vote for GOTY? To MW3 for (hopefully) finally killing the franchise with its sameness. Finally fans woke the fuck up and cried bullshit, and for that, GOTY is deserved.
Note: This message is laden with extreme amounts of sarcasm.
The Dwarven ruins in this game are awesome! How many folks have really explored the Dwemer underground? It's immense! Detailed! Connected! You can roam for hours and using various buildings entrances and exits, find your way across Skyrim!
It's incredibly well thought out. Absolutely amazing!