2010 Year in Review: Video Games

The only "out of nowhere" game I played this year was Castlevania: Lord Of Shadows, which still had plenty of imperfections. Certainly one of the more memorable games this year for me, though.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 was perfection.

Super Meat Boy is a legitimate GOTY contender.

The rest are pretty much the usual suspects. Red Dead, Mass Effect 2... have not gotten to New Vegas, AC: Brotherhood or Donkey Kong yet. Will not get to Black Ops.

I'm still missing Assassin's Creed Brotherhood and Rock Band 3, and Castlevania Lords of Shadow is in progress, but if we had to go the list route right this second:

1. Red Dead Redemption
2. Bayonetta
3. Mass Effect 2
4. Halo Reach
5. Heavy Rain

My top ten list (includes games in progress, cause what the hell, the list wont be done till 2011 if i wait)):

1. Mass Effect 2
2. Fallout New Vegas
3. Costume Quest
4. Red Dead Redemption
5. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
6.Assasins Creed: Brotherhood
7. Infinite Space
8. Persona 3 portable
9. Bayonetta
10. Darksiders.

Honorable mention AKA Old as hell game i finally got to play on 2010: "Crush", PSP....god dammit, how did i miss this puzzle game the first tiem around?

Thank you.

I'm glad I'm not the only one around here who considers this a great experience.

We got two masterpieces this year: MASS EFFECT 2 and RED DEAD REDEMPTION. Anything else you enjoyed was gravy.

I'm still playing RDR. I'm at the segment of the story where he returns home. I thought that mission with Dutch was the ending and we were getting an epilogue. Now the map has two mission options and I'm anticipating a few more hours of gameplay at least.

From a value and gameplay point of view, I can definitely say this game has earned the money I spent on it several times over.

From a storytelling point of view, it's a fucking mess.

Shit gets real in another hour or so. Keep going.

Let's see, cutting out any games I played that didn't actually come out this year (like Borderlands), my best of 2010 list would probably look something like this:

1. Red Dead Redemption
2. Mass Effect 2
3. Assassin's Creed Brotherhood
4. Darksiders
5. Castlevania Lords of Shadow
6. Heavy Rain
7. Halo Reach

My list:

1. Red Dead Redemption (plus expansions)
2. Mass Effect 2
3. Need For Speed Hot Pursuit
4. NHL 11
5. GameDevStory
6. Rock Band 3
7. Valkyria Chronicles 2
8. Halo Reach
9. Amnesia The Dark Descent
10. Costume Quest

Honorable Mentions: DJ Hero 2, NBA Jam, Heavy Rain, Limbo, Super Meat Boy, MGS Peacewalker, and Minecraft.

1. Team Fortress 2 Beta - The fact that I paid 30 dollars for Team Fortress 2, all three Half-Life 2's, and Portal, back in 2007 and they're STILL tweaking TF2 and adding new modes, weapons, and maps blows my mind, especially since they have never once charged for any of it. This month they released the public TF2 Beta, a sign of their on-going commitment to nurturing the community they created, as they continue to tweak things and try out wild new game modes. Still the most fun I've ever had with a multi-player game.

My fave games of, 2010...
1) Tatsunoko Vs Capcom
2) Fist Of The North Star: Ken's Rage
3) Super Street Fighter IV
4) Data East Arcade Collection
5) Madden 2011

1) I have been waiting...Years, for games featuring characters from, Gatchaman (one of my favorite anime series ever), and the fact they are in a 2.5D, fighting game, from...Capcom, is just too cool. Gatchaman vs My Street Fighting Favorites, like Chun Li, and Ryu, Super Robots-Tekkaman-Tekkaman Blade, Viewtiful Joe, the Lost Planet Mech, is just...All Kinds Of Awesome.
2) Nearly the same could be said for...Fist Of The North Star: Ken's Rage (Another of my favorite anime series)! FOTNS getting an...Awesome 3D Brawler, is just too cool for words.
3) While it is an expansion pack of, Street Fighter IV, the additional fighters, and costumes put it on my list, as...Capcom's Vs Fighters, are my favorite fighting games.
4) Bad Dudes Vs Dragon Ninja and Heavy Barrel. Nuff Said.
5) Madden is not my favorite football game ever, but it is...The Only NFL Licensed one.

It might've even ranked higher if the planned DLC actually happened and it was on par with The Taxidermist.

In the end, Darksiders isn't really similar to GoW3 at all. It does kind of share some similar elements, but I would say that Darksiders owes much more to Zelda than it does God of War. The game is structured exactly like a Zelda game in the way it doles out new abilities and areas. The only difference is that Zelda has a much simpler combat system compared to Darksiders. I love me some Zelda, so that's why I had a blast with Darksiders.

Top 5 for me would be:

• Fallout: New Vegas
• Alpha Protocol
• Red Dead Redemption
• Way of the Samurai 3 (Pal release)
• Mass Effect 2

Haven't played Halo: reach yet (soon) and though I liked Fable 3... it's...

Can't really remember what games I have or have not bought this year, but for the record..........

1) RDR
2) AC2.5B
3) ME2
4) COD:BO
5) No five, pretty sure that is all the games I got

EDIT forgot BS2SOD, but I only played that for like two hours and gave up

I'm The Rain Dog and I approve of this message.

Princess Kate, Whenever possible, type the...Full name of the game/film/tv series in question. It just reads like an ancient language.

#1-1A) Red Dead and Mass Effect 2 stand above the rest of the pack for me. Hard to pick which one is better, but I'll give it to RDR due to Mass Effect's demerit for forcing me to mine planets.
#3) Fallout NV: actually sucked me in more than either RDR or ME (I lost three consecutive weekends to the game) but gets demerits for the ludicrous amount of bugs and glitches.
#4) AC: Brotherhood: improved on AC2 in pretty much every way
#5) Alpha Protocol: Underrated pretty much everywhere but this forum.

*Almost gave the #5 spot to Heavy Rain. Enjoyed the hell outta it. There were some parts of the game that legitimately thrilling and others (press conference) almost seemed photorealistic to me. There's no way in hell I'll ever play it again though.

1) Fallout: New Vegas
2) Dead Rising 2
3) Alpha Protocol
4) Mass Effect 2
5) NBA 2k11
6) Red Dead Redemption
7) Rock Band 3
8) MLB 2k10
9) Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
10) Just Cause 2

For me, that's a helluva good year.

Borderlands DLC (Knoxx and Claptrap)
ME2
God of War III
Army of Two: TFD
Super Meat Boy
Halo Reach
3D Dot Game Heroes

Best Thing Since Food - Red Dead Redemption
Surprisingly Excellent - Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
Best Game I Haven't Had Time To Play Much - Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit
Most Likely To Not Get Finished Due To General Ennui - Spider-Man: Shattered Dimesions
The Scott Bakula Award For Workman-like Competence: Darksiders
Oh Yeah, That Game Was Pretty Cool - Limbo
Better Late Than Never - Portal

Couldn't agree more with this one. I played a few hours of Hot Pursuit when I bought it, and thought the game was excellent. I've been distracted by other games since and haven't played it for a while. I need to pop it back in again soon.

Good year for me, though I am not a huge fan of RPGs and open world gaming. As a parent, I need directed bite-sized games. Huge timesucks tend to get left on the side for a 30 minute session of an FPS MP experience. But I do love a good 10-15 hour action game. That said, I did purchase and play quite a few hours of RDR, though I can't imagine I'm anywhere near halfway through that. ME2 is unpurchased, with ME1 on a pile somewhere. Fallout: NV was purchased, but I am saving that for a long dry stretch...maybe after Dead Space 2.

My most anticipated game of the year was God of War III, and it sort of delivered. When it was on, it was ON. But I was hoping for a little more.

It could occassionally be a slog, but I loved Bioshock 2. The story really worked for me, and the single-player DLC was incredible.

Darksiders was surprising well-done. Not an original bone in it's body: it had a nice art style and it stole good parts from good games and made a pleasant experience out of them.

I just purchased Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, and I love it. Perfect for those small game periods where I want to have a blast, but don't feel like searching for a key or a sidequest or shooting random online tools in the face. I'm going to get hours out of this one.

The most surprising game was Castlevania: Lord of Shadows. I expected nothing, and loved this game. Probably my favorite game of the year. The art direction and scale is my favorite aspect of it.

All this talk is making me consider looking into the Mass Effect and Fallout series. Are they FPS or third person action games? And is Mass Effect as amazing as everyone says it is?

I may as well confess that FPS automatically invalidates it for me. I can't play those games.

1. Red Dead Redemption
2. Mass Effect 2
3. Gran Turismo 5
4. F1 2010
5. COD: Black Ops
6. Heavy Rain
7. NHL 11

Dont have an 8, 9 or 10...seeing as thats all the releases from this year that I've played.

Fallout 3 can be played in third-person but works better in first-person. Mass Effect is in third-person. Neither of them are really in the FPS genre though. They're RPGs, with Mass Effect more of a shooter-RPG hybrid, especially in the sequel.

I don't know why all you people are sleeping on Hot Pursuit. (except Egg and Polygon_Wizard, I guess, but you dudes need to carve out some quality time with NFS) That game is just unlimited awesome. The day after I cleared every race with a Gold, Criterion updates the game with a couple new cars to tackle the tracks with. And then there's the sweet looking DLC in a week. Criterion is the best.

Dr. Syn - I am a huge fan of Way of the Samurai on PS2. Afro Don is one of the best characters of all time, in my opinion. Especially the gibberish ending you can get where you and Don break into the Samurai King's villa and rob him.

Please tell me more about WotS 3. Is this a worthy follow-up? I'm pretty sure I can find it for cheap. I just remember 2 being a big disappointment, and figured 3 could never match the magic.

Another point: this year has really seen the legitimization of smaller titles distributed online. Games like Shank, Zen Pinball (!), Space Invaders, Pac-Man DX, After Burner Climax: these games are really fun. And they don't cost $60.

I'm waiting for Hot Pursuit to drop in price. But that Criterion Games label on the box does mean I'm playing that sucker at some point.

Also, Mass Effect plays like a faster Resident Evil 4, but with psychic powers. And added reporter bitchslap abilities.

So I guess I'll skip Fallout and look into Mass Effect.

Though I think Mass Effect 1 only came out for PC and Xbox. So there goes that idea.

Certainly, Mr Fleed. I assumed that everyone was on the same page since I've seen many of those abbreviations used before when discussing games on the board, but for the record my choices were

1) RED DEAD REDEMPTION
2) ASSASSIN'S CREED: BROTHERHOOD
3) MASS EFFECT 2
4) CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS

and I couldn't finish BIOSHOCK 2 SEA OF DREAMS

Princess Kate, Thank you for the full names. I have not played...any of the games that you abbreviated. See, I only play...fighting games, 2D games, Madden, Classic Compilations, and beat em ups. I would guess I skip about...85%, of the new and popular titles. There was no...MCP, review for either, Tatsunoko Vs Capcom, or Fist Of The North Star Ken's Rage, and they might not have been popular, but they were...My top...2, games of 2010.

You're very welcome! Going forward when discussing games in general interest threads I will try to stay away from obscure abbreviations. The last fighting game I played was TEKKEN TAG TOURNAMENT, which I was actually good at (at least in my circle of friends) and won a giant TAG TOURNAMENT one time that we set up

PS I bet you'd like some 3D games. ASSASSINS CREED in particular has interesting combat, it's not about button mashing but about precise timing and counter attacks, and the game also prizes your ability to flee!

Princess Kate, Assassin's Creed is another popular game I would not play as it is...Not a button masher. I do not enjoy games with too much, stealth, puzzles or platforming. I loved, Run N' Gun games like, Metal Slug, Contra, Heavy Barrell, and Beat Em Ups like, The Punisher, Streets Of Rage, Double Dragon etc. I would love there to be HD 2D, side scrolling games like...Captain America And The Avengers, or X-Men Arcade, on disk. No, I do not download games either. The next 3D, game I am seeking is...Tekken Vs Street Fighter. That, and Street Fighter Vs Tekken (2D), will not arrive til...2012.

Okay then. First off, an honourable mention to Red Dead Redemption, which contained many wonderful moments and one of the greatest, most perfect endings to a game ever but which, overall, suffered from too much sprawl and could have been done with being a lot tighter.

3rd Place - Vanquish

An old fashioned score attack challenge dressed up in the garb of a western gaming Space Marine shooter as imagined and designed by an utterly derranged Japanese man with father issues. It's like he just sat down and digested a decade of gruff American guys with big guns and bigger shoulder pads and shat out 6 hours of sheer mayhem, molded and sculpted into something resembling his own understanding of what a video game really should be. Pure, glorious and supertight action all the way married to some of the most glorious and ridiculously over the top cinema sequences in a game to date. It's the Airplane to Gears of War and Halo's Airport and I love it for it.

2nd Place - Mass Effect 2

My Commander Shepard is my favourite character in a game ever. She takes no shit, gives no fucks and has a knack for pissing off anyone and everyone. She's also a complete softie when you get down to it but shhhhh. In gameplay terms, this was an incredible improvement on its predecessor. Far from being dumbed down, the streamlining served to cut a whole load of superfluous crap only spergelords would cry about ("waaaaah, I want everything to drop a +1 shotgun upgrade and 60 armour sets so terrible I'd never consider using, waaaaah"), the wide range of new characters and their stories served to give it a great little TV series feel, the returning guys were like old pals (Wrex! Garrus! *brofists*) and the visuals, music and voice acting (Mordin's especially) were absolutely stellar. Which makes it a pity that the main thrust of the narrative was so relatively weak compared to the first game. Even so, the pluses far outweigh the minuses and the DLC started good and only got better from there. And the ridiculously smug smirk Shep made as she walked away from her boss at the end never gets old.

1st Place - Alpha Protocol

Mike Thorton. Spy. Asshole. Iceburn dispenser. In terms of gameplay and graphics, calling it 'rough' would be generous, though its perks system and the way it rewarded the player in different ways depending on their actions, no matter if they won favour or lost it. In terms of writing, the display of choices and consequences thereof, it's incredible and that's why it's my number 1 in a year full of great releases, combining drama, tragedy and the blackest comedy. Even now, I'm reading the tales of other people's playthrough and they're nothing like mine, with allegiances changing, different people showing up all over, bosses I never even met. Plus, best of all, the man, the myth, the legend that is Steven Heck. Is he the Greatest Spy in the World? Is he a psychotically dangerous wannabe? The truth lies somewhere in between but what's indisputable is that he's your Alpha Superbro and no game ever had a better guy to stand by your side while you wreck agencies, governments and corporations. Ask him for a distraction and he'll show up on a Tube train. With a minigun. Ask him for help with a Russian mob boss and he'll sell him a shitload of bad coke. Steven Heck is the Main Man. Just don't ever call him Steve.

Really? Because the demo I played was generic as fuck. The game you describe in that next to last sentence sounds like what I got out of Bayonetta.

I never bother with demos anymore because 99% of the time they're terrible and not very indicative at all, just a crappy training/intro level that's boring as hell and exists purely so Joe Average isn't overwhelmed right off the bat. And yes, the game's story and setting is very generic but it's definitely a parody of such things so I cut it some slack in that regard.

Vanquish is a fucking BLAST. There's just something magical about firing a burst cannon at a group of soon-to-be-dismantled bots, rocket-sliding over to a 20-foot tall monstrosity while blasting your shotgun all the way and finally drop-kicking the 20-foot tall bastard so hard his face explodes followed by your shotgun exploding the rest. This is a real thing that you can do in Vanquish, and it's only one of many scenarios.

This game controls like a DREAM. Everything is cancelable and everything happens when you press the button to make it happen.

Scrap whatever you think of the demo. Try the full game.

Red Dead Redemption- May be my favorite next-gen game ever.

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker- A big surprise for me seeing how I hated Portable Ops. Not only does the game have a trademark Bat-shit mgs story, but the gameplay and stat-building is some of the most addicting stuff I've played in a while.

Heavy Rain- The story shits the bed at the end, but I still really loved it.

God of War 3- Almost forgot that this came out this year, but looking back it's quite the thrill ride.

Scott Pilgrim Vs The World: The Game- Still have the music from this stuck in my head. I think this might be the best movie-tie in game ever.

Joe Danger- Another really great downloadable title. I don't know if any of you checked it out, but it's like Sonic-meets-Excite Bike-meets-Trials HD...so much fun.

Megaman 10- I couldn't get through 9, so I loved that this is a bit easier.

Tatsunoko Vs Capcom- Almost forgot about this too until Duke reminded me. I don't know many of the characters, but I still loved it.
NBA Jam- Better than any sports game this year. This is how it's done.

Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony- I think this actually came out last year, but I didn't get around too it 'till it was released on ps3.

You one of the 20% as well huh? I'm crook as a dog within fifteen minutes of playing an FPS and don't come good for at least an hour afterwards. I haven't played one in almost fifteen years now.

I get the feeling that's why many games that once would have been purely FPS, like Mass Effect, Oblivion and Fallout now all give you the option of going third person.

You can play both Mass Effects and Fallout 3 Erix my good man, believe me.

Red, Shake:

Did either one of you ever play Shinobi on the PS2? I had a hard time getting my head around Vanquish from just the demo. I loved the acrobatic abilities, the cartwheel-bullet time thing, the suit as a character. But it seemed like all this was broken up by hiding behind walls a la Gears of War and taking potshots at dudes.

I love (ps2) Shinobi because there are no walls between you and your enemies. You get in there, chain up your combos, and kill all the sons-of-bitches with a single mighty maneuver. It's hard as hell, obviously, but that's what I'm about. It seemed to me that Vanquish has the toolkit to make something similar happen, but the demo suggested otherwise. Whats the deal?

Shinobi for the PS2 (a 2003 release) continues the long tradition of All Shinobi Games Being Fucking Frustrating To The Point Of Insanity.

Anyway....

Yeah. I don't know what it is. I played the early ID Software shooters (Wolfenstein 3D, Doom) I was a big fan of Goldeneye for the N64. (Like everyone). But, as the games got more sophisticated, they became more unplayable.

(There are exceptions. I got through Half-Life.)

Is Fallout the one where you start the game as a baby?

Yes it is.

I loved the game at the time, the mechanic where you got injured if you weren't constantly killing people got a bit frustrating though.

Nightshade (the sequel) got rid of that but I didn't enjoy it quite as much.