CHICAGO – We may be a little late to the wrap-up of the 2010 video game party, but there’s still time to take one final look back at the year that was before we get (more) addicted to “Little Big Planet 2” and “Dead Space 2.” What were the outstanding titles of the last twelve months? And what games will you still be playing in 2011? Chances are, these are the ten titles that won’t be leaving your console anytime soon.
Let’s start with a look back at 2010 as a whole — Was it a good year for video games overall? Mostly. There were at least three games that I believe will have a massive impact on the gaming landscape (“Red Dead Redemption,” “Mass Effect 2,” “Heavy Rain”) and two of the best shooters of all time (“Battlefield: Bad Company 2,” “Call of Duty: Black Ops”) competed for the title of the most notable multiplayer experience of the year. As for consoles, the Xbox and PS3 pulled further away from the Nintendo Wii, in part through their additions of the Playstation Move and Kinect. Neither technology really took off in 2010, but they clearly indicated two companies looking forward while the Wii treaded water in every way (only two exclusive games for it are mentioned in this piece).
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Photo credit: EA |
The trend of the year had to be the increase in downloadable delivery. It would have been easy to make an entire top ten list of amazing DLC. 2010 was the year where the future of gaming became crystal clear, in that many of the best releases were available on PSN or XBLA, and developers started to use the delivery system for more than just nifty avatar costumes or multiplayer maps.
As far as specific add-ons go, “Undead Nightmare” for “Red Dead Redemption” was one of the best in history, delivering more bang for the buck than most standalone discs released in the heated fourth quarter. “Vietnam” for “Battlefield: Bad Company 2” expanded on the already impeccable shooter with one of the most impressive multiplayer maps ever released through downloadable delivery. Finally, “Dead Rising: Case Zero” proved to be an amazing teaser for the full game, hinting at the true future of gaming by giving fans way more than just screen shots or teaser trailer to entice them to pre-order.
As for standalone DLC, “Limbo,” “Joe Danger,” “Puzzle Quest 2,” and even “Marvel Pinball” all sucked away literally dozens of hours of my life. Go buy them all. And had I chosen to include DLC, at least two, maybe even three, would have been in my top ten or in the runner-ups. Call it a cop out, but I stuck with on-disc titles for this year just to narrow the field. It’s probably the last time I’ll be able to do that.
If you’re missing any of these must-own games, click on the title for purchase details.
(Quick Note: 3 of the top 4 games of the year came out in the first quarter of 2010. In other words, we could be in the best quarter of 2011 right now.)
The Best Video Games of 2010
Runner-Ups: “Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood,” “Bayonetta,” “Bioshock 2,” “Castlevania: Lords of Shadow,” “Darksiders,” “Fallout: New Vegas,” “Halo: Reach,” “Just Cause 2,” “MLB 2K11,” “NBA 2K11,” “NCAA Football 11,” “Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions,” and “Splinter Cell: Conviction.”
10. “Alan Wake” [18]
Release Date: May 18th
Platform(s): Xbox 360
If the sadly-truncated second DLC hadn’t been so disappointing then this game could have been even more revolutionary and higher up the list. Honestly, if the future of downloadable episodes go the way that I expect, more and more games will be structured like “Alan Wake.” Divided into (roughly) two-hour episodes, complete with “Previously On” segments and wonderful song choices to end them, “Alan Wake” was a brilliant mystery spawned by a creative team who clearly loved Stephen King, “The Twilight Zone,” “Twin Peaks,” and even “Lost.” With such unique inspirations, the game felt like nothing else released this year. It became a bit too repetitive by the end and should have been more atmospheric, but the storytelling was riveting from beginning to end (at least before the DLC). As I looked over the games I played in 2010, it was often the stories that stood out as the form becomes more and more built around cinematic experiences. “Alan Wake” is the type of game that I expect we’ll see more of in the future. At least I hope so.
9. “Super Mario Galaxy 2” & “Donkey Kong Country Returns” [19]
Release Date: May 23rd, November 21st
Platform(s): Nintendo Wii
It’s admittedly cheating to include two great games in one spot, but I’m so pissed off about the lack of creative development on the Nintendo Wii that I don’t want to give them 20% of my top ten list and both of these titles are fantastic. Having played as many ugly and lackluster games on the Wii as I have, it’s startling to put in a title like “SMG2” or “DKCR.” It honestly feels like a different system. It’s as if Nintendo’s own franchises are being given a different set of development tools. There were very few games that provoked the same nostalgic fun as “Super Mario Galaxy 2” and “Donkey Kong Country Returns,” two of the most creative platformers ever made. Game critics write a lot about things like storytelling, character depth, and online functionality, but most of us got into this business because, like you, we want video games to be FUN. It’s one of the cheesiest things to say about a game, but both of these titles made me feel like a kid again and jealous of the current generation of youngsters that will surely be inspired by both of these titles.
8. “Rock Band 3” [20]
Release Date: October 26th
Platform(s): Xbox 360, PS3, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS
The team behind “Rock Band 3” have probably read all of the articles and message board posts claiming that the music game genre is on life support. Rather than simply playing their fiddle as the genre burns (like way too much of “Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock”), they accepted the challenge and reinvigorated an oversaturated genre by wisely refusing to stray too far from what made it popular in the first place. Just as great rock bands don’t so much reinvent the genre as rediscover what worked about it to begin with, “Rock Band 3” builds instead of reboots. With new tools, a more modern look, and a great set list, “Rock Band 3” offered something for everyone with the most gameplay depth yet seen in a music game. Everything about “Rock Band 3” simply feels more refined than the last installment. Even the new songs seem more expertly-designed with better sound and note timing. The game takes what worked about the franchise to date and didn’t change a note of it, merely building on what came before. It’s like a studio debut of a great local band — a bit more polished without losing what made the group successful in the first place. Who said rock was dead?
7. “Fable III” [21]
Release Date: October 26th
Platform(s): Xbox 360
I don’t understand why this game hasn’t shown up on more lists. Perhaps it’s because the hype led people to believe that it would be a game-changing experience that redefined the “good or evil” foundation of “Fable II.” Expectations were that it would blow people’s minds like “Red Dead Redemption” or “Bioshock” and just because it wasn’t the BEST game of the year, it’s been dismissed. “Fable III” entertained me from first minute to last with deep storytelling and a fully-realized world. As in my favorite titles of the year, I felt like the decisions I made truly shaped the world of Albion. And the ambition of this story — one that implies that every decision, whether it’s a traditional good or bad dilemma, comes with a cost — was remarkable. The sense of rising and impending doom led to a stunning pace that made the title more and more fascinating. I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next and what decision would come back to haunt me. If not for a slightly-disappointing finale, it would be even higher.
6. “God of War III” & “God of War: Ghost of Sparta” [22]
Release Date: March 16th, November 2nd
Platform(s): PS3, PSP
Kratos came back in 2010 in a big way, solidifying his status as one of the most interesting video game characters on the market today with an amazing action game on both Sony platforms. Just the opening sequence alone of “God of War III” merits runner-up status as Sony wasted no time showing players that it was worth the long wait for the franchise to come to the next-gen platform. With some of the most impressive set-pieces of the year, brilliant puzzles, and stunning graphics, “God of War III” never fails to entertain and can sit comfortably next to the first two landmark games. “Ghost of Sparta” may be less ambitious but no less remarkable. In fact, it’s one of those titles that reminds people that the PSP still has untapped potential as a gaming device. It’s a shame Sony never found a way to get their handheld into more homes. We might have had more games as straight-up entertaining as “Ghost of Sparta.”
5. “Call of Duty: Black Ops” [23]
Release Date: November 9th
Platform(s): Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PS3, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS
One of the best games of its kind ever released featured the strongest campaign yet-produced for a “COD” game and one of the most insanely-deep multi-player experiences ever. This is the “Avatar” of video games, the unstoppable mega-hit that has found its way into regular rotation for nearly everyone with an Xbox or PS3. It’s even crossed over to players who don’t usually play shooters, the sign of a true cross-demographic masterpiece. It’s gotten to the point where it feels like you’re not really a gamer if you don’t play “COD.” The game sets a new bar in terms of multiplayer depth with a variety of game types, weapons, and other variable elements that turn the game into a truly customizable experience. It’s an addictive world that makes it hard to leave…
4. “Battlefield Bad Company 2” [24]
Release Date: March 2nd
Platform(s): Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PS3
…unless you want to go back to “Battlefield.” In nearly any other year, “Black Ops” would be the obvious choice for shooter of the year, but DICE and EA brought a new competitor to the field this year with the slightly-better “B:BC2.” It may not be as ambitious as “Black Ops,” but the squad design, along with some of the best maps ever produced, gives EA the edge. Creating an honest emphasis on squad play that doesn’t feel forced, the design of “Battlefield” is nearly flawless. The maps play to various types of gamers and the combat experience is addictive. And, like “Black Ops” (but unlike “Medal of Honor”), one can’t write off the single-player campaign as completely as we so often do with shooter games.
3. “Heavy Rain” [25]
Release Date: February 23rd
Platform(s): PS3
If the developers of “Heavy Rain” had followed through on the DLC as promised instead of ditching it after one chapter to focus on Move functionality instead, this amazing title could have topped the list. And if two of the best games ever produced hadn’t been released this year, I would have been proud to put “Heavy Rain” at number one. This is an emotionally-engaging, riveting, complex form of storytelling that has all the impact of a quality motion picture except that you feel like you were a part of it. Rarely have I felt more fully-involved in a game, as if the action wasn’t scripted but unfolding in front of me and through the decisions I made. More and more games have attempted the incredibly-ambitious storytelling that gives the player the sensation that action is immediate, rather than scripted, but few have been as successful as “Heavy Rain,” a title that is actually driven by emotion instead of hand-eye coordination. We can only hope that the influence of “Heavy Rain” won’t be lost on developers and that more games this immersive are on their way.
2. “Mass Effect 2” [26]
Release Date: January 26th
Platform(s): Xbox 360
The most cinematic gaming experience of the year is also one of the best pieces of science fiction in the last twenty years. The story, the characters, the visuals — “Mass Effect 2” is stunning. It’s simply one of the most ambitious titles ever released, a game that feels like it doesn’t just create a level or a world, but rather it creates an entire universe of living, breathing characters. I have never more felt like my decisions, down to not just what I did but what I said, impacted the way the game unfolded. As the crew of the Normandy went about their business and I worked with them to form a team to save the universe, I was consistently blown away by the dramatic weight of the experience. That’s what is missing from most games. When a title can transcend mere buttons and analog sticks to become truly memorable on deeper levels – levels normally reserved for great works of literature, art, and film - it has to be considered one of the best of the year. And it would EASILY have been the best of the year in many others. In fact, I went back and forth on my top two this year repeatedly, eventually choosing the top one purely due to multiplayer and co-op, two elements missing from “ME2.” Judged purely on single-player storytelling, this is not just the best game of the year, but one of the best ever made.
1. “Red Dead Redemption” [27]
Release Date: May 18th
Platform(s): Xbox 360, PS3
The story behind the consensus choice for GOTY comes to matching “ME2” in terms of scope and ambition and also stands as one of the best ever written for gaming, and the addition of great co-op and multiplayer modes bump “Red Dead Redemption” to the top of the list for 2010. This game will be influential in so many varied ways that they’re almost hard to count. There have been titles that pushed the gaming world forward in terms of single-player campaigns or multi-player experiences or gameplay or graphics, but “Red Dead Redemption” is a masterpiece on every discernible level. Rockstar took the concept of the sandbox game and created a fully-realized world, marrying one of the best stories in the history of gaming with some of the best graphics ever produced. “Best, best, best” — you’ve surely heard it all before about “RDR” and either agree or probably haven’t played it. The simple fact is that, whether I was playing poker, hunting bears, lassoing horses, or enacting vengeance, I just wasn’t as entertained by any other title this year and that’s what it all comes down — games still need to be, first and foremost, entertainment. We can only hope that we’ll have another game this mind-bogglingly complete in 2011.
[28] | By BRIAN TALLERICO [29] |
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