I've never really been interested in making this kind of "Game of the Year" blog. This year, though, I figured what the hell. I can at least give it a shot. See if it's any fun. So here are my ten favorite 2010 releases, the five games I think could've made that list if I had played them, my ten favorite pre-2010 releases I didn't play until 2010, and the ten 2011 releases I'm looking forward to the most.
Just one thing: if you want to point out, for example, that Espgaluda II Black Label is a port of a 2005 arcade game with a couple of new features, or that Demon's Souls was released back in 2009 in Japan and the States, please don't. I already know, and as a European who's also pretty lenient when it comes to the exact details of the releases, I don't care.
This game has it all. Beautiful, detailed 2D graphics; a kickass soundtrack; a cool medieval-styled sci-fi setting; amazing bullet patterns; incredible pacing; a brilliant, unique system that, amongst other things, lets you temporarily alter the speed of enemy bullets -- it goes on. I've played probably over a thousand credits to date, and will certainly play many hundred more. Espgaluda II is an absolute masterpiece and, without a shadow of a doubt, my favorite game this year -- and one of my favorite games of all time.
With clean, colourful graphics, an upbeat soundtrack, tight controls and incredibly creative, varied level design that plays with physics and perspective in a way that puts even the first Mario Galaxy to shame, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is an absolute joy to play. It has some issues -- it's too easy, the levels could have been longer, and the music, while excellent, isn't quite as grandiose as that of the first game -- but it's extremely enjoyable nonetheless, and easily one of my very favorite 3D platformers.
Bayonetta blew me away. It's easily as visually and aurally spectacular as any of the God of War games (more, even), but unlike those, it doesn't sacrifice the complexity of games like Devil May Cry -- instead, it adds to it. Thanks to a wacky arsenal of considerable size and the most complex (in an easy to learn, hard to master kind of way) controls I've seen in a 3D beat 'em up, Bayonetta's combat is the most mechanically impressive I've seen in the genre since God Hand. I've played through it four times, beaten all the optional challenges except one (the hard-as-fuck Lost Chapter), and I'd still be delighted to play more -- it should say something (both about Bayonetta and how much I like the games above it on this list) that almost the entire first half of the year, I thought the chances of something coming along and topping this were close to zero.
Vanquish blew me away. It's easily as visually and aurally spectacular as the Uncharted games (more, even), but unlike those, it doesn't sacrifice the complexity of games like Gears of War -- instead, it adds to it. Thanks to a wacky arsenal of considerable size and the second most complex (in an easy to learn, hard to master kind of way) controls I've seen in a third-person shooter (the most complex being those of Xbox title Gun Valkyrie), Vanquish's combat is the most mechanically impressive I've seen in the genre since Resident Evil 4. Indeed, Vanquish is, in many ways, the Bayonetta of third-person shooters. However, it's shorter, simpler, aesthetically duller and has considerably less bonus content -- and that's why I could never put it above Bayonetta on this list.
After its release, BlazBlue: Continuum Shift quickly became my favorite fighting game. It's got everything I want from the genre -- a great system, a varied cast of cool characters that are fun to play, nice flow, stunning graphics and a good soundtrack -- and even some things I didn't know I wanted: a visual novel-style story mode, for example. I really like the way the developers periodically update the game with new characters and such via DLC, too. Capcom could learn a thing or three from Arc System Works.
Assassin's Creed II, except more and better; that's what Brotherhood is. Flashier, more fluid combat, more weapons and abilities, more and better side-missions, more and better music, a whole new aspect of the game in which you recruit and train assassins you can order around... the only thing I think II did better is environments, and I can't really fault the developers for that -- they did little more than replicate Rome, and it's hardly their fault that it isn't as beautiful a city as Florence or Venice. I've seen a lot of people whine about Ubisoft's desire to crap out one Assassin's Creed a year, but if the people at the Montreal studio can keep improving on the formula at this pace, I say bring those annual installments on. I, for one, will be more than happy to play them.
After spending well over a hundred hours with Fallout 3, I felt like I'd had enough Fallout to last me several years. I felt burnt out, and thought there was no way in hell I could enjoy another post-apocalyptic first-person open-world game anytime soon. I was wrong. New Vegas has everything Fallout 3 had -- incredible atmosphere, a large world with a myriad places to explore and so on -- and more: improved gunplay, more interesting quests, more likeable characters and locations, and a faction system that, while incredibly shallow, is still significantly better than 3's karma system (which is still present; it just, well, doesn't really do anything -- kind of like in 3, lol). I was hooked from the moment I turned the game on, and remained so for a good thirty hours (turned out I was burnt out on Fallout after all -- just not to the degree I initially thought). Certainly not as long as with 3, but still more than enough to secure a spot on this list.
On a mechanical level, Alan Wake is not especially good. The controls aren't as sharp as they could be, the combat is extremely basic, and enemies are in some ways cheap. Aesthetically, however, it's absolutely amazing. The lighting is second to none; the environments are some of the most authentic-feeling I've ever seen; the sound design is spectacular; the game is so beautiful, and the atmosphere so good, that I'm totally fine with the fact that you spend hours simply walking. In fact, I enjoyed the promenades in this game so much, I extended them by pressing the analogue stick forward very lightly, causing Alan to slowly walk instead of lightly jog. I really, really hope Remedy pull an Assassin's Creed II with the sequel and fix the major mechanical and structural problems -- if they do, there's no doubt in my mind it's going to be one of my favorite games of all time.
A beautiful dark fantasy world one can't help but want to explore. Enemy and level design that demands patience and attention. Probably the coolest online system I've seen in a game, allowing you to see how other players have died, leave and find hints and messages, enter other players' worlds to aid or attack, or have your own world entered. It's got a bunch of issues, too (a sometimes inadequate lock-on system, for example), but Demon's Souls is a unique action game that's terrific fun. Here's to hoping that Project Dark is something similar, thematically as well as mechanically.
I don't really care for modern multiplayer first-person shooters in general. Call of Duty, Halo et cetera -- they're just not my thing. This game, though? I love this game. I love the way the guns feel. I love the way sniper shots echo, and the way distant explosions sound. I love the way buildings collapse when you've put enough holes in them. I love the selection of vehicles. I love the maps. I love the modes (32-player Rush being my absolute favorite). There are a bunch of things I dislike about it (many of which, sadly, are inherent to the modern multiplayer first-person shooter formula), but I've gotten many hours of enjoyment out of it, and I am pumped as hell for the next Battlefield.
Top Five Games I Think Could Have Made My "Top Ten 2010 Releases" List If I Had Played Them
I've never really been interested in making this kind of "Game of the Year" blog. This year, though, I figured what the hell. I can at least give it a shot. See if it's any fun. So here are my ten favorite 2010 releases, the five games I think could've made that list if I had played them, my ten favorite pre-2010 releases I didn't play until 2010, and the ten 2011 releases I'm looking forward to the most.
Just one thing: if you want to point out, for example, that Espgaluda II Black Label is a port of a 2005 arcade game with a couple of new features, or that Demon's Souls was released back in 2009 in Japan and the States, please don't. I already know, and as a European who's also pretty lenient when it comes to the exact details of the releases, I don't care.
This game has it all. Beautiful, detailed 2D graphics; a kickass soundtrack; a cool medieval-styled sci-fi setting; amazing bullet patterns; incredible pacing; a brilliant, unique system that, amongst other things, lets you temporarily alter the speed of enemy bullets -- it goes on. I've played probably over a thousand credits to date, and will certainly play many hundred more. Espgaluda II is an absolute masterpiece and, without a shadow of a doubt, my favorite game this year -- and one of my favorite games of all time.
With clean, colourful graphics, an upbeat soundtrack, tight controls and incredibly creative, varied level design that plays with physics and perspective in a way that puts even the first Mario Galaxy to shame, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is an absolute joy to play. It has some issues -- it's too easy, the levels could have been longer, and the music, while excellent, isn't quite as grandiose as that of the first game -- but it's extremely enjoyable nonetheless, and easily one of my very favorite 3D platformers.
Bayonetta blew me away. It's easily as visually and aurally spectacular as any of the God of War games (more, even), but unlike those, it doesn't sacrifice the complexity of games like Devil May Cry -- instead, it adds to it. Thanks to a wacky arsenal of considerable size and the most complex (in an easy to learn, hard to master kind of way) controls I've seen in a 3D beat 'em up, Bayonetta's combat is the most mechanically impressive I've seen in the genre since God Hand. I've played through it four times, beaten all the optional challenges except one (the hard-as-fuck Lost Chapter), and I'd still be delighted to play more -- it should say something (both about Bayonetta and how much I like the games above it on this list) that almost the entire first half of the year, I thought the chances of something coming along and topping this were close to zero.
Vanquish blew me away. It's easily as visually and aurally spectacular as the Uncharted games (more, even), but unlike those, it doesn't sacrifice the complexity of games like Gears of War -- instead, it adds to it. Thanks to a wacky arsenal of considerable size and the second most complex (in an easy to learn, hard to master kind of way) controls I've seen in a third-person shooter (the most complex being those of Xbox title Gun Valkyrie), Vanquish's combat is the most mechanically impressive I've seen in the genre since Resident Evil 4. Indeed, Vanquish is, in many ways, the Bayonetta of third-person shooters. However, it's shorter, simpler, aesthetically duller and has considerably less bonus content -- and that's why I could never put it above Bayonetta on this list.
After its release, BlazBlue: Continuum Shift quickly became my favorite fighting game. It's got everything I want from the genre -- a great system, a varied cast of cool characters that are fun to play, nice flow, stunning graphics and a good soundtrack -- and even some things I didn't know I wanted: a visual novel-style story mode, for example. I really like the way the developers periodically update the game with new characters and such via DLC, too. Capcom could learn a thing or three from Arc System Works.
Assassin's Creed II, except more and better; that's what Brotherhood is. Flashier, more fluid combat, more weapons and abilities, more and better side-missions, more and better music, a whole new aspect of the game in which you recruit and train assassins you can order around... the only thing I think II did better is environments, and I can't really fault the developers for that -- they did little more than replicate Rome, and it's hardly their fault that it isn't as beautiful a city as Florence or Venice. I've seen a lot of people whine about Ubisoft's desire to crap out one Assassin's Creed a year, but if the people at the Montreal studio can keep improving on the formula at this pace, I say bring those annual installments on. I, for one, will be more than happy to play them.
After spending well over a hundred hours with Fallout 3, I felt like I'd had enough Fallout to last me several years. I felt burnt out, and thought there was no way in hell I could enjoy another post-apocalyptic first-person open-world game anytime soon. I was wrong. New Vegas has everything Fallout 3 had -- incredible atmosphere, a large world with a myriad places to explore and so on -- and more: improved gunplay, more interesting quests, more likeable characters and locations, and a faction system that, while incredibly shallow, is still significantly better than 3's karma system (which is still present; it just, well, doesn't really do anything -- kind of like in 3, lol). I was hooked from the moment I turned the game on, and remained so for a good thirty hours (turned out I was burnt out on Fallout after all -- just not to the degree I initially thought). Certainly not as long as with 3, but still more than enough to secure a spot on this list.
On a mechanical level, Alan Wake is not especially good. The controls aren't as sharp as they could be, the combat is extremely basic, and enemies are in some ways cheap. Aesthetically, however, it's absolutely amazing. The lighting is second to none; the environments are some of the most authentic-feeling I've ever seen; the sound design is spectacular; the game is so beautiful, and the atmosphere so good, that I'm totally fine with the fact that you spend hours simply walking. In fact, I enjoyed the promenades in this game so much, I extended them by pressing the analogue stick forward very lightly, causing Alan to slowly walk instead of lightly jog. I really, really hope Remedy pull an Assassin's Creed II with the sequel and fix the major mechanical and structural problems -- if they do, there's no doubt in my mind it's going to be one of my favorite games of all time.
A beautiful dark fantasy world one can't help but want to explore. Enemy and level design that demands patience and attention. Probably the coolest online system I've seen in a game, allowing you to see how other players have died, leave and find hints and messages, enter other players' worlds to aid or attack, or have your own world entered. It's got a bunch of issues, too (a sometimes inadequate lock-on system, for example), but Demon's Souls is a unique action game that's terrific fun. Here's to hoping that Project Dark is something similar, thematically as well as mechanically.
I don't really care for modern multiplayer first-person shooters in general. Call of Duty, Halo et cetera -- they're just not my thing. This game, though? I love this game. I love the way the guns feel. I love the way sniper shots echo, and the way distant explosions sound. I love the way buildings collapse when you've put enough holes in them. I love the selection of vehicles. I love the maps. I love the modes (32-player Rush being my absolute favorite). There are a bunch of things I dislike about it (many of which, sadly, are inherent to the modern multiplayer first-person shooter formula), but I've gotten many hours of enjoyment out of it, and I am pumped as hell for the next Battlefield.
Top Five Games I Think Could Have Made My "Top Ten 2010 Releases" List If I Had Played Them
With the exception of your distaste for Uncharted, your taste in games really closely resembles mine. At least seven of these games would be on my list as well. I've yet to play Demon's Souls, and Espgaluda wasn't even on my radar. It sounds really interesting. I'll be sure to check it out!
@Underachiever007: I don't dislike Uncharted. In fact, I think 2 is pretty good (and I'll certainly get 3, though probably not until a couple of months after release, when the price has dropped). I just don't think it's anywhere near as great as most people say it is.
Quick warning on Resonance of Fate if you do end up playing it, don't be discouraged when(Not if) you die on your first battle. The game does a pretty terrible job of explaining the mechanics, but once you understand them, it's a pretty awesome game.
Also, I hope Platinum pull an AC2 with Vanquish 2. I have no idea how they'll improve Bayonetta, but I can definitely see AC2's "bigger and better" design philosophy working for Vanquish.
nice write-up! some good-ass games on there. oh, and maybe this is on purpose for whatever reason, but i notice you have Kirby's Epic Yarn on your 2011 games you're looking forward to list, and, as we all know, that's a '10 game. unless of course you just mean you're gonna play it in '11...
Pretty much agree with everything on these lists, with a few points of disagreement. I'm surprised you'd rate Alan Wake over Demon's Souls because I get the impression you value challenge and mechanical excellence over all else, and rightfully so, areas where Demon's Souls trounces Alan Wake. The former has a superb combat system as well as a very interesting and innovative integration of being always-online whereas AW is a beautiful game that disappointingly falls short in storytelling and mechanics. I did enjoy AW though and hope for an improved sequel, it's a shame it didn't sell very well. I'm also surprised you liked Batman: AA, for pretty much the same reasons. It was a beautiful game with rather lacking mechanics and storytelling. I felt very let down by it, the combat and stealth were shallow and the boss fights were often gimmicky. Where would you place Mass Effect 2 and Red Dead, if you played them? Not that I think they should be there, just curious where you'd place those two.
@owl_of_minerva: Generally, I do, but Alan Wake and Arkham Asylum are simply some of the most aesthetically pleasing games I have ever played, and I can't ignore that. I would never rate them above mechanically superb games, but that's not a label I would put on Demon's Souls. It's great, but it has a bunch of issues (like the lock-on mechanic I mentioned) that hamper it quite a bit.
Mass Effect 2 would be number 11 if the list was longer, and while I've only played about two hours of Red Dead Redemption, I would at the moment put it at 13 (with God of War: Ghost of Sparta being number 12). I really enjoyed the adventure parts of ME2, but the action parts were mediocre (and rarely, but occasionally, outright terrible). Red Dead nails every single aspect of the setting, from the scenery and the music to the characters and their voice acting, but the combat is boring, and the controls are absolutely horrible. I haven't played a character as uncomfortable to control as Marston since Grand Theft Auto IV's Niko (and moving around with him felt like navigating a goddamn oil tanker).
@Video_Game_King: Man, I had completely forgotten about that. I might take a night to finish the game and the blog series sometime (according to my last SH2 blog, I'm currently three hours in, and I've heard the game is pretty short). Not now, though. I've just bought a batch of games I'd much rather play that Silent Hill 2.
I've always wanted to try one of those shooters and found out Espgaluda is region free it seems really expensive everywhere I can find it though... Stupid question I guess, is it worth £50? (or whatever that is in your money). I agree completely on what you have to say about Bayonetta, Vanquish and Alan wake though. I will never ever get Blazblue though I thought I'd try it again after not being being able to get into the first one and it still seems like a maths exam to me.
It's brash, totally incomprehensible, has very mixed design (level and character) and some pretty questionable visuals (astoundingly beautiful one moment, ropey as can be the next), all tied up with some undoubtedly decent fighting mechanics.
What about that screams "fantastic game", as so many people have been apt to do? I haven't met a person in real life who enjoyed it, so I'm genuinely interested in why those who did, do.
Vanquish is great, but you're comparison to Uncharted is a strange one. Throwing away complexity? Gears is unashamedly one-track minded.
@marioncobretti: As far as I'm concerned, Espgaluda II Black Label is easily worth several times what I paid for it. It's still an absolute blast after over a thousand credits, and it'll probably take me more than a year to get the 1CC.
@GetEveryone: I found every part of the game to be aesthetically stunning, and the combat tops everything else in the genre in terms of depth, fluidity and flexibility -- that is to say, almost everything that matters.
And there is no question that Gears of War is more complex than Uncharted. The first has Active Reload, the Roadie Run, and comrades and enemies that can be downed and revived. The second adds hostages, cover that can be manipulated, minor movement and attack capabilities for downed characters, cover-bypassing mortars and smoke grenades. The Uncharted games have none of this, and unlike Vanquish, they don't really add other mechanics to make up for it (I suppose they've got one thing: the platforming, but it very rarely plays a significant part in combat). I'm not saying Gears of War and its sequel are super-complex games, but in the sub-genre, Vanquish is pretty much the only game that has more depth.
"@GetEveryone: I found every part of the game to be aesthetically stunning, and the combat tops everything else in the genre in terms of depth, fluidity and flexibility -- that is to say, almost everything that matters. And there is no question that Gears of War is more complex than Uncharted. The first has Active Reload, the Roadie Run, and comrades and enemies that can be downed and revived. The second adds hostages, cover that can be manipulated, minor movement and attack capabilities for downed characters, cover-bypassing mortars and smoke grenades. The Uncharted games have none of this, and unlike Vanquish, they don't really add other mechanics to make up for it (I suppose they've got one thing: the platforming, but it very rarely plays a significant part in combat). I'm not saying Gears of War and its sequel are super-complex games, but in the sub-genre, Vanquish is pretty much the only game that has more depth. "
Mm, yeah I see you're point regarding the shooting mechanics. Uncharted isn't really a cover based shooter, though. Still, I'm pretty convinced "streamlined" is a more applicable term than "sacrificing". The game doesn't lose any quality for lack of more genre-specific conventions. It effectively marries Tomb Raider-esque exploration with some pretty tight shooting mechanics. I feel like I'm coming across as a die-hard Uncharted fan, but that's not really the case. I don't doubt either Gears or Vanquish on a technical or aesthetic level (especially not Vanquish): I love all three games. I just felt the comparison was a little unfair.
@GetEveryone: In regards to Bayonetta, you answered your own question - in beat-em-ups the combat system is pretty much everything . It has, with the exception of perhaps Ninja Gaiden, the most deep and rewarding combat system of any game of its type. As for very mixed design and visuals, are you basing this off the PS3 version, and what exactly do you mean? It's a very striking game with intelligent designs, although to each their own.
@Icemael: I think a lock-on system as you suggest might make the combat a little too easy and possibly more monotonous. Some of the challenge was based on positioning the character properly, and I never found I had difficulty hitting what I needed to hit once I got acclimated to the weapon types and controls. Like a jump button in Vanquish, I don't think it would add to the game and might even detract from it. Calling it mechanically superb might be a stretch though I agree. A significant problem is that the combat system falls down entirely pvp as it's slow, boring, and poorly balanced (too many healing items, hard to hit a dodging/rolling opponent, and some weapons are much better for fighting other players such as the scraping spear).
@GetEveryone: Uncharted is totally a cover-based shooter. Remove the climbing segments (which more resemble quick-time events than what you'd find in an actual platformer), and all you're left with is an inferior (but still fun) version of Gears of War with an Indiana Jones skin. There's no real exploration or puzzle-solving to speak of (at least not in 2 -- I haven't played the first).
@owl_of_minerva: I don't see how a better lock-on system would hurt the game at all. The current one leads to very annoying, jerky (and sometimes, like when you're standing on a narrow ledge or bridge, lethal) camera movement when enemies get close, and in situations where several enemies are present, it often locks to the wrong guy. Not a big deal for the most part as you can toggle between enemies, but when you're dealing with fast demons or have to dodge at the same time as you toggle, it can be disastrous. Something that subtly understands what you want to hit, like in Bayonetta, would make the game better without removing any of the strategy involved in positioning yourself.
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