As the title implies, this is a list of the top 10 games I enjoyed the most out of 2010. I have, admittedly, not played every major release of 2010(notably missing Red Dead Redemption, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Black Ops, just to name a few), but of what I played this is what I feel stand above the rest.
Limbo personifies a lot about why I love video games as an entertainment medium. Its art style is striking, the gameplay is engaging, its ability to convey an atmosphere and environment is unmatched this year, and the story asks as much out of the player as any other interactive part of the game. For better or worse Limbo takes a lot of chances in an effort to really connect with the player and it definitely succeeded in my case. Of all the 2010 releases, Limbo is the one that should be in every serious gamer's wheelhouse, like it or not.
Gaming over the past decade or so has had a steady decline in difficulty as it has become more and more mainstream and required more and more sales to be a sustainable industry. Games like Super Meat Boy exist to defy these trends and offer a super difficult, hardcore challenge that never tries to dumb itself down for the mainstream and rarely reaches controller breaking frustration. A steadfast dedication to these principles, an astounding amount of level and character variety, and some of the best platforming controls I've ever played earns Super Meat Boy a number 2 spot on my list.
Of all the games on this list, Rock Band 3 is easily the one I've sunk the most time into and it's predecessor is most likely my most played game of 2010. The inclusion of real instrumentation, keyboards, and the best UI rhythm games has ever seen is what keeps me coming back time and time again. While the barriers to entry are high and some of the more hardcore features of Rock Band 2 were lost in the transition, Rock Band 3 does a lot to revitalize and stabilize my interest in rhythm gaming.
I had low expectations of Mass Effect 2 going in after loving the story of the original but ultimately finding the combat too archaic to battle through. Much to my surprise Mass Effect 2 not only quelled all my fears but it surpassed expectations I never knew I had. The characterization is easily the best I've seen in gaming and makes amazing strides towards removing the layer of detachment that most games have between the characters and the players. Mass Effect 2 is a world of complex problems and complex solutions, and that's the kind of strong storytelling the gaming industry needs.
When I describe Recettear to another gamer I typically pitch it as "What if someone made an RPG where you play as a shop keeper instead of a hero?" While a bit of an oversimplification, that's what i feel strikes the heart of what this game is. Much in the way that I would find myself lovingly planting crops and raising livestock in Harvest Moon, I find myself haggling, promoting, and fulfilling orders in Recettear. It manages to keep the sort of busy-work of owning a store interesting, fun, and engaging much as a Harvest Moon does with farming. This core mechanic coupled with basic but fun adventuring and one of the best translations I've ever seen make it a no-brainer for bookending my top 5.
Until Halo 3 I was an outside consumer of the Halo franchise. I understood it's importance, but it ultimately never appealed to me. Halo 3 was the first game in the series I could really sink my teeth into, and Halo Reach perfects everything I've enjoyed about the series and eliminates everything that I felt made the earlier games lacking. A fantastic array of online options, the best story Bungie has ever told in a Halo game, and the same great core gameplay that has held the series together all converge into what is easily my favorite FPS game of 2010.
It may be a short-lived downloadable puzzler, but P.B. Winterbottom packs a lot of brain-teasing challenge and charm into a simple package. The writing is really what drives the game forward, and for good reason. It's clever, well presented, and overall very entertaining to read about the misadventures of a Buttwit. The storytelling combined with a strong visual presentation and a plethora of pie puns makes for one of the best downloadable titles of the year.
Coming off the heels of what I feel is not just one of the best FPSs of all time but one of the best games of all time, Bioshock 2 had some impossibly large shoes to fill. Even while coming a tad short of that mark, it manages to be a fantastic FPS experience and improve on much of the problems that plagued the first game's combat. It's unfortunate that it has to try to live up to its predecessor because taken alone, Bioshock 2 is a great game with an engrossing story, strong combat, and a lot of atmosphere that any gamer could enjoy.
There is a lot to love in Double Fine's first downloadable title, Costume Quest. As a huge fan of Psychonauts, expectations ran very high for this game and they were mostly met. The same kind of witty, clever dialogue and charm can be found all throughout Costume Quest as you trick-or-treat for candy, do missions for fellow trick-or-treaters, and quest to save your kidnapped sibling. The adventure game elements of Costume Quest truly shine in spite of its simplistic combat and repetitive structure. I feel the pros far outweigh the cons, though, and make it one of the best games of 2010.
Rounding out my top 10 is another downloadable title, Scott Pilgrim. I had never really paid any attention to these comics and stories but playing through this River City Ransom inspired brawler definitely sparked my interest. I generally find flagrant references to video games and nerd culture a bit distasteful but this game manages to pull it off and wrap it in a nice dose of old-school visual styles. Even with the distinct lack of online play Scott Pilgrim is a very fun experience.
0 Comments