Best of 2010
SpawnMan: Best of 2010
Well it was a good year for gaming - probably the best I've seen in a while in fact. There were a few huge titles and some solid games, as well as the return of a few series. Starting at the bottom is Heavy Rain. Not my favourite game, but sheerly because it broke some boundaries and got you involved with the characters puts it on my top ten list.
Next up is Halo Reach. Now I wasn't a huge fan of the game, but it really did step up the play in the campaign and tried to reinvent itself. Ultimately I didn't enjoy all the changes they made and still believe the earlier games were better examples of the Halo franchise, but you've gotta give them credit for trying.
At number 8 is Mass Effect 2. A really beautiful and immersive game that is as rich in story-line as the first. Customization and missions galore continue to make the Mass Effect franchise one to look out for and Mass Effect 2 definitely deserves its place in my list for upholding the franchise.
Call of Duty Black Ops. As usual, great multiplayer, good story and great gameplay. Maybe a little too consistently good to deserve a higher spot, but it delivers once again for all those adrenaline junkies out there. And Nazi zombies return!
Sid Meier's Civilization V. Wow. From number IV to this? A huge improvement. Not that the franchise hasn't always been amazing, but now it is beginning to look like the one and only god-sim you'll ever need. Absolutely breath taking in its detail and command.
Fallout New Vegas returns for a number 5 spot. Has all the charm of the original and the great gameplay only gets better. I always have a soft spot for games such as Fallout and Oblivion, and this is no different. Lots to do, but requires the time to do it. If you can allow yourself to be immersed in the game, then you too will see why I've scored it so highly.
Next up is number 4 with Battlefield Bad Company 2. Probably my favourite multiplayer of all time besides Gears of War, with loads of destruction and tactics, and it is this that really pushes it up my list for top games this year. It definitely would have been a lot higher if not for the terrible single player game. But considering how much I love the multiplayer action, Bad Company 2 has earned its spot in 4.
Representing for the arcade hits this year is Limbo! In the vein of many other arcade hits of the past few years, this game breaks the molds with some simplistic gameplay, monotonous and yet very beautiful environment and graphics, challenging and rewarding puzzles and levels and replay value. Not many games stick with me long after I've played them, but with Limbo, I found I was affected by it long after I put the controller down.
Number 2 was a hard choice, but in the end I put my beloved BioShock 2 in the slot. I was hesitant to applaud a sequel to my favourite game of all time, but I think the makers did an amazing job. The multiplayer is amazing, but the campaign is just as good as the first game in the franchise. It is a different setting of sorts, and does not capture the weird and wonderful nature of Rapture as well as in the first game, but it an honest and great effort for a take on a crumbling Rapture and really does give back to the player if they give it the chance it deserves.
Drum roll please... Red Dead Redemption! Wow. Just wow. This game is huge. It's beautiful. For the map and terrain you can travel alone this game deserves top spot. It created a game in a market where there are no real competitors, gave amazing gameplay and graphics to the player, and did it all with multiplayer, immersive single player and some great extras to boot. There's so much to see and do that the game just keeps giving and giving. It really does deserve its spot at number 1 in my picks for 2010. See you all next year folks!
