alright top ten list for 2010 I have limited it to games I completed so games that i enjoyed but did not finish get an honorable mention here (Bayonetta, Darksiders, Heavy Rain, and Fallout: New Vegas) and after the top three you could really put the remaining games in any order no reason to over think this.
The improvements bioware made to mass effect 2 over its predecessor almost make it seem like it was made by a completely different studio. Incredibly polished from start to finish filled with fantastic characters and containing one of the most fleshed out universes you're likely to find in the realm of fiction its the kind of game that reminded me why I enjoy this hobby to begin with
lets preface this bit with a little confession I love the Rockstar style of open world games so going in I was pretty damn sure I'd love this game but man did they hit the mark with this one. Featuring in my opinion the most solid gunplay the open world genre has to offer as well as one of the strongest narratives I've seen in a game red dead show how to do the west right in a video game while closing the book on it at the same time.
I've enjoyed the assassin's creed series from the beginning. The repetition in the first one as well as its unlikeable protagonist and cliffhanger ending put me off a bit but I still enjoyed the time spent. However the release of the sequel was when assassins creed became one of my favorite franchises with its beautiful setting and conspiracy laden tale of revenge. So its not really all the surprising that I ended up spending EXCESSIVE amounts of time in Brotherhood continuing the adventures of Ezio Auditore in a game that not only fixed the franchise's counter centric combat but was also filled with a ridiculous amount of content.
Yeah theres a decent amount of jank in alpha protocol its framerate was occasionally dodgy and its frustrating boss fights frequently exposed the lack of polish in the gameplay but underneath that was an excellent and reactive storyline that was constantly reacting to your choices taking place in a world populated by excellent array of well written and voiced characters. I would a buy a sequel to alpha protocol in a hearbeat hell i would pay for it to be made if i had the money.
I think its unfair to call lords of shadow a god of war clone. While it certainly is inspired by that style of game the mythology of its world and the epic, and at the same time personal, quest it takes you on was filled with some of the most memorable moments and rousing orchestral music I've experienced this year.
In my opinion no video game narrative accomplished as much with as little as enslaved did. With only 3 voiced characters and a lush overgrown post apocalypse America as it stage enslaved takes you on an exciting adventure based on the journey of the monkey king with its own science fiction twists.
Atmosphere was the big winner with Alan Wake never have I seen creepy forests and harmless townsfolk gone violent done better than in Remedy's latest. While the combat became somewhat tedious by the end of the the game the mind bending nature of the story as well as its unique episodic structure kept me glued to the game as I watched its mystery unfold.
Incredibly high production values and over the top god murder were married this year in a game called God Of War 3. And while I had considerable problems with some of the late story developments the game itself represents NC-17 blockbuster entertainment at its finest.
Starcraft II was 2 different games in box that you just happened to play in a similar manner. The campaign featured the most varied and unique scenarios that I have ever encountered in a single player RTS and while I had some problems with how some of the story was told and how the ending was handled the constantly changing mission objectives kept me playing till the end. And While I didn't dig too deep into the multiplayer when I played it against similarly skilled opponents the evolved form of Chess that RTS multi-player is proved itself to be as satisfying as ever. Needless to say when the expansion comes out I think I'll be more than willing to head back in.
alright I will admit dead to rights is far from the best 3rd person shooter on the market but god damn it this game has heart. Detective Jack Slates incredibly violent and obscenity filled journey with his murderous canine pal Shadow was a god damn bowl full of fun. From handcuffing criminals to use as cover to shooting out kneecaps while telling said criminal to shut the fuck up I find myself unable to complain about the entertainment that was offered here.
