2010 might go down in history as the year story-based DLC finally really came into its own, with significant new add-ons hitting some of the biggest games of the year and giving you some great reasons to fire those games back up weeks or months after you finished playing through their core storylines. But while plenty of this year's best DLC added onto and fleshed out the games on which they were based, no DLC felt like such a complete story and package in its own right like Minerva's Den.
Rather than trying to shoehorn a misplaced interlude into the events and framework of BioShock 2 itself, Minerva acts as its own self-contained story featuring entirely new areas and residents of Rapture. Minerva not only established and explored the technological backbone of Rapture with some fantastic vintage dawn-of-computing-style trappings (vacuum tubes! Alan Turing!), it also expertly told the tragic tale of Charles Milton Porter, the brilliant computer scientist who gave so much to his fellow citizens and was rewarded for it with betrayal. Minerva arguably surpasses BioShock 2 itself and is one of the best examples so far of how much can be accomplished with a low-priced downloadable add-on.
It shouldn't surprise you to hear that Halo: Reach is a terrific cooperative experience. Like the rest of the game, Reach's co-op follows in the footsteps of Bungie's previous Halo games, letting you work your way through the campaign with a crew, laying waste to everything in your path. Sure, you might not get the real feel of the game's story, since you're probably going to be yelling at your partners through most of the game, but working your way through waves and waves of enemy forces with a crew makes the campaign way more exciting.
Then there's Firefight mode, which was greatly expanded for Halo: Reach to make it a far more exciting take on the whole wave-based survival style. With the ability to tweak plenty of different variables when playing with friends to the variety of different maps you can use, Firefight might be good enough to take this category on its own. But when you add all that stuff together, Halo: Reach is the best cooperative experience to be had in 2010.
Arguably one of the strongest categories in 2010, the downloadable space saw a huge number of amazing original titles this year, though none captured our collective imaginations quite like this re-reimagining of that most venerable of pill-poppers, Pac-Man.
It's kind of unbelievable that Pac-Man could feel as vital now as he did when he first debuted some 30 years ago, but by shifting the focus from simple survival to a community-driven high-score race, and layering it with a jaw-clenching club-drug aesthetic, Namco has done precisely that. It's a miraculous balancing act between some really deep-seated nostalgic triggers and fresh, frenetic gameplay, and it's our pick for best download-only game of 2010.
I can scarcely recall a game so thoroughly dedicated to crafting an aesthetic as Kirby's Epic Yarn is. The latest platformer starring Nintendo's huggably squishy puff-ball of a hero, Kirby, is set in a world where everything has gone fully arts-and-crafts. All the characters (Kirby included) are constructed out of outlines of yarn, buttons, zippers, and other things you'd typically find at the local fabric store. Developer Good Feel stitches every single piece of this world with this patchwork art style, and manages to make it all mind-numbingly adorable in the process. Seriously, just watch Kirby morph into a little Kirby car, and dare yourself not to go "d'awwwww." Seriously, try it! If there's a heart in your chest, you'll fail!
With the launch of the Kinect drawing much of Microsoft's focus this year, it felt like the third-parties had much more to offer Xbox 360 owners in 2010. But Bungie still made a huge impact by leaving its final mark on the first-person shooter it created, Halo. Halo: Reach combines some of the best that Halo has to offer, including a quality campaign, terrific competitive multiplayer and the best cooperative play that we saw all year.
Reach also stands out for its interesting story, which fills in a key time in the Halo universe that, up until the release of Reach, had only been addressed in book form. Reach's story is great, and even though you know how it will ultimately end--the battle of Reach certainly ain't pretty for our side--the game makes the whole thing interesting by letting you see it through the eyes of the Noble Team, a great group of characters that are strong enough to make you forget about that " Master Chief" dude.
With its stellar suite of options and high quality throughout, Halo: Reach stands tall as the best thing that you can only get on an Xbox 360 this year.
" I feel like the important part of the bombcasts on their debates is that they are being way more honest than other game websites. Other websites just put up their lists and their viewers either love them or hate them based on personal preference. They have no idea if the people making the lists played the entire game, or had previous biases. It may not be the funniest or most informative podcast but it gives us an honest look at how they decide. I personally really appreciate that. I don't agree with all of their choices but I respect them a great deal, and I like how an impassioned defense by one of them can sway the others. "
Quoted for articulating exactly what I love about GiantBomb.com
I feel like the important part of the bombcasts on their debates is that they are being way more honest than other game websites. Other websites just put up their lists and their viewers either love them or hate them based on personal preference. They have no idea if the people making the lists played the entire game, or had previous biases. It may not be the funniest or most informative podcast but it gives us an honest look at how they decide. I personally really appreciate that. I don't agree with all of their choices but I respect them a great deal, and I like how an impassioned defense by one of them can sway the others.
" Im amazed that Brad won out against that onslaught of pure ignorance and people who haven't even fucking played the shit making sweeping loaded assumptions. "
That's kind of been my concern from the beginning from before they even started these discussions, but I figured they were going to take some time to play some of the stuff. The fact that they didn't makes these discussions kind of weird. Weird isn't a good word for it, but whatever. "
They were at least aware of it for this one category. Maybe 'best DLC' should go the way of 'best sports game' unless they're sure they can actually have a robust discussion. Same for PC only games, frankly.
thats what I kinda dont like about these game of the year things. Alot of times its two of the crew arguing it out for 30 or 40 minutes, then one kinda lets the other win probaly due to the fact they arent getting anywhere in the conversation. thats the only way I can see minervas den winning because listening to the cast it sounds like it was majoirty vote that Shadow Broker won.
" Im amazed that Brad won out against that onslaught of pure ignorance and people who haven't even fucking played the shit making sweeping loaded assumptions. "
That's kind of been my concern from the beginning from before they even started these discussions, but I figured they were going to take some time to play some of the stuff. The fact that they didn't makes these discussions kind of weird. Weird isn't a good word for it, but whatever.
How did minervas den win? Im listening to the podcast right now and it sounds like brad is the only one that thinks it should win. I thought it was majority vote?
" God of War III doesn't make the Best Looking Game? Even if you hate the game you can't say its not a Great Looking Game. No one with eyes can keep it off this list. AND what about Starcraft 2? That is a F'ing great looking game. Hmmm Giant Bomb methinks something is wrong with your Best Looking Game Category. Kirby's Epic YarnGod of War III Starcraft 2 is the correct list baby. "
They went for style over, as Jeff puts it "most". It's easy to say which game is the most technically advanced (PS, it's NOT God of War III), but choosing which has the best crafted aesthetic and is great to look at is different. God of War 3 didn't have that much flare, it just worked with a subject matter that has a lot of scope.
Im amazed that Brad won out against that onslaught of pure ignorance and people who haven't even fucking played the shit making sweeping loaded assumptions.
@Zereta: I agree, I think they should have just put Kirby in a "Best Style" Category and kept GoW3 for best graphics. I haven't played it, but I've watched enough of someone else play it that I have to agree with you.
God of War III doesn't make the Best Looking Game? Even if you hate the game you can't say its not a Great Looking Game. No one with eyes can keep it off this list. AND what about Starcraft 2? That is a F'ing great looking game. Hmmm Giant Bomb methinks something is wrong with your Best Looking Game Category.
Glad that Halo: Reach did not get robbed of the best of 360 award. But God of War 3 definitely got robbed in the graphics department though Kirby: Epic yarn is a good pick as well, I guess.
The only thing in that category that was undeserving was Limbo. Haven't listened to the podcast yet but Limbo was alright. Not as good as everyone, especially Brad, seems to think.
great now i gotta wait for Minerva's Den to go on sale. just barely bought the Lair of the Shadow Broker and the other ME2 DLC because it's on sale for 200 pts each. anyone who was even slightly interested in the DLC should jump on it cause 200 is a steal for DLC.
Listening to both Brad and Vinny discuss Minerva's Den and Shadow Broker and it is amazing. The way they both were so heavily invested in the addons makes for some really interesting debate. This is how I really wanted Day 1 to go, but that one seemed to get really juvenile. It still went on for a very long time, but I gotta say I am much more impressed and informed of how the process for these things go. Great job!
Edit: Also, I think Jeff is correct to say that Brad does not know what Bioshock 2 is and it might have changed his opinion if he finished it, but that was coming from a guy who ruled out some Red Dead Redemption stuff and did not even touch it. Overall, I think the fact that some guys are ruling on games that they didn't play makes this whole thing crazy. It's really funny and hectic, but not necessarily fair in some cases. Still, I'm having fun!
" How was final fantasy 13 not even considered for best looking game?! Seriously! It seems like they only care about games that were released within the past few months. Fucking ADHD "
exactly... i'm playing it now, and it looks awesome. ff13 and me2 should have at least been mentioned before alan wake. hell, they even mentioned tron... the fuck?
Brad's filibuster for Minerva's Den was disgusting, I'm really disappointed in him now fighting so hard for that and just letting York die for a Mass Effect character.
" I think most people miss the fact that brad and vinny are the only people who played the add ons, and ryan and jeff are going for SB mostly because they preferred ME2 over BS2. "
Exactly, when in the position where 2 people have never played the content, it is left to the one who has to convince them that it is indeed "DLC of the year". All through out the bombcast Jeff kept raising points of "well from what you're saying, the game sounds like this...." and it was usually received in a negative view, same goes for Ryan. Judging from the bombcast Brad didn't convince them of anything, he simply wore them out. Much like a spoiled 6 year old in a toy store. It's kind of sad really, you can almost hear the disappointment in the others voices when they realize "wow dude, this is how you're going to act? Fine you can have the fucking the toy!" "
It's hard to convince them because they are way more into ME2 than BS2.
"Oh and Brad is full of shit about Shadow Broker combat being the same. The boss fights were unlike anything in Mass Effect 2. God I wish the other guys would have spoke up more for Shadow Broker. "
It's also kind of funny how he says that the events of Lair of the Shadow Broker are in no way vital to the ME universe. Kinda weird how he arrives at that conclusion while having finished it half a day before the recording of the podcast started.
Another thing is that in his review of the ME2 he states that he would put the combat "right up alongside any pure third-person shooter on the market" while in the GOTY discussion he says that "there are way better third-person shooters on the market".
Now I think it is fine for him to feel that Minerva's Den was better, but the way he tries to get his way is kinda silly.
I think Brad did Minerva's Den a disservice by not explaining what exactly about the story was so amazing to him that I think potentially less people will play it now. To listeners it really does still just sound like "guess what... more bioshock." Even if it had a better story in comparison to Lair of the Shadow broker, I'm still not as invested in that world.
How was final fantasy 13 not even considered for best looking game?! Seriously! It seems like they only care about games that were released within the past few months. Fucking ADHD
" pacman over super meat boy? you must be kidding. "
They are kidding. On Jan 1. they´ll reveal they´re real picks and that the whole deliberation podcast was staged to troll the internets for lols and clicks. No offense to you, but seriously WTF is wrong with people? A few midly controversial picks and everbody seems to forget that opions are opinions and opinions differ. And I agree with you, I like SMB far more than Pacman.But I can respect that they pick pacman. "
It's my opinion that Meatboy >>> PacMan Championship Edition... :P
I mean, at the end of the day I don't even really care about those awards anyway....
" I think most people miss the fact that brad and vinny are the only people who played the add ons, and ryan and jeff are going for SB mostly because they preferred ME2 over BS2. "
Exactly, when in the position where 2 people have never played the content, it is left to the one who has to convince them that it is indeed "DLC of the year". All through out the bombcast Jeff kept raising points of "well from what you're saying, the game sounds like this...." and it was usually received in a negative view, same goes for Ryan. Judging from the bombcast Brad didn't convince them of anything, he simply wore them out. Much like a spoiled 6 year old in a toy store. It's kind of sad really, you can almost hear the disappointment in the others voices when they realize "wow dude, this is how you're going to act? Fine you can have the fucking the toy!"
The only winner that I disagree with is Halo: Reach for best Co-op game... I would have been happier with either Lara Croft: GoL or Splinter Cell: Conviction since they have fully fledged co-op modes.
Oh and Brad is full of shit about Shadow Broker combat being the same. The boss fights were unlike anything in Mass Effect 2. God I wish the other guys would have spoke up more for Shadow Broker.
@mr_moustache: I can respect that they picked Pacman and I fully understand that these are the GB' s awards, not my awards. However when two people have said that they thought Limbo was the best game and there wasn't even a discussion about it, just makes me resent Jeff's attitude. It feels like these awards are about convincing Jeff this game should get the award more than anything else.
I think most people miss the fact that brad and vinny are the only people who played the add ons, and ryan and jeff are going for SB mostly because they preferred ME2 over BS2.
In the MD vs SB argument I supported Shadow Broker, but that was because I never played Minerva's den. Brad supported the underdog and I respect that, but he seemed to have some flaws in his SB viewpoints. The voice acting thing, I didn't hear it at ALL. It all sounded fine to me. Lack of variety in 90% of Shadow Broker? The car chase was clunky only because I didn't know how to do the boost the first few times I did it. Otherwise it was awesome. Liara had a new power, I just don't remember what it was. There was that investigation sequence in the apartment, that was fine. Pretty much all of the DLC was new areas. The boss fight against the bad chick was pretty damn cool. And saying the SB himself was made only to have a big boss fight is just grasping for straws. I'm cool with Minerva's den winning, but some (not all) of Brad's arguments were flawed.
Either way, I didn't ever think it reached annoying, It was just passionate. I'd rather these guys be passionate about their choices than apathetic.
" I really wanted to punch Brad in the face during the add-on debate. For me the term "add-on" implies that that the content actually adds on to the overall package of the game, Shadow Broker does this and expands the universe, while Minerva's Den is a self contained package that does not connect to the game's overall story. "
Geez, you are are a violent fella. Without knowing what Brad said about add-ons I'll say: "Downloadable add-on" is just a term to distinguish those expansions from downloadable stand-alone games and to separate it from smaller downloadable content. So what you think "add-on" implies or not - doesn't really add in. Also, in my humble opinion, I would say you are wrong about Minerva's Den not fitting the bill. It actually adds more gameplay hours and while perhaps self contained, it also expands the Bioshock universe, perhaps not to the original game itself, but in it's small kind of way. "
@Kovski:
Listen to the podcast. I think Brad is a smart guy and I wouldn't say that I wanted to punch him in the face at all, but he was pretty relentless in his argument in favor of minerva's den. It sounded like the rest of the staff was leaning pretty heavily towards lair of the shadow broker as their pick, but yielded to Brad's stance only because they were exhausted by the debate. It got kind of ridiculous. "
The rest of the staff was Vinny. Ryan and Jeff did not play Minervas Den.
I think if you feel strongly about an subject you should be (and allowed to be) relentless in your argument. No need for any face-punching to occur. It was pretty obvious that Brad and Vinny would not come to an agreement on the subject, so one of the two had to give in. This time it was Vinny, maybe tommorrow it will be (has been) brad.
PS As someone who has not played Minerva but has played Shadow I must say that I can agree with most of Brad argument against Shadow. (still an absolute beauty of DLC)
P:P.S. @RiotBananas said:
" I am amazed that people still nerd rage about the staff picks.
Just because they didn't pick what YOU think is the correct game doesn't mean they're wrong. "
Of the games I hear(well, see) the bitching about, I played Minivera's den and a 1/3 of Limbo. Limbo was okay, but I really, really liked Minivera's den. But then, I buck the popular, burned -out -on- Bioshock mood, I loved Bioshock 2.
Whereas Mass Effect 2..it was good, but I'm no Mass Effect fanboy . I tried getting(I actually do own it all) the dlc, lair of the shadow broker, and some lind of glitch will not let be play it. I need to get that staightened out, I keep forgetting to. So it's hard for me to favor shadow broker over Minivera's den, both by lack of experience of the dlc, and in reverse my experience of Mass effect 2. I'm not oppossed that Mass effect will do well, but that is because I have not too much to favor more. Halo reach impressed me, just to say though. That did suprise me.
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