Best of 2010
Crono: Best of 2010
List items
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StarCraft 2 had to be my top pick. While I didn't think much of the singleplayer that everyone seems to believe is some huge leap forward for singleplayer campaigns (hint: WarCraft 3 was way better as far as single player mechanics go - also, play the Rexxar missions if you haven't - they're amazing) but the multiplayer is EXHILARATING!
Not since WarCraft 3 have I been so tense while playing a game. Some people might argue that is antithetical to the purpose of games but they couldn't be more wrong. StarCraft 2's multiplayer is so pulse-poundingly exhilarating, deep, fast and built upon skillful and masterful play that it is one of the few video games that I would consider as a candidate for being considered a 'sport' (see: chess).
Enough can't be said about SC2's multiplayer - but forget words - the best way to understand what it is all about it by watching commentated matches where the excitement is generally taken to a whole new level as you get caught up in the commentator's excitement. Really, it doesn't get much better than this as far as multiplayer RTS goes.
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It is hard to believe that Darksiders actually came out in 2010. January 5th, 2010 - it seems like forever ago when I think about Darksiders...
Darksiders was a fun romp through a new IP. While the game isn't especially innovative with any one thing, the many parts that it 'borrows' from other games adds up into a very satisfying experience.
The aesthetics are reminiscent of World of WarCraft, the game has combat not dissimilar to that of God of War and experience of "overworld to dungeon, overworld to dungeon, overworld..." is very reminiscent of classic adventure games ala the Zelda series circa 64 era.
This is really a great game and I hope that not too many people forgot about it come time for lists.
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I really didn't want to put this on my list but after playing through a large portion of the content - I had to.
Blizzard has truly pioneered the MMO landscape and they are showing that they still have a lot to teach us about how to make interesting and involving MMO games. Cataclysm builds heavily on the 'phasing' that was introduced in Wrath of the Lich King and uses it to great effect. The phasing has allowed them to really make the story more involved as they can have Deathwing show up and have a scene happen that - if witnessed by other players - might spoil something for them. With the phasing however they have 'phased out' this problem so to speak. Parts of Azeroth will change for you as you play through the quests and it is really an awesome experience to see happen in an MMO.
Barring that, the quests themselves feel so much more satisfying. A lot of thought and care went into recrafting WoW and it was certainly all for the better. The introduction of 2 new races is still a letdown for me as I'd much rather have a new class than a new race, personally, but the starting zones are both interesting and fun in their own ways (although I prefer the Goblins over the Worgen)
Cataclysm doesn't launch with too much high-end content, really, but most of the resources have gone into recrafting the old world. I am extremely pleased with the way that this expansion turned out, it isn't as forward moving as Wrath was, but it is leaps and bounds better than Burning Crusade was.
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Bad Company 2 - I haven't touched the single player because that isn't what a DICE game is about. The multiplayer of BC2 was a lot more 'infantry' centric than most Battlefield games. The maps are much smaller than previous entries into battlefield and far less classes to choose from. DICE really did well in "focusing" the series more though, in my opinion. While there are only 4 classes to choose from now, it feels less convoluted. The classes in the game take on multiple roles of previous BF classes and it works surprisingly well. The combat felt ok but was heavily improved in the Vietnam expansion. It features progressive leveling that includes unlocks and each class has its own track that you level up, as well as an over-arching level that is capped at 50.
Overall this game still creates many memorable moments that only seem to happen in Battlefield games. It is deep, fun, reflexive and chaotic - its Battlefield.
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Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit is really all about the multiplayer as far as I am concerned. The action feels so intense as you and the other players aren't just racing - but escaping. When you're not busy trying to win a race and edge out the competition, you're busy trying to bust racers as the cops. Honestly, to me, this game feels like 'advocated griefing' kind of like Left 4 Dead, but with cars! The racers are the survivors and the police are the infected. Really, if you think of it that way, then you'll understand what NFS:HP is all about!
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Super Meat Boy was always great as a flash game (check out newgrounds.com) but I never had an controller to play with and it felt like it would be much better with one. Lo-and-behold it is true. Super Meat Boy is a super tight platformer that isn't afraid to put up punishingly hard obstacles in your way. I really enjoyed how the game hooked me in despite its harsh difficulty with interesting level designs, great music, and an ever-changing aesthetic; each of these elements really adds up with the tight controls to form a platformer that stands on its own in 2010.
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I had never played a Civilization game before. There, I said it. Being my first Civ game this was a great jumping-off point I'd like to think. The reason I say so is because many people complained about core features missing from this Civ game, cut out for one reason or another (like religion is one example, I believe) I was so overwhelmed by everything I was keeping track of and thinking about that I am glad those layers weren't there initially. This game is extremely addictive and I played many 200 turn games STRAIGHT THROUGH on standard settings when I first bought the game. Since then, I have gained some self-control (some...) but I am not ready for the missing pieces of Civ that weren't in this version. Give me religion! I want more! Amazingly fun and addictive game - great for control freaks!
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John Marston - that alone should be reason enough to include this game on the list. To me it is, but just to add some depth. I really enjoyed the story of Red Dead, while the first edition in this franchise was a bland western game with a "meh" story, Redemption takes over the reigns and doesn't look back. To me, the choice of "Redemption" for the title has more to do with this series redeeming itself from its yesteryear version than it does with the story.
The gameplay is fun and smooth, the characters bring the world to life, and the landscape is absolutely gorgeous. While it isn't a perfect game, it's the best western that I have yet played and it is a title that should stand for quite some time as it is a solid game in its own right too.
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I'm biased for Bethesda. I say a lot of bad shit about their games - and despite all that - I still play their buggy games! I just really enjoy the story lines a lot, I think. Or maybe not? I really don't know what it is that compels me to play these games because I am usually a multiplayer-centric gamer, but the open-world RPGs that Bethesda makes are great and New Vegas is no different. From the first time you step foot on the Vegas Strip or when you get that first town to really love (or hate) you... Vegas kept me coming back for more and more until it was over. I look forward to more quests in the add-ons. I'm a sucker for this stuff.
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Although ModNation Racers was released with bugs and long load times (and still has some pretty bad load times) the game is solid and fun. There are near-limitless customization options available for players and this is one of ModNation's biggest points. You can customize everything from your driver, your car and even your own tracks. You can then upload and share your creations with the world or, if you're not the creative type, you can browse other people's works and download. Getting into online races is a painless ordeal and overall the game is a very fun but somewhat bland kart racer. I included it in my list, despite this blandness, because it was a game that I could share with my girlfriend.
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