Best of 2010
matrix_hiei: Best of 2010
Not proofread- written at 6 AM. Bad combination...
List items
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I understand why some people didn't like Limbo. It's short (especially for its $15 price), and if you look at it purely for its fun factor, there are better puzzle-platformers out there. However, Limbo blew away me to point where even its shortcomings couldn't prevent it from being far and away my favorite of 2010. Limbo is a game that made me think in the way that a good film or book does, and it takes the art elements of art "games" like The Path and puts an actual game with it. I felt something playing Limbo, and the key word there is "playing." The puzzles blend seamlessly with the dark and brutal world, and I honestly felt chills throughout my first playthrough. There are moments in Limbo that I simply cannot express in words, and I understand that people have different ways of playing games, as well as different ways of experiencing art. I can respect that some people will approach Limbo and completely ignore its artistic elements, and judge it simply as a traditional game. I didn't, and I found a lot more to Limbo than I ever could have imagined. I have so many different interpretations and thoughts about what I experienced that I unfortunately can't write them all out. I will say that the way that Limbo's world changes to signify the development of society (starting with nature, and building to tribal and industrial) is unlike anything I've seen in a game, and it shows that through both its puzzles and settings. The point is, Limbo is the first game I've played that I would consider to be both a game and high art.
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Most games have either a single or multiplayer component that triumphs over the other. AC: Brotherhood is the rare game that absolutely nails both. The single player builds on the outstanding Assassin's Creed 2, and is worth the price of admission alone. The multiplayer is outstanding as well, and one of the most unique online modes available on consoles. There are some unfortunate connection issues on the Xbox version, but here's hoping that will be fixed in the near future, as every other aspect of the multiplayer works brilliantly.
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Super Meat Boy is simply incredible. Never have I been addicted to such a frustrating game, and it's truly amazing how Meat Boy has managed to keep me playing despite its unhealthy abuse. If you haven't heard, this game is HARD. You will die...and die...and die...and die some more on each of it's 300 levels, but somehow Meat Boy never manages to feel cheap. The levels are always beatable, the controls are extremely precise, and the game's design is just plain incredible. From the care and precision put into each and every level to the incredible cast of unlockable characters (all of which play differently), Super Meat Boy is one of the best platformers I've ever played.
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999, as it's often called, is the best DS you've never played. This text-based puzzle/visual novel has one of the best stories I've ever experienced in a video game, and one that makes use of the unique features of the medium. 999 forces the player to play through more than once to get the full story, even to to the point where you can't get the true ending without getting the "memories" from a specific bad one. That setup is easily done in a game format, and something that I'm not sure could be told the same way through a book or movie. Thankfully, the game lets you skip previously read dialogue, and it also shows you which paths you've already taken, which helps to limit the repetition. The puzzles themselves are interesting and fairly unique, and they merge well with the story sections, as the game never loses its dark (and M-rated) edge. If you like story-driven games, please give this one a shot. It might just be the best game I've played for DS.
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I admit that I've played very little of Civ 5. However, I'm confident that it deserves a spot on this list. Not only I've played enough of it to know that this is the natural next step for one of the most addicting game franchises, but the little I played made me scared to play more. I fear that purchasing Civ 5 will completely destroy my academic and social lives, and I don't think any other game this year has to the potential to that.
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ModNation Racers is certainly a flawed experience, but for me the positives far outweigh the many negatives. The insane creation tool allow for a strong community where creative players can share their creations with uncreative freeloaders like me. The racing is also solid, and I love that you can play split-screen online. This is the first racer of its kind I've loved since Mario Kart 64, and not even the ridiculous load times and connection issues can keep me from enjoying it.
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Super Street Fighter IV improves on nearly aspect of SFIV. Honestly, I've never been a huge fan of the series, especially compared to crazier fighters like Marvel vs. Capcom, Mortal Kombat, Darkstalkers, and last year's underrated BlazBlue, but I've had as much fun with this game as I've had with some of the best games in those franchises. The vast number of unique characters and surprisingly balanced fighting mechanics make this my favorite fighting game of 2010.
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NHL 11 can feel like an updated version of 10 (which felt like an updated version of 09), but this update did just enough to get me addicted to this franchise all over again. The core gameplay is aided by broken sticks, disallowed goals, and things that really only a big hockey fan like myself would notice. However, those things only make the game feel like a more realistic. The new hit animations are brutal, and after dozens of hours I still see plenty of hits I've never seen before. The Be a GM mode is also better than ever, adding important features like restricted/unrestricted free agents, junior leagues, and completely redesigned CPU AI that makes it feel like a whole new mode.
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Despite being one of the easiest games I've ever played, Kirby's Epic Yarn really is an imaginative little platformer. It's incredibly cute and a pleasure to look at, but what kept me coming back to Kirby was its simple yet surprisingly varied gameplay. It's fun, full of a charm, and really pretty unique. Again, I just wish there was a little more challenge.
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It's a dark Zelda. That's really fucking awesome.
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