As with 2010’s “Other Games” list, this is another look at my favorite games from that year, and the results aren't unlike what I wrote about before. The lack of Alan Wake was a conscious decision to remove games I don’t own, and while I do have the Steam version, that hit two years after the Xbox 360 version. So it was bumped, but that doesn't mean I don’t love it.
With the plastic instrument craze in decline during 2010, Harmonix released Rock Band 3 in an effort to revive interest. In addition to making the whole experience more user-friendly, we gained a new instrument (keyboard) and a new mode designed to bridge plastic instruments to the real thing (Pro mode). Of course, downloaded and imported songs could be played in RB3, allowing for a considerable collection of tracks.
Rock Band 3 failed in its primary goal of keeping people interested in this sub-genre, and Rocksmith vastly improved on learning to play a real guitar, but this is still among the best music/rhythm games ever.
Commander Shepard trying to stop The Collectors jump-starts the narrative, but it's the smaller stories surrounding the squad members that are worth our attention. From troubles with Jacob's father to Tali's trial, we're given plenty of way to become invested in these characters, making their reduced roles (well, for most) in Mass Effect 3 all the more heartbreaking.
Meanwhile, BioWare dropped the RPG elements from the shooting, going with more traditional third-person gun-play. Many lament this change, but it's an improvement in gameplay and makes more sense from a narrative perspective. (For an elite soldier, Shepard started with horrible accuracy in the original Mass Effect.)
Instead of a flat image, Picross 3D hands players a three-dimensional cube painted with numbers that determine what remains and what should be cut away, gradually revealing an object. Picross 3D is as addictive as 2D Picross, but is uniquely its own.
The best Halo game? I'd say so. Setting Reach before the events of Halo: Combat Evolved allowed Bungie to shed much of the narrative baggage that dragged down the second and third Halo. It brings everything back to the Covenant when they were still an overwhelming alien force capable of incredible destruction, and Noble Team's struggles to stave off an impossible-to-stop invasion.
Like with Mass Effect, the ability to bring over your custom hero, along with major decisions made along the way, is a powerful motivator. With control of a base castle, Awakening feels almost like a prototype Dragon Age: Inquisition, but the gameplay is still entirely Origins, for better or for worse.
I've read about how New Vegas is superior to Fallout 3 thanks to improved combat and a better story, but I only agree with one of those. While VATS is still important, the ability to aim with sights is an all-around improvement. Unfortunately, the overall conflict between Mr. House, Caesar's Legion, and the New California Republic didn't speak to me in any meaningful way. Still, New Vegas is still a fantastic game.
Alpha Protocol is not without significant flaws, but it's cool when you receive a call from a character because of past actions, earning a new mission and impacting future missions in small ways. Other games have done this before and since, but Alpha Protocol does it quite well. If only the combat and dialogue system were as good.
An incredible tribute to one of the most popular bands of the last two decades or an unnecessarily elaborate pack track? There's no arguing that Green Day: Rock Band doesn't feel as special as The Beatles: Rock Band. Not as much care went into this game, and Green Day doesn't hold the same musical and cultural importance as the Fab Four. Regardless, Green Day: Rock Band is a fun game for fans of the band, although more casual fans can simply buy these songs in the core Rock Band games.
Only during the last quarter does BioShock 2 step out of the shadow of its predecessor and does something truly original. Until that point, it's a retread of the original BioShock, except with slightly improved combat. That's not a horrible thing, of course. BioShock was an amazing and wonderfully original game, so it's a shame that the sequel doesn't contain even a fourth of that creativity through 3/4th of the adventure.
The problem with Valkyria Chronicles II isn't that levels are broken into multiple, smaller locations, meant to accommodate the modest hardware of the PlayStation Portable. The fatal flaw is since the game is so easy, clearing out those locations feels like busywork. It's a solid game, nowhere as fun as the first or third game.
