Best of 2010

Phunk_King: Best of 2010 
 
These are sort of loosely in order.  I've spent the last 20 minutes shuffling it around and around and have decided I'm just going to leave it alone now.  Depending on my mood and that day any one of these could be my number 1 so though a game may be lower on my list I would still give them all at least 4 puppies.   
 
While putting this together I was really surprised how many downloadable, smaller games made it on (or in the case of a couple, almost made it on).

List items

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  1. Red Dead Redemption

  There were other games that were better in a variety of ways but nothing ever topped just moseying around and soaking in the atmosphere. Near the end when you are riding back to the homestead and the music kicks in I actually felt my heart lift. I always know what emotion a game is trying to evoke but I've never actually felt it before. Probably all comes down to what Boys Don't Cry sang... I Wanna Be a Cowboy.

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  2. Dance Central

  Has all the trappings of the beginning of a new rhythm game franchise. The core game is there and the charm shines through but it is still pretty minimal overall. That said, this is the ONLY reason to own a Kinect at this time, and the only reason I need. Oh, and they added Word Up so it's nearly perfect.

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  3. Mass Effect 2

  I am probably in the minority saying I liked the first game a little better and I'm certain I'm one of few people who would say they actually enjoyed the Mako and was bummed it was removed the second time around. Many things changed from 1 to 2 but the heart of the game remained true and strong. I've grown attached to the goofy looking dude I created called Shepard (he looks like Mark Wahlberg if he sort of melted).

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  4. Fallout: New Vegas

  I played this with all the bugs and I encountered plenty of them. Despite that I still had a fantastic experience and want to go back in fresh once more of the issues have been addressed. I had a couple of quests bug out on me and actually got forced down a path I didn't exactly want to go but I still had a fantastic time with this game. I wouldn't mind simply removing all enemies from the game and just roaming the countryside exploring EVERYTHING.

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  5. Alan Wake

  Basically play as Stephen King? I'm in. The combat is a bit repetitive and maybe not the greatest but the story and atmosphere are simply top notch. Plus, this introduced the Old Gods of Asgard (real world band Poets of the Fall) and these dudes may be old but still rock.

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  6. Pac-Man Championship Edition DX

  I've been playing Pac-Man since the Atari 2600 days, I would sneak out of my room at night and play for hours. I've got the Pac-Man Fever album prominently displayed in my bedroom (thought about gifting it to GB but couldn't bear parting with it) and owned a Super Pac-Man cocktail table for a while. So yeah, I love Pac-Man. However, I sort of thought he was done. Championship Edition was good but didn't quite grab me in that special way. Simply hearing the menu music for DX though... instant classic. Pac-Man is relevant and awesome again 30 years later.

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  7. Super Meat Boy

  I've only allowed myself to play this game in short bursts. It is infuriating at times, but in that good way. The level design is fantastic and sometimes seems impossible. Plus, kick ass soundtrack.

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  8. Limbo

  Seems weird putting this among the company of such greats as Mass Effect 2 and Red Dead Redemption but this little game stole my attention completely. I poured myself into it and played until I managed to get a complete run through in one sitting with only 1 death (at the VERY END). Simple yet difficult. Simficult?

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  9. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit

  I've been away from racing games for a while, last one I played was I think the first Burnout. Paradise was supposed to be great but I never picked it up. Jumping back into Hot Pursuit reminded me how much fun these can be. With active players on your friendslist this goes from a decent time against the AI to an all out battle against your friends (even if they aren't online at the time).

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  10. Heavy Rain

  Basically an interactive movie, or a slightly more involved point and click adventure game. I only played about half of this game myself, however a friend wanted to play so we started her a new save file and I watched her play start to finish over the course of a few days. I found I liked the experience better watching it because I could focus on what was happening, not which way I needed to fiddle the stick. Regardless, great game with a great vibe.