lastplayed
Member
timetokill said:
I also nominated Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening and Arma 2: Operation Arrowhead in case you missed them!
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GAF Games of the Year 2010 - Voting Thread - VOTING CONCLUDED
- Thread starter timetokill
- Start date
- Status
I also nominated Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening and Arma 2: Operation Arrowhead in case you missed them!
1. Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker ;
2. Dead Rising 2;
3. Dragon Quest IX ;
4. Shin Megami Tensei Strange Journey ;
5. Ys Seven ;
6. Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep ;
7. Ace Attorney Investigations Miles Edgeworth;
8. Super Meat Boy ;
9. Mass Effect 2 ;
10. Golden Sun Dark Dawn ;
2. Dead Rising 2;
3. Dragon Quest IX ;
4. Shin Megami Tensei Strange Journey ;
5. Ys Seven ;
6. Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep ;
7. Ace Attorney Investigations Miles Edgeworth;
8. Super Meat Boy ;
9. Mass Effect 2 ;
10. Golden Sun Dark Dawn ;
Lagspike_exe
Member
1) God of War 3 ; Santa Monica's masterpiece. One of the very few games that pulled me in to an incredible roller coaster ride. Graphics, presentation, enhanced gameplay and an ending to an epic story is enough to crown this game Game of the Year. Unparalleled level of detail and the industry leading cinematic presentation are clear signs of Santa Monica's incredible talent and the hugely appreciated ability to forge and experience with an astonishing precision. Game never fails to impress, never allows the player to get bored, never allows him to feel that he isn't part of something epic.
2) Battlefield: Bad Company 2 ; Incredible multiplayer is only hampered by mediocre (if not bad) singleplayer and the late support. Still, insanely good net shooting and 4 free maps are huge pluses. Great engine, great netcode, great replay value and ferocious sound together propel Bad Company 2 to #2 in my list. A really thrilling online experience.
3) Gran Turismo 5 ; Mind-blowing physics and attention to details. The premium cars are created with an astonishing precision, rivaling CGI modeling at it's best. The great post-launch support, addictive, although a bit grind-oriented, single player, very good multiplayer and an entire car history packed on a single disk easily launch Gran Turismo 5 onto the 3rd place, unable to secure the ultimate victory only due to the sub-quality standard cars and certain issues with the B-Spec mode. Still, this game provides the absolute best value for money out of any games on my list, bar none, and proves that Japan is still ahead of their Western counter-parts in some genres. Sim racing's finest moment.
4) Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City ; A great refresh to the stale GTA formula. Polishes virtually everything from the vanilla version and adds a ton of variety. Together, a vastly better and more fun experience than the game it builds upon.
5) FIFA 11 ; Best football ever. Extremely impressive features, great presentation, great dribbling system and even better online play. Overall polish and improvements to the hugely impressive FIFA 10 easily confirm the Top 10 entry.
6) MAG ; Innovation in several key areas, very fun to play, with a strong emphasis on tactics. Insane post-release support, but somewhat flawed execution and issues in several fields. DLC is very good, although mostly deserted and with the lack of a high player count, playing quick games proves to be a big issue.
7) Fruit Ninja ; iOS game done right. Cheap, highly addictive, insanely fun, with a decent multiplayer and even a split screen option, it is iOS' defining game experience of the year.
8) Heavy Rain ; A lovely, if somewhat flawed, experience. Cinematic experience is inline with the rest of Sony's big hitters this year. Hampered by freezing issues experienced by many players and other technical glitches.
Additional notes: I have not played some of this year's biggest releases. As such, games like Red Dead Redemption, Demon's Souls, Fallout: New Vegas (waiting for GotY version) and Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood all are missing from my list.
2) Battlefield: Bad Company 2 ; Incredible multiplayer is only hampered by mediocre (if not bad) singleplayer and the late support. Still, insanely good net shooting and 4 free maps are huge pluses. Great engine, great netcode, great replay value and ferocious sound together propel Bad Company 2 to #2 in my list. A really thrilling online experience.
3) Gran Turismo 5 ; Mind-blowing physics and attention to details. The premium cars are created with an astonishing precision, rivaling CGI modeling at it's best. The great post-launch support, addictive, although a bit grind-oriented, single player, very good multiplayer and an entire car history packed on a single disk easily launch Gran Turismo 5 onto the 3rd place, unable to secure the ultimate victory only due to the sub-quality standard cars and certain issues with the B-Spec mode. Still, this game provides the absolute best value for money out of any games on my list, bar none, and proves that Japan is still ahead of their Western counter-parts in some genres. Sim racing's finest moment.
4) Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City ; A great refresh to the stale GTA formula. Polishes virtually everything from the vanilla version and adds a ton of variety. Together, a vastly better and more fun experience than the game it builds upon.
5) FIFA 11 ; Best football ever. Extremely impressive features, great presentation, great dribbling system and even better online play. Overall polish and improvements to the hugely impressive FIFA 10 easily confirm the Top 10 entry.
6) MAG ; Innovation in several key areas, very fun to play, with a strong emphasis on tactics. Insane post-release support, but somewhat flawed execution and issues in several fields. DLC is very good, although mostly deserted and with the lack of a high player count, playing quick games proves to be a big issue.
7) Fruit Ninja ; iOS game done right. Cheap, highly addictive, insanely fun, with a decent multiplayer and even a split screen option, it is iOS' defining game experience of the year.
8) Heavy Rain ; A lovely, if somewhat flawed, experience. Cinematic experience is inline with the rest of Sony's big hitters this year. Hampered by freezing issues experienced by many players and other technical glitches.
Additional notes: I have not played some of this year's biggest releases. As such, games like Red Dead Redemption, Demon's Souls, Fallout: New Vegas (waiting for GotY version) and Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood all are missing from my list.
1. Red Dead Redemption ; after the disappointing GTA 4, R* redeemed themselves with an amazing game
2. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit ; retaking the old concept of a game was never done any better
3. Minecraft ; Brought memories of what old pc gaming used to be
4. God of War 3; Stunning visuals and appropriate game play
5. World of Warcraft: Cataclysm ; the redesign of the old world its just amazing and the new zones are extremely engaging
2. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit ; retaking the old concept of a game was never done any better
3. Minecraft ; Brought memories of what old pc gaming used to be
4. God of War 3; Stunning visuals and appropriate game play
5. World of Warcraft: Cataclysm ; the redesign of the old world its just amazing and the new zones are extremely engaging
1. Dead Rising 2 ; A killer sandbox game with a daring, challenging mission design. I could not get enough of it.
2. Just Cause 2 ; The best zany sandbox game I've played, it unshackles the player and lets them do whatever crazy shit they want.
3. VVVVVV ; It's like an old 8-bit cart found in some mad genius's attic. It may only be 42mb, but it resonated with me like no other game in 2010
4. Red Dead Redemption ; Finally, awesome Western game. Love the setting, the believable gunplay, the incredible atmosphere...Rockstar's crowning achievement.
5. Joe Danger ; Fun and dangerously addictive, one moment I'm laughing till I cry, the next I'm trembling with rage. It's pure gaming.
6. Mass Effect 2 ; Better in some ways, worse in others compared to ME1. Still another captivating adventure in the great ME universe.
7. Bayonetta ; Badass and instantly iconic character and some of the best combat in any game, the first action game to hooked me, and goddamn, it hooked me.
8. Super Mario Galaxy 2 ; Might have been higher if I had time to finish it before this list, but it's one hell of a platformer even though it lacks the impact of 1
9. Fallout: New Vegas ; Takes what made FO3 work, and improves on it. Probably the best designed game using the Bethesda formula, and very immersive to boot
10. Vanquish ; Mechanically brilliant, if a little short on content. So over the top, tight and intense that I forgot to blink on several occasions.
x - Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit ; would have been no. 11. A slick and exciting but sometimes frustrating racer.
2. Just Cause 2 ; The best zany sandbox game I've played, it unshackles the player and lets them do whatever crazy shit they want.
3. VVVVVV ; It's like an old 8-bit cart found in some mad genius's attic. It may only be 42mb, but it resonated with me like no other game in 2010
4. Red Dead Redemption ; Finally, awesome Western game. Love the setting, the believable gunplay, the incredible atmosphere...Rockstar's crowning achievement.
5. Joe Danger ; Fun and dangerously addictive, one moment I'm laughing till I cry, the next I'm trembling with rage. It's pure gaming.
6. Mass Effect 2 ; Better in some ways, worse in others compared to ME1. Still another captivating adventure in the great ME universe.
7. Bayonetta ; Badass and instantly iconic character and some of the best combat in any game, the first action game to hooked me, and goddamn, it hooked me.
8. Super Mario Galaxy 2 ; Might have been higher if I had time to finish it before this list, but it's one hell of a platformer even though it lacks the impact of 1
9. Fallout: New Vegas ; Takes what made FO3 work, and improves on it. Probably the best designed game using the Bethesda formula, and very immersive to boot
10. Vanquish ; Mechanically brilliant, if a little short on content. So over the top, tight and intense that I forgot to blink on several occasions.
x - Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit ; would have been no. 11. A slick and exciting but sometimes frustrating racer.
1. Vanquish ; Best TPS Mechanics wise and some of the most insane action ever put in a game.
2. Super Mario Galaxy 2 ; Better than the original, just wish they expanded on the ideas many of the levels introduced but never used again.
3. Bayonetta ; Best Hack and Slash action game since DMC3. Platinum established themselves as a top tier developer.
4. God Of War 3 ; Amazing graphics, best combat in the series. Too bad the game takes a dive in the last third.
5. Mass Effect 2 ; Not as good as the original but one of the more engrossing games I've played this year.
6. Gran Turismo 5 ; Best driving simulator by far. Too many problems prevent it from being an amazing game unfortunately.
7. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow ; At it's best, it is one of the greatest action adventure games ever. Too bad a lot of the time, it's not up to that standard.
8. Assassin's Creed Brotherhood ; One of the most immersive games I've played this year. Loads of content and the best design of all the AC games; really promotes stealth gameplay. The first game in the series that truly made me feel like an assassin.
9. Red Dead Redemption ; Best world I've explored in a game since Morrowind. Didn't think much of the actual gameplay though.
10. Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light ; A clinic on how to design a game. Would pass as a full retail title.
2. Super Mario Galaxy 2 ; Better than the original, just wish they expanded on the ideas many of the levels introduced but never used again.
3. Bayonetta ; Best Hack and Slash action game since DMC3. Platinum established themselves as a top tier developer.
4. God Of War 3 ; Amazing graphics, best combat in the series. Too bad the game takes a dive in the last third.
5. Mass Effect 2 ; Not as good as the original but one of the more engrossing games I've played this year.
6. Gran Turismo 5 ; Best driving simulator by far. Too many problems prevent it from being an amazing game unfortunately.
7. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow ; At it's best, it is one of the greatest action adventure games ever. Too bad a lot of the time, it's not up to that standard.
8. Assassin's Creed Brotherhood ; One of the most immersive games I've played this year. Loads of content and the best design of all the AC games; really promotes stealth gameplay. The first game in the series that truly made me feel like an assassin.
9. Red Dead Redemption ; Best world I've explored in a game since Morrowind. Didn't think much of the actual gameplay though.
10. Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light ; A clinic on how to design a game. Would pass as a full retail title.
1. Read Dead Redemption
2. God of War 3
3. BioShock 2
4. Super Street Fighter IV
5. Heavy Rain
6. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
7. Vanquish
8. Bayonetta
9. Resonance of Fate
10. Final Fantasy 13
Honorable mentions: Gran Turismo 5, Just Cause 2, Deadly Premonition, Dead Rising 2, MAG, and Starcraft II
Thoughts on 2010: A really good year for gaming and not bad for new IP at all. Still, there was nothing that really stood out as being truly year defining for me.
2. God of War 3
3. BioShock 2
4. Super Street Fighter IV
5. Heavy Rain
6. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
7. Vanquish
8. Bayonetta
9. Resonance of Fate
10. Final Fantasy 13
Honorable mentions: Gran Turismo 5, Just Cause 2, Deadly Premonition, Dead Rising 2, MAG, and Starcraft II
Thoughts on 2010: A really good year for gaming and not bad for new IP at all. Still, there was nothing that really stood out as being truly year defining for me.
DevilWillcry
Member
1. God of War 3
2. Red Dead Redemption
3. Heavy Rain
4. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
5. Kirby's Epic Yarn
6. Darksiders
7. Split Second: Velocity
8. Bioshock 2
9. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game
10. Joe Danger
2. Red Dead Redemption
3. Heavy Rain
4. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
5. Kirby's Epic Yarn
6. Darksiders
7. Split Second: Velocity
8. Bioshock 2
9. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game
10. Joe Danger
Windom Earle
Member
1. Super Street Figher 4
2. Nier
3. Fallout: New Vegas
4. Donkey Kong Country Returns
5. Red Dead Redemption
6. Yakuza 3
7. Deadly Premonition
8. Gran Turismo 5
9. Super Mario Galaxy 2
10. God of War 3
2. Nier
3. Fallout: New Vegas
4. Donkey Kong Country Returns
5. Red Dead Redemption
6. Yakuza 3
7. Deadly Premonition
8. Gran Turismo 5
9. Super Mario Galaxy 2
10. God of War 3
CadetMahoney
Member
1. King of fighters 2002: unlimited match
2. Bayonetta
3. Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage
4. Mass Effect 2
5. Halo: Reach
2. Bayonetta
3. Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage
4. Mass Effect 2
5. Halo: Reach
snoopeasystreet
Member
1. Alan Wake ; It did a fantastic job of blending the gameplay with the story.
2. Super Meat Boy ; Possibly the best platformer in the last 10 years.
3. Halo: Reach ; No other first person shooter does combat like Halo.
4. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit ; I like driving fast cars.
5. Bioshock 2 ; Minerva's Den is the best piece of narrative told in a Bioshock game.
6. Snoopy: Flying Ace ; Crimson Skies
7. The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom ; Braid without the pretension.
8. Fallout: New Vegas ; A more fitting sequel to Fallout 1 & 2
9. Hydro Thunder: Hurricane ; Felt like the original combined with great Leaderboard integration.
10. Metro 2033 ; A combination of Half Life 2 and Stalker.
2. Super Meat Boy ; Possibly the best platformer in the last 10 years.
3. Halo: Reach ; No other first person shooter does combat like Halo.
4. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit ; I like driving fast cars.
5. Bioshock 2 ; Minerva's Den is the best piece of narrative told in a Bioshock game.
6. Snoopy: Flying Ace ; Crimson Skies
7. The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom ; Braid without the pretension.
8. Fallout: New Vegas ; A more fitting sequel to Fallout 1 & 2
9. Hydro Thunder: Hurricane ; Felt like the original combined with great Leaderboard integration.
10. Metro 2033 ; A combination of Half Life 2 and Stalker.
1. World of Warcraft: Cataclysm ; I never thought I would rank an MMO in a GotY list, but this game is awesome. The new quests combined with the simplified ability scores/system are a blast. It doesn't hurt that the game is now accessible to my wife so I have someone to play with.
2. Mass Effect 2 ; No, it's not as good as its predecessor, but Mass Effect 2 is still a very good game. The gameplay is tight, the characters are interesting, and the storyline is at least semi-engrossing. I look forward to the 3rd game in the series.
3. Final Fantasy 13 ; Almost the worst Final Fantasy game I have ever played (FF 12 wins that one), Final Fantasy 13 is still a decent game. The battle system was interesting enough that it kept me playing all the way through even though the story and dialogue were absolutely abysmal. Also, most of the character designs and many areas of the world were stunningly gorgeous which always helps to reinforce the desire to see what's around the next corner.
4. Fable 3 ; While it gets a ton of hate on GAF, I love Fable 2. In fact, it is one of my favorite games this generation. Therefore, I had high expectations for Fable 3. Overall, the third entry in the series was a step backward from the previous game. I still like the simple gameplay, and some aspects of the story and characters were interesting. Unfortunately, there were crippling game bugs and massive frame rate problems which killed much of the otherwise fantastic Fable atmosphere. Fable 3 could have been a great game with some more thought and time on the part of Lionhead. I get the impression Fable 3 was terribly rushed.
5. Alan Wake ; Admittedly, I'm not very far in this game, but I wanted to add it before the GotY voting ended. Man, it's pretty damn cool so far. I love the atmosphere and the graphics are very underrated - some of the best I've seen.
6. Fallout: New Vegas ; Although I haven't finished this game yet, it's been a fun ride so far - just barely. At times I want to quit and never go back as the game tends to become mind numbingly boring only to suddenly have sparks of interesting moments which pull me back in. Ultimately, there's nothing really wrong with the game; it just feels like more quests tacked onto Fallout 3.
Other Notes about 2010:
If 2009 was the year of games which held no interest for me, 2010 is the year of disappointment. A large number of RPGs came out in 2010 which would normally lead to an awesome gaming year for me. Unfortunately, the RPG releases pretty much sucked all around. Even my top Five listed above really are not all that great. Basically, they were the least shitty of the games I played. At least 2011 is looking up with Elder Scrolls 5, Mass Effect 3, Catherine, and Dragon Age 2. Maybe we'll get Final Fantasy 13 Vesus (yeah, right). No matter what, it's got to be better than 2009 and 2010.
2. Mass Effect 2 ; No, it's not as good as its predecessor, but Mass Effect 2 is still a very good game. The gameplay is tight, the characters are interesting, and the storyline is at least semi-engrossing. I look forward to the 3rd game in the series.
3. Final Fantasy 13 ; Almost the worst Final Fantasy game I have ever played (FF 12 wins that one), Final Fantasy 13 is still a decent game. The battle system was interesting enough that it kept me playing all the way through even though the story and dialogue were absolutely abysmal. Also, most of the character designs and many areas of the world were stunningly gorgeous which always helps to reinforce the desire to see what's around the next corner.
4. Fable 3 ; While it gets a ton of hate on GAF, I love Fable 2. In fact, it is one of my favorite games this generation. Therefore, I had high expectations for Fable 3. Overall, the third entry in the series was a step backward from the previous game. I still like the simple gameplay, and some aspects of the story and characters were interesting. Unfortunately, there were crippling game bugs and massive frame rate problems which killed much of the otherwise fantastic Fable atmosphere. Fable 3 could have been a great game with some more thought and time on the part of Lionhead. I get the impression Fable 3 was terribly rushed.
5. Alan Wake ; Admittedly, I'm not very far in this game, but I wanted to add it before the GotY voting ended. Man, it's pretty damn cool so far. I love the atmosphere and the graphics are very underrated - some of the best I've seen.
6. Fallout: New Vegas ; Although I haven't finished this game yet, it's been a fun ride so far - just barely. At times I want to quit and never go back as the game tends to become mind numbingly boring only to suddenly have sparks of interesting moments which pull me back in. Ultimately, there's nothing really wrong with the game; it just feels like more quests tacked onto Fallout 3.
Other Notes about 2010:
If 2009 was the year of games which held no interest for me, 2010 is the year of disappointment. A large number of RPGs came out in 2010 which would normally lead to an awesome gaming year for me. Unfortunately, the RPG releases pretty much sucked all around. Even my top Five listed above really are not all that great. Basically, they were the least shitty of the games I played. At least 2011 is looking up with Elder Scrolls 5, Mass Effect 3, Catherine, and Dragon Age 2. Maybe we'll get Final Fantasy 13 Vesus (yeah, right). No matter what, it's got to be better than 2009 and 2010.
Sgt.Pepper
Banned
1. Donkey Kong Country Returns ; Excellent platformer game with great level design, Retro once again proved the be masters of details.
2. Monster Hunter Tri ; The biggest fun I've had this year online, my first time trying the series and it made me buy the PSP version.
3. Super Meat Boy ; Apart from the very buggy release on Steam, I have hard time pointing the faults of this game, if there's any.
4. Super Mario Galaxy 2 ; Better than the its prequel, a bit harder too!
5. Fruit Ninja ; By far my favorite iOS game, it's only $1. A complete steal!
6. Pokemon HearGold/SoulSilver ; The best Pokemon games released (in English) so far.
(I'll add some other games later)
2. Monster Hunter Tri ; The biggest fun I've had this year online, my first time trying the series and it made me buy the PSP version.
3. Super Meat Boy ; Apart from the very buggy release on Steam, I have hard time pointing the faults of this game, if there's any.
4. Super Mario Galaxy 2 ; Better than the its prequel, a bit harder too!
5. Fruit Ninja ; By far my favorite iOS game, it's only $1. A complete steal!
6. Pokemon HearGold/SoulSilver ; The best Pokemon games released (in English) so far.
(I'll add some other games later)
D
Deleted member 30609
Unconfirmed Member
1. Bayonetta ; a game about playing video games
2. Sam and Max: The Devil's Playhouse ; a complete class act
2. Sam and Max: The Devil's Playhouse ; a complete class act
brandonh83
Banned
1. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
2. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
3. Donkey Kong Country Returns
4. Final Fantasy 13
5. Bioshock 2
6. Bayonetta
7. Super Mario Galaxy 2
8. Mass Effect 2
9. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction
10. Vanquish
2. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
3. Donkey Kong Country Returns
4. Final Fantasy 13
5. Bioshock 2
6. Bayonetta
7. Super Mario Galaxy 2
8. Mass Effect 2
9. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction
10. Vanquish
bluedeviltron
Member
1. Red Dead Redemption
2. Assassin's Creed Brotherhood
3. Mass Effect 2
4. Call of Duty: Black Ops
5. God of War 3
6. Civilization 5
7. Fallout: New Vegas
8. Limbo
9. Bayonetta
10. BioShock 2
2. Assassin's Creed Brotherhood
3. Mass Effect 2
4. Call of Duty: Black Ops
5. God of War 3
6. Civilization 5
7. Fallout: New Vegas
8. Limbo
9. Bayonetta
10. BioShock 2
Broseybrose
Member
1. Demon's Souls (PAL)
2. Gran Turismo 5
3. Fallout: New Vegas
4. Mass Effect 2
5. Mafia 2
6. Heavy Rain
7. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat
8. Metro 2033
9. Amnesia: The Dark Descent
10. Joe Danger
2. Gran Turismo 5
3. Fallout: New Vegas
4. Mass Effect 2
5. Mafia 2
6. Heavy Rain
7. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat
8. Metro 2033
9. Amnesia: The Dark Descent
10. Joe Danger
Mr. Luchador
Member
1. Demon's Soul - It hates you. You hate it. But you somehow grow to love the beating it gives you... constantly. Its like being married to abusive partner that just wants to bruise you into a mushy pulp.
2. Heavy Rain - Gripping and entertaining story. A little buggy on release that seemed to stale the momentum it gathered as the Story went on, but it was a great experience. The frantic pressing of buttons only added to the tension.
3. MAG - The first PS3 game to make me believe in PSN and made me buy a mic. Some good ideas, however, as usual, the community ruined the game after a few weeks.
4. Yakuza 3 - Wasn't a fan of the series before hand, and had to cram 1 & 2 once I read about it. So I wasn't overly pissed off about the 'cut content' issue. The game itself was a 'throwback' to classic SEGA gameplay for me. Good times.
5. Halo Reach - Not overly amazing, and at times the story was a little flat, but it did a good job of wrapping the Bungie Halo Story up (and start it all off again).
6. Red Dead Redemption - Classic Modern Rockstar (yah I know...) If they can take their ideas, and knowledge of 'sandbox' gaming and apply it as well as this to various time frames/settings I can't wait for their next few releases. Engaging, likeable characters that drive the story along well.
7. Civ V - We waited. Waited and waited some more, but finally it came. It had a rough ride, and some people hate it, but I like it (once I accepted it wasn't Civ IV).
8. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 - A real enjoyable online experience that rewarded team play.
9. Starcraft II - Crack
10. Warcraft: Cata - Online Crack
Mass Effect 2 - Honourable mention because it tried. Perhaps it tried too hard to become an action shooter rather than RPG, perhaps I didn't understand what it wanted to be. The story was a bit stop start, but it did its job of being the 'filler' in the series.
Minecraft - A great example of one man's endeavour to release an enjoyable game.
2. Heavy Rain - Gripping and entertaining story. A little buggy on release that seemed to stale the momentum it gathered as the Story went on, but it was a great experience. The frantic pressing of buttons only added to the tension.
3. MAG - The first PS3 game to make me believe in PSN and made me buy a mic. Some good ideas, however, as usual, the community ruined the game after a few weeks.
4. Yakuza 3 - Wasn't a fan of the series before hand, and had to cram 1 & 2 once I read about it. So I wasn't overly pissed off about the 'cut content' issue. The game itself was a 'throwback' to classic SEGA gameplay for me. Good times.
5. Halo Reach - Not overly amazing, and at times the story was a little flat, but it did a good job of wrapping the Bungie Halo Story up (and start it all off again).
6. Red Dead Redemption - Classic Modern Rockstar (yah I know...) If they can take their ideas, and knowledge of 'sandbox' gaming and apply it as well as this to various time frames/settings I can't wait for their next few releases. Engaging, likeable characters that drive the story along well.
7. Civ V - We waited. Waited and waited some more, but finally it came. It had a rough ride, and some people hate it, but I like it (once I accepted it wasn't Civ IV).
8. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 - A real enjoyable online experience that rewarded team play.
9. Starcraft II - Crack
10. Warcraft: Cata - Online Crack
Mass Effect 2 - Honourable mention because it tried. Perhaps it tried too hard to become an action shooter rather than RPG, perhaps I didn't understand what it wanted to be. The story was a bit stop start, but it did its job of being the 'filler' in the series.
Minecraft - A great example of one man's endeavour to release an enjoyable game.
DidntKnowJack
Member
1. Heavy Rain
2. Red Dead Redemption
3. Halo: Reach
4. Gran Turismo 5
5. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit
6. Call of Duty: Black Ops
7. Yakuza 3
8. Dragon Quest 9: Sentinels of the Starry Skies
9. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey
10. MLB 10: The Show
2. Red Dead Redemption
3. Halo: Reach
4. Gran Turismo 5
5. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit
6. Call of Duty: Black Ops
7. Yakuza 3
8. Dragon Quest 9: Sentinels of the Starry Skies
9. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey
10. MLB 10: The Show
Lion Heart
Banned
1. Gran Turismo 5 ; For the same reason people list Vanquish, this game nails the core controls and thats what is ultimately important in this genre. After the disappointing yet good 3/4 entries, GT5 finally puts the franchise back on track with a great foundation that will only improve. There are a surprising number of bad design choices but they can't break what is too strong of a package. Racing Nurburging from dusk till dawn is probably the best thing I've done this generation. Its not the masterpiece I was hoping for, but maybe one day they can get there thanks to GT5.
2. StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty ; It was questionable whether they could top the original but I believe they have. The game is incredibly balanced while adding a lot of new units, the game is near perfect in my eyes from that perspective. As someone who didn't care for toss/zerg campaigns, having a robust Terran campaign worked out well for me. Still playing regularly and indefinitely.
3. Heavy Rain ; Some of the most intense gaming moments for me this entire generation. I really cared for the characters, and knowing they could die kept everything interesting. Very unique and awesome experience, even though I could never replay it.
4. God of War 3 ; Lots of ups and downs but ultimately the improved combat made this a very enjoyable game. Beating it was a breeze, something I couldn't say for 2 which dragged on far too long.
5. Red Dead Redemption ; Rockstar sure knows how to make living worlds. If they could concentrate more on mission design they would have a modern day classic at their hands. Story was rubbish, missions were dry and unimaginative but its still a great experience.
6. Assassin's Creed Brotherhood ; Clunky controls and annoying mission structure make this game very frustrating at times. I haven't beaten it yet (70% or so) but I adore the concept and at times it lives up to it.
7. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 ; The best MP game this year, and its fun while it lasts. Horrible campaign and mp fatigue make sure I never return.
8. Enslaved: Odyssey to the West ; Excellent characters make this game. Everything else is average but I was compelled to finish it because I wanted to see what happens to Monkey and Trip. This is a case when technology can help create emotional connections (along with good voice acting).
2. StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty ; It was questionable whether they could top the original but I believe they have. The game is incredibly balanced while adding a lot of new units, the game is near perfect in my eyes from that perspective. As someone who didn't care for toss/zerg campaigns, having a robust Terran campaign worked out well for me. Still playing regularly and indefinitely.
3. Heavy Rain ; Some of the most intense gaming moments for me this entire generation. I really cared for the characters, and knowing they could die kept everything interesting. Very unique and awesome experience, even though I could never replay it.
4. God of War 3 ; Lots of ups and downs but ultimately the improved combat made this a very enjoyable game. Beating it was a breeze, something I couldn't say for 2 which dragged on far too long.
5. Red Dead Redemption ; Rockstar sure knows how to make living worlds. If they could concentrate more on mission design they would have a modern day classic at their hands. Story was rubbish, missions were dry and unimaginative but its still a great experience.
6. Assassin's Creed Brotherhood ; Clunky controls and annoying mission structure make this game very frustrating at times. I haven't beaten it yet (70% or so) but I adore the concept and at times it lives up to it.
7. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 ; The best MP game this year, and its fun while it lasts. Horrible campaign and mp fatigue make sure I never return.
8. Enslaved: Odyssey to the West ; Excellent characters make this game. Everything else is average but I was compelled to finish it because I wanted to see what happens to Monkey and Trip. This is a case when technology can help create emotional connections (along with good voice acting).
To Far Away Times
Member
1. Super Mario Galaxy 2
2. Dance Central
3. Deathsmiles
4. Donkey Kong Country Returns
5. Super Street Fighter 4
6. StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty
7. Sin & Punishment 2: Star Successor
8. Afterburner Climax
9. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit
10. Pac-Man Championship Edition DX
x. BioShock 2
x. No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle
x. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
x. Limbo
Titles that I haven't played this year, or played enough to rank, that I look forward to playing at some point:
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
Amnesia: the Dark Descent
Gran Turismo 5 (I've played this a little, but not enough to rank it yet)
Espgaluga 2
Guwange (Only played the demo so far)
2. Dance Central
3. Deathsmiles
4. Donkey Kong Country Returns
5. Super Street Fighter 4
6. StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty
7. Sin & Punishment 2: Star Successor
8. Afterburner Climax
9. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit
10. Pac-Man Championship Edition DX
x. BioShock 2
x. No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle
x. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
x. Limbo
Titles that I haven't played this year, or played enough to rank, that I look forward to playing at some point:
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
Amnesia: the Dark Descent
Gran Turismo 5 (I've played this a little, but not enough to rank it yet)
Espgaluga 2
Guwange (Only played the demo so far)
1. Super Mario Galaxy 2 ; Best 3D Mario.
2. Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City ; Made a great game better.
3. Lego Harry Potter: Years 14 ; Best Lego game so far.
4. Angry Birds ; Spent way too much time on this game... iPhone games belong with the rest now!
5. Pac-Man Championship Edition DX ; Who doesn't love eating a chain of ghosts.
6. Dance Central ; Don't own it, but played at lots of parties. Music games are out, Dance games are in.
7. Donkey Kong Country Returns ; Was surprised by how good this game was but then again it is Retro and they made my #1 game last gen so maybe I should have expected greatness.
8. Red Dead Redemption ; Only just started this which could be why it is so low on my list. Great so far and could move up if I can play it more by the deadline.
9. Cut the Rope ; Great addition to the iPhone. Will be the next Angry Birds if they keep adding new free content.
10. God of War 3 ; First console God of War (only played PSP version) for me. Great for showing off my new PS3 and fun too.
2. Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City ; Made a great game better.
3. Lego Harry Potter: Years 14 ; Best Lego game so far.
4. Angry Birds ; Spent way too much time on this game... iPhone games belong with the rest now!
5. Pac-Man Championship Edition DX ; Who doesn't love eating a chain of ghosts.
6. Dance Central ; Don't own it, but played at lots of parties. Music games are out, Dance games are in.
7. Donkey Kong Country Returns ; Was surprised by how good this game was but then again it is Retro and they made my #1 game last gen so maybe I should have expected greatness.
8. Red Dead Redemption ; Only just started this which could be why it is so low on my list. Great so far and could move up if I can play it more by the deadline.
9. Cut the Rope ; Great addition to the iPhone. Will be the next Angry Birds if they keep adding new free content.
10. God of War 3 ; First console God of War (only played PSP version) for me. Great for showing off my new PS3 and fun too.
1. Halo: Reach ; The latest, and dare i say, greatest halo. despite a shorter then i'd like campaign and some questionable design choices and maps for multiplayer, this is the quintessential halo, an instant classic, and easily my game of the year (and generation for tht matter).
2. Alan Wake ; great graphics, story, and atmosphere. everything i look for in a single player game. the dlc gets a mention as well for the new ideas and mindfuck environments it brought to the table. looking forward to the inevitable AW2 (with kinect?)
3. Mass Effect 2 ; ME2 took the series one giant step forward with improved gunplay, but also took a big step back for its completely simplified story consisting almost entirely of one crew fetch quest after another. still had the atmosphere and charm of ME1 in spades though.
i decided against filling up my 10 choices completely, as i feel that would water down the years best, so i chose only the top 3. there are many honorable mentions though. i should also mention i only own a 360, so the games i chose came only from that system.
EDIT: shocked at the lack of reach in many lists
2. Alan Wake ; great graphics, story, and atmosphere. everything i look for in a single player game. the dlc gets a mention as well for the new ideas and mindfuck environments it brought to the table. looking forward to the inevitable AW2 (with kinect?)
3. Mass Effect 2 ; ME2 took the series one giant step forward with improved gunplay, but also took a big step back for its completely simplified story consisting almost entirely of one crew fetch quest after another. still had the atmosphere and charm of ME1 in spades though.
i decided against filling up my 10 choices completely, as i feel that would water down the years best, so i chose only the top 3. there are many honorable mentions though. i should also mention i only own a 360, so the games i chose came only from that system.
EDIT: shocked at the lack of reach in many lists
Air Zombie Meat
Member
1. Bayonetta
2. Super Mario Galaxy 2
3. Vanquish
4. Sin & Punishment 2: Star Successor
5. Dead Rising 2
6. Super Meat Boy
7. Monster Hunter 3: Tri
8. Gran Turismo 5
9. Starcraft 2: Wings of liberty
10. Donkey Kong Country Returns
Honourable mentions:
x. Halo: Reach
x. God of War 3
2. Super Mario Galaxy 2
3. Vanquish
4. Sin & Punishment 2: Star Successor
5. Dead Rising 2
6. Super Meat Boy
7. Monster Hunter 3: Tri
8. Gran Turismo 5
9. Starcraft 2: Wings of liberty
10. Donkey Kong Country Returns
Honourable mentions:
x. Halo: Reach
x. God of War 3
op_ivy said:EDIT: shocked at the lack of reach in many lists
I really liked it, but after beating the campaign and putting a decent amount of time into the multiplayer, I just lost interest. It was almost like I hit a wall, one day I just didn't feel like playing it any more. It's a great series, but I think that I'm just done with it. I've had my fill.
~anyways, sorry for taking up space with off topic stuff
timetokill
Banned
Snuggler said:
It's not off-topic. Everyone is welcome to discuss their picks
1. Bayonetta; The game that breathed new life into the action genre. Combining the "dial-a-combo" combat and QTE mechanics of God of War and Ninja Gaiden, with the free-form fighting of Devil May Cry, and also adding a distinct, feminine personality; Bayonetta is exactly what the action genre needed. As weird and strange as the world of Bayonetta was, i completely ate it up. I loved everything about it. The story, the characters, the enemies; I.LOVED.IT. The game has an incredible personality that always puts a smile on my face. No matter how over the top and ridiculous it is. It's a one of a kind game, that doesn't come around too often. I still can't get it out of my mind. The sight of causing an angel to experience an explosive orgasm is something i'll never forget, and it's something i always enjoy seeing.
2. Mass Effect 2; The streamlined RPG mechanics rubbed some people the wrong way, but it didn't for me. Even though it upped the action elements, at it's heart it was still an RPG game through and through. Would i have liked more customization like in the last game? Sure. But it did the smart choice by making all equipment, most of which you would've tossed out in the first, more useful. The amount of choices and repercussions from the previous game is astonishing. The game's storytelling and characters are among the best i've experienced in a long time. I was glued to this game for days, and it was some of the most intense and fun moments in gaming i've had all year.
3. Red Dead Redemption; The game that proves that westerns still have a place in gaming. It has such a fantastic narrative with an incredible atmosphere. The overall presentation of the game is mesmerizing. The sequence where you enter Mexico for the first time was just beautiful in the way it was presented. This game out did GTAIV (and Rockstar North for that matter) in delivering a rich and engrossing open world game. Not to mention, of course, the fantastic gameplay. They made a smart choice to emphasis exploration in many of the side quests. Kudos to RS San Diego, they deserve it.
4. Just Cause 2; Completely ridiculous, completely over the top, and completely out of it's mind; this game is a shinning example of what happens when you place emphasis on gameplay over narrative in an open world game. Instead of giving you a rich story with believable characters, it does the smart choice of letting the gameplay speak for itself. The amount of items to find, and buildings to destroy is insane. You could potentially spend more than 50+ hours with the game, still barely pass over 50% completion. The world is huge, and you lose yourself completely in it.
5. Dead Rising 2; Proof that American studios can handle Japanese properties and actually improve on them. While Chuck wasn't as awesome as Frank, the game as a whole did a great job with expanding the universe of DR. The gameplay is much more tight, and the inclusion of combo weapons just added an incredible amount of personality. Not to mention the diversity in the settings were a big improvement over the original. While there were a few technical issues, as a whole, DR2 felt much packed with content. As far as i'm concerned, this is the best zombie game series there is.
6. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker; Combining the batshit story techniques of MGS2, with the rich story and dramatic elements of MGS3, and the strong gameplay of MGS4; PW is, in a lot of ways, the perfect MGS game. While the PSP controls take getting used to, and have caused some to give up on it, the game contains some incredibly rich gameplay. It was a great choice to make the game structure mission based. The amount of customization and amount of content makes it the richest MGS experience there is. If you have a PSP, and love MGS, then you MUST play this game.
7. Enslaved: Odyssey to the West; Got a mixed response from GAF, but i still loved immensely. Beautiful settings, great characters, and some solid and tense gameplay; Enslaved was a unique and intriguing take on the classic Journey To The West tales. I enjoyed the platforming and combat sections, and the game has got use of the cinematic touches during the battles and numerous set piece moments. I hope the game's sales (over 800k WW) can give NT the green light on the sequel. Also, i look forward to seeing what they can do with DmC.
8. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood; ACII was my GOTY last year. To me, it was the perfect sequel. Improving upon the the strengths of the original, and also adding in many features that added new life to the game. For AC:B, it very much followed the framework of the previous game, but also adding in new RPG-lite elements with the recruitment systems. I'm happy that the game's story is still going strong. I was worried that another game out so soon would've weakened it. Happy to say that it didn't. Unfortunately, i can only speak for the single player portion of the game, since that was the only part i played. I do hope they leave the renaissance era, and Ezio, for the next game, however. I think it's time for something brand new.
9. Vanquish; Mikami has still got it. While not as ambitious, and deep as Bayonetta, the gameplay is still stellar. Taking the more arcade approach with it's gameplay, forgoing the depth and complexity, for simple and polished gameplay, Vanquish is a fantastic shooter that shows that not all cover based shooters should be about the "stop and pop" action. The sense of speed in it's gameplay is amazing, and the number of moves you can pull off with the game's slow-mo moves are insane. The story isn't great, but that was never supposed to be the point. It was about the awesomely polished action gameplay, and it succeeds. I just wished it could've been a little deeper in content.
10. Fallout: New Vegas; Fallout 3 is one of my favorite games of this generation. The strong sense of exploration and discovery, and the great environment made the previously known environments and locations felt so new. The sequel, while still retaining the great exploration and RPG gameplay of the previous game, was hampered with the numerous and absurd amount of technical issues. Also, the The Mojave Wasteland was for the most part pretty uninteresting, compared to the Capital Wasteland. While Fallout 3 had issues, this game made it very difficult at times to continue. Yet i did, and it was worth it. The expanded RPG gameplay, and enhanced action controls made the gameplay itself vastly superior to the previous one. If the next Fallout game has the NV gameplay, and contains an interesting setting like F3, than it could be my game of the forever.
2. Mass Effect 2; The streamlined RPG mechanics rubbed some people the wrong way, but it didn't for me. Even though it upped the action elements, at it's heart it was still an RPG game through and through. Would i have liked more customization like in the last game? Sure. But it did the smart choice by making all equipment, most of which you would've tossed out in the first, more useful. The amount of choices and repercussions from the previous game is astonishing. The game's storytelling and characters are among the best i've experienced in a long time. I was glued to this game for days, and it was some of the most intense and fun moments in gaming i've had all year.
3. Red Dead Redemption; The game that proves that westerns still have a place in gaming. It has such a fantastic narrative with an incredible atmosphere. The overall presentation of the game is mesmerizing. The sequence where you enter Mexico for the first time was just beautiful in the way it was presented. This game out did GTAIV (and Rockstar North for that matter) in delivering a rich and engrossing open world game. Not to mention, of course, the fantastic gameplay. They made a smart choice to emphasis exploration in many of the side quests. Kudos to RS San Diego, they deserve it.
4. Just Cause 2; Completely ridiculous, completely over the top, and completely out of it's mind; this game is a shinning example of what happens when you place emphasis on gameplay over narrative in an open world game. Instead of giving you a rich story with believable characters, it does the smart choice of letting the gameplay speak for itself. The amount of items to find, and buildings to destroy is insane. You could potentially spend more than 50+ hours with the game, still barely pass over 50% completion. The world is huge, and you lose yourself completely in it.
5. Dead Rising 2; Proof that American studios can handle Japanese properties and actually improve on them. While Chuck wasn't as awesome as Frank, the game as a whole did a great job with expanding the universe of DR. The gameplay is much more tight, and the inclusion of combo weapons just added an incredible amount of personality. Not to mention the diversity in the settings were a big improvement over the original. While there were a few technical issues, as a whole, DR2 felt much packed with content. As far as i'm concerned, this is the best zombie game series there is.
6. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker; Combining the batshit story techniques of MGS2, with the rich story and dramatic elements of MGS3, and the strong gameplay of MGS4; PW is, in a lot of ways, the perfect MGS game. While the PSP controls take getting used to, and have caused some to give up on it, the game contains some incredibly rich gameplay. It was a great choice to make the game structure mission based. The amount of customization and amount of content makes it the richest MGS experience there is. If you have a PSP, and love MGS, then you MUST play this game.
7. Enslaved: Odyssey to the West; Got a mixed response from GAF, but i still loved immensely. Beautiful settings, great characters, and some solid and tense gameplay; Enslaved was a unique and intriguing take on the classic Journey To The West tales. I enjoyed the platforming and combat sections, and the game has got use of the cinematic touches during the battles and numerous set piece moments. I hope the game's sales (over 800k WW) can give NT the green light on the sequel. Also, i look forward to seeing what they can do with DmC.
8. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood; ACII was my GOTY last year. To me, it was the perfect sequel. Improving upon the the strengths of the original, and also adding in many features that added new life to the game. For AC:B, it very much followed the framework of the previous game, but also adding in new RPG-lite elements with the recruitment systems. I'm happy that the game's story is still going strong. I was worried that another game out so soon would've weakened it. Happy to say that it didn't. Unfortunately, i can only speak for the single player portion of the game, since that was the only part i played. I do hope they leave the renaissance era, and Ezio, for the next game, however. I think it's time for something brand new.
9. Vanquish; Mikami has still got it. While not as ambitious, and deep as Bayonetta, the gameplay is still stellar. Taking the more arcade approach with it's gameplay, forgoing the depth and complexity, for simple and polished gameplay, Vanquish is a fantastic shooter that shows that not all cover based shooters should be about the "stop and pop" action. The sense of speed in it's gameplay is amazing, and the number of moves you can pull off with the game's slow-mo moves are insane. The story isn't great, but that was never supposed to be the point. It was about the awesomely polished action gameplay, and it succeeds. I just wished it could've been a little deeper in content.
10. Fallout: New Vegas; Fallout 3 is one of my favorite games of this generation. The strong sense of exploration and discovery, and the great environment made the previously known environments and locations felt so new. The sequel, while still retaining the great exploration and RPG gameplay of the previous game, was hampered with the numerous and absurd amount of technical issues. Also, the The Mojave Wasteland was for the most part pretty uninteresting, compared to the Capital Wasteland. While Fallout 3 had issues, this game made it very difficult at times to continue. Yet i did, and it was worth it. The expanded RPG gameplay, and enhanced action controls made the gameplay itself vastly superior to the previous one. If the next Fallout game has the NV gameplay, and contains an interesting setting like F3, than it could be my game of the forever.
1. Gran Turismo 5 - Now this is a driving simulator!
2. God of War 3 - Kratos Vs Hercules, nuff said!
3. Sports Champions - Perfect, lag-free, 1:1 precision, what's not to like.
4. Heavy Rain - Taking story telling to a whole new level.
5. Modnation Racers - My favourite Kart racer since MK: Snes
6. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 - Frostbite 2.0 is crazy good and great fun.
7. Halo: Reach - Your typical Halo multiplayer, utterly flawless.
8. Demon's Souls (PAL) - So damn hard, but sooooooooooo damn good
9. MAG - No other game comes close to online based team work.
10. Medal of Honor - The best single player FPS of the year.
2. God of War 3 - Kratos Vs Hercules, nuff said!
3. Sports Champions - Perfect, lag-free, 1:1 precision, what's not to like.
4. Heavy Rain - Taking story telling to a whole new level.
5. Modnation Racers - My favourite Kart racer since MK: Snes
6. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 - Frostbite 2.0 is crazy good and great fun.
7. Halo: Reach - Your typical Halo multiplayer, utterly flawless.
8. Demon's Souls (PAL) - So damn hard, but sooooooooooo damn good
9. MAG - No other game comes close to online based team work.
10. Medal of Honor - The best single player FPS of the year.
1. Super Mario Galaxy 2 ; Currently my favorite 3D platformer.
2. Sin & Punishment 2: Star Successor ; May be my new favorite rail shooter. It's definitely the one with the best controls.
3. Mass Effect 2 ; One of my favorite action RPGs. I hope ME3 has less (or no) scanning.
4. Donkey Kong Country Returns ; Cool level design, but I prefer the control, rhythm and multiplayer of 2009's New Super Mario Bros Wii.
5. Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light ; I hope this inspires the development of more action-adventure games of this type.
6. Trauma Team ; I liked the increased variety and accessibility compared to the other Trauma games. Some patients had surprisingly dark stories.
7. Bayonetta ; Most fun I had with an action game this year.
8. Vanquish ; I'm not a huge third person shooter fan, but I enjoyed the faster pace of this one.
9. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood ; Open world games can be boring, but I enjoyed the increasingly ridiculous story, the setting, and the more interesting missions and sidequests. Multiplayer was fun for a few hours.
10. Final Fantasy 13 ; Starts slow, but overall I enjoyed the battle system and the whole audiovisual experience.
x. God of War 3 ; Beautiful action-adventure.
x. Heavy Rain ; The plot has issues, but it's at least a collection of entertaining scenes. It was a somewhat unsatisfying, but fun experience.
x. Metroid: Other M ; Disappointing, but decent. The combat felt better paced than in the Metroid Primes, though I prefer them (and the 2D games) overall.
x. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit ; I really liked the pursuit events. The rest was good but less interesting, particularly the numerous time trials.
x. Super Meat Boy ; Good, but sometimes a bit frustrating (though that can also make progress more satisfying).
2. Sin & Punishment 2: Star Successor ; May be my new favorite rail shooter. It's definitely the one with the best controls.
3. Mass Effect 2 ; One of my favorite action RPGs. I hope ME3 has less (or no) scanning.
4. Donkey Kong Country Returns ; Cool level design, but I prefer the control, rhythm and multiplayer of 2009's New Super Mario Bros Wii.
5. Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light ; I hope this inspires the development of more action-adventure games of this type.
6. Trauma Team ; I liked the increased variety and accessibility compared to the other Trauma games. Some patients had surprisingly dark stories.
7. Bayonetta ; Most fun I had with an action game this year.
8. Vanquish ; I'm not a huge third person shooter fan, but I enjoyed the faster pace of this one.
9. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood ; Open world games can be boring, but I enjoyed the increasingly ridiculous story, the setting, and the more interesting missions and sidequests. Multiplayer was fun for a few hours.
10. Final Fantasy 13 ; Starts slow, but overall I enjoyed the battle system and the whole audiovisual experience.
x. God of War 3 ; Beautiful action-adventure.
x. Heavy Rain ; The plot has issues, but it's at least a collection of entertaining scenes. It was a somewhat unsatisfying, but fun experience.
x. Metroid: Other M ; Disappointing, but decent. The combat felt better paced than in the Metroid Primes, though I prefer them (and the 2D games) overall.
x. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit ; I really liked the pursuit events. The rest was good but less interesting, particularly the numerous time trials.
x. Super Meat Boy ; Good, but sometimes a bit frustrating (though that can also make progress more satisfying).
1. Fallout: New Vegas; Putting Fallout back into the hands of the people most capable of getting the most out of it was a no brainer. Obsidian didn't play it as safe as I feared, but they also could have gone a little deeper and darker. Still, it's a refined experience and my favorite game of 2010.
2. Battlefield: Bad Company 2; While it doesn't completely satisfy the console market and PC market at the same time, it does a damn admirable job juggling the two. Overall, to me this is the first "next gen shooter". The scale of the levels and the Destruction system make other shooters feel almost obsolete in comparison. I tubed so many walls in BLOPS when I started playing. It felt dated every time.
3. Metro 2033; I'm a sucker for STALKER. Maybe even a fanboy. Metro 2033 is like a refined, linear experience in a very similar universe. Ranger mode makes the game play as great as it looks by completely changing the ballistics to give it a real dangerous feel. One or two shots puts you down, as well as most enemies. Love it. This is also a case against people who say graphics don't make gameplay. The lighting effects from muzzle flashes in dark tunnels adds a ton to the combat experience, and changes the way you play.
4. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat; The most refined installment in one of my very favorite IPs. Hell, the only mods I had to install were texture packs. Didn't need a single community balance mod or bug fix! The only reason it's not #1 on my list is because it's the third of the series, and the general premise hasn't changed much. Perfect game though.
5. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction; Wait a god damn second. A PC gamer has this on his list? Yep. And Chaos Theory is one of my favorite games. Is this a sequel to Chaos Theory? Only in canon. This isn't a bad thing though. While I won't say it's better, the action stealth engine in Conviction is IMO, the best feeling TPS in all of gaming. It's the most fluid stealth game I've ever played. It's not as hardcore as Chaos Theory, and it probably would have been better received as a new IP. It still shouldn't stop anyone from checking out the best stealth game in 2010.
6. Alpha Protocol; Obsidian, Borne, Mass Effect, Brayko. Nuff said.
7. Call of Duty: Black Ops; The best the COD multiplayer has ever been. I love collecting the guns and putting custom scopes and reticules on them. I'm a sucker for loot games. IW made the ultimate loot grinding multiplayer FPS. Treyarch made the latest iteration of it and improved on the last good IW PC sku (COD 4) in every way.
8. StarCraft 2; spent so much time on the multiplayer. Watched as many matches on YouTube as I played in the game. Which is a lot.
9. Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light; What a gem this is. Just so refined. It certainly doesn't feel like a third party, $15 game. It has all the production values of a Nintendo, Blizzard, etc. title. Keep in mind I didn't start playing until after the patches, so I never ran into any bugs. Game is just pure butter.
10. Red Dead Redemption; John F'n Marston.
2. Battlefield: Bad Company 2; While it doesn't completely satisfy the console market and PC market at the same time, it does a damn admirable job juggling the two. Overall, to me this is the first "next gen shooter". The scale of the levels and the Destruction system make other shooters feel almost obsolete in comparison. I tubed so many walls in BLOPS when I started playing. It felt dated every time.
3. Metro 2033; I'm a sucker for STALKER. Maybe even a fanboy. Metro 2033 is like a refined, linear experience in a very similar universe. Ranger mode makes the game play as great as it looks by completely changing the ballistics to give it a real dangerous feel. One or two shots puts you down, as well as most enemies. Love it. This is also a case against people who say graphics don't make gameplay. The lighting effects from muzzle flashes in dark tunnels adds a ton to the combat experience, and changes the way you play.
4. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat; The most refined installment in one of my very favorite IPs. Hell, the only mods I had to install were texture packs. Didn't need a single community balance mod or bug fix! The only reason it's not #1 on my list is because it's the third of the series, and the general premise hasn't changed much. Perfect game though.
5. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction; Wait a god damn second. A PC gamer has this on his list? Yep. And Chaos Theory is one of my favorite games. Is this a sequel to Chaos Theory? Only in canon. This isn't a bad thing though. While I won't say it's better, the action stealth engine in Conviction is IMO, the best feeling TPS in all of gaming. It's the most fluid stealth game I've ever played. It's not as hardcore as Chaos Theory, and it probably would have been better received as a new IP. It still shouldn't stop anyone from checking out the best stealth game in 2010.
6. Alpha Protocol; Obsidian, Borne, Mass Effect, Brayko. Nuff said.
7. Call of Duty: Black Ops; The best the COD multiplayer has ever been. I love collecting the guns and putting custom scopes and reticules on them. I'm a sucker for loot games. IW made the ultimate loot grinding multiplayer FPS. Treyarch made the latest iteration of it and improved on the last good IW PC sku (COD 4) in every way.
8. StarCraft 2; spent so much time on the multiplayer. Watched as many matches on YouTube as I played in the game. Which is a lot.
9. Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light; What a gem this is. Just so refined. It certainly doesn't feel like a third party, $15 game. It has all the production values of a Nintendo, Blizzard, etc. title. Keep in mind I didn't start playing until after the patches, so I never ran into any bugs. Game is just pure butter.
10. Red Dead Redemption; John F'n Marston.
1. Donkey Kong Country Returns - One of the best platformers of all time, even better than the originals. GOTG! Nuff said!
2. Monster Hunter 3 - One of the best most fun online experiences I've ever had, thanks to EU GAF, you know who you are.
3. Super Mario Galaxy 2 - A PERFECT sequel to an already great game, but I still like DKCR a tad bit more. Nostalgia?
4. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker - Made me like the series again after MGS4.
5. Etrian Odyssey 3 - Perfected the EO formula. This game is one hardcore gem.
6. Vanquish - A fresh take on TPS. Mikami never disappoints.
7. Persona 3 Portable - One of the best RPGs made even better eg. Faster though took a hit on the cutscenes
8. Cave Story - This game is IMO quite underrated. Lovely just lovely.
9. Nier - Cool story and nice variety for an RPG. Also underrated.
10. VVVVVVVV - I really love my platformers. The game IMO was a bit on the short side but still marvellous. Different I guess and one hell of a soundtrack to boot.
Gotta give sort of a mention to Final Fantasy 13, disappointing but I could still see lots of lost potential. Battle system could have had more to it. The visuals were amazing, but for a mainline Final Fantasy everything else in the game was not up to snuff. Though I did play through it. So, I have a sort of love and hate relationship for this game.
2. Monster Hunter 3 - One of the best most fun online experiences I've ever had, thanks to EU GAF, you know who you are.
3. Super Mario Galaxy 2 - A PERFECT sequel to an already great game, but I still like DKCR a tad bit more. Nostalgia?
4. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker - Made me like the series again after MGS4.
5. Etrian Odyssey 3 - Perfected the EO formula. This game is one hardcore gem.
6. Vanquish - A fresh take on TPS. Mikami never disappoints.
7. Persona 3 Portable - One of the best RPGs made even better eg. Faster though took a hit on the cutscenes
8. Cave Story - This game is IMO quite underrated. Lovely just lovely.
9. Nier - Cool story and nice variety for an RPG. Also underrated.
10. VVVVVVVV - I really love my platformers. The game IMO was a bit on the short side but still marvellous. Different I guess and one hell of a soundtrack to boot.
Gotta give sort of a mention to Final Fantasy 13, disappointing but I could still see lots of lost potential. Battle system could have had more to it. The visuals were amazing, but for a mainline Final Fantasy everything else in the game was not up to snuff. Though I did play through it. So, I have a sort of love and hate relationship for this game.
revolverjgw
Member
1. Super Mario Galaxy 2 ; not much more than a mission pack, but this game's mechanics have near infinite potential and needed to be further explored. Even a third one would be bursting with new ideas.
2. Vanquish ; makes me feel like games like Contra 3 did back in the day. It's just pure all-killer-no-filler balls-to-the-wall adrenaline.
3. Metal Gear Solid- Peace Walker ; a flawed masterpiece like all MGS games. So eclectic and funny and weird. Hours went by just listening to the audio cassettes, I love the detail Kojima puts into his games.
4. Goldeneye 007 ; I had low expectations but this game's campaign was pitch perfect. Very smartly designed missions with a nice blend of stealth and gunplay, both freeform and scripted.
5. God of War: Ghost of Sparta ; one hell of an airtight action/adventure ride, this game just FLOWS. Looks incredible in the PSP.
6. God of War 3 ; a bit of a letdown compared to God of War 2 and inconsistent compared to GoS, but it's still a beautiful, brutal game with tons of unforgettable moments.
7. Fallout: New Vegas ; very satisfying RPG gameplay with just the right amount of depth and detail. Seems to have more memorable characters, locations and quests than most comparable games.
8. Alpha Protocol ; an ambitious mess that is way better than the sum of its parts. The gameplay isn't balanced at all but it's fun to mess around with all the abilities and tools, and the story is full of memorable characters. Bonus points for Nolan North's greatest performance.
9. Donkey Kong Country Returns ; Retro puts on a 2D platforming clinic here. Every level offers something new and the difficulty level is bang on. I was getting game overs left and right but never got frustrated.
10. No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle ; the first game had outrageously funny style but I couldn't tolerate the "sandbox" map and irritating mini-games. By dropping the overworld and adding fun 8-bit games with great music, this game is a lot easier to stick with. I still think the core gameplay is weak but I'll never forget this experience.
2. Vanquish ; makes me feel like games like Contra 3 did back in the day. It's just pure all-killer-no-filler balls-to-the-wall adrenaline.
3. Metal Gear Solid- Peace Walker ; a flawed masterpiece like all MGS games. So eclectic and funny and weird. Hours went by just listening to the audio cassettes, I love the detail Kojima puts into his games.
4. Goldeneye 007 ; I had low expectations but this game's campaign was pitch perfect. Very smartly designed missions with a nice blend of stealth and gunplay, both freeform and scripted.
5. God of War: Ghost of Sparta ; one hell of an airtight action/adventure ride, this game just FLOWS. Looks incredible in the PSP.
6. God of War 3 ; a bit of a letdown compared to God of War 2 and inconsistent compared to GoS, but it's still a beautiful, brutal game with tons of unforgettable moments.
7. Fallout: New Vegas ; very satisfying RPG gameplay with just the right amount of depth and detail. Seems to have more memorable characters, locations and quests than most comparable games.
8. Alpha Protocol ; an ambitious mess that is way better than the sum of its parts. The gameplay isn't balanced at all but it's fun to mess around with all the abilities and tools, and the story is full of memorable characters. Bonus points for Nolan North's greatest performance.
9. Donkey Kong Country Returns ; Retro puts on a 2D platforming clinic here. Every level offers something new and the difficulty level is bang on. I was getting game overs left and right but never got frustrated.
10. No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle ; the first game had outrageously funny style but I couldn't tolerate the "sandbox" map and irritating mini-games. By dropping the overworld and adding fun 8-bit games with great music, this game is a lot easier to stick with. I still think the core gameplay is weak but I'll never forget this experience.
1. Heavy Rain ; Truly an amazing game from start to finish. I know some didn't care for the story or the voice acting, but it was an amazing experience for me. Truly my favorite game I played this year.
2. Gran Turismo 5 ; The Real Driving Simulator... That is all.
3. Final Fantasy 13 ; Best RPG I played this year. The battle system, the music, the gameplay, it was all amazing to me. I know many people didn't like this game due to the linear design, but I believe that most FF games have been linear, but this is the first game that has done away with the illusion of freedom, and just gave it to the player straight up... What point is an airship or towns if there isn't shit to do there aside from talking to the one person that pushes the story forward?
4. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 ; Didn't really care for the Single Player much, but that multi-player was fucking amazing. Especially if you had a really good team of people who were all working to complete objectives, the game shines like a diamond... Do diamonds shine?
5. Mass Effect 2 ; I genuinely had a lot of fun playing this game. I was a bit miffed that most of the story missions amounted to recruiting people to your team, but even in that, I still had tons of fun with this game.
6. Halo: Reach ; Impressive game from Bungie. Would have been rated higher if so many of the multi-player maps hadn't been phoned in (in terms of design aka, using forge to pad map numbers), or just generally bad maps that weren't forge'd in. Still tons of fun.
I would have went with ten, but Everything after6 just starts to turn into a blur.
Edit: Edited in FF13
2. Gran Turismo 5 ; The Real Driving Simulator... That is all.
3. Final Fantasy 13 ; Best RPG I played this year. The battle system, the music, the gameplay, it was all amazing to me. I know many people didn't like this game due to the linear design, but I believe that most FF games have been linear, but this is the first game that has done away with the illusion of freedom, and just gave it to the player straight up... What point is an airship or towns if there isn't shit to do there aside from talking to the one person that pushes the story forward?
4. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 ; Didn't really care for the Single Player much, but that multi-player was fucking amazing. Especially if you had a really good team of people who were all working to complete objectives, the game shines like a diamond... Do diamonds shine?
5. Mass Effect 2 ; I genuinely had a lot of fun playing this game. I was a bit miffed that most of the story missions amounted to recruiting people to your team, but even in that, I still had tons of fun with this game.
6. Halo: Reach ; Impressive game from Bungie. Would have been rated higher if so many of the multi-player maps hadn't been phoned in (in terms of design aka, using forge to pad map numbers), or just generally bad maps that weren't forge'd in. Still tons of fun.
I would have went with ten, but Everything after6 just starts to turn into a blur.
Edit: Edited in FF13
cosmicblizzard
Banned
GhaleonQ said:
Can we still be friends if I put it at number 4?
1. Yakuza 3 ; Thinking back, this is the only game that made me double dip form japanese and euro elease, and I also finished it twice. I guess you could say it "way more fun than it is good."
2. Dragon Quest 9: Sentinels of the Starry Skies ; I played this multiplayer with my wife and a friend. We had some really nerdy weekend togheter. Lovely game, I love Dragon Quest games.
3. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker ; I had the pleasure to play this game multiplayer with a friend for almost all missions. It was so much fun.
4. Resonance of Fate ; Refreshing RPG in both story, style and battlesystem.
5. Heavy Rain ; Such a refreshing and exciting experience. I played it through with my wife.
6. Ys Seven ; Really fast paced rpg and a very addictive rpg.
7. Final Fantasy 13 ; It grew on me. The battlesystem was great and it's beautiful.
8. Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes ; Say what you will, this game is very fun. The co op evenings I had in the game were great.
9. Nier ; This game kept me wondering about the story all the way through. The world was interesting too.
10. Civilization 5 ; This could've been my number one. But constant errors while playing lan with my wife drags it so much. It might be dropped from my list later.
xx. Ys: The Oath in Felghana
xx. Valkyria Chronicles 2
xx. Atelier Rorona
xx. Red Dead Redemption
xx. Mass Effect 2
xx. Bayonetta
xx. Mod Nation Racers.
Side notes:
I haven't finished Vanquish yet, I haven't tried Sonic Colours or Gran Turismo 5.
2. Dragon Quest 9: Sentinels of the Starry Skies ; I played this multiplayer with my wife and a friend. We had some really nerdy weekend togheter. Lovely game, I love Dragon Quest games.
3. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker ; I had the pleasure to play this game multiplayer with a friend for almost all missions. It was so much fun.
4. Resonance of Fate ; Refreshing RPG in both story, style and battlesystem.
5. Heavy Rain ; Such a refreshing and exciting experience. I played it through with my wife.
6. Ys Seven ; Really fast paced rpg and a very addictive rpg.
7. Final Fantasy 13 ; It grew on me. The battlesystem was great and it's beautiful.
8. Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes ; Say what you will, this game is very fun. The co op evenings I had in the game were great.
9. Nier ; This game kept me wondering about the story all the way through. The world was interesting too.
10. Civilization 5 ; This could've been my number one. But constant errors while playing lan with my wife drags it so much. It might be dropped from my list later.
xx. Ys: The Oath in Felghana
xx. Valkyria Chronicles 2
xx. Atelier Rorona
xx. Red Dead Redemption
xx. Mass Effect 2
xx. Bayonetta
xx. Mod Nation Racers.
Side notes:
I haven't finished Vanquish yet, I haven't tried Sonic Colours or Gran Turismo 5.
- Status