1. Mass Effect 2
2. World of Warcraft: Cataclysm
3. Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty
4. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
5. Super Street Fighter IV
6. Super Mario Galaxy 2
7. MLB 10: The Show
8. Sid Meier's Civilization V
9. Rock Band 3
10. God of War III
1. Mass Effect 2
2. Alan Wake
3. Halo: Reach
4. Red Dead Redemption
5. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction
6. Bayonetta
7. Dead Rising 2
8. Snoopy: Flying Ace
9. Kinect Sports
10. God of War 3
1. Red Dead Redemption
2. Super Mario Galaxy 2
3. Halo: Reach
4. Super Meat Boy
5. Limbo
6. Mass Effect 2
7. Bayonetta
8. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
9. Donkey Kong Country Returns
10. Rock Band 3
1.Super Mario Galaxy 2 - polished, challenging, and lengthy
2.Red Steel 2 - a visual delight, competent use of motion controls bring a sweet new experience, some weak mechanics and weak ending
3.Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition - the best loot game that doesn't feel like a loot game
4.Trauma Team - awesome variety pulled off pretty well, this had my family join on the investigation parts
5.Metro 2033 - amazing experience, especially the atmosphere
6.No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle - the combat, characters, and boss fights kept me hooked until the end
7.Bit.Trip Runner - fun and challenge, always gotta have another go
8.BioShock 2 - good sequel
9.Cave Story - i enjoy these types of games, easy pick
10.Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light - enjoyed the dungeons
x.Final Fantasy: Four Warriors of Light - playing this now, really enjoying the old school experience with the great art
x.Amnesia: The Dark Descent - playing this now, HOLYYYYYYY, your mind is your worse enemy
1. Final Fantasy 13 ; While different from the rest of series, it was every bit as excellent as some of the better entries in the series. A very likable cast coupled with a fantastic battle system proves that Square's still got it.
2. Super Mario Galaxy 2 ; One of the best Mario games if not the best one since 3 back on the NES. I'm honestly amazed that Miyamoto can still produce fantastic generation defining (nay, MEDIUM-DEFINING) platformers like this. The only reason it isn't number 1 is due to genre preference.
3. Bayonetta ; If you needed anymore proof that Kamiya is king of the action genre, here it is. A stellar combat system that goes far and beyond what every game did before it. I thought Devil May Cry 3 was going to be the premiere game of the genre forever; I was wrong. The well choreographed over the top cut scenes are just icing on the cake.
4. Heavy Rain ; An incredibly flawed story masked by a ridiculous amount of tension. Despite some questionable actions, I was able to empathize with the characters and loved every minute of it. Doesn't really hold up as much on multiple playthroughs, but the first one is always the most important.
5. No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle ; While some of the charm was lost from the first game, it was replaced with a different brand of Suda charm. The combat is ace and the story/dialogue is really something that needs to be experienced. Can't wait for the next entry whenever Suda decides to make it.
6. Sin & Punishment 2: Star Successor ; I'm not the biggest fan of the genre, but this is something I enjoyed quite a bit. It's particularly surprising since I didn't care much for the original. It was probably just the controls because they worked so well here. Will be looking forward to Treasure's next shooter.
7. Sonic Colors ; Not only a good Sonic game but a good platformer in general. Not without its problems, but I finally feel comfortable saying "SONIC IS BACK". The wisps are a great addition and things really do work out when the gimmicks are kept to a minimum.
8. Trauma Team ; Another great entry in the Trauma series; this time with an actual budget. Not my favorite in the series but the one with the most variety by far. Had they replaced the endoscopy with something good, this would probably jump up all the way to number 5.
9. Arc Rise Fantasia ; The only reason this is on my list is because of traditional turn-based console JRPG deprivation. It's subpar by the standards of the genre but great when not much else is available. I really do think Image Epoch has a lot of potential; they just need to not fall into the same trap and make a battle system with so many features that it's impossible to balance.
10. Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon ; An ass combat system that's made up for by one of the most atmospheric games I've ever played. Pretty much everything about this game is fantastic except for the actual gameplay. It's totally tolerable for what you're getting though. I was very close to crying a few times, something that a game hasn't made me do in at least 5 years.
Honorable Mentions
x. Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep ; Another fine entry in the KH series. I don't think it has the impact a numbered entry would due to the small areas and split campaign, but still very good. I'm also one of the few that actually likes the story, so there's that.
x. God of War 3 ; Great combat.
x. Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth ; The point and click adventure style was a welcome change for the series. If there's ever another main entry, I would love it to adopt said style.
1. Minecraft
2. Monday Night Combat
3. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit
4. Mass Effect 2
5. World of Warcraft: Cataclysm
6. Halo: Reach
7. Civilization 5
8. Kirby's Epic Yarn
9. StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty
10. F1 2010
1. Limbo ; Gorgeous design in every aspect - atmosphere, visuals, sound, minimalist mechanics, touching narrative. The game truly embodies its name: trial and grisly error for the sake of progressing beyond yourself.
2. Sleep is Death ; Wonderful concept; excellent execution. It surpasses what would seem like its kin, PnP role-playing and player created content. The purest kind of sandbox imaginable. I'm very curious to see what effect - if any - this game will have on the future of video game narrative.
3. Minecraft ; Another engrossing sandbox. What Sleep is Death does for narrative, Minecraft does for environment. The game itself is in the creation of the environment - if only LittleBigPlanet had succeeded in this way.
4. Super Mario Galaxy 2 ; Gaming bliss.
5. Bayonetta ; The best action game mechanics yet. The story was disposable camp packaged into skippable cutscenes. A better story-telling approach could've placed this game higher on my list.
6. Deadly Premonition ; A broken mess of a game, but the interaction between the protagonist and the player is brilliant.
7. Mass Effect 2 ; I liked the character-driven nature of this entry in the Mass Effect series. Even if Mass Effect 3 performs another squad dump, rendering this game as mostly filler material, I will still probably prefer the character-driven approach over Bioware's typical master-of-the-galaxy melodrama.
8. Enslaved: Odyssey to the West ; It certainly isn't the most inventive game, but it's lush, enchanting, and fun. Sometimes that's all that matters.
9. Super Meat Boy ; Superlative level design and mechanics, but, for whatever reason, it simply didn't charm or amaze me like other games did this year. While charm and amazement shouldn't necessarily matter, I couldn't help but feel that I should place this game near the bottom of my list.
10. Heavy Rain ; The biggest disappointment of the year, but it still deserves this spot for what it attempted.
x. Super Street Fighter 4 ; Relegated to honorable mention, because I gave Street Fighter IV some of my very scant points in last year's voting. I'd rather spread the votes around.
x. Cave Story ; I've adored this game for years, but graphics and audio enhancements aren't enough for me to justify taking points from new games.
1. Monster Hunter Portable 3rd ; (imported) An excellent return to form. The series now carries a mature polish to it. The worlds are even more beautiful, it's lore implied subtly throughout the game. You can almost feel the history, the weight of its own subculture laden across the game in gentle hints. (If Ghibli could make a movie off this...*faints*). Capcom have steadily been improving the experience, smoothing the difficulty curve, refining the combat systems and revising every aspect of the game. A very, very well deserved first place as my GOTY.
2. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker ; Mix Pokemon, X-Com: UFO Defense and Monster Hunter into the tried and true MGS formula of espionage. Sounds weird? Yes. Does it work? HELL YES!
3. God of War: Ghost of Sparta ; An amazing package. A compelling story, an amazing showcase of technology and satisfying gameplay. For someone who's potentially interested in a PSP, this is the first game I'd suggest to them.
4. Patchwork Heroes ; A variation of Qix, the game's presentation and post-game content scream quality. I don't want PSP Minis, I want games like these! My vote for the Underdog of the Year.
5. Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light ; In the history of franchise spin-offs, I don't think anything else comes close in terms of "fun". Well done guys!
6. Minecraft ; I've always wanted a multiplayer "LEGO" style game as a kid. Who knew we would finally get it 10 years later on! I liken this to the PC's take of Little Big Planet. Weird, wonderful and fun! Thank you Notch!
7. Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep ; I don't really know much about the Kingdom Hearts franchise, but I thoroughly enjoyed this title. Enough to play through all 3 storylines!
8. Metro 2033 ; Mostly here because the visuals and audio blew me away. I wish I knew more people who had the hardware to run this game to its full.
9. Heroes of Newerth 2.0 ; Used to be a DOTA fan. I've sunk some hours into this. The gameplay itself didn't impress me so much, but the matchmaking and the refined DOTA gameplay features are really, really good. If anything, it highlights all the reasons why DOTA should be packaged as it's own game.
x. Demon Souls ; (PAL) Imported this(I live in Lebanon), but I barely logged in any time. Regardless, it oozes quality. If this were in portable form (swoon) this could easily end up competing with Monster Hunter for my gaming time.
x. Monster Hunter Tri ; Played it briefly on my friend's Wii, a well deserved mention for its solid online mode!
10. Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon ; An ass combat system that's made up for by one of the most atmospheric games I've ever played. Pretty much everything about this game is fantastic except for the actual gameplay. It's totally tolerable for what you're getting though. I was very close to crying a few times, something that a game hasn't made me do in at least 5 years.
By the way, if 7: The Cavalry Of Molmorth or Venus And Braves: The Witch, The Goddess, And The Prophecy Of Destruction ever get English translations, jump on it. The same team apparently made them and they're similarly smart-but-not-highbrow.
1. Mass Effect 2
2. BioShock 2
3. Halo: Reach
4. Bayonetta
5. Lara Croft & the Guardian of Light
6. Limbo
7. Alan Wake
8. Fallout: New Vegas
9. Super Meat Boy
By the way, if 7: The Cavalry Of Molmorth or Venus And Braves: The Witch, The Goddess, And The Prophecy Of Destruction ever get English translations, jump on it. The same team apparently made them and they're similarly smart-but-not-highbrow.
1. Bayonetta
2. Red Dead Redemption
3. Mass Effect 2
4. Super Street Fighter 4
5. Civilization 5
6. Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light
7. Vanquish
8. Enslaved: Odyssey to the West
9. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
10. Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening
1. Mass Effect 2
2. Just Cause 2
3. Minecraft
4. Game Dev Story
5. Assassin's Creed Brotherhood
6. Vanquish
7. Dance Central
8. Civilization 5
9. Battlefield: Bad Company 2
10. Red Dead Redemption
1. Europa Universalis 3: Divine Wind ; While it has only been out for a short while, the quality of this add-on is undeniable. New features like the brilliant new map, expanded Japan and China, the new horde system, a superior interface, the introduction of trade range and perhaps most importantly a new building system make Europa Universalis 3 feel fresh again, even though this is its 4th add-on. I could go on for quite a while about this game, but the essence of it is that if you want the best real-time strategy game ever made, you want Europa Universalis 3: Divine Wind.
2. The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom ; The Settlers franchise has always been a favourite of mine, but in recent years the entries did not live up to the better games earlier in the series. With this seventh instalment though, Blue Byte turned the franchise around again. By borrowing much from boardgames like Settlers of Catan, and combining that with the basic mechanics of the series, they made a strategy game that is both fresh and familiar.
3. Mass Effect 2 ; With Mass Effect 2, Bioware went in a different direction, making the game as much a shooter as an RPG. Personally, I didn't mind that change so much, I've never been a particularly hardcore RPG player, and as such, I found the combat to be more enjoyable than in the first game. What I didn't like though was the fact that they removed the planetary exploration mechanic entirely. There were certainly flaws with this element in the first game, but I think despite that, it was a part of the reason that I enjoyed the first game so much. While this flaw did dampen some of my excitement over the game, it remains one of my favourites of the year. I thought the locations were beautifully crafted, and somehow felt more alive than those in the first game. The mission design was obviously much better as well, no more eight hundred identical looking warehouse spaces, missions felt unique and were certainly fun to do. I was, along with many others, somewhat disappointed by the lack of attention to the main story of the game, but I think I enjoyed the recruiting missions more than most people, and as such did not mind it being a game that was really building towards a conclusion in the third, which I really can't wait to play.
4. Mount & Blade: Warband ; I've owned the original Mount & Blade for quite some time, but I don't think I ever gave it a fair chance. When Warband was on sale on Steam earlier this year though, I jumped at the chance. I almost immediately started playing with the Floris Mod Pack, so I'm basing my opinion on the game with that installed. Despite the presence of a bug here and there and dated graphics, few games were as satisfying as this this year. There's nothing quite like riding around a battlefield littered with bodies and dozens of soldiers fighting, and timing your sword blows just right to one hit kill an enemy archer. I'm really enjoying the building of my kingdom now, slowly growing it in bloody wars.
5. F1 2010 ; I have no idea why this is not on the list, but I'm including it anyway. In my opinion, no racing game this year offered such brilliant mechanics as this game did. Me and my friends spent so much time trying to beat each others times, driving around the same circuit again and again. In most racing games, this would bore me, but F1 2010s mechanics make it fun.
6. Alpha Protocol ; Immediately after finishing it, I remember saying this was the best bad game I'd ever played, and I still stand by that. Alpha Protocol fails to deliver in many important areas, most importantly the basic gameplay. It's not the worst ever, but it just doesn't feel right, and doesn't work right some of the time. The game absolutely shines in several other areas though, most importantly in the decisions you are able to make. Many RPGs claim that the player can make decisions that have an impact, but in Alpha Protocol you actually do, and the decisions aren't lame good/neutral/bad ones either. At times, you have to make truly tough choices.
7. Hearts of Iron 3: Semper Fi ; Again, not on the list, leading me to wonder where the OP got his list from. Semper Fi did for Hearts of Iron III what In Nomine did for Europa Universalis III. HoI3 wasn't a bad game before Semper Fi, but I think it was missing several things that were holding it back, like the inability to adjust theatres. Semper Fi fixed these things and makes it nigh undeniable that Hearts of Iron II: Doomsday has now been surpassed.
8. Mafia 2 ; You might think it shallow, but presentation factors are one of the main reasons for me to put Mafia 2 on this list. While the basic gameplay is still competent, it is the look, feel and most importantly sound of the game where Mafia 2 delivers. It makes you feel like you actually are walking and driving around in the 40s and 50s, listening to the best game soundtrack since The Saboteur.
9. Football Manager 2011 ; It wasn't easy deciding whether this should be on the list. While the game is undeniably brilliant, it's not a particularly huge leap from its predecessor. In the end though, having sunk many hours into the game, doing so well that Heracles Almelo won the Champions League several times in a row, not including it would be sort of ridiculous. I'd say more to sell people on the game, but if you don't like football or the management side of it doesn't appeal to you, it's not going to do anything for you. And if that is the case, you've likely played Football Manager before and know it's brilliant.
10. Just Cause 2 ; Launching a soldier into the sky by tethering him to a gas canister is awesome, and that's probably not even in the top 100 most awesome things you can do in this sandbox with the tools they give you. There's really not much more to say about the game than that, other than maybe that even the missions are fun this time around.
Think ten games with thoughts nobody will read on them is enough, so I will refrain from posting honourable mentions.
But I was so close to including Lost Horizon on this list
NeoGAF, more than a lot of places, is likely to demonstrate more of an interest in an F-1-Europa Universalis list than a Red Dead Redemption-Super Mario Galaxy 2 one.
1. Europa Universalis 3: Divine Wind ; While it has only been out for a short while, the quality of this add-on is undeniable. New features like the brilliant new map, expanded Japan and China, the new horde system, a superior interface, the introduction of trade range and perhaps most importantly a new building system make Europa Universalis 3 feel fresh again, even though this is its 4th add-on. I could go on for quite a while about this game, but the essence of it is that if you want the best real-time strategy game ever made, you want Europa Universalis 3: Divine Wind.
I put Divine Wind in my list at number 10 on my list because it is just an add-on that while good doesn't warrant a high place on my list for that reason.
However, Europa Universalis 3 + all 4 add-ons is probably tied with Civilization IV + Beyond the Sword as the greatest strategy game ever made.
And to think I thought I'd be perfectly safe coming in here and sharing my thoughts list with GAF, but no, some guy has to come in and hold my opinion against me.
NeoGAF, more than a lot of places, is likely to demonstrate more of an interest in an F-1-Europa Universalis list than a Red Dead Redemption-Super Mario Galaxy 2 one.
Personally, as someone with an interest in those kind of games, I found his post to be very helpful. I figured Divine Wind would be good but it's nice to hear that even the stuff like the new horde system works properly, and I had completely forgotten about Warband, another game I'll have to add to the backlog as I've heard absolutely nothing but good things about it.
And the last I heard about Hearts of Iron 3 was its very flawed release state, so it's good to hear that many of the issues have been fixed in the expansion. Another game I'll have to check out, then.
It's a bummer we're having this vote so early, because there's so many good 2010 games that I won't be able to represent because I won't be able to play them until early next year at the earliest.
1. Fallout: New Vegas ; I loved Fallout 3, and I enjoyed this one more. I even managed to get through the buggy PC version without many problems.
2. Last Window: The Secret of Cape West ; A fitting end for CiNG. Last Window is all about endings and tying up loose ends, and in that respect it's a wonderful swan song for any CiNG fan.
3. Civilization V ; It's Civ only without the stack of death. That alone makes me happy.
4. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker ; A return to form after Guns of the Patriots was so disappointing. This game is classic Kojima.
5. Final Fantasy 13 ; A controversial one, but I feel it gets more hate for what it isn't, rather than appreciation for what it is. Admittedly, the ending sucks, but journey there was one I enjoyed.
6. Ensalved: Odyssey to the West ; An above average game with a really good story on top.
7. Dead Rising 2 ; A refined version of the original, which is enough to keep me happy.
8. Mass Effect 2 ; Not as good as the first one, but a fun game all the same.
9. Bayonetta ; A great start to 2010, and a worthy GOTY contender.
10. Super Street Fighter 4 ; A major improvement on my favourite fighting game this generation.
x. Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth ; The plot felt a little shallow, but the gameplay elements of the Ace Attorney series have been greatly expanded upon. I'd like to see the third person gameplay used in GS5, whenever it arrives.
x. Monkey Island 2: Special Edition ; One of my favourite childhood games brought into the HD generation. Couldn't be happier with the way this one was handled, but because there were a lot of good games this year, I haven't included it on my list.
x. Super Mario Galaxy 2 ; Just pipped to tenth place by SSFIV. I loved this game and it was a perfect implementation of everything Nintendo did right with the first one.
1. Red Dead Redemption ; Fantastic game, my GOTY by a country mile. The first game I've ever put more time into MP than SP. 2. Mass Effect 2 ; Had a cracking time with the first one, and this was even better. I do miss the more RPG elements 3. Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition ; Just a very enjoyable game. The loot aspect was fun and I actually liked the weird-ass story. All the DLC is box-office. 4. Halo: Reach ; Only my second ever Halo. Playing it Co-Op with a friend is great guns. 5. Heavy Rain ; I shit myself playing this. 6. Final Fantasy XIII ; You know what, I still had a great time with this 7. God of War 3 ; The Neptune battle at the start physically blew me away. 8. Nier ; A big surprise, even with GAF bigging it up all year. I had an enjoyable 2 playthoughs of this. 9. Hydrophobia ; Below an occasionally shonky exterior are the elements of a great game. 10. Joe Danger ; A romp of fun.
I tend to pick games up cheap way after they release so these are actually the only 2010 games I've played!
1. League of Legends ; Not on the list but should be, it is a continously updated game that receives an update every 2 weeks. Free to play with microtransactions, I think it represents the best implementation of this model. Just as addicting and fun as DotA, with some enhancements that I think improve on the model as a whole.
2. Mount & Blade: Warband ; Mounted and sword fighting combat perfected. On top of that, no other game I know lets you build an empire, assault castles, manage an army, etc. The additional multiplayer mode is icing on the cake. Three cheers for Turkish developers.
3. Fallout: New Vegas ; Takes the Fallout 3 formula and enhances it with better writing.
4. Europa Universalis 3: Divine Wind ; Haven't even played divine wind yet but Heir to the Throne was so damn good and Europa Universalis 3 Complete is my favorite game of all time so I can't imagine that Divine Wind didn't make it even better. Even without Divine Wind EU3 + the first 3 expansions is the greatest strategy game ever made.
Sadly (at least for the purposes of this thread) I play games once they go on sale for the PC, so I am sure I am missing some great 2010 PC games that I just haven't played.
Guess I am thinking of the beta or my memory is faulty. Though I do think that for mmos and constantly updated games we need to be a little liberal on what qualifies. We are only going to get more and more games that are updated significantly from year to year without traditional update methods like expansion packs.
But I understand the line has to be drawn somewhere.
1) Bioshock 2
2) angry birds
3) persona 3 portable
4) metroid: other m
5) Pokemon Black/White
6) costume quest
7) scott pilgrim vs. the world: the game
8) halo: reach
9) tatsunoko vs capcom: ultimate all-stars
10) assassin's creed brotherhood
1. Gran Turismo 5; Nordschleife. you big, beautiful behemoth, you.
2. Red Dead Redemption; an instant classic.
3. MLB the Show 2010; A modest improvement over its predecessor, but '09 was already one of the best sports game ever made. Must have put at least 100 hours into it.
4. Mass Effect 2; story lacks the impact of the first, (probably because it's a 15 hour segue into the second half of ME1's story) but solid mechanics, a fleshed out universe, and appropriately grotesque antagonists propel it above and beyond mass effect 1.
5.Call of Duty Black Ops (xbox 360); addicting multiplayer and awesome campaign setpieces situated in a fascinating time period. loved it
6. Heavy Rain; a bizarre and incoherent plot and questionable voice acting, but it's such a unique and compelling experience. especially the Taxidermist DLC.
7. Halo Reach; the game Halo 3 should have been. Great graphics, great gunplay. Fighting the AI on Legendary is intensely satisfying. Really liked the end of the campaign too, very fitting.
8. NBA 2k11; Might be the best basketball game of the new millenium. It gets so many of the little things right. Plus, the giant homage to MJ is exceptionally well done.
9. Alan Wake; the atmosphere and story take it above the sum of its mundane, repetitive mechanics. the foundation is there, so the sequel could be something really special.
Honourable mentions:
X. God of War 3: a silly, one note game, but man, when it hits its note)
X. Assassins Creed Brotherhood
Just took a look at the standings so far. VERY interesting list. Much closer than last year, for several positions. Still several games fighting to get into the Top 20, as well as various jockeying for position within. Some popular games I'm surprised to see out of the Top 20 as well!
I won't mention names or numbers because I don't want to influence the voting. But it's going to be an interesting results thread, that's for sure
Also, we've gotten a TON of comments to sort through for the games, so thanks to everyone who was kind enough to list their thoughts with their game choices!
1. Red Dead Redemption
2. Gran Turismo 5
3. God of War 3
4. Heavy Rain
5. Final Fantasy 13
6. Darksiders
7. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
8. Vanquish
9. Bayonetta
10. Yakuza 3
