First up are my honorable mentions, the games that were fantastic in their own right and succeeded at what games need to do, deliver gameplay, story and presentation.
In order of release date (as I wrote them down as I combed Wikipedia's list of 2010 game releases to refresh my memory.
-Darksiders-
Darksiders came out of nowhere for me. I am not a big comic book fan. I knew of Joe Madureira's work from my wife (a former comic collector) but for me it just didn't pique my interest. As the release grew closer, advertising for the game began to work its magic on my weak willed brain. It was starting to look pretty good. Then the first wave of reviews hit and it was decided: I had to try this game out. I was glad I did. If I could use only one word to describe Darksiders it would be 'fun'. And is there a word better suited to be used solely to describe a video game? The game borrows VERY heavily from some of the most successful games made. But unlike a game like Dante's Inferno (which is so shameless and uninspired in it's plagiarism) it injected enough of its own flavor to remain unique throughout. With so many games are 'inspired' by what came before can you really complain when a game is 'inspired' in this way by a game like The Legend of Zelda (and honestly with Zelda being as praised as it is, it is surprising more games don't borrow the formula). It had some out of place gameplay elements (the Panzer Dragoon inspired rail shooting segments) and I am not really a fan of the 'everything huge' art style but when everything else hit the mark it made Darksiders an easy favorite early in the year.
-Battlefield Bad Company 2-
Generally, multiplayer content is not the deciding factor for me in a video game purchase. As a dyed in the wool gamer who got my start on my uncle's Intellivision and later my own NES, the single player content comes first and foremost for me. Multiplayer content is always a nice inclusion if it is good but should never be the focus. Or so I used to think before Battlefield. The single player is fun to be sure but it is nothing special. Bad Company 2 is on my list due to the copious amounts of time I spent online, reviving friends, blowing up tanks and spotting enemies through my sniper's scope. There are a lot of simple people out there who will claim the Call of Duty is the military FPS to beat. Those same people wouldn't know what to do if they were tasked with working as a team and fulfilling a specific role that might not be 'shoot everything that moves'. Battlefield succeeds because it asks players to work as a team in all instances and the scoring/leveling system ensures that players progress by fulfilling their particular role. Now we are here 9 months later and the release of the phenomenal Vietnam expansion ensures this will continue to be a contender into 2011.
-Final Fantasy XIII-
A short history of Final Fantasy and me: When I was young I subscribed to Nintendo Power. I started on issue 2. In those days when there wasn't enough content to warrant a full issue, they would ship you a free copy of one of their strategy guides. The day I got the guide for the first Final Fantasy was a milestone for me. I was already a fan of RPG's thanks to Dragon Warrior and now I was carrying around this guide with me like a bible. Since then I have played every single release of the series. I understand that each entry in the series ushers in a new world and new characters. I can understand why people might not like the game but for me, the story of Lightning and company through the worlds of Cocoon and Gran Pulse is every bit as worthy of the Final Fantasy name as anything that came before. The battle system, which at first seems shallow, reveals a wealth of depth and options as the game goes on. For some the game will remain nothing more than a showcase for amazing graphics but for many, myself included, it will remain a memorable numbered entry in the series.
-Super Street Fighter IV-
Last year, the Game of the Year argument I have with myself in my head came down to 2 titles: Street Fighter IV and Uncharted 2. In the end, I chose fantastic story telling and presentation over pitch perfect gameplay and unrivaled depth (I picked Uncharted). But it was a close call. In terms of play time I spent more time ith SFIV over anything else. So when a release comes along that includes the original content along with all new characters, ultras, balance fixes and improved online functionality it would be an injustice for me to not at least include Super in my honorable mentions of 2010. I didn't spend as much time with is as I did with IV in 2009 but the time I did was just as perfect as you could hope from a fighting game. When you lose a match in Street Fighter it is because you made a mistake, your opponent was better than you, or both. This is one genre Capcom is still the master of and makes me eagerly await MvC3 this coming year.
-Super Mario Galaxy 2-
I no longer own a Wii. If I did and I had spent more time with Galaxy 2 then there is a possibility it could have been a contender for my GotY. But I think what I will say will speak volumes of the game. I spent very little time with the game and the time I did made me wish I still owned a Wii. Every aspect of the gameplay was spot on and enjoyable. I never felt like the controls were a gimmick as so many Wii games fall victim to. Mario is Nintendo's hallmark title for a reason. This is a game to own the system for pure and simple.
-Castlevania: Lords of Shadow-
I was sold on this game from the moment I saw the first trailer. Granted, Castlevania games on consoles haven't been what they need to be after Symphony of the Night (we shall never speak of the N64 titles) but this was coming from Hideo Kojima. How could it possibly be bad. Luckily it was fantastic. Not enough gamers remember what the series was before SotN. Symphony brought the Metroid 'find power-ups, progress further' formula to 'Vania and did so perfectly. But there were games before that which were still amazing and for me LoS harkens back to Dracula's Curse more than anything else. Mix the Castlevania world, great voice acting from a great cast and a God of War inspired battle and upgrade system and you have one of the better action games of the year. Add to this a 20+ hour play time in a time when most games are clocking in under 10 and you have the best value of the year.
-Fallout: New Vegas-
Fallout 3 was my hands down pick for game of the year 2008. This was a year when MGS4 made me buy a PS3. Fallout was just too god damn good. 2 years later we are getting more of the same and while it may not be fresh enough to warrant another GotY its more than enough to make it one of the better games of the year. All the things that made FO3 great return and Obsidian brings some new stuff to the table. We still have a huge open world and our prerequisite good/bad choices but now we have multiple factions to side with, more morally gray choices, greater control over companions, weapon customizing, and more side quests to extend the life of the game. The engine is definitely showing its age and bugs plagued this game seemingly more so than any previous Bethesda developed title but if Obsidian can keep it patched and keep good expansions coming we can be playing it well until Skyrim.
-Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood-
The Assassin’s Creed series is another that many gamers, myself included, had a somewhat rocky start with. Many of us watched the game as it was announced and followed the press conferences with Jade Raymond leading up to its release. This was a game that even caught the attention of game design legend Hideo Kojima. When the game finally launched it sported amazing visuals and a massive, open world. The gameplay, however, suffered from being incredibly repetitive. Ubisoft listened, though. ACII was a vast improvement. The core was there but there was so much variety, a new, more interesting character in Ezio, and the beauty of Renaissance Italy. They had more of Ezio’s story to tell, though, in this year’s Brotherhood before moving on with the series proper. Once again adding more expansive environments, polishing up more gameplay elements, and even adding the years more unique multiplayer, they now have a pitch perfect template in which to drop future installments in the series and have continued success. It doesn’t hurt that the series also focuses on one of my other favorite things, Ancient Astronauts.
-Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit-
Watching the NFS series flounder after Most Wanted was rough. After playing last years fantastic Burnout Paradise, I wondered aloud, “Why doesn’t EA put Criterion on the NFS series?” As much as I would like to say the new Hot Pursuit was my idea, I know everyone saw it coming. Take your best arcade racer developer, put them on your once great series, reboot it named after the best in that series. Hot Pursuit is essentially Burnout with cops, in the best way possible. This is pure racing. No buying parts, no tuning cars. Want to go faster? Here’s a faster car. Impossible drifts around spike traps that have more tech in them than my PC. Car mounted EMP guns and recharging boost meters. They are all here to remind you not to take it too serious. Just jump in the fastest car you have unlocked and floor it to the finish.
~
Now that I have gone on for way too long about the good games of the year lets get to the meat. I had three games racing around my head all year. They games I keep coming back to and talking about. Like last year I am split between story and gameplay, but unlike last year I was skewed a little different.~
Runner up #2 -Red Dead Redemption-
Rockstar made their name on the GTA series, but for me, after this year, Red Dead Redemption is their defining game. Rockstar’s tale of John Marston, a reformed criminal forced back into his old ways to bring his former friends to justice, is one of the most expertly crafted and emotional stories in the medium. John Marston exists in this changing, turn of the century world as a portrait of the past, of what people feel they are leaving behind. He is an antiquated weapon, but the only one capable of doing the job that must be done. He is not an educated man but he is not stupid. He is aware of the changing world but in conversation he allows people to feel as though they are informing him. He is a former outlaw but he possesses a strong sense of justice, even when that justice blurs right and wrong. He is easily one of the most complex, well written characters in gaming, possibly even outside of gaming. By the time the game wraps up you will be heart broken at his tale and how it all ended and then when it really ends you will lean back, satisfied with how the tale finally wrapped as you recount the adventure in your head. The game also had on tap a unique multiplayer component that allowed friends to jump into the full open world together and raid gang hideouts, shoot each other’s horses or jump into full competitive game modes. While GTA pushed the limits of what you can get away with in a game RDR shows that a Mature game doesn’t have to be about blood and boobs, it can be about an expertly crafted, adult story.
Runner up #1 -Mass Effect 2-
I need to make one thing very clear here: I love outer space. The idea of visiting the stars, far away planets, alien landscapes with the void of space hanging over me truly excites me. The first Mass Effect served well to sate my appetite for that kind of experience. Everything from the film grain to the synth driven score strikes a chord with me. So when ME2 dropped early in the year with refined mechanics, more story choices and a grander scale, it was easily one of the greatest experiences offered in gaming. I have truly grown attached to MY Shepard that I have molded over the course of 2 games. The cast of characters you meet along the way are a motley crew and each of their personalities is truly believable. From their facial animations to the voice acting, you hang on every word of a companion’s story as you get to know them. A few of the RPG elements were parred back in order to streamline the game and make it a little faster paced but still managed to double the content of the 1st game. Discussing the choices you make with your friends and how it played out for each of you has me eagerly awaiting ME3 later this coming year.
Smacky’s Game of the Year
Rockstar made their name on the GTA series, but for me, after this year, Red Dead Redemption is their defining game. Rockstar’s tale of John Marston, a reformed criminal forced back into his old ways to bring his former friends to justice, is one of the most expertly crafted and emotional stories in the medium. John Marston exists in this changing, turn of the century world as a portrait of the past, of what people feel they are leaving behind. He is an antiquated weapon, but the only one capable of doing the job that must be done. He is not an educated man but he is not stupid. He is aware of the changing world but in conversation he allows people to feel as though they are informing him. He is a former outlaw but he possesses a strong sense of justice, even when that justice blurs right and wrong. He is easily one of the most complex, well written characters in gaming, possibly even outside of gaming. By the time the game wraps up you will be heart broken at his tale and how it all ended and then when it really ends you will lean back, satisfied with how the tale finally wrapped as you recount the adventure in your head. The game also had on tap a unique multiplayer component that allowed friends to jump into the full open world together and raid gang hideouts, shoot each other’s horses or jump into full competitive game modes. While GTA pushed the limits of what you can get away with in a game RDR shows that a Mature game doesn’t have to be about blood and boobs, it can be about an expertly crafted, adult story.
Runner up #1 -Mass Effect 2-
I need to make one thing very clear here: I love outer space. The idea of visiting the stars, far away planets, alien landscapes with the void of space hanging over me truly excites me. The first Mass Effect served well to sate my appetite for that kind of experience. Everything from the film grain to the synth driven score strikes a chord with me. So when ME2 dropped early in the year with refined mechanics, more story choices and a grander scale, it was easily one of the greatest experiences offered in gaming. I have truly grown attached to MY Shepard that I have molded over the course of 2 games. The cast of characters you meet along the way are a motley crew and each of their personalities is truly believable. From their facial animations to the voice acting, you hang on every word of a companion’s story as you get to know them. A few of the RPG elements were parred back in order to streamline the game and make it a little faster paced but still managed to double the content of the 1st game. Discussing the choices you make with your friends and how it played out for each of you has me eagerly awaiting ME3 later this coming year.
Smacky’s Game of the Year
BAYONETTA
Trying to justify Bayonetta as my Game of 2010 is going to be tough for me. If you know why I would pick it then I don’t need to explain anything. If you have no idea why I would pick it then I can’t explain anything. Bayonetta is the reason I play games. Not because she is a smooth talking, ass kicking girl in glasses who’s clothes come off fairly regularly. Well, not just because of that. Hideki Kamiya, director of the first Devil May Cry, brings back all that made DMC great. Controls tighter than most fighting games, over the top visuals, and numerous combos of in game weapons to approach any fight any way you want. This is the type of game that you only beat by genuinely being good at it. You practice until you have it down. You watch combo videos online to perfect your battle against a boss. You can beat it with one healing item, but can you beat it with none? This is the kind of game that gaming was born from. It doesn’t pussy foot around and hold your hand. If you screw up it slaps you in the face. Play better, play smarter. And when you do, the satisfaction is immense. There are games that stay with you for the story, for the emotional investment you have made in the characters. But lets be honest, a movie can do that. Then there are games that stay with you because you finally beat the last boss on Non Stop Infinite Climax mode with no health items. That is the reason I play games. This year Bayonetta reminded me why I still do.
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