PDA

View Full Version : Best games of 2010



NeoCracker
12-16-2010, 04:55 AM
I figure it's late enough in the year to make our judgements. :p


I will do mine in the form of a top 11 list. Not to celebrate coming into 2011, nor a Nostolgia Critic referance, but because I did a normal top 10, finished it, and completely spaced a game (The one that will be at number 6) and didn't want to delete my summary of what was then number 10. So, here you go. My top 11 games of 2010.

11. Final Fantasy XIII


This game has quite a bit going for it. If it fits your taste, the battle system is very enjoyable, though it doesn’t have a wide stretching appeal. As for me, I did enjoy it, though the game was slightly bogged down by the Eidolon fights.

It had some really well done graphics, and some of the series best character development. The problem, however, is somewhere along the way the creators forgot that they were suppose to be developing a plot, all of which got shoved into the last stretch of the game.

Though it did give us some awesome characters, Snow being enjoyable to watch, though Sahz was the games show stealer.

Overall, a decent game that’s held back by a few glaring flaws.

10. Bayonetta

Yeah, a lot of people will disagree with this I’m guessing. But as far as humour goes, this game had me hooked the moment the short fat guy pissed on a dudes grave. I won’t complain about plot, cause at no point does it take itself seriously. The characters may be shallow, but are very funny to watch, as well as some great graphics and visuals.

The gameplay is smooth and solid, nothing special but enjoyable none the less.

The games biggest problem is the only real plus is the humour, outside of that it ranks at a decent title with nothing else to make it stand out.

9. FallOut New Vegas

This game was bounds better then Fall Out 3. The addition of the gun upgrades was fun, as well as the hardcore mode. Outside of that, not much has changed to the games gameplay.

The biggest bonus is a much more developed world and conflict. Where as 3’s plot was lackluster at best, this games overall story was much more compeling, largely in part to one of my favorite characters in the game, Benny. On a whole, the characters in the world were a lot more varied and held way more personality then 3.

The reputations with each faction were also superior to the more one sided Karma system in Fall Out 3.

Though what holds this game back more then anything are the some of the same issues in Fall Out 3, the first being how incredibly buggy the game is. And my god is it bad. I don’t think I need to go into details on this given how well known bugs are in Bethesda games, but they seriously need to stop giving us :bou::bou::bou::bou: this bad.

The other one is that the characters still have almost robotic movements when the run around or speak, especially when they speak. All in all its uncomfortable to watch..

Though on a whole, still a solid game.


8. Blaze Blu: Continuum Shift

Continuing in the path of Calamity Trigger, Blazeblu easily had the best story of any fighting game I’ve played to date. The characters have depth and personality, and out of all of them I can’t think of any I don’t enjoy following.

The graphics are still solid, and while they weren’t updated from the previous title, given it only came out at 40 instead of 60 like most new games, I can let the lack of improvement slide given it’s still looks great.

The gameplay is just as solid as before, with a few additional quirks to the gameplay to change things up, and a few new characters adding to the mix. The new characters play very differently then any other, which helps to expand on the variety of play styles allowed in the game.

7. Dragon Quest IX

Ah yes, the wonders of the Turn Based RPG. While others have grown to hate them, my love for them is forever here to stay. DQ IX has a decent story with decent characters. In all honesty it’s plot lags behind titles like DQ VIII and especially V, but manages to keep you hooked. Nothing spectacular, but nothing really bad. It still contains many cheesy puns, which greatly amuse me.

I would actually put the battle system as my favorite of any DQ game though. Leveling the jobs separately to learn their abilities, as well as putting points into mastering weapon skills separately give you many different options to building your characters.

The biggest issue here is that regardless of how many options they give you, for anyone who’s played a DQ game before, or for that matter anyone who is a big enough RPG nut, you will have no problems whatsoever with this game. For all the options you have, the challenge is no where near enough to make fully exploiting the system.

6. Rune Factory 3

Yeah, you may all laugh at me, but damn this game is fun. It is, in every way, the best Rune Factory game to date. The dungeon crawling is improved with the option to bring in townies to fight along side of you, as well as being some of the smoothest running combat in the series. The different areas are a bit livelier, and the townsfolk are by far the most entertaining to date. My favorites being Sofia, Karina and Pia.

Really, there isn’t much else to say on this game. If you’ve never like Rune Factory, you’ll not like this one. If you are a fan of the series, you’ll love it. If you’ve never played one before, I have no Idea how to convince you a farming simulator with some dungeon crawling is a good Idea to play. But trust me, it is glorious.

5. God of War III

To begin, I really enjoy the plot. They fixed the oddity that was ‘Pandora’s Box’ from the first game, and gave us a pretty epic, albeit short, plot full of amazing graphics and artwork. No real issues with the plot, and it made for a great way to end the trilogy.

The gameplay, at it’s core, remains God of War, while adding some new tricks to keep the gameplay fresh. One of wich is being able to switch between your Blades of Exile (This games blade on a chain) and three other weapons you’ll unlock throughout the game, each one having a very unique style.

Another fun aspect was the third bar. You originally had health and magic, though this third bar is a recharable gauge for using various abilites of Items.

Overall this amounts to another solid entry in the series with few problems that has managed to keep the gameplay fresh even after three games.

4. Golden Sun: Dark Dawn

I am a big advocate of Golden Sun, and was estatic to see this title released. It picks up years after Lost Age, revealing the after math of the Golden Sun Event. The story moves along at a very solid pace, constantly adding to the stories and characters. In this regard it’s probably better then the last two entries.

The only real issue is from the first time you see him, you already know who the hell the guy in a mask is, at least if you played the previous games, so keeping his identity secret so long is just annoying, but that is a minor gripe.

The best part is the Djinn system has far more uses now. Mixing and matching Dijinn to different adepts is a far more usable option then in previous titles. Only my main character did I have just the straight Earth Djinn with, everyone else had 2 or 3 different types on them.

Though at it’s core, not much has really changed about the battle system. The game maintains a fairy easy level of difficutly, though an unexpected jump happens for the last boss, though nothing as extreme as in FF IV.

3. Heavy Rain

Screw the haters. The story of this game is suspenseful, solid, and it has a lot of amazing characters. That aside, the gameplay is solely dependant on the person, and I cannot blame anyone for not liking the purely quicktime style of gameplay it offers. I believe Yahtzee said it best in that it’s a lot more movie then most games, but not enough to be judged as a movie, it’s kind of a different thing all on it’s own. Not really his words, but I believe that was the gist of it.

I don’t know how to say anything else about this really, which kind of bothers me since this is one of my top3 games, but what can you do?

2. White Knight Chronicles

This game is amazing. I know a lot of people disliked the story, though for many reasons I loved it. I’m not bothered by stories that aren’t finished in a single game so long as it’s good enough to warrant my interest. This game is basically the prelude to the events to come, and it did an amazing job at setting it up. Some awesome characters, Kara, Ceasar, and The Black Knight being the games show stealers. It may end on a cliff hanger that gives far more questions then it answers, it sets up a high intrique for those answers.

The gameplay looks very action based at first, but it still fits far more into a turn based system then it seems. That being said, I have no issues with turn based, and it actually handles very well, giving you plenty of fun combat options. The combo system to link attacks together is very fun to use, and you are capable of customizing your characters in a variety of ways.

The online is actually quite fun as well, and I never suffered any problematic lag while playing either. They are fun things to do on the side, and you have an insane amount of control over how your character looks, I’d argue it’s an even better character Generator then you are given in Saints Row 2.

The art design ranges from pretty good to awesome in this game, it’s clear in many areas they payed a lot of attention, though they did slack off a couple times.

In the end though, definitely one of the best games this year.

1. No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle

Even I was a bit surprised when I decided on this game, but here you go, my game of the year. Expanding on the story of Travis, he is now out to seek revenge on those who killed his friend, unable to escape the life of an assassin for an organization that kind of never existed, depending on how you look at it.

The story, while taking itself a bit more seriously then the first, is still just as, if not for, funny then the last game. With some of the most entertaining bosses, as well as a couple returning, it makes for an awesome experience.

You even play as a couple other people though a few segments of the game, which adds quite a bit more variety this time around. The minigames as well are far more enjoyable, as well as having a bit of retro-charn, as they are all done as old NES style gameplay.

The boss fights remain imaginative, and on a whole the game is a bit more challenging then it’s predecessor. The graphics have improved, the story is better, overall it’s improved on the original title in every way.

True, the dropping of the world map entirely after the terrible failure it was in the first game seems a bit cheap, but at the same time I won’t complain about something bad being dropped entirely if it doesn’t take away from the experience.

NorthernChaosGod
12-16-2010, 05:13 AM
Halo: Reach. Game of the Year. All years.

/thread

Roto13
12-16-2010, 05:15 AM
Overall, a decent game that’s held back by a few glaring flaws.

10. Bayonetta

Yeah, a lot of people will disagree with this I’m guessing. But as far as humour goes, this game had me hooked the moment the short fat guy pissed on a dudes grave. I won’t complain about plot, cause at no point does it take itself seriously. The characters may be shallow, but are very funny to watch, as well as some great graphics and visuals.

The gameplay is smooth and solid, nothing special but enjoyable none the less.

The games biggest problem is the only real plus is the humour, outside of that it ranks at a decent title with nothing else to make it stand out.



nothing special
outside of that it ranks at a decent title with nothing else to make it stand out.

Are you out of your mind?

Levian
12-16-2010, 05:24 AM
Not sure if I even played 10 games this year. I expect to get one or more of Epic Mickey, Donkey Kong Returns and Goldeneye for christmas, and I suspect all of them belong on my top 10 list. Red Dead Redemption and Dead Rising 2 would probably also compete if I had actually had the time and money to play them.

7. Alan Wake/Black Mirror 2
I haven't played these yet, but I'm going to play them in January, and I'm absolutely certain they belong on this list. xD

6. Final Fantasy XIII
well

5. Megaman 10
Gotta love Megaman

4. Professor Layton and the unwound future
Follows the same formula of the last ones, but that's a good thing.

3. Heavy Rain
The genre in itself is enough to make me love it. This genre has little place in mainstream gaming these days, so I encourage any game like this. I enjoyed the story as well.

2. Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
A bit different from the other Silent Hill games, but the fact that you can't pick up a weapon or kill anything in this game only makes me like it more. More games like this, please. Although, with less awkward wii controls and harder puzzles.

1. Super Mario Galaxy 2.
Masterpiece! Better than Super Mario Galaxy.

NeoCracker
12-16-2010, 05:31 AM
Overall, a decent game that’s held back by a few glaring flaws.

10. Bayonetta

Yeah, a lot of people will disagree with this I’m guessing. But as far as humour goes, this game had me hooked the moment the short fat guy pissed on a dudes grave. I won’t complain about plot, cause at no point does it take itself seriously. The characters may be shallow, but are very funny to watch, as well as some great graphics and visuals.

The gameplay is smooth and solid, nothing special but enjoyable none the less.

The games biggest problem is the only real plus is the humour, outside of that it ranks at a decent title with nothing else to make it stand out.



nothing special
outside of that it ranks at a decent title with nothing else to make it stand out.

Are you out of your mind?

No, I just didn't think the game play was that great. I was solid, don't get me wrong, but outside of humour and some awesome visuals, it was just that special. :p

Jessweeee♪
12-16-2010, 05:54 AM
I haven't played a whole lot this year. Off the top of my head, just Mass Effect 2 (that's 2010, right?) and FFXIII. I liked them both a lot, even if I still haven't been able to play the first Mass Effect.

Loony BoB
12-16-2010, 11:58 AM
The games I've played enough of to actually give a decent opinion on (ie, not trials or just a couple of levels/chapters)...

Football Manager 2011 - 9/10 - Nine points because THIS GAME IS CRACK. Didn't get the last point because THIS GAME IS CRACK.
Mass Effect 2 - 9/10 - This game was awesome but didn't feel even close to long enough.
Final Fantasy XIII - 8/10 - Gameplay lacked a bit but characters were one of the best sets ever for me. Really enjoyed the whole thing regardless of whatever criticism was thrown at it, so that's enough for me.
Final Fantasy XIV - 6-7/10 - So... much... potential... I can't wait for this game to get decent content because everything else is right there. And it's improving steadily from the lacking game it started out as. 6 and 7 out of 10 purely on the basis that it's (obviously) changed a lot since release.
Army of Two: The 40th Day - 8/10 - It's like playing an 90's average-budget action movie. I love this. Although I don't know if it'd be as good if I didn't have Danielle playing with me.

2010 games I haven't played enough of to give a decent opinion yet: Lost Planet 2, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light.
Non 2010 games I played for the first time this year: Resident Evil 5, Hamster Ball, Uncharted, Uncharted 2 and probably a bunch of others.

Vyk
12-16-2010, 12:33 PM
Enslaved is my game of the year

Meat Puppet
12-16-2010, 12:38 PM
Red Dead Redemption

kotora
12-16-2010, 02:16 PM
Mass Effect 2 and Fallout New Vegas were okay.

it was a pretty crappy year, most games I got were released earlier. Still need to get Heavy Rain and Peace Walker.

Depression Moon
12-16-2010, 02:38 PM
Scott Pilgrim vs the World 8.5/10
A great mix of beat em up and RPG. Filled with a lot of game references and great for co-op. Only downside is that it's short and has no online co-op, not that it mattered that much for me when it's near impossible for me to get a signal.

Super Street Fighter IV 8.5/10
Much of an improvement to the original version. 9 extra characters. Previous characters have been rebalanced. - on removal of movie theater and art gallery and Seth lying about Hakan being good. + on more online options and a replay option and channel. - for a lack of saving replays to the HDD.

Dreddz
12-16-2010, 02:46 PM
Games that stood out for me this year were.....

Joe Danger - Fun game! Kind of a mix between Trials HD and a 2D platformer. Took some time out with this game but Ill return sometime in the near future to finish off some of the last stages.

Sonic 4 - Looking back I think I like this more now then I did when I was actually playing it. Not up to quality of the original games but even a decent Sonic game is good enough for me. Or maybe its just the lack of good 2D platformers that makes me remember the game so fondly.

Heavy Rain - Definitely the most unique game I played this year. I think people spend too long picking out the plot holes than actually appreciating what they did well. Come on, its amazing.

Red Dead Redemption - Only bought this game yesterday but after only a few hours I could tell the game was something special. I don't like to go with the general opinion that this is the game of the year but its definitely up there from what I've played so far. By the time I'm finished with the game maybe I will like it even more. Who knows.

God of War III - I'm not even a huge fan of the first two games but GOW3 went way past my expectations. Just on sheer spectacle its worth playing but I also thought they tuned the combat to perfection. There was even a few surprises throughout the game so Ill disagree with anyone who says that its more of the same. On the other hand I do think this series is done. No need for another one in my opinion.

Vaquish - Best third person shooter ever made. While other games in the same genre try as hard as possible to make you forget your playing a game Vanquish does the complete opposite. A refreshing game in an odd way.

Bayonetta - Best game this year me thinks. This is what DMC4 should have been. This game would be close to perfect if they hadn't had such a lame story. But even with such a lacking story what they did well they did better then any other game made to date. Bayonetta is also the best reason as to why the Japanese video game industry cannot die. If that happens then god help us all.......

Final Fantasy XIII - I actually don't like this game very much but I thought it was worth saying that despite 2010 being a stellar year, what will stick out for me was the disappointment that was FFXIII. Normally when a FF game is released it is right at the top of my list but FFXIII may be the first FF game to date that has been a letdown for me. What a shame considering this was meant to be the JRPG to get the genre back on track.

Bolivar
12-16-2010, 03:17 PM
In keeping with the "11 going into 2011!" theme that NeoCracker doesn't want to admit to starting:

11. Final Fantasy XIII - as much as I want to crawl in a hole and cry because it wasn't the mindblowing revolution you'd expect from the first Final Fantasy of a console generation, I liked the characters, the story archs they hit you with in the first half of the game, and the combat system was definitely "next-gen." Not a great Final Fantasy, but a very good game IMO.

10. John Daly's ProStroke Golf - lol yes, i'm actually putting a golf game before FF! I played this with the Playstation Move and it really is something else. Tiger Woods on Wii/Move is really just the same game with a swing parameter, but here you really are practicing your golf game. I remember one time w/o using the direction graphic, i relaxed and imagined how i'd hit the shot in real life and I landed feet away from the pin. I really love playing 18 holes on this thing.

09. MAG - this game was more like an experiment, but I'm glad to have paid $60 to participate. The thing is, the game actually works; the 256 player battles are not congested, giving you great 8 on 8 moments when fighting for outer objectives, but welcomed chaos and a focus on your loadout classes when it comes down to the very end of the round. The only problem with MAG is the community - players never learned how become effective squad leaders and instead of the most tactical game of all time, you're usually playing a masterpiece command game where the officer utilize none of the features. I really wish they'd implemented some kind of officer training, a better manual, or SOMETHING because Zipper's failure to teach the community really ruined it.

08. Dead Nation - wow, this game is just so good, it's from the same makers of Super Stardust HD, so anyone looking for an amazing PSN downloadable game should absolutely get it. The use of lighting is so insane and the game is a legitimate challenge which is really appreciated. Can't wait to play more co-op honestly.

07. Call of Duty: Black Ops - sucking away all my attention from other games b/c with how busy I usually am, it's nicer to be able to play a couple equick 7-10 minute matches and progress just a little bit. While I miss the polish and production values of MW2, I think everything is just better in this game, far more balanced, more personality to the maps, and potentially even more variety with the equipment and attachments. Loved the story with Ed Harris and Gary Oldman lending talent, it felt like a more substantial campaign in length even if it isn't as action-packed. I was really impressed with Treyarch on this one.

06. Medal of Honor - it feels good to give it the edge of Black Ops because it reaffirms that I'm still a story gamer. Personally I was incredibly let down by the multiplayer, especially because of how big of a DICE fan I am. But the single player is what really did it. It's another short campaign, but the sense of comraderie, the thrill of the night missions, and the immersion of the self-contained locale made for a very, very memorable campaign. I'm a pretty leftist kinda dude, but when the credits rolled I was overcome by a strong emotion of patriotism. This was the first time I was really shown what is actually going on over there for our troops in Afghanistan, and it convinced me that we are doing the right thing over there, even if the prospect of an Afghan state is unlikely.

05. Heavy Rain - WOW, was this a defining moment this generation, and a historical bullet for video games as an artistic medium thus far. I can't even begin to explain the emotions this game forces you to feel, the extreme empathy for the characters and their plights, the terror of Ethan's challenges, the sympathy for Madison's loneliness, the warmth of Shelby's acts of kindness. This is one of the games that embodies why the PS3 is different from other consoles today and why Sony is different from other publishers.

04. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker - wow, what a blast to play. Every MGS by Kojima is guaranteed to be an unbelievable ride and even this PSP iteration delivered. Awesome, awesome story, cool characters, important socio-political themes (explored in detail in the conversations), great gameplay, and TONS of Extra Ops to play on that bus ride to school. There's so many little cool things about it like the cinematic feel of the subtle camera shakes, the menu screens and noises, and the way it makes your PSP look like a cassette player with the extra character convos. Only disappointed in that it's a little easy to just go through holding everyone up then using the Fulton recovery system, but in co-op it's still crazy cinematic and awesome to play with a friend, sneaking around mischeviously. Love this game so much.

03. Gran Turismo 5 the 5 years of work on this game shows. I probably said it in the other thread, but this game went far beyond what you expect from a racing sim, the game serves as a testament to all aspects of motorsport in all areas of the world, from the top gear show in england, to the AMG and Nurbrughing in Germany, NASCAR in the states and all the crazy stuff they love in Japan. From challenges with Volkswagen busses in the 60's to learning just how much technique it takes to be successful in NASCAR, it's like an appreciation class for a huge part of human history. The soundtrack is over 150 i think and is awesome in itself, and the graphics just about as good as we could have expected.

02. Battlefield Bad Company 2 - this is the game where I absolutely loved both the single player and multiplayer so much, I really think this is a candidate for best shooter this generation. DICE played down the campaign by saying they're still new to single player, but I feel they hit it out the park with a classic FPS campaign. From starting in World War II to ending on an airplane, and all the little interesting moments they made in between, along with the classic sandbox shootouts of the multiplayer, the campaign was a 10 out of 10 for me. Some things seem taken from other games, like shooting out the back of a truck in a high speed chase, calling in airstrikes, and chopper gunner scenes, but the fact that these are all things you can expect to do in battlefield's multiplayer really makes it more.... sincere.

The multiplayer was a little cheap with how they trickled down maps periodically for "VIPs" who bought the game new, but the fact that we were all satisfied with 5 maps for each mode is a testament to how rich the maps are and how incredibly solid the progression and customization system is. This is a legitimate, fun team-based game, I love the synergy of your little squad of four and if you play it with 3 buddies you're in for a great night of gaming. It touches upon the movement and shooting mechanics of Killzone, with the colorfulness of Halo, the equipment aesthetics of Call of Duty, and the vehicular aspect that only Battlefield and DICE can pull off. I could go on forever, but this is one of my favorite games this generation.

1. God of War III - I have to give it to this game for #1. Creatively, this may be the biggest artistic achievement in gaming. The little colors on everything, the variety within those colors that you see, how it looks in motion, especially with the motion blur, the angles of the camera as your fighting and how it changes for the QTE's, this game just oozes with creative genius. It's easily the best opening gameplay sequence, ever, and although the ending cutscene was an atrociously terrible way to end the series, it's not really a snowball. There are a few moments sprinkled throughout the game that are just so unbelievably epic, and the Labyrinth represents how creative the guys n gals at Sony Santa Monica are, where you're taking the three pillars of the series and have you fighting, platforming, and solving puzzles all at the same time. I think they improved the combat a little bit with being able to seamlessly transition into your next weapon, tying them to your magic, and adding in the various abilities with the items to bring this game more in line with the more stylish hack-n-slash titles.

Also, I think this was the best structured story, the entire game takes place on mount olympus, from the base of the mountain in hades to the very top where Zeus looks out on the world he manipulates and all the awesome little locations in between. This is a game made to show just how far ahead of every other developer in the industry this studio is and with the exception of maybe Naughty Dog and Guerilla Games, they certainly succeeded.

Madame Adequate
12-16-2010, 03:48 PM
Games I liked this year

Fallout: New Vegas. Smurf yes. Absolutely fixed 90% of the problems with F3, and Obsidian weren't in a position to do much about Gamebryo (Though they still made an admirable effort, NV is way way more stable than F3 ever was). Superb from top to bottom.

Halo: Reach. The campaign was mediocre and disappointing in the extreme. The multiplayer on the other hand is sheer magic except when ponces act like ponces with armor lock all day erry day.

Red Dead Redemption. Hoooooly fuck this one kind of blindsided me, I wasn't ever impressed by Red Dead Revolver or by GUN for that matter, so Western games weren't appealing to me - it just didn't seem like a genre that worked in games. Then I watched some of the preview videos for this and was like "Day One Purchase Take all of my money" and yeah. Absolutely stunning. If only R* could make multiplayer 1/10 as good as they make single-player.

Europa Universalis III: Divine Wind. Okay okay I know it's an expack but it continues to make EU3 one of my favorite strategy games ever ever so yeah, it appears on this list. Continuing additions and refinements, new mechanics for Japan and more importantly China, just all around goodness.

WoW: Cataclysm. I know plenty of people have plenty of bile for WoW, but there is no credible way to deny that Blizzard puts an astounding amount of effort into each expansion and that each one enhances the game hugely. The Worgen and Goblin starting areas are superb, the remaking of the Old World is unbelievably great, Orgrimmar went from hateful :bou::bou::bou::bou:hole to my second-favorite city, even the reworking of the talent trees has ended up being rather good, completely contrary to my expectations and fears.

Dwarf Fortress 2010. Toady One continues to update this game, continues to make it astoundingly complex, detailed, and incredible, continues to provide one of the best sandboxes ever made. If I could only ever play one game for the rest of my life, Dwarf Fortress would have to be a strong contender.

Honorable Mentions

One Chance. Some say this is pretentious. I poop on them from a great height. I don't think it achieves what it sets out to do - but it is an interesting and worthwhile experiment in game mechanics and I did get emotionally invested.

Final Fantasy XIII. I like FFXIII. I really do. But it falls very short when compared to other FFs (Except XIV obviously :p) and I have no desire to replay it. I don't regret the time or money spent on it but I've no interest in going back, which for a Final Fantasy is a fairly major problem.

CODBLOPS. It's Call of Duty, whaddaya want? If you like it you like it, if you don't this won't convert you. I prefer Modern Warfare myself - though zombie mode with JFK, Nixon, McNamara, and Castro is pretty god damn amazing.

Not Appearing On This List:

PS3 Exclusives. Because I don't have one. Though as I've said elsewhere the system now has enough games that I actually want one and plan to get it once I have money.

Bayonetta. I feel bad badmouthing this because it was a gift from Rye, but it's the most overrated piece of mediocrity I have come across in years. Don't get me wrong, there are worse games out there by a long way, but I honestly can't bring to mind anything so bland dressed up so flashily.

Psychotic
12-16-2010, 03:58 PM
Red Dead Redemption won game of the year because it is the best game of the year.

Hon mentions: Halo Reach, Fallout New Vegas.

ljkkjlcm9
12-16-2010, 04:35 PM
My favorite game this year was Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, Monster Hunter Tri at a close 2nd.

Other games that I bought this year: (No particular order)
God of War 3
Final Fantasy 13
Sin and Punishment
Mario Galaxy 2
Donkey Kong Country Returns
White Knight Chronicles
No More Heroes 2
Golden Sun Dark Dawn
Kirby's Epic Yarn
Arc Rise Fantasia
3D Dot Game Heroes
Metroid Other M
Sands of Destruction

Other Games of note that I have not opened but own
Bayonetta
Resonance of Fate

Definitely a good year of games, and I know some big titles I don't have, but don't want. Red Dead Redemption, Mass Effect 2, and Fallout New Vegas come to mind.

I guess Starcraft 2 wasn't as significant as I thought it would be for people.

THE JACKEL

kotora
12-16-2010, 04:41 PM
oh yeah forgot about SC2

despite the :bou::bou::bou::bou:ty multiplayer system it's still a pretty solid game. I liked the units from the original better though. Some of their replacements were pretty untactical for my style of playing.

Shiny
12-16-2010, 05:05 PM
Red Dead Redemption

This is the best game of 2010 imf.

In my fact.

Every other company should be learning how to write a story like this because they're not getting it. Mass Effect 2, Heavy Rain, and Dead Rising 2 were pretty cool too.

Pete for President
12-16-2010, 09:11 PM
Red Dead Redemption

This is the best game of 2010 imf.

In my fact.

Every other company should be learning how to write a story like this because they're not getting it.

However, Rockstar could learn a thing or two about how to make a game challenging gameplay wise. Imo, this game is overrated.

JKTrix
12-16-2010, 11:27 PM
I don't think I can spend the time to explain these or rank them in any order, so I'll just pour it out.

Mario Galaxy, Monster Hunter Tri, Mass Effect, DQ9, SMT Strange Journey, 9 Hours 9 Doors 9 Persons, Infinite Space, Vanquish, Bayonetta, Picross 3D, Resonance of Fate.

Hon. Mentions: Yakuza 3, Halo, Super SF4.

As much as I say I don't like JRPGs these days, there are 4 on that list. So maybe they're special.

The only 2 games that I really want to play but haven't yet are RDR and Need for Speed Hot Pursuit.

Madame Adequate
12-16-2010, 11:51 PM
Herp derp I didn't realize ME2 was even this year. Yeah that goes on the list blatantly.

Shattered Dreamer
12-17-2010, 04:28 PM
Red Dead Redemption: Is the game of the year beyond a doubt nuff said!

Final Fantasy XIII: Liked it starting off but all in all was kind of disappointed. I'm save sits at the end of Chapter 12 & I've very little desire to finish it which is a crying shame because I love FF games normally!

Army Of Two: The 40th Day: Great 3rd person shooter because it was fun to play especially when you play through the campaign with someone else!

Fifa 11: I love the Fifa series & to be honest I wasn't expecting much difference between 10 & 11 but couldn't of been more wrong!

WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2011: This game is great for one reason, it is FUN! So many games now try really hard to give the player intense gaming experiences & Hollywood Blockbuster rivaling visuals but this game just focuses on being fun! One of the reasons I still game at this age is because it's a fun form of escapism!

Freya
12-17-2010, 04:51 PM
ME2.

Iceglow
12-18-2010, 12:30 AM
This thread starts with the PS3 guys here giving wonderful mentions to ps3 titles however they mistakenly believe that they're quoting the only best games when they really only mention the ps3 only titles.

My list would say the following titles are held in contention in randomized order:

Halo Reach (I'm going to upset a fair few of my halo brethren here, I like the campaign storyline. Don't get me wrong it got some points where it didn't quite get up to the intensity of previous games where it really should have. But it's got massive scope and the sheer size of the battlefields you participate in is mind blowing even compared to 3. AI as well, dear god the elites in solo legendary put up a fight)

Red Dead Redemption (What can I say? Game of the year was well deserved. I liked how GTAIV played, but I found it hard to care for the characters at all, but I found it impossible not to care for John Marston from the opening few minutes he was introduced to me. I cared about the outcome of his mission and the chances of him getting his family back and thus was hooked on the game. Not to mention, if I'm angry nothing is more relaxing then spending my days hunting in game)

Fallout New Vegas (not picked it up yet due to unfinished business in 3 but I know how damn good the game is)

Final Fantasy XIII (I'm going to say I have thoroughly enjoyed this and unlike some people I don't see it as the worst entry to the series so far either)

Mass Effect 2 (I loved every second of the game where I wasn't scanning planets, unfortunately that was a huge chunk of my game play time.)

Assassins Creed: Brotherhood (how can you not love the assassins creed series?)

Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit (imho better than GT5 which disappointed me severely)

Starcraft 2 (I haven't played multiplayer, haven't finished the single player even because I got too bogged down and aside from Blizzard not letting me play my game on my starcraft account offline I have been very happy with this game, I wasn't disappointed in this considering 10 years wait and hype should have killed the game much like GT5 suffered)

Call of Duty Black Ops (I was very disappointed with the game, lets face it Treyarch always have potential to do better than IW but they always manage to screw it up and BO was no exception)

Gran Turismo 5 (As previously stated and much like COD Black Ops, this game disappointed me, no amount of work put in to the game could have made it live up to the hype of 5 years delays but smurf it I expected better than GT4 level graphics for over 80% of the cars in game. Game play wise, GT5 did deliver as the best driving simulation however I feel as a racing game the fun I experienced with NFS or Forza wasn't there this time)

Dwarf Fortress 2010 (I suck at raw DF, lets face it I have a problem reading the ASCII interface. However, give me a tileset and load up the fort in stonesense occassionally and I've learnt to work wonders in this game I've certainly come a long way from my first tenative steps in the control, building and expansion of a fortress from the early days of EOFF DF I've still got marathons to go before I understand everything the game is exceptionally good and independent which means it's never really gonna get the credit it deserves but I will mention it)

Pokemon Heart Gold/Soul Silver (Oh yes, I went there and did it I named Pokemon as a contender for my game of the year! Reason being, aside from DQIX which is forever ruined for me because Jedward were who Nintendo got to advertise it on TV ick! and Golden Sun DS which has only just come out and I've not been able to pick up yet theres not been many notable DS releases this year. Pokemon has never failed to do what it says on the tin and Gold/Silver were my favourite pokemon games released of all time. Therefore their DS updates come in highly reccomended.)

Castlevania Lords of Shadow (Even OPM admitted it in the review of this game but the game is actually significantly better than God of War 3, GoW3 was a massive game and deserves it's high rating and yet here was new addition to a classic series far longer running what done the same but better. I doubt theres much more to say than this, if you like God of War on the ps2 but brought a 360, get this game you'll not be disappointed with it)

Bayonetta (Well it was never taking itself seriously but what it did do seriously was make the latest entries to the DMC series feel crap. The first DMC and even the second DMC were awesome, 4 lacked any of the awesomeness of the start, Bayonetta gave me same style gameplay but with the added values of tongue in cheek humour and awesomeness. I wish I had bothered to pick this game up sooner for my home rather than play it at work or at friends houses. Will be getting it soon no doubt)

Dead Rising 2 (hahaha ok, ok I know I haven't even fired the first one up at home guys, yes it's true but I have played the Dead Rising games. First game was amazingly epic even if it did suffer a relatively broken save feature, note I don't use broken lightly here, my mate who has loaned me his copy of DR1 indefinitely has done so because he actually couldn't stand the save feature, it made the game unplayable in his opinion. Dead Rising 2 however lacking the camera I can't say was as diverse as DR1 but still it's Zombies, you tape different items together and end up with chainsaws on a canoe paddle...it's the game version of Zombieland or Zombieland is what would exist if DR was made in to a film...sweet jesus smurf yes!)

Dance Central (By far the best of the Kinect launch titles, and still the best game out now on Kinect. Dance Central is perhaps the single most advanced dancing game in history and whats more it teaches people who can't dance to dance so long as they can move to a beat. If we were to mention the best motion control game of the year, I would hapily place my vote here, theres nothing on the wii (whose best game was Just Dance 2) or on PSMove that beats it hands down)

DJ Hero 2 (Perhaps one of the better music games of the year though the next game on my list kinda steals the show I feel this is an honourable mention here. DJ Hero wasn't as good as it could've been it relied too much on constantly scratching/mixing/crossfading to get points. DJ Hero 2 has improved massively on this and is now much more fun to play for it, sure you gotta do all the rest but the game has another way of ranking your performance which is how much the crowd in game enjoy it and if you're over the top on the crossfade sections or overcooking it slightly with the scratches and volume adjustments then the fans don't like it so much and you get less points. It's complicated to do right but it's such a vast improvement on the first DJ Hero that I feel it needs a mention here, especially since you can actually learn how to operate a real vinyl deck here without the hundreds being spent on wrecking LS or SS vinyl (12" single or 7" Single to clarify) which is not a bad thing)

Rock Band 3 (OK everyone bitches about the music games "Oh they're :bou::bou::bou::bou:e go learn to play a proper instrument" ect ect ect however Rock Band finally addresses this issue with a massive smurf you to those people, Rock Band 3 with Pro instruments, expensive as hell but seriously, learn to play a song on a real 6 string and then once you can do it in game take the 6 string jack it in to the supplied amp and play for real without the game. Argue with me now that music games are not trying to teach or encourage people to play real instruments or take an interest in music really? DJ Hero 2 and Rock Band 3 prove otherwise imho)

I probably have more honourable mentions/contenders based on different categories but well I can't be bothered to list them right now if theres any major ones I think of they can have their own little post.

Roto13
12-18-2010, 12:38 AM
This thread starts with the PS3 guys here giving wonderful mentions to ps3 titles however they mistakenly believe that they're quoting the only best games when they really only mention the ps3 only titles.

I usually don't tell people when I do this, but you are finally going on my ignore list right fucking now.

Flying Arrow
12-18-2010, 12:47 AM
I don't think I've had too much experience with 2010 games in general. I only got my PS3 in February, so I've been playing catch-up most of the year. At this point I'm caught up more or less on everything that's interested me, so I'm looking forward to having a more "relevant" 2011.

Anyway, 2010.

Overall, a bit disappointing. Bunch of the heavy hitters really didn't hit hard enough for me:

Final Fantasy XIII: Huge disappointment! It's no coincidence that I got my PS3 a month or so before its release (my console purchases are usually centered on FF in some way) so to say I was looking forward to it is an understatement. Nevertheless, it might be the worst game I've played to completion in years. I've played bad games that were broken or overly-buggy in some way. FFXIII isn't this kind of bad - technically it's fine. The game's major sin is being boring, uninspired, badly written, and more or less content-free. It had a few moments, but in hindsight they were only good because it originally seemed like the game would go somewhere with them.

Super Street Fighter IV: Best game of the year for me, although it's basically just a re-jigged expansion on last year's game. But I'm still logging plenty of hours into it and having a blast with my friends is Vs. mode (the only way to play). Unfortunately the buttons on my stick are about to give, so I may have to set it aside for a while. No matter though, since the PSN community seems to have degenerated into an endless string of Ryus, Kens, and Akumas these days. Shame.

Bayonetta: A surprisingly excellent game! I had no idea what to expect and was really intrigued by the demo. I ended up buying it used and put a good deal of time into it. As a whole, the game frustrates me (I'm a perfectionist who isn't happy without a Pure Platinum in each encounter) but I can't say it's not a blast. I'll probably pick it up again to see if I can get through Infinite Climax mode. No witch time - should be interesting. The only thing I hate about the game is the completely pointless cutscenes and very sudden QTEs that MAKE ME LOSE MY NO-DEATH RUN THROUGH REALLY TOUGH STAGES.

Heavy Rain: An interesting concept, but I think it could have been handled a little bit better. Some people say that the identity of the killer should change depending on how you play, but I don't think that necessarily needs to be the case. My problem with the game was that it was outright boring in parts. I get realism, but opening a car door, putting on a seat-belt and turning the ignition aren't interesting. It's neat at first, but a few hours in I started to roll my eyes. On the other hand, when a scene climaxes the game can be really thrilling. It just doesn't keep that momentum up throughout, and the times it tries to come off as forced and really, really stupid (almost any scene with Madison, who really only exists because the gaming demographic is made up of manchildren). For such a story-driven game, you'd think they'd have put more effort into constructing a proper story.

God of War III: Disappointing. Not bad, but not particularly good either. It's basically just God of War with shinier graphics. The combat is absolutely untouched and the level design seems less interesting than last games (or maybe that's only because they've gone to the well one too many times). It's still a good time though because it's God of War, and God of War is always a good time. Still, it could have been better and it just feels clunky and old in 2010. The complete opposite of the wonderfully fluid Bayonetta.

Being a PS3 owner, I also didn't get a chance to play that other big game that everyone is raving about: Mass Effect 2. Luckily it comes out for PS3 in about a month in a package that is for all intents and purposes a GOTY. I didn't get to play Mario Galaxy 2 either since I don't own a Wii. I'm also not really into open world action games, RTSs or FPSs, so no RDR, Starcraft, COD or Halo here either.

Overall, 2010 was a little underwhelming. Here's hoping 2011 will be stronger with Deus Ex 3, Skyrim, Arkham City, Journey, and The Last Guardian. Definitely more my style!

kotora
12-18-2010, 12:59 AM
Super Street Fighter IV: Best game of the year for me, although it's basically just a re-jigged expansion on last year's game. But I'm still logging plenty of hours into it and having a blast with my friends is Vs. mode (the only way to play). Unfortunately the buttons on my stick are about to give, so I may have to set it aside for a while. No matter though, since the PSN community seems to have degenerated into an endless string of Ryus, Kens, and Akumas these days. Shame.


it's not like that wasn't the case with SF4 already. At least on xbox live that's all I fought against.

Flying Arrow
12-18-2010, 01:13 AM
Actually, for a long time after I got the game there was a nice balance of different fighters. Lotta Dudley, Adon, Guy, Ibuki, Juri, Sakura, Cammy, Bison, etc. There were days when I wouldn't even see a single shoto. Not sure why, but the PSN community seems a lot deader recently when it comes to SSF4. Maybe it's just bad timing on my part. Who knows.

Rase
12-18-2010, 04:38 AM
This thread starts with the PS3 guys here giving wonderful mentions to ps3 titles however they mistakenly believe that they're quoting the only best games when they really only mention the ps3 only titles.
I wasn't aware that Dragon Quest IX, Rune Factory 3, No More Heroes 2, Halo Reach, Alan Wake, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, Professor Layton, and Mass Effect 2 were PS3 only. What have I been playing them on then I wonder?

Slothy
12-18-2010, 04:51 AM
This thread starts with the PS3 guys here giving wonderful mentions to ps3 titles however they mistakenly believe that they're quoting the only best games when they really only mention the ps3 only titles.
I wasn't aware that Dragon Quest IX, Rune Factory 3, No More Heroes 2, Halo Reach, Alan Wake, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, Professor Layton, and Mass Effect 2 were PS3 only. What have I been playing them on then I wonder?

Didn't you know, Iceglow only sees PS3 fanboys everywhere he goes.

To stay on topic though, my favourite games of the year would have to be Heavy Rain and 3D Dot Game Heroes. I haven't played a lot of Gran Turismo 5 (getting it on Sunday), but I'd have to say it's pretty much everything I'd hoped for so I'll include it as well.

I'd probably have included Starcraft 2 but the longer I played it and followed it the less pleased I was with some of the decisions made by Blizzard regarding the management of it's online community and custom maps. Great game, but they've got the stink of Bobby Kotic rubbing off on them and I don't care for it too much. I want to like it but I have a hard time praising a game when I don't feel a company is putting it's fans first. So yeah, I'll stick with the three titles above, and only partly because it will annoy Iceglow. There are still a handful of games from this year that I haven't played but would like to though. But even if it turns out I really liked them it's been a slow year for great games if you ask me.

I'll also mention some great games that weren't of the video variety though. Puzzle Strike and Flash Duel, both made by David Sirlin are easily two of the best games I've played all year. Probably topping my choices above for the most part to be honest.

NeoCracker
12-18-2010, 04:59 AM
It was so hard to excluse 3D Dot from my top 11, though I give in an honorable 12th place. ;p

JKTrix
12-18-2010, 01:18 PM
I like it when people state their opinions/perspective as fact.

Iceglow
12-18-2010, 08:48 PM
I usually don't tell people when I do this, but you are finally going on my ignore list right smurfing now.

Good to know I finally made it, have fun. Peace out.


wasn't aware that Dragon Quest IX, Rune Factory 3, No More Heroes 2, Halo Reach, Alan Wake, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, Professor Layton, and Mass Effect 2 were PS3 only. What have I been playing them on then I wonder?

No I never said all the games mentioned I merely said at the start of the thread the games mentioned were on PS3 only I was reffering to the first couple of posts after that a lot of people posted a few games from other formats.



Didn't you know, Iceglow only sees PS3 fanboys everywhere he goes.


Actually Vivi, if I only saw PS3 fanboys everywhere I probably would have shot myself by now, fact is some of you are too quick to look for a slight. Also I've said it before, yes the 360 is my console of choice but I work with all 3 consoles and both handheld formats alongside PC games to boot. I have no choice in my job but to remain as impartial as possible. I can name every pro or con to owning any of the 3 consoles from a gamers perspective. I've also played most games if my games of the year were merely me being a rabid 360 fanboy who only sees ps3 fanboys everywhere would I have included games such as Gran Turismo 5? Theres other games I'd include too such as Heavy Rain which I believe is a must play for all gamers regardless. I'd also count God Of War 3 if it wasn't for the fact that Castlevania Lord of Shadow provides a more diverse gameplay of the same style which proves to be more enthralling and entertaining overall in my opinion. God of War was merely God of War, if you like the series then yes, play it because you want to know how it ends everyone who follows a series like that would but if you want a game what delivers a more diverse and satisfying experience, play Castlevania instead.


I like it when people state their opinions/perspective as fact.

I put all my opinions in brackets in my post because of this, they are ofcourse opinions. Ofcourse some of my opinions ring true of comments said by many including professional reviewers but end of day they're not true for everyone and this is why any poll detailing the "best game in the world" or similar is a bit of a bad joke. Much like music it's a matter of opinion or did everyone skip listening to the words and understanding the meaning behind Tenacious D's "Best song in the world" when it became insanely popular a couple of years ago...

G13
12-18-2010, 09:08 PM
Way to derail another thread into baseless talk of fanboys, Steve.

Shiny
12-18-2010, 11:48 PM
I like it when people state their opinions/perspective as fact.

:aimkiss:

Madame Adequate
12-19-2010, 02:01 AM
Way to derail another thread into baseless talk of fanboys, Steve.

It's what he does best!

Rocket Edge
12-19-2010, 09:57 PM
Iceglow, I'm pretty sure people don't care about a PS3/360 rivalry here, no need to make it an issue.

Call of Duty: Black Ops - The best game I've played this year. I use it almost solely for Multiplayer, so I can only reference from it. I personally found the online multiplayer from MW2 so flawed. It was a great big campfest (people staying in the same position with a silenced gun and waiting for people to come along). What Treyarch did so effectively in the maps was keep camping to a minimum. Plus they made the sub-machine guns better so players are more inclined to run-and-gun. :)

Aside from that, I cannot tell you how disappointed I was with Final Fantasy XIII. I really hope Square listens to the complaints made and produces the gold from the years previously.

Loony BoB
12-19-2010, 10:20 PM
Wait, are we meant to be posting games that we haven't played or something? I thought we were only posting about the games we've played... I mean, if someone doesn't have an Xbox 360 (or doesn't choose to use it) then I would imagine they wouldn't post about 360 exclusives being awesome. You can't say a game is your favourite of the year if you haven't played it, that would be silly. As for the accusations that only PS3 games were being mentioned, the first post mentions four games (including the 'number one') which can't be played on the PS3, the second post only mentioned an Xbox 360 exclusive, the third post (well, excusing Roto's which doesn't mention his choice of games of the year) mentioned four games that couldn't be played on the PS3. So before anyone goes around 'merely' saying that

at the start of the thread the games mentioned were on PS3 only I was reffering to the first couple of posts after that a lot of people posted a few games from other formats
that they do their homework.

Love you, Stevie. :<3: *runs*

Iceglow
12-20-2010, 12:19 AM
Love you, Stevie. :<3: *runs*

Unless Dannielle was stealing your keyboard to type that line you best be running else my projectile vomit of rage might cause you to rage quit eoff! ;)

あるはずのないピカチュウ
12-20-2010, 08:54 AM
I had the most fun playing Graces F this year, though to be honest no games really stuck out to me as "OMG AWESOME DO ME LIKE A ..."

I haven't played any hentai games in a while.

harrymckey
12-22-2010, 11:37 AM
i am a great game player. I had played a lot of games yet i do not find any game which put me in difficulties but i think which games you suggest are the interesting one and compete me. i think 2010 is the gaming year which introduce a no. of good games.

Flying Arrow
01-02-2011, 03:39 AM
First day of 2011 so this thread is still relevant. Just finished Alpha Protocol this evening. Long story short: a little rough around the edges but overall very impressive. Second favourite game of 2010, after SSF4. I recommend it to RPG fans who are into the Deus Ex skill tree/espionage thing and Bioware's dialogue systems (although it is easily better than anything BW has done in recent memory). Fans of straight up shooters should probably look elsewhere though.

Wolf Kanno
01-02-2011, 08:46 AM
It's been a hard year for me in terms of actually having play time for games. My consoles are collecting dust cause I haven't had time to put them to use but like Flying Arrow I also purchased a PS3 this year so I'm also still playing catch up on a lot of titles.

SSFIV - Yeah, I don't own the game yet, but I have played it with good friends quite often. Love the added roster, especially since I do happen to have a soft spot for SFIII (hey, someone has to love the game) and I am especially happy they gave everyone new moves and finishers. The game feels more complete to me even if I still don't care for some of the new characters and how sluggish it feels.

Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep - God its a slow year when one of my top games is a KH title. Still, this game definetly deserves it. While the story is a bit hokey at times the combat system is probably the best in the series and I will snub the ever loving hell out of KHIII if it doesn't either use it or create something that surpasses it. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED SQUENIX! :mad2: The worlds might not be the top of everyone's lists but I felt they were handled rather well and I especially loved co-op mode. Kicking the crap out of the Boss rush mode with a three man team is just very satisfying. I still need to rewatch a few Disney flicks...

Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon - An interesting game, not for everyone though. It has its boring points, since its basically a third-person puzzle adventure game like Myst. Still, the visuals and the atmosphere of the game is good and the story and concepts used for gameplay (like reading memories of the dead from inanimate objects) is very surprising. The game kinda wins my "hidden gem" award cause most people have never heard of it and its surprisingly better than I first thought it would be.

Robot Unicorn Attack - Not a traditional game you would put on this list, but yes, I've had more fun with this game this year than most of my more traditional titles on traditional gaming platforms. Easily my game of the year cause its killed more of my productivity than all the game on my list combined. It's just so super special awesome. :cool:

Tatsunoko Vs Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars - Takes the absurdity of the Vs series and punches it to 11. I probably got more of a kick out of this game than others cause I actually know who most of the Tatsunoko characters are. Gameplay is fun and fluid and the supers are either hilarious or awesome. Roll is one of my new favorite characters. ;)

*******************************************************

Games I have that are from 2010 that I haven't started on or I'm too early in to say how I feel.

White Knight Chronicles - I'm desperate for a next gen RPG and so while I wait for my friend to finally remember where his 360 is, so I can borrow it and finally play Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon, I picked this game up. I'm annoyed you created a character who is basically an extra in a more traditional JRPG setting but so far the game has been promising and the combat is fun even if the game gives me the middle finger for the the small text box used for naming my attacks. I want my Super Backhand Flying Monkey Death Palm combo title... which will consist of two slash attacks only. ;)

No More Heroes 2 - I'm kinda taking my time before I start this one, I ADORED the first game, and so I'm a bit hesitant to start the new one until my expectations become a bit more reasonable. Looking forward to this one.

Shin Megami Tensei IV: Strange Journey - I know, as much as I praise this series I still haven't played the newest entry. Blame school and losing the game under all my junk til I decided to do some house cleaning. Its on my list for games to play this semester, portable gaming just feels better in the spring for some reason...

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker - -Played the hell out of the Japanese and English demos but still haven't gotten around to playing the game yet.

Persona 3 Portable - GF is lending me the game since I talked myself out of buying it but maybe after playing it, I might reconsider. :shifty:

Dreddz
01-02-2011, 02:06 PM
I just recently started playing Need For Speed Hot Pursuit. Definitely deserves a mention in this thread. One of the best racing games I've played in a long time (well, since Motorstorm Pacific Rift).

EMX
01-02-2011, 04:02 PM
Honestly, I cannot think of a game that wowed me in 2010. The art of making games seems to have declined considerably since the consoles improved. In place of a storyline and genuinely moving characters, we are given graphics. In place of longevity and intelligence, we are given graphics. In place of fun, we are given realism. I understand that some people enjoy this in a game but I think it's desperate when such dull games as Fallout: New Vegas and Heavy Rain are considered amongst the better games of a year - neither was particularly good. New Vegas was simply a pretty average, bug-ridden sequel to a game that was itself pretty average and bug-ridden. Not that I didn't enjoy it to some extent, I just didn't enjoy it THAT much.

Hopefully, 2011 is much better.

Vyk
01-02-2011, 05:33 PM
First day of 2011 so this thread is still relevant. Just finished Alpha Protocol this evening. Long story short: a little rough around the edges but overall very impressive. Second favourite game of 2010, after SSF4. I recommend it to RPG fans who are into the Deus Ex skill tree/espionage thing and Bioware's dialogue systems (although it is easily better than anything BW has done in recent memory). Fans of straight up shooters should probably look elsewhere though.

Finally a positive opinion on the game. I was wondering how in the world this game could be so bad considering its pedigree, but all the reviews I've seen/read were terrible. I had been looking at this game for a long time, because I do like and tend to trust Obsidian as a developer. They've proven themselves time and again to be pretty much on par with BioWare. I've yet to get around to renting it, but this post gives me hope

The whole shooting error issue everyone's complained about doesn't bother me, as every RPG-Shooter should be that way. I know Fallout 3 was. A lined up sniper shot wasn't guaranteed. And Mass Effect kinda was like that, though you could see its error ratio in the targeting reticule. The bigger it is, the less your odds

Flying Arrow
01-02-2011, 09:10 PM
Vyk,

I definitely recommend an AP rent. For all its clunkiness action-wise (it's not even all that damn clunky if you're patient and know what you're doing), it all fits together rather well. The levels are short enough to not be exhausting, but long enough to still be interesting and satisfying. It's not quite like Deus Ex where there are multiple entry points, etc - they are pretty straight forward from a design perspective. However, the beauty of the levels comes out of the story and role-playing you've done up to that point. All your actions can and will have an effect on a level or the outcome of certain encounters. Certain conversations you've had and characters you meet at the beginning of your quest (you can tackle the main areas in any order you wish) can affect boss fights near the end. One of your superiors tells you at the beginning in a subtle tutorial that there are no wrong answers when it comes to dealing with characters - only consequences. AP doesn't screw around in this regard.

More than anything, you feel like you are an active participant in everything going on. Some missions require stealth while some require a bit more shooting (especially if you're doing favours along the way for a shadier contact). The shooting works (like you said) the way it should in a game like this and once you've added enough skill points to certain abilities (Pistol, Assault Rifle, Stealth, Gadgets, etc.) it actually becomes a lot of fun to work through an encounter using enhanced aiming, shortened critical hit timing and a cleverly utilized cloak. Hell, some of the best missions aren't even action missions but intel-gathering ones involving chatting up a clerk, talking down a hostile or just being generally perceptive in how you handle a specific character's personality. At one point it seemed like one NPC was manipulating me, telling me after that a certain contact of his that I'd met earlier told him how I generally like to handle things politely and reasonably (I'm interested to see during my second playthrough if this is actually as dynamic as it appears). The Perks help a lot, too, as the strength of certain relationships or ways of handling encounters (or a combination of both!) pop up very often, making you feel like you're really customizing your guy uniquely and really role-playing. For instance, I had an enormous body-armor boost for most of the game because of my relationship with one specific character and the number of times I would stealthily and non-lethally take down my opponents. There are probably hundreds of Perks in the game and you'll probably never find them all (I sure as hell won't).

Anyway, this is a long post but only because I feel like AP really got unfairly short-changed by the gaming media. A cheque must have bounced somewhere because AP is nowhere near the game most journalists make it out to be. It really is unique. While it is clearly rough around the edges, it's just so intricate and too well put together in all the ways that count for an avid RPGer to not have some fun with it.