Anthony Capone - Staff Writer
Mass Effect 2
It will be no surprise that my favourite game of 2010 – and even of all time – is Mass Effect 2. Being a tragic sci-fi and video game fan, after awaking uncharacteristically at an early hour on a January morning, I braved the awkward glances of fellow passers-by as I stood eagerly waiting for my shiny Mass Effect 2 Collector’s Edition. On arriving at my gaming abode, I was immediately engrossing in the compelling adventure of Commander Shepard and his band of unique companions. BioWare delivered a gripping experience filled with fascinating characters, gut-wrenching decisions and faultless gameplay. Combined with the downloadable episodes Kasumi’s Stolen Memory and Lair of the Shadow Broker, Mass Effect 2 eclipses all else.
Call of Duty: Black Ops
For all its commercial and critical success, the Call of Duty franchise is viewed unfavourably by many. I, however, remain addicted to one of the best games money can buy. Treyarch showed they have the skills to match the competition in Call of Duty: Black Ops, a title that took the series off the beaten track to the secretive Cold War era. With a focus on story, the campaign takes players through countless memorable shooting galleries. Though dulled slightly due to a lack of the series’ trademark sense of scale, the endless multiplayer modes nonetheless make Call of Duty: Black Ops king. There is still no better game in which to have fun while filling your friends – or zombies – with lead.
Halo: Reach
Bungie’s swansong to the shooter that started it all, Halo: Reach highlighted just how much potential still lies in series that began with the iconic Master Chief. An outstanding campaign, filled with intense flood-less skirmishes against the Covenant and a spaceship fight or two, plays out to Martin O’Donnell’s gripping soundtrack. Added to a serious upgrade in graphical power, the challenge of playing on Legendary (solo) and the most generous of multiplayer offerings, Halo: Reach is among the year’s very best.
Anthony didn't actually play anything else this year...
Bev Chen - Staff Writer
Deadly Premonition
Combine Twin Peaks with open-world gameplay and survival horror segments that could be out of a newer Silent Hill title, and you have the groundwork for a horror title that could actually be decent. Now add an amazingly inappropriate soundtrack, awkward animation and hilarious dialogue and you have Deadly Premonition. It sounds like a recipe for certain failure, but to me it’s these things that makes Deadly Premonition stand out as one of the most unique titles this generation. It’s definitely not for everyone, but it’s a cult classic for sure.
Amnesia: The Dark Descent
Alas, as entertaining as Deadly Premonition was, it was in no way really to be considered a ‘I need a new change of underwear’ horror title. That’s where Amnesia stepped in. Having enjoyed the Penumbra series a lot, I was looking forward to the developer’s next foray into the survival horror world, and I was very impressed. Amnesia had a wonderfully crafted atmosphere where even walking down a simple corridor would send heartbeats racing. It’s rare nowadays to find a horror game that does that so well. What Frictional Games said they would deliver, they delivered.
Yakuza 3
Yakuza 3 continued the struggles of Kazuma Kiryu, a former member of the yakuza turned owner of an orphanage in a small country town. Famed for its cinematic storytelling, the third entry in the series certainly did not disappoint. Combined with hours and hours of game time and great beat ‘em up gameplay that any button masher could have wished for, Yakuza 3 is the best game in the series yet. Now we’ll have to wait and see whether Yakuza 4 can top it next year.
Wuh?!?!?.
Kimberley Ellis - News Editor
Red Dead Redemption
Like the antihero protagonist John Marston who resides within its story, many underestimated the true quality of Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption. Judged harshly by its critics to be nothing more than a one trick pony, the title successfully brought a fully realised version of the Western frontier into the gaming landscape for all sandbox gaming enthusiasts to enjoy. From the sweeping grandeur of its landscapes to the classic redemption story line, Red Dead Redemption rewarded those who were content to saddle up and go for the ride.
God of War III
I must admit that I had never completed the two previous God of War titles on the PlayStation 2, but upon the release of God of War III I decided to play through all of the titles in order to get the most out of the Krato's final hoorah, and boy was I glad I did. God of War III not only ramped up the graphical prettiness to states of unmitigated beauty, but the action of Krato's final act proved to be a fitting conclusion to the epic saga. My poor button mashing fingers were definitely glad to see the credits roll on this one...
Mass Effect 2
Being the great Mass Effect tragic that I am, I was impatiently waiting the release of Mass Effect 2 and it didn't disappoint. Returning again was the RPG-lite gameplay, but this time the clunky controls vanished, instead leaving a streamlined control scheme which made it even harder to pull myself away from the gameplay. But what makes this title stand apart in my eyes is its storytelling. I logged many hours into this one, intrigued to see how my choices had played out in the Mass Effect universe and after watching the final credits roll, I couldn't help but ponder how the choices I had made in this title would effect me in part 3. If the title has a downside, I must say that the worst thing to come from it would be the horribly annoying drilling mini-game.
John Marston's successful redemption makes our list.
Adam Ghiggino - Managing Editor
God of War III
One of the most cinematic experiences outside of Uncharted 2, this is currently the title to beat in terms of epic-ness. With the combat that made the first two games so awesome to play, mixed with bosses pulled from Shadow of the Colossus and puzzles reminiscent of echochrome, it was like a hot pot of delicious gameplay. Wrapping up the saga by letting you murder almost every mythical figure and god in Greek mythology in style, God of War 3 was a blast to play through from beginning to end.
Alan Wake
For a while, I thought the only worthwhile horror franchises out there were Japanese. You know, Project Zero, Silent Hill. This year has proved me wrong. Not only has the excellent Amnesia hit our computers, but we also got the awesome Alan Wake. More Stephen King than any of the other series, I wouldn't call Alan Wake a particularly terrifying game. But, boy, does it tell a good story. The DLC too, while not particularly enlightening, are some of the best uses of the downloadable add-on format I've ever seen, re-configuring environments in a hugely original and engaging way. All around, it's an amazing experience that you owe it to yourself to check out.
Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse
Wow. Did Telltale knock it out of the park with this one? Dear God, yes. Parodying the most esoteric and geeky of movie genres, from the zombie movie to the old adventure serial, this five-part series had more humour, originality, style and insanity than either of Telltale's previous two attempts. Rather than try to replicate the original Sam & Max: Hit the Road, The Devil's Playhouse is great for branching out and doing things you've probably never seen in an adventure game before. The best argument for the existence of classic adventure games today.
And boy, did the devil play.
Cody Giunta - Staff Writer
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Ever since the plucky plumber first landed on the Wii, people were salivating at the prospect of another game in the Galaxy series. We were lucky to receive one only a mere handful of years after its release, in the form of the glorious Super Mario Galaxy 2. While debate will likely rage as to which one is the superior title, there is no doubt that Super Mario Galaxy 2 can proudly stand as one of the greatest games of this year and also one of the finest in this generation. The implementation of Yoshi was a resounding success that brought new and exciting gameplay elements to Galaxy 2, and Nintendo also managed to somehow create many new levels that seemed almost nothing like those seen in the previous game. All of this was wrapped in a glorious presentation, brilliant gameplay mechanics and a story and dialogue that were at times hilarious and touching while also referencing the previous Galaxy game. Super Mario Galaxy 2 is easily one of my most treasured titles of this year.
Professor Layton and the Lost Future
This game of the Layton series proved that the third time is indeed a charm, as the quality of the puzzles and story both met and exceeded those contained within The Curious Village and Pandora's Box. Level 5 somehow managed to make another game that didn't have carbon copies of past puzzles and just the right level of challenge - not too hard that it'll make you take your top hat off in frustration, but not too easy as to be unworthy of a playthrough. On top of these aspects, the story for The Lost Future turned out to be the best of the series with some surprise turns from some characters and a truly touching ending.
Donkey Kong Country Returns
Nintendo has had one of its best years in a very long time. Their casual gaming market has remained as focused as ever, but this year saw many announcements and releases which went some way to alleviating the feeling of alienation of some hardcore Nintendo fans. One of the strongest of these, Donkey Kong Country Returns closed out the year and is a true 2D platforming delight. Not only does it echo the classic Donkey Kong games of many years past, it also brings in new platforming mechanics at almost every turn and level. Its lush graphics and sense of fun are maintained through the entire experience. It's one of the greatest games on the Wii and one of the greatest platformers of the past decade. The King of Swing is back on his throne, right beside a hefty supply of bananas.
Professor Layton. Serious business.
Cian Hassett - Staff Writer
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
I feel really terrible right now. Honestly, after playing Red Dead Redemption, I couldn't imagine anything surpassing its quality this year. Then I started playing Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. My logic could be something to do with the decline of the stealth genre, but there's no doubting how amazing Brotherhood really is. The game is massive, and while the single player campaign is ever so slightly inferior to Red Dead, the multiplayer really caught my attention. It's a superb addition to the franchise and a genuinely original concept. Rockstar failed with the online elements of Red Dead, and the downloadable content had been a big disappointment. That's my reasoning behind choosing Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, I really couldn't think of a better way to finish off 2010.
Mass Effect 2
On the opposite side of the calendar, Mass Effect 2 was an ideal start to 2010. I'm not a huge RPG fan, the likes of Oblivion and Fallout 3 didn't impress me, but deep down I'm still in love with good sci-fi storytelling. Mass Effect 2 cut out most of the irrelevant rubbish that plagued the original, refined the gameplay and brought me to some of the most inspiring locations that I've ever seen in a video game. It was great to see the impact of choices made in the original, and I was genuinely hooked for almost thirty hours. The only flaw was that terrible drilling mini-game which was tedious to say the least. Although as far as story driven games are concerned, Mass Effect 2 stands well above everything else on the market.
Battlefield: Bad Company 2
This was another difficult choice. I was very tempted to slot Limbo in here, and even though it was the best three hours that I've spent with a video game since Portal, there was something much more significant released this year. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is the best FPS multiplayer offering available to console owners. The campaign was solid enough, but that's not why I bought it. Battlefield is all about playing objectively, unlike Call of Duty where players are judged on kill-death ratios and their individual performance. Working as a team is essential if you want to be a good Battlefield player, because if you try to sit back and build up the number of kills you have, that's completely missing the point. I've spent a number of weekends roaring and shouting inside my room until 3 a.m. all thanks to the enjoyment that comes from playing with people on the other side of the globe (you know who you are). Genuinely, the multiplayer experience of Bad Company 2 is untouchable, and with so much support coming from the developers, it's not surprising that so many people have converted to a real tactical shooter.
We've decided to reconvene with the rest tomorrow, so stay tuned for our impending second part.
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