The Very Best of 2010

2010 was a pretty big year as far as gaming went. The year was entirely packed to the brim with big titles; from new properties to tried and true franchises. This post is going to be all about the games I thought were the best and ultimately that came down to the titles that I actually played the passed year. I'll also post the title that I thought was the most disappointing game I played in 2010. 

Being a gamer for many years now I know exactly what kind of titles I like to play so I'm able to pare down the amount of games I actually pick up over the year. Though now and again I will explore an unknown title but mainly my plate consists of new interesting properties and sequels that I pretty much can't wait to get my hands on. In any case, here's the list of games that I thoroughly enjoyed in 2010 in order of release.

Heavy Rain

What can I say about this game that reviewers haven't covered over the last year? The studio behind this game boasted stellar graphics in demos for a good two years before this title was released. They constantly touted their graphical accomplishments and their unique control scheme. In the end the controls were a little wonky at first but it was different. It helped Heavy Rain stand out. Paired with a very intriguing concepts, interactivity, and branching storyline this is one Playstation 3 exclusive that you should definitely check out if you haven't already.

Red Dead Redemption

Simply put, Red Dead Redemption was the game of the year for me. Having played a third person adventure game before it in Splinter Cell: Conviction, I was well prepared for another shoot 'em up. I was pleasantly surprised by Red Dead though. Like with many of Rockstar Studios' games, Red Dead's sandbox style adventure unravels a very epic and thoughtful story from beginning to end. And that story unfurls through hours of game play, side missions and the occasional game of poker. Rounding out the experience is an amazing soundtrack, deep character development and multi player that has been supported with several downloadable additions. This is a title from 2010 that you can't miss out on. 

FIFA 2011

This one is kind of a toss up. I'm not much of a sports gamer these days but EA's sports titles used to be mainstays in my library on earlier consoles. I played the FIFA demo and I was leaning towards picking it up. After a friend got it and convinced me it was worth it I made the plunge. Quite frankly, it's the best sports game I've played since EA Sports discontinued their MVP Baseball series. The controls are very intuitive and the presentation is simply stellar. If you're a fan of the series you already have this so there's no reason for me to convince you to purchase it. For other gamers, it's worth downloading the demo to give it a shot at least. 

Rock Band 3

Back when Rock Band 3 came out I wrote up what I think was a very good description of how excellent that game is. With the addition of keyboards and harmonies Harmonix really broadened the range of music they could offer to their customers. The game wasn't just a new coat of paint though. It was a major overhaul of the graphics and the way we play the game in general. Adding in a new instrument as well as the addition of pro guitar and bass really set the bar way above what their competitors can reach. Despite Viacom recently selling the studio, Harmonix has retained the rights to their properties and downloadable content will continue to be released. Harmonix and their genre changing franchise will live on.

And there you have it; my top games of the year. While there were other titles I played, they simply get an honorable mention. Those titles are are follows:

Splinter Cell: Conviction

Blazeblue: Continuum Shift

Call of Duty: Black Ops

It's not that these titles are bad. They were fun in their own right and I still play Black Ops like it's going out of style. However the other games just stood head and shoulders above the rest. Demos for most of these games are on X-Box Live and the Playstation Network so there's always a chance to give them a try. Hopefully you'll enjoy them as much as I did. Before I end this post though I would like to list the most disappointing title I experienced last year. 

Most Disappointing Game - Fable 3

What can I say that I didn't already cover in my review of Fable 3. It's just not packed with the same content that Fable 2 had. While the length of the main story is a little longer, the game itself feels incomplete. In the end what Lionshead studio delivered was ambitious, but it still paled in comparison to what had come before it. As the days go on, I'm finding it harder and harder to pop in the disc to return to Albion for a second play through. Perhaps some well crafted downloadable content can breathe new life into that game but for now it remains my most disappointing game of 2010.