2010: A Year in Games
Join me, Hato-kun on a journey through the games this year!
When I sent off my application to Metanorn, I said to Kyokai that I’d like to do some gaming related posts. And here we are, months later, and I think it’s time for a look back on the year that was 2010. It wasn’t the greatest year for gaming and games in general, but it still provided us with a few awesome little gems. Diamonds in the rough, if you will. To keep things short and sweet, I’ll be describing what I thought the best games of each month were, then maybe I’ll let you choose yours at the end, yeah?
January
In all honestly, this is a tough one. Perhaps even a draw. At the beginning of the year we were graced with Bayonetta, a new title developed by Platinum Games (Mad World, Vanquish) whose lead female character definitely had, ahem, assets to talk about. With combat similar to DMC (but turned up too 11) it was fast, fresh and a complete blast to play.
But then towards the end of the month, we have Mass Effect 2 from Bioware (Dragon Age, KOTOR) which is easily a contender for a GOTY or two. Building upon the original Mass Effect from 2007 you play once again as Shepard, a badass mo-fo who is from space. Of course, it’s a little deeper than that, but if i get talking, I’ll never stop. The game had brilliantly improved combat, a wonderful story to boot, some amazing visual design and some of the best voice work and characters around. I think we’ll have to call this one a draw.
February
This one is a no brainer. While Dante’s Inferno bought a new IP to the table, mostly everyone felt it was just EA’s answer to God of War. Bioshock 2 was big and anticipated, but lacked the firsts wow factor. However, the game of the month was easily Heavy Rain. Something so different from everything else (apart from Indigo Prophecy) it was incredibly received by gamers and critics alike. It was a big gamble on both Quantic Dream’s and Sony’s part, but it paid off.
March
Ouch. March. A big month in terms of blockbuster games. However, the best one in my opinion would have to be an amazing little title called Battlefield: Bad Company 2. The first game was absolutely fantastic by lacked a solid single player. Thankfully the multiplayer was brilliantly designed (being DICE and all…) and held an community for years. With the release of Bad Company 2 came a wonderfully paced single player, and improved multiplayer and the sexy Frostbite 2.0 engine. Even now, 9 months on DICE are supporting the game and show no intentions of letting it slow down.
April
Once again another draw! In the first two weeks of April Splinter Cell: Conviction was released. Throwing away the old Splinter Cell formula it streamlined the action-stealth genre and made in incredibly accessible and easy to use, which wasn’t a bad thing in this case. Combined with a great single-player and even a massive stand alone co-op campaign (with split-screen!) it still stands as one of the better co-op games this year.
Then on the other hand and in the closing days of April we got a little treasure called Nier. Rated among one of the few ‘Greatest games you never played in 2010’ Nier is a JRPG with a few surprising twists. With three versions created and released (2 in Japan (One for PS3, one for 360) and a western version) the game featured one of the best soundtracks of the year, a colorful cast of characters, an amazing opening sequence and simple and engaging combat system.
May
May was the month of the critically acclaimed and amazing Red Dead Redemption. But it doesn’t win best game of the month! That award goes to the semi-sleeper hit (pun intended) Alan Wake. While it didn’t feature a massive world to explore, nor amazing voice acting, nor all out action, it provided players with the best physiological horror game in the past few years, some of the most intricate writing and story telling and a crazy cool game mechanic, where you use light to destroy your enemies. It also helps that it has some of the best weather and lighting effects ever seen in a game. And June? Well… Let’s forget about June. It wasn’t very good.
July
Without a doubt, Starcraft II take the cake. With the official tag line of “It’s about time”, Blizzard knew their fans had been waiting years for a brilliant sequel, and they got nothing less. An amazing campaign that expands upon the lore, a robust (and now standard) multiplayer and brilliant map creator in which you can sculpt almost anything from third-person shooters to RPG’s. The only downside is, to enjoy all of the campaigns, you have to buy the other two expansions, set to release in the next four years! Looks like you fans have to wait again.
August
Despite me wanting the second Kane and Lynch, it just wasn’t very good. Marginally better than K&L2 was the much improved Mafia II. While some people simply passing it off as a GTA clone, people who delved deeper found it was rather rewarding. Sure, it didn’t have as much side content as the GTA series, but they provided a much more interesting and varied main-plot, focusing a lot of story, character development and trying to retain the authentic feeling of mafia films (which, by the way, they managed to pull of perfectly).
September
I might get a bit of lip from this one. In the month of September, I’m going to pick Halo: Reach over Civilization V. Now last year, this wouldn’t have happened. But now I just feel like a typical Halo fanboy. But rest easy, because I am not. Reach was touted as Bungie’s ‘Sawn-song’ to Halo, and they really delivered on that front. Reworking their engine from the ground up, the first Halo title to feature mo-cap (and reticle bloom!) and the newly added Armor Abilities, the amount of customization and tweaking that can happen in this game is crazy. Top it all off with a 4-player co-op campaign and 4-player split-screen multiplayer (both online and off) you’ve got a nice game right here. Sorry Civ V. I love you, but Reach takes this one.
October
The end of the year is always the hardest. In preparation for the holiday season, games are releases left, right and center, hoping for a few sales. Though for me, the stand out game is Rock Band 3. For the past two games developers Harmonix have been leading the way for the music game genre and they did it again in Rock band 3, adding 7-player local co-op, the new Keyboard instrument and an the all new Pro Mode, allowing you to use actual instruments to play the songs. Forget the colored blobs moving towards you, now it’s correct tablature, six strings and a pick. Hang up the plastic guitars, the game has changed.
November
Straight of the bat, no, November game of the month is not Black Ops. Leading the charge this month is Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood. Picking up EXACTLY where AC2 left off, you continue the story of Ezio, an Assassin living in Italy during the 16th Century and Desmond, a test subject reliving his ancestors memories in the 22nd Century. Boasting multiple small improvements from AC2, a new Assassin Brotherhood meta game and a robust new competitive multiplayer mode, it doesn’t just feel like AC2.5. However, the end of the 25-30 hour campaign will leave you yelling at Ubisoft Montreal to hurry up with Assassin’s Creed III.
December
I’m gonna take a guess, and say that the biggest game of December will, without a doubt be World of Warcraft: Cataclysm. 12 million players is a sizable playerbase, and considering Blizzard bring in close to a billion dollars annually, they also have the talent to back it all up. Amazingly crafted worlds, 85 levels, PvP that has ruined many a relationship and dare I say lives and more content that you can fit in one box, you can’t can’t stop the WoW machine. Not yet, at least.
These aren’t all the games that released this year, however. We have to pay special mention to all the great games from this year (in alphabetical order). Costume Quest, Crackdown 2, Dance Central, Darksiders, Dead Rising 2, DeathSpank, Enslaved, Epic Mickey, Fable III, Fallout: New Vegas, Final Fantasy XIII, God of War III, GoldenEye 007, Gran Turismo 5, Just Cause 2, Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, Kirby’s Epic Yarn, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, Limbo, Lost Planet 2, MAG, Medal of Honor, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Metro 2033, Metroid: Other M, ModNation Racers, Monday Night Combat, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle, Pac-Man Championship Edition DX, Pokemon Black and White, RUSE, Singularity, Skate 3, Sonic Colors, Split Second: Velocity, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Super Meat Boy, Super Scribblenauts, Super Street Fighter IV, Transformer: War for Cybertron, Valkyria Chronicles II, Vanquish, Yakuza 3 and Yakuza 4.
Phew. Sad I can remember all of those? In any case, there you have it! All the notable game releases of 2010, and in my opinion some of the best game of 2010. Did my list match your opinions? Are you fuming with rage that I didn’t include Call of Duty? Or Final Fantasy? Or Kingdom Hearts? If so, let me know! Tell me now, what were your favorite games of 2010?
About Hato-kun
I'm Hato, born and raised in glorious New Zealand and a self-proclaimed awesome person. I started writing here in July and I'm loving it so far! I'm Metanorn's go-to Moe Man (lol) and the games guru, so don't be shy to say hello!
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
I just spilled blueberries everywhere in excitement. Hmm. I will pick them up later. ANYWAYS, HELL YES TO GAMING FOR METANORN! THIS IS WHAT WE NEEEEEEDDD (or at least what *I* need). NICE LIST HATO!
I heard a lot of bad things about Nier, so I stopped myself from buying it. Maybe I’ll take a look into it. Also, I wonder if more developers will make more games like Heavy Rain in 2011…hopefully with a better plot though XD That ending…was horrible.
My favourite games of 2010? I forget what was released exactly in 2010, but I thoroughly enjoyed GOW3, Bayonetta, Kirby’s Epic Yarn and Bioshock2 (just because I love Bioshock). There are probably more, but I forget… Also, I WANT TO PLAY LIMBO SO BADLYYYY IT LOOKS SO AWESOME T.T
POWUH: 400-499 and Manly Russians lover with 401 comments
The ending of Heavy Rain was horrible…? What? Which one? There are like, eight…
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
The one with plot holes large enough to drive a truck through. Oh wait, that’s all of them. Haha.
POWUH: iLurker with 9 comments
Cheering that you included KH:BBS xD
Waiting for next year’s 3rd Birthday and FF Dissidia 012! 🙂
POWUH: 400-499 and Manly Russians lover with 401 comments
If I had a PSP, I’d be interested in 3rd Birthday. And I only included KH because I thought a lot of people that visit Meta would play it. Personally I’ve lost faith in that series.
POWUH: Occasional (51-75) with 58 comments
Ugh, the ending of Enslaved messed with my mind. Nice list though! You should do more gaming-related posts.
POWUH: 400-499 and Manly Russians lover with 401 comments
I think after this response I’ll have to get onto making some more game posts!
POWUH: iLurker with 10 comments
/doesn’t have an Xbox or a Playstation and missed out on most of these games, sob
As a Wii and a DS person, I’d have to say that Trauma Team was my favorite game of 2010. The art was gorgeous, the character designs unique, the music was fantastic, different for each character and managing to incorporate their personalities into it, and, like any other game in its franchise, the story was fast-paced and revolved around an epidemic.
Like any other game out there, it had it’s dry moments, but this action-packed medical simulator definetly topped the charts for me. <3
Other than that, these gaming-related posts should come more often~ Good job~ ^o^/
POWUH: 400-499 and Manly Russians lover with 401 comments
I think you might have to sell your Wii and DS…
Just sayin’…
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 339 comments
What, no BlazBlue? That’s unexpected of you…Oh wait, never mind, you didn’t want to put that up there because I KICK YOUR SORRY BUTT EVERY TIME.
Also pokemon forever and ever but you already knew that.
POWUH: 400-499 and Manly Russians lover with 401 comments
Continuum Shift. Up ins. Right now. Let’s go.
LET’S GO!
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 339 comments
You bring the popcorn, and I’ll bring the KICKASS.
POWUH: 500-599 and The Trapolicious Treasurer with 599 comments
Your list was awesome, pretty cool to see game info on Metanorn finally~ I took a break from video games for 2010 😡 But I hope that this year I will get back into gaming again once I get more free time hah!
Look forward to more game related posts.
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 94 comments
LAAAAAAAAAAAAME sauce~
POWUH: 500-599 and The Trapolicious Treasurer with 599 comments
Stop talking about yourself and actually answer to the main topic~ :p
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 94 comments
VANQUISH and Mass Effect 2 has to be one of the most unique/awesome experiences that is 2010. I would give a nod to from what I’ve played to Red Dead and AC:Brotherhood just 2 damn good open world games. 2010 is another solid year and from what I’ve seen from 2011 OMG FFFFF YES!
POWUH: 400-499 and Manly Russians lover with 401 comments
Vanquish, eff yes. And what’s that on the horizon? Mass Effect THREE??!?!
POWUH: Meta Resident and Yōko Fanboy with 1246 comments
A very nice list and a reasonable list too, and yet many of those games I haven’t played before and some I haven’t heard of but after reading your thoughts Hato, I’ll think about it ^^ Only if I had the cash to get them that is… But splendid list and yes, Metanorn really needs a gaming side to things, hope to see more gaming posts in the future mate!
StarCraft2!!!!! WOOT~~!!! First time I ever heard of floating buildings~
POWUH: 400-499 and Manly Russians lover with 401 comments
There will be more posts, I assure you that! I’m brewing them in my now slightly tanned mind…
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Wooooot! Halo Reach! such an awesome game, even thou you kind of know whats going to happen to the characters still was fun.
And of course WoW latest expansion the game I am currently playing on and off, so far it is really fun and nice areas to level in.
Never got into Mass Effect but maybe one day ill check them out.
Splinter Cell: Conviction was fun I enjoyed that game even thou I never finished it, yay for stealth games 😛
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 234 comments
I have not played any of these games.
POWUH: 1100-1199 and Meta's Evil rice-flour Product with 1137 comments
burn the heretic
POWUH: iLurker with 19 comments
I had forgot a Kingdom Hearts game come out this past year! I have it, but I got so infuriated with those dang tornadoes that I am putting it aside for awhile. Anyway, my favorite game of the year was the new PSP release of Persona 3. I became I huge fan of the Persona series early on in 2010 when a friend let me borrow their copy of Persona 4, which I also loved! I haven’t played any of the ones you listed though…
POWUH: Meta Team and Ringleader Extraordinaire~ with 6433 comments
Good one! You should SO do more game posts. xD
POWUH: 1100-1199 and Meta's Evil rice-flour Product with 1137 comments
yo hato, want list for 2011? i got uncharted 3 and resistance 3 on my suuuuper list
POWUH: 1100-1199 and Meta's Evil rice-flour Product with 1137 comments
oh yes, and kh3 better come out
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 88 comments
DEAD RISING 2 FTW (I’m going to cosplay a zombie with a servbot mask yayyyy)
I’m glad Halo: Reach, Nier, & Mass Effect 2 made the list.
/Halofag
POWUH: iLurker with 2 comments
LOL good post Hato and yh what games are u looking forward to play in 2011????
For ME:
(YES Dan-go) Uncharted 3 FTW!!!!!
Deus Ex: Human Revolution….all i have to say is WOW!!!
Dead Space 2-If this was nearly as BONE-SHIVERING as the first one….CHEEZUS!!!
Batman Arham City=Epic Win(Hopefully…)
Metal Gear Solid:Rising…..RAIDEN I WANT THAT KATANA!!!!
POWUH: Meta Team and Ringleader Extraordinaire~ with 6433 comments
Just a note, Hato’s out of town right now and would be responding to all your comments after 7th Jan, that is when he’ll return. ^^
POWUH: Occasional (51-75) with 71 comments
Wow, quite a list Hato~
I definitely agree about Halo over Civ 5. The replay value for Reach is so much higher. And man, Alan Wake–even though it wasn’t all that special–it was quite psychological (also WTF moments, like the ending “it’s a happy ending– no wait it’s a sad ending–what! no… it’s a cliffhanger!!!DX”) ((and also on a side note, that game did get repetitive after a while, e.g. anything levitating with a shadow and hurling at you)). but enough ranting ^o^
No disputes about the list Hato(exept for WoW, cuz I don’t play, and Rock Band 3, which I find silly). The games I am anticipating this year are Crysis 2 and Portal 2 (cake!! XD).