So we're going to go a different direction at the start. To kick things off, I'm going to throw in my "Why the heck was this game so popular?" game of the year. So without further ado...
WTF Was This Game So Popular Game of the Year: Bayonetta
(Xbox 360)I gave this game a chance. Really I did. I think a part of my dislike for this game has to do with my values as a Christian. Let me preface this by saying that I'm not a Christian prude by any stretch. But I've got a real problem when the premise of a game is that my character is opposed to my God. I even gave that somewhat of a pass. What I couldn't give a pass was the fact that Bayonetta seemed to be created by and for a horny 13 year old. Couple that with the completely throw away sidekick and I was pretty disinterested from the start. The combat didn't grab me at all, and after two hours of this, I just couldn't stomach it anymore. Maybe it's one of those games that you have to get past a certain point before it starts getting good, but with no prior history or reason to try to get to that point, the eject button got an early press.
#5: Final Fantasy XIII
(PS3)So I fully realize the irony in the fact that I just smashed a game for not grabbing you by the ears at the start and being a wild ride to the end, and that this game is firmly in that category. The difference here is that Final Fantasy has a history of being a great franchise, and I personally was willing to wade through the first half (yes half) of the game to get to the worthwhile second half. The story is completely convoluted and switching between the sets of characters is completely jarring, not allowing you to get really into any one character's story. It's easy now to see what they were attempting to do in developing all the back stories of the characters so you can understand them once you're playing as all of them, but it just doesn't feel that way while you're doing it. However, once you get to that point, you've unlocked all levels of the Crystarium, and can travel where you wish, the game opens up much more. In addition, all the work done in building the story pays off wonderfully in the finale, and I don't feel as though the hours of time I poured into the game were wasted. It still doesn't change the fact that most of the time I wanted to punch Vanille square in her sickeningly sugary sweet face, but that's another topic for a full review that you won't see from me.
#4: God of War III
(PS3)The payoff to Sony Santa Monica's epic mythological trilogy was everything I'd hoped it would be. It was more of angry Kratos, (which unlike many, I actually like) more epic battles, more brutal ways of dismembering and brutalizing your enemies, and more eye candy than you'll find anywhere on any game system. Although the ending to the series was a little disheartening, the battle to get there was fully enjoyable. While many of the weapons you're given are fairly useless when you have the Blades of Exile powered up to max, they're fun diversions to dismember your enemies in ever more creative ways, even if only for a little while. This game is quite simply one of the most beautiful games currently available on a game console, as well as some of the best mindless fun you can have.
#3: Fable III
(Xbox 360)While certainly not as good as the previous iteration of the series, this game is still firmly in my top five for this year. The improvements to the game definitely help, but where the game falls short prevents it from being really anyone's game of the year. Still though, this game retains enough of what made Fable II great to give you an enjoyable 30 hours of gameplay. And that's before any DLC has been considered. If you liked Fable II, you'll find Fable III worth your money.
#2: Battlefield: Bad Company 2
(PS3)Let's get this out of the way first. The single player story I'll fully admit is very forgettable. There is no way I would recommend this game to anyone based solely upon the single player experience. So if multiplayer isn't your bag, this game isn't for you. However, if you are a multiplayer FPS junkie, this game in my opinion is the best experience released this year. This is no slam on Call of Duty, as it is an excellent FPS as well, but these games are two different games. Call of Duty in my opinion is more about an extremely quick death/respawn again gameplay, and is very much a lone wolf mentality game. BFBC2 shines in its encouragement of teamwork. You always have the ability to support your squadmates with health or ammo if you choose such a class, as well as the ability to spot enemies for all of your allies. This is much the way I would envision a real military operation to be conducted. Communication and teamwork are the order of the day, and BFBC2 absolutely excels in this department. To me, there is no better FPS available on the market today.
Before I get to #1, here are some honorable mentions...
Honorable Mention: Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit
(Xbox 360)This game *very nearly* made my top five. Unfortunately, I don't have a key component that this game requires to have an optimal experience, and that is lots of friends who also have the game. I currently have only one friend on my friends list (who I incidentally found randomly on Twitter while complaining about this fact) that has the game. The best part of this game seems to be logging in to find that a friend has beaten one of your times and then going to best their time. Without a few friends to compete against, I pretty much keep pounding the random friend any time he beats me and I go long swaths of time without having anything more to do. Criterion did a nice job with the game, but it doesn't hold a candle to their previous work, Burnout Paradise.
Honorable Mention: Heavy Rain
(PS3)Quantic Dream took a huge gamble with this game. Not everyone will get it. But if you grok this game, you'll believe it to be worth every penny of the price of admission. This is one of the few games on my list that I still see is listed at full MSRP by Amazon. To me, this says volumes that they don't feel the need to discount the game and they still sell plenty of copies almost a year after release. While the voice acting can be more than a bit cheesy at times, it can be overlooked for a story that kept me wondering what would happen next and what sick thing the Origami Killer would have in store for me. I was captivated pretty much from beginning to end, and applaud Quantic Dream's effort to bring what amounts to an interactive drama to the PS3.
Honorable Mention: Borderlands
(Xbox 360)Oh the countless hours my gaming bud and I have poured into this game. We've purchased every piece of DLC released (yes, even the less than stellar Mad Moxxi's Underdome) and have had loads of fun blasting our way through the world of Pandora and finding new and ever more powerful weapons, armor, and power combinations to use to effect this mayhem. The downfall to this game to me is that it simply *must* be played co-operatively. Single player is not where this game excels, and without the social aspect I've mused to some friends that it is merely an average FPS at best. But throw two or three friends into the mix, and this game becomes great fun.
And now, Veteran Gamer's Game of the Year is...
Game of the Year: Mass Effect 2
(Xbox 360)Yes, Mass Effect 2 is far and away my game of the year. With the best story in video gaming in 2010, coupled with the best combat in a single player game in 2010, Mass Effect 2 did so much right it made me want to go back and play the original game just so I had a renegade character that I could import in after I'd beat ME2 the first time with my imported paragon character. Yes, I suffered through hours of Mako missions just so I could have a custom renegade character to play in this game. I fully intend to play this game a third time before the third game of the series is released to ensure I can play a playthrough of the final game of the series to see what happens if Shepard doesn't make it through the suicide mission at the end of the game. To play a 30+ hour RPG three times through, and not feel it a chore, firmly cements this game as my 2010 game of the year.
Thus closes my year in gaming for 2010. I had a great year of gaming to be sure. I played more games this year probably than in any year previous in my life. The year was flooded with worthwhile RPG's, which made life extremely hard for me in choosing what to play. The games I didn't get to which certainly could have been contenders for my top five were numerous. Just to name a few, Red Dead Redemption, Fallout: New Vegas, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Alan Wake (which I actually own!), and the list I'm sure could go on. I'm sure, sadly, I'll never get to some of these games. But the games released in 2011 that take their place will certainly be worth it, as 2011 looks to be a great year ahead. Thanks to those of you checking out this blog, and here's to a great 2011 of gaming!
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