REVIEW: Nate’s top 10 games of 2010
10. “God of War III” (PS3)
A true demonstration of the power of the PlayStation 3, this exclusive should not be missed. The incredible storyline of the tragic hero Kratos finally comes to the end in beautiful chaos. Each battle gets you closer to your final showdown against Zeus, all the while the world is falling apart around you. Nothing will deter Kratos from his ultimate revenge. “God of War III” marks the end of an era for one of gaming’s most memorable characters, but the ending couldn’t be better.
9. “Donkey Kong Country Returns” (Wii)
“Donkey Kong Country Returns” is a true tribute to the old school, with some of the most ingenious level design and game play a platformer has ever presented. This Wii exclusive is an instant classic. With awesome visuals and music that flows great with the always fresh game play, “Donkey Kong Country Returns” is as much fun to watch as it is to play. The game is also incredibly deep, offering hundreds of unlockables and loads of challenges to keep you coming back for more. “Donkey Kong County Returns” is a great return to the old school.
8. “Red Dead Redemption” (PS3, 360)
Rockstar Productions has forever raised the bar for open-world video games with “Red Dead Redemption.” This western-themed game creates the biggest, most alive world I have experienced in the genre. With believable settings and characters, “Red Dead Redemption” brings to life a detailed and life-like world we have previously only experienced in novel and film. I invested days into this game; it is big – like, really big.
7. “Splinter Cell Conviction” (360)
The story of Sam Fisher has been a long, tragic tale in which he has saved us from World War III multiple times, but in the process lost his daughter, went into deep cover, and ended up killing his best friend. Finally, his story comes to an end in “Splinter Cell Conviction.” The game features some of the most original stealth game-play in recent memory with the best controls the series has had. The clever use of color makes it a visual treat and awesome co-op and multi-player modes keep you coming back. Not to mention the game might have one of the coolest endings ever.
6. “Call of Duty: Black Ops” (360, PS3, Wii)
“Call of Duty” has become the definition of online shooter. “Call of Duty: Black Ops” is no exception, offering the deepest online experience yet in the series. Millions of hours have already been poured into this game. It also features a fun, challenging campaign and an awesome co-op zombie mode for some on-the-couch fun. The series still has staying power in the industry, “Black-Ops” proved it.
5. “Darksiders” (360/PS3)
Darksiders is just plain fun. It is a tribute to some of the great games of the past and present. War is a really cool hero and the post-apocalyptic setting is a visual tribute to comic books every where. I never got bored exploring every corner of Darksiders’ many different dungeons and environments. The story, however, was original enough to make this one of the most exciting new IPs of the year.
4. “Halo: Reach” (360)
“Halo: Reach” is Bungies final tribute to Halo fans everywhere. Their fifth and final game in the epic space-shooter is the best to date, featuring the deepest multi-player experience of the year and the best maps of the series history. Constant free updates keep adding to the fun and daily and weekly challenges keep you playing. The campaign is awesome with some great characters and extremely varied game play.
3. “Heavy Rain” (PS3)
“Heavy Rain” is the most original game I have ever played. The game plays like an interactive movies with each action drawing you deeper into the incredible plot. The search for the Origami Killer is one of the most memorable stories of the year and will be talked about for years to come. You need to play this game before the twist is ruined for you. Half the fun however will be discussing which one of the game’s 22 different endings you got.
2. “Super Mario Galaxy 2” (Wii)
“Super Mario Galaxy 2” is the perfect Mario game: its challenging, inventive yet familiar, and just plain fun. Each world offers new challenges and the level design is the best of the 3-D Mario games to date. This is the best looking game on the Wii and the score is absolutely fantastic. The game is very large, offering a total of 240 stars to collect and it will take the full extent of your Mario ability to collect them all.
1. “Mass Effect 2” (360)
“Mass Effect 2” is a cinematic masterpiece. The story line is incredible and is directly affected by the choices you made in “Mass Effect,” making it one of the most personal experiences in the history of video games. Even if you didn’t play the first game, “Mass Effect 2” is still worth your time, featuring some of the coolest characters in recent memory, the best of them being the Illusive Man. This ally/villain is one of the most interesting characters created to date. Game play is fast and fun with tons of variety. The many different endings and choices along the way will keep you playing it over and over again. The game sets a new standard for storytelling in video games making it the easy winner of my 2010 Game of the Year.
– nathan.c@aggiemail.usu.edu