Best Games of 2010

30 Dec 2010 at 08:04:42 by Staff Writers

You've been waiting for it, and here it is: our list of the best games of 2010, split by genre and by platform. It's been the labour of many weeks, and there have been all sorts of discussions, arguments, and one or two outright fights, but by and large we think this list is representative of our opinions on the whole.

If you only buy one game in each genre each year, consider this your buyer's guide. For everyone else: if you've missed any of these games, they deserve to be in your collection. Every game given an award herein showcases exactly what we want and what we expect from games these days, and they're the ones to beat in 2011.

It's been an excellent year for games. Read on, and celebrate with us.

Best RPG of 2010 - Mass Effect 2
Runner-Up: Alpha Protocol

Mass Effect 2 does one thing perfectly: it crafts a universe, and puts you slap-bang in the middle of it. As Shepard, you explore this universe, see how things have progressed, and then once again make your mark.

Few games make you feel this powerful. Every step of the way, you're told that you make the decisions and that you live with the consequences. People might second guess your actions or give their thoughts, but one way or another, they will abide by your choices - and as you're also told constantly that you're on a suicide mission, these choices will decide who, if anyone, survives. The closing scenes, when you make the decisions that will finally determine the fate of your crew, are among the most powerful gaming has offered.

If this was all Mass Effect 2 had going for it, it would be a good game but a flawed one. Thankfully, it's not. The stripped-back RPG elements upset some, but this was balanced out with each skill point being tighter and more meaningful, much like World of Warcraft's most recent changes. The combat was vastly improved, making Mass Effect 2 as enjoyable as any AAA-quality third-person shooter you'd care to mention. And, as ever, the impact you have on the universe and the characters, the moral compass-breaking decisions you have to make, and the way the crew members you recruit make you care, make Mass Effect 2 an incredibly compelling experience that lasts for far longer than one playthrough.

Best Sport Game of 2010 - NHL11
Runner-up: FIFA 11

The sport category was once again hotly contested this year, and while FIFA 11 would seem the obvious choice, we felt that NHL 11 just took things a stage further making it the finest Ice Hockey title available gpt gamers.

EA really ramped up their efforts with the NHL franchise and it showed in the final product by really improving on the gameplay over the previous iterations of the franchise, and even if you are not a fan of the sport, you could easily become one if you persevered with the rules of ice hockey.

Best Music Game of 2010 - Rock Band 3
Runner-Up: DJ Hero 2

With the addition of pro instruments, Rock Band 3 has provided the single biggest jump in music game quality since Guitar Hero first launched all those years ago. These pro instruments have not only provided a way to transition from the rhythmic button pressing into actually playing an instrument, but they've provided a much more solid single-player experience, letting you improve a real-life skill in a fun environment. While they're pricey, these instruments offer value for money when combined with Rock Band 3 - and if you can't bring yourself to fork out for them, then Rock Band 3 by itself provides the highest level of quality we've seen yet from Harmonix.

A solid tracklisting, excellent notecharts, a number of usability tweaks when playing with multiple people, and vastly improved sorting and filtering systems don't just make Rock Band 3 the game to beat when it comes to rhythm-action - they make it a game that can pull even the most jaded rhythm-action alumnus back into having fun.

Best Shooter of 2010 - Battlefield: Bad Company 2
Runner-Up: Halo Reach

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is the complete package. It's got a perfectly solid single-player campaign with some excellent setpieces (and it takes potshots at Modern Warfare 2 along the way) as well as an excellent multiplayer that plays out entirely differently to most.

The real revelation, though, is the way the engine is utilised. DICE's latest iteration of the Frostbite engine allows you to blow apart buildings. In single-player, this leads to harrowing defence situations in which your cover is literally falling apart around you, and it gives you a few options in an otherwise linear campaign. In multiplayer, it means that no match ever plays out the same way, and that's a big, big thing when you want to keep players around. For all of this, Bad Company 2 is the shooter we'll still be popping on throughout 2011.

Click through for the next set of our top games of 2010.

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