Top 10 Games of 2010 By Alex and David

10. Fallout: New Vegas

ALEX SAYS: Fallout 3 is easily in my top 10 games of all time and New Vegas does an excellent job of rekindling my love for this fantastic franchise. New Vegas’ overall narrative and shooting mechanics are better than that of its predecessor and who doesn’t welcome more side-quests and NPCs to talk to? Heading on to the New Vegas strip for the first time ranks among 2010’s better gaming moments, but the game is not without its niggles that keep it  on the cusp of the top 10 instead of sitting proudly at the top as I’d have hoped. Graphically the game is looking very dated (conversations with NPCs still take place in a stationary stare-out format) and, as is well documented, the damn thing is riddled with bugs – some aggravating and some game ending. A great game, but definitely an unpolished one.

DAVID SAYS: Capitalizing on the success of Fallout 3, New vegas, builds upon the qualities of Bethesda's iteration of the franchise and introduces it’s own twists to create some truly intriguing side quests, a must have for all big fans of Fallout 3.

9. AC Brotherhood

DAVID SAYS: Surprisingly solid. If you like Assassins Creed 2, then you'll defiantly like this. Much much more than just a shameless cash in, introducing new gameplay features that will hopefully be implemented in Assassins Creed 3.

8. Heavy Rain

ALEX SAYS: The best movie I’ve ever played. This game is obviously all about narrative and its success is literally pinned entirely on the quality of the story. Without the gripping tale full of quality reveals and twists, we could have seen the death of this bold new gaming direction before it had even started. Yes, it’s essentially a point and click adventure for the modern games generation but the superb graphical quality, intuitive motion controls and brilliant voice acting have set an incredibly high precedent for a genre that, hopefully, we have only just begun to see the best of.

DAVID SAYS: Although not a completely new way to play games, this game still feels fresh and interesting, somewhat spoiled by holes in the main plot, there is still a really enjoyable experience to be had here. The feeling that every action you take is having an effect on the other characters in the game is truly captivating, pushing the player forward to find out what will happen.

7. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

ALEX SAYS: A game with somewhat of an identity crisis, but in a good way. Hideo Kojima brings Castlevania into the modern era with a veritable ‘best of’ hack ‘n’ slash game. Mixing together the tight combo-based combat of God of War with Prince of Persia climbing sections and Shadow of the Collossus boss fights; Castlevania succeeds because it presents these elements with both freshness and enough of a nod to fan service to create the ultimate 3D Castlevania experience. Oh yeah and, clichéd as it is to say, this game is epic. Two Xbox discs epic, and the level-based formula really works to provide a game that never slows or stagnates, with every level keeping the gameplay fresh and exiting.  

6. Mafia 2

ALEX SAYS: Last year we were treated to some of the most authentic and enjoyable sandbox worlds ever created and 2K Czech’s 1940s and 50s America was definitely one of them. Mafia 2 adopted a different approach to sandbox gaming where side quests and pointless time consuming tasks take a back seat to a brilliant story and tonnes of tense and exciting set pieces. The excellent narrative is driven by some superb voice acting (most notably by Robert Costanza as main character Vito’s best friend Joe) that give the game the feel of Coppola or Scorcese gangster epic. Although the city of ‘Empire Bay’ created by 2K may serve as little more than a backdrop to the story; it is integral to the feel of the game. The city looks amazing and the 40s/50s period vehicles, clothes, weapons and superb soundtrack all help to provide one of my favourite game worlds of all time. 

  DAVID SAYS: A bit of a sleeper hit for me, never been big on PC gaming, so the first Mafia game slipped me by. As soon as I played it however, I was hooked, the atmosphere is perfect, and the characters were believable, and interesting from the off, the time period also interests me far more than modern settings so this is a game that I will fondly remember for some time to come.

5. Call of Duty: Black Ops

ALEX SAYS: Although the CoD formula is beginning to look slightly predictable and remains largely unchanged from one title to the next; the franchise still provides the premier first person shooting experience on consoles. A breathtaking single player campaign that wildly swings from one mind blowing spectacle to another sits perfectly alongside the most advanced and exciting multiplayer engine available. The wealth of customisation in matches, characters, weapons and perks is unparalleled and matches remain as fast and furious as ever. The addition of wager matches is a touch of genius and the brilliant zombies multiplayer is also back and still mixes a perfect blend of hilarity and tension when played with three online partners. More of the same then, but it wasn’t broke…

DAVID SAYS: Some may be becoming sick of the leviathan that is the Call Of Duty franchise, but nobody can deny it’s success. In my humble opinion, it is the best iteration of the franchise to date, and the changes to the multiplayer are just enough to keep the game interesting, while providing the most fun and bombastic single payer campaign yet.

4. FIFA 11

ALEX SAYS: The FIFA franchise continually goes from strength to strength and is systematically blowing all competition out of the water. Gone are the days when FIFA games were sold on the back of little more than a full license and a quirky and needless new feature (okay, so there’s be a goalie in this one, but that doesn’t detract from the game’s quality). Nowadays, FIFA is the finest example of football simulation ever created. Matches are deceptively fast and flowing with superb player animation, ball physics and improved AI. Further improvements to the (still slightly overpriced) live season, career modes and ultimate team fully cement this as the most complete football package ever devised. There’s so much to keep fans occupied and it’s really clear how much EA cares about its FIFA product and community these days. With such high quality production value and attention to detail that it’s hard to see the FIFA machine slowing down. Now if only EA would ban those online rage quitters…

DAVID SAYS: Takes the ping pong passing of FIFA 10, and strikers inability to push past defenders, and throws it out the window, players own personalities are introduced so that they play and move like the real thing. Still some way to go before it is the perfect footballing experience, but is still a long way better than it’s competitors.

3. Red Dead Redemption

ALEX SAYS: Once again Rockstar show everyone else how to create a truly engrossing sandbox world. This bleak, yet beautiful, Wild West masterpiece is a much a perfect homage to the great western movies as it is a brilliantly crafted story in its own right. As usual, Rockstar pads its epic quest with several brilliantly voiced secondary NPCs to both aid and annoy John Marston in equal measure. Gameplay mechanics are much tighter than those in previous GTA games and the excellent ‘dead eye’ function is a great addition to a very robust cover-shooter mechanic. But it is the Wild West setting itself that’s truly a sight to behold. Danger and excitement can lurk in even the most docile of settings and Red Dead Redemption provides one of the best ever game worlds to get lost in. And believe me, you can get lost in this world for hours. We all used to pretend to be a cowboy when we were kids and it’s hard to deny that Rockstar have done our childhood imaginations full justice here.

DAVID SAYS: Put simply, it’s a sandbox game as close to perfection as there has ever been, interesting and compelling characters throughout, coupled with a vibrant world and brilliant storyline. Rockstar again prove their ability to set themselves apart and above their competition.

2. Super Mario Galaxy 2

ALEX SAYS: When Nintendo do what they do best, they cannot be matched by anyone. The Japanese giant truly knows how to produce fun, pure and simple, and Mario Galaxy 2 is more than enough evidence to support this. To call the game Mario Galaxy 1.5 is unfair and unjust. Whilst there is little innovation in evidence, there is significant improvement in just about every area and this proves that Nintendo don’t have to re-design Mario’s entire world every time to make a truly entertaining game. The game takes great steps to reassure ‘hardcore’ Nintendo fans that the company still cares; the game is significantly more of a challenge than Galaxy and the re-introduction of Yoshi harks back to the good ol’ days of Mario World on the SNES. What Mario Galaxy 2 possesses that no other game from 2010 does is something almost indescribable. It’s that wondrous and magical child like feeling that a 20-something man can only get when playing a Mario game. There’s no need for big guns, macho pretention or online slanging matches – Super Mario Galaxy 2 is just a thrilling, beautiful and (here’s that word again) fun video game that showcases a developer at the top of its game. 

DAVID SAYS: Most people who played the original Mario Galaxy game would agree that the colourful world, cute design and near perfect gameplay is by far the best game on the wii, and most intuitive use of motion controls that had been seen, so it is astounding that Mario Galaxy 2 was able to completely blow the game out of the water. Nintendo again prove their ability to create beautiful, enjoyable games that cater for both young and old, showing that a game doesn't have to involve machine guns and multiplayer to be fantastic.

1.Mass Effect 2

ALEX SAYS: If Red Dead does a sterling job of placing the player in a western movie, then Mass Effect 2 does an even better one of putting the player in a sci-fi space opera. This game is epic-ness personified and contains more jaw dropping moments than any seen in 2010. Incredible character development; crucial game changing decisions; superb combat mechanics; brilliant voice acting, blockbuster cut-scenes…the list of superlatives is as long as the game itself. Gone are the copied and pasted bumpy landscapes and sticky combat, being replaced with magnificent sprawling planets and cities and a complete combat overhaul that finally makes playing the game as rewarding as following the story. And what a story – Bioware have created a saga that could easily run infinitely. Every player will have different experiences and form their own opinions of Shepherd’s different companions, all of whom have their own utterly compelling back stories and ‘one last thing I need to do’ missions that Shepherd need accompany them on. Mass Effect 2 had me utterly gripped from start to finish and, on seeing the trailer for Mass Effect 3 it’s really hard to see the next instalment in this amazing saga not topping 2011’s best games list as well. 

DAVID SAYS: Every console has it’s defining titles, that will forever live in the memory of gamers as classics, this is defiantly one of those games. Although not without it’s flaws, I was glued to the game from start to finish, cementing itself as one of my favorite games of all time. Roll on Mass Effect 3.