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Top 5 Games of 2010...So Far
A round-up of the best games of the year on any platform.
Written by Andy Griffiths, 29 July 2010
Well, we're nearly eight months into the gaming calendar so now seems as good a time as any to recap five of the greatest games of 2010 so far, in rank order.
This list could change completely by the time New Year's Day hits, but when the market is awash with motion controllers, Halo and Call of Duty, remember that the first half of the year had some of the best efforts to ever grace our medium.
5. Battlefield Bad Company 2 - PS3, 360, PC
Modern Warfare 2 was clearly the mainstream FPS king until this juggernaut from DICE came along. Packing vehicles, gigantic multi-tiered maps and a player count to make Infinity Ward blush, this soon won a place in many gamers' hearts. The campaign wasn't bad either, successfully blending the all-out chaos associated with multiplayer into a succinct set-piece driven plot which wasn't afraid to poke fun at itself.
Verdict: 90% (Issue 30, 360Zine)
4. Mass Effect 2 - 360 and PC
This is BioWare's crowning achievement, we're calling it! This sequel successfully overhauled combat, items, and any other complaint associated with the original to create a flawless single player experience. Some may have called it a watered down RPG, but for us the expertly crafted quests and memorable characters, such as salarian scientist Mordin Solus, more than made up for any concessions to accessibility. Gilbert And Sullivan has never been quite the same since.
Verdict: 95% (Issue 38, PCGZine)
3. God of War 3 - PS3
Who needs David Jaffe and Cory Barlog? This hack-and-slash sequel may have missed Sony's brightest but that doesn't mean this chapter in God of War series wasn't any less brilliant. In fact, it is widely considered to be the best, with excellent puzzle design and pitch perfect boss battles which often take up the entire screen! Possibly the best action title ever made, and easily a contender for game of the year.
Verdict: 97% (Issue 37, P3Zine)
2. Red Dead Redemption - 360 and PS3
Nobody can doubt the talent of Rockstar, but this entry still took many gamers by surprise and collected perfect scores left, right and centre. Successfully emulating the days of the Wild West like no other effort before, the adventures of retired outlaw John Marston have proven simply unforgettable. Could this be the finest open-world ever created? We certainly think so! The occasional glitches were easy to overcome because the gun slinging action was just so enjoyable.
Verdict: 97% (Issue 44, 360Zine)
1. Super Mario Galaxy 2 - Wii
Nintendo never likes to have two platform orientated Mario games on the same console, let alone within three years of one another, but thankfully Miyamoto and co decided to refine their existing formula. Improvements were more numerous than spectacular, but several new suits were introduced and at last Yoshi joined in the intergalactic fun. Quintessentially Nintendo, and unsurprisingly awesome!
Verdict: 10/10 (Issue 39, PlayZine)
Readers can learn more about every entry by checking out each game's review in each respective issue of our various Zines, linked on the right.
