Top Five Games of 2010...

Well, we're already nearing mid-April, so I guess we're long over due for my top five games of 2010. Let me preface the list by making sure everyone knows that I play exclusively on Xbox 360 because I have no time (or money) so playing on multiple consoles is not an option for me. So, don't hound me about some PS3 exclusive that should have made the list. Oh yeah, I do have a Wii too, but my kids don't let me play it. Anyway, on to the list...


1. Mass Effect 2 - This isn't even close. BioWare's Mass Effect 2 was far and away the best game of 2010. It's combination of role playing, intense action, cinematic storytelling, and just all around fun game play, make it the top game of the year for me. It improves over it's predecessor in every way imaginable.

The galaxy map is now streamlined with an easy to use helpmate that gives tips as to where you should travel next. Sure, you can still travel to any planet you want and explore the far reaches of the galaxy, but you also have little descriptions as to where you can travel to next in order to actually finish open quests. Also gone is the exhaustive list of weapons and replaced with a streamlined list of weapons that can be upgraded. Also, remember, the copy and paste side quests that resulted in nothing more than driving around the clunky vehicle looking for resources and/or some huge boss-like monster to kill? Yeah, well, that's gone too. Instead, you have an oddly addictive mini-game where you scan the planet for resources and mine it from the comfort of the Normandy. Anyway, I could go on and on, but the main point is that Mass Effect 2 got rid of most of the stuff that made the original Mass Effect fall just short of perfection and improved in almost every other way.

The only complaint that I have, and its small, is the final boss of the main quest. It felt like something from Star Fox 64 or something and by that, I mean over the top goofiness (and just in case your one of the six people that have yet to play Mass Effect 2, I'll stop there so I don't give anything away). In short, play Mass Effect 2. It's amazing.

2.) Call of Duty: Black Ops - If you want to call me a Call of Duty fanboy, that's fine. I don't really care. I have played my fair share of Call of Duty games, starting way back with Infinity Ward's Call of Duty 2 that was available at launch with the Xbox 360. After that, I didn't play much of the Call of Duty titles that followed. I rented CoD3 but didn't beat it, and didn't even play CoD4 or World at War at all until years after their original release dates. Then came Modern Warfare 2, and I couldn't resist the hype. Since then, I've basically been a CoD fanatic, and yes, I was at the midnight release of Black Ops.

Still, Black Ops had big shoes to fill, because before Black Ops, Treyarch had only released Call of Duty 3 and World at War, not two of the more popular CoD titles to be released. With that said, I feel like they hit it out of the park. Treyarch has probably crafted the most complete Call of Duty game to date. It has everything anyone could want: an awesome campaign with multiple difficulties and achievements, an awesome Zombie horde mode that can be played with others or solo, a new combat training mode that allows you to play multiplayer games with bots in order to learn the maps and get a feel for the game before getting pwned online, a theater mode that allows you to capture your finer moments and share them with friends, and an easter egg game mode called "Dead Ops" which is an overhead dual stick shooter that would probably cost you 1,200 Microsoft Points if you bought it at the marketplace. Anyway, that's just to name a few features that I love, and I could keep going, but I think you get the point.

Also worth noting is that Treyarch has supported the title with constant updates, and have already released one map pack with another on the way next month. So, if first-person-shooters are your thing, you can't go wrong with Black Ops.

3. Fallout: New Vegas - Since I consider Fallout 3 to be one of the very best games ever created, its probably no surprise that Fallout New Vegas finished so high on this list. Sure, its not much different than its predecessor, but with a game so good, why change it up? Keep in mind, this isn't Fallout 4, its Fallout New Vegas, so that should give you a solid indication that its not a major step forward, but more of the same.

Still, there were a few minor adjustments, such as the companion wheel that allows you to use your party members with ease, or the countless upgrades that you can buy or find to upgrade your weapons. There's also multiple homes to pick from, with everything from a high roller suite on the Vegas strip to a cheap motel room on the outskirts of the city.

Sure, just as there was with Fallout 3 (or any game of this size and scope) there are alot of bugs and glitches that detract from the experience, but at least they've consistently tried to clean it up with title updates. For the most part, I didn't let those bugs keep me down, and thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

4.) Battlefield: Bad Company 2 - As I work my way down the list, I'm going to say less about the games. Not because I don't have as much to say, but mainly because I'm getting tired of writing, and really wonder how many people are still reading this stuff anyway. But I'll say a few words of my fourth favorite game of the previous year, BFBC2.

The campaign was a fun, over the top romp, but for the most part, the main value with the game was found in the tragically underrated online multiplayer portion. With multiple game types, destructible environments, and an unreal amount of unlockable guns, attachments, perks and medals, BFBC2 was one of the most quickly addictive multiplayer games that I've ever had the pleasure of wasting large chunks of time with.

It wasn't without its faults, as there were only a few maps at launch, none of which were that memorable, and there was an odd decision to make large team battles broken up into four man squads that disallowed players to talk to everyone on their team, making strategy building difficult to say the least.

Still, the game was just plain fun to play, and I wish I hadn't traded it in when I did. When it finally hits the discount racks, I'll probably pick it up again.

5. Red Dead Redemption - This game was fun, but not as good as some have said. For me, the new wore off quickly and all that was left was an overly long, and too often boring, campaign and a broken multiplayer. Still, it was epic in scope, and had some memorable moments worth experiencing and I'm glad I played it when it first came out. Still, I can honestly say that I have no desire to play through it again, unless I finally get the chance to play the Undead Redemption add on which I hear is alot of fun.

Well there you have it. Sound off and let me know what you think. Thanks.