Gaming. It is a past-time which is not only time-consuming, but can also be ridiculously frustrating, hugely expensive, addictive and full of gory shooty bloodiness. With such high price tags and demands on our time, it's a wonder that we even play games, let alone write about them.

Thing is, games are more than merely short-term entertainment. They, like any other form of media, tell stories, create worlds and allow us to experience danger and action safe in the comfort of our squashy living room chairs. And, as such, we'll always manage to find that extra fifty pounds in order to pre-order that latest announced title, before playing it in a freezing cold house because you could no longer afford to keep it heated.

Without further ado, the following list gives some insight into my favourite games of the last year, that I'd be prepared to sleep rough, go without food or wrestle a mole rat for. Read, and jouirez-vous.

5: Just Cause 2

You can call me old-fashioned, but there's something about grapple hooks that just never gets tiring. Add in a mahoosive game world - which takes three weeks and a Ray Mears-esque survival instinct to cross - some guns, free-roaming gameplay and a cheesily over-acted storyline, and you have Just Cause 2: a sandbox shooter with just enough 'liberate-poverty-stricken-country-from-unjust-corrupted-government' storyline to give at least some context to the mindless violence.

It is, in some ways, like a Carry On: a complete shambles, but one which just keeps you coming back, addicted like you're on some sort of audio-visual ketamine. It's cheesy, yes - incredibly so - but what it does, it does very well.

Just Cause 2's shooting feels solid (even though enemies seem to be able to take bullets to the chest as if they're sponges made from feathers and fairy-dust), abilities such as the grappling and skydiving are nice and the sandbox design gives a real sense of scale that far surpasses anything else I've really played: you really feel like a single person, stuck on a massive archipelago of foreign islands against a country's entire military.

It might not be awe-inspiring, and it certainly isn't revolutionary, but it's a blast nonetheless.

4: LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4

The meaning of the 'Lego' brandname - 'play well' - has never been more applicable to a game than when it comes to LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4, the plastic-brick version of the murderous baby who ruthlessly slayed the poor, innocent, saintly Lord Voldemort, before arrogantly swanning about, scar atop head like some grotesque power symbol, repeatedly attacking members of the friendly hobbyist group known as the 'Death Eaters' for some sick sense of fun, and generally being an arrogrant little...

As I said in my review of the game, Traveller's Tales have done a commendable job of porting the Harry Potter brand - a famously tricky one to get right in videogames - into a game that is not only fun to play, but is fantastically comic, charming and family-friendly.

Yes, it has some problems, but they're few and very far between. It plays excellently, as do all the other LEGO-brand games, with some truly wonderful little details and additions; the humour is clean, clever and genuinely laugh-out-loud; the Potter canon is excellently implemented and the LEGO aesthetic gives everything that happy-go-lucky, innocent glow that you saw the world through when you were little.

LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 is my 'Games of 2010' recommendation for fans of the boy wizard, fans of small, Danish plastic bricks or fans of games.

3: Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit

Generally, I wouldn't count myself a fan of racing games. First of all, they bore me out of my head; and secondly, there's something about the thought of having my various limbs ripped off me in an 142mph crash of crumpling metal, plastic and glass that doesn't appeal to me all that much.

There have only been two games which overcame the aforementioned issues preventing my enjoyment of racers. The first, needless to say, would be Burnout Paradise, the sandbox racer that conspired in every way to endlessly punish you with metally, crashy death for the slightest mistake. Criterion did everything right with Paradise, and created one of the only racing games that I have consistently returned to since purchasing it.

And then Criterion took all that knowledge, and one-upped Paradise, thus creating the second racing game I enjoyed: Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit.

The classic 'cops vs robbers' chase situations are done perfectly, and the game has such a realistic sense of speed and danger that excitement is outweighed only by the adrenaline pumping around your veins. The Autolog system is fantastically developed and works really well, looking at online gaming from a whole new angle. It's a polished package that left a lasting impression with me, and is certainly one of the best handling, best-looking racers of the last year.

2: Assassin's Creed Brotherhood

I could talk about - and have talked about - the Assassin's Creed series until I am blue in the face. When the third game in the series, Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, graced our screens, I was ready to cry from the rooftops about it, like the Renaissance heralds you'll find scattered around the game's locales.

I didn't, of course - mainly because getting onto my roof is such a damn hassle - but instead decided to get down to reviewing the game. And I certainly found alot to say on it, with a gargantuan review which came close to doing accurate justice to what is, undoubtedly, a truly excellent game.

Whether I could ever do proper justice to a game like Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, though, is beyond my ability to predict. As usual, the combat is to the utmost level of quality, the parkour aspects are as good as it ever was, and the additions to the series - particularly the multiplayer, but just as much the little things - make it a stellar title and one which nicely opens up the door for further series expansion.

1: Fallout: New Vegas

Where the genius lies in the Obsidian-developed Fallout titles is difficult to pinpoint. Personally, I consider Fallout - and, narrowing that down, Fallout: New Vegas - to be the perfect storm: a combination of devastating elements which, when they come together, create something electrifying, exhilirating. Fallout: New Vegas is a force to be reckoned with.

I think that part of what makes New Vegas so inexhaustively excellent is that, at its core, it is the most subjective game I've ever played.

Allow me to explain. Every person I know who has played either New Vegas or its little, less-refined brother, Fallout 3, cite a different reason for why they fell in love with the series. Some say that the combat is what attracts them so much. Others cite the post-apocalyptic, dystopian society in which the game is set as the key factor in what sets Fallout apart. Either way, it's a game that seems to impact people differently, and it allows people with very different play styles to access the game and still enjoy it.

For me, the thing that I always find enthralling is the depth and deft weaving of Fallout's storyline and canon, combined with the unique moral choices which shape the course of the storyline differently for each person. Different choices in different situations can have drastically varying consequences, which creates some unique emotional and moral dilemmas which just aren't available in any other title. The storyline is generously smattered with sly hints to earlier Fallout titles, as well as the general canon of the game (which, if you didn't know, is huge: see The Vault, the Fallout wiki to see just how much the series packs in).

The game also has a good level of replayability, due to the diverse multitude of locations, characters and loot to find on your stumblings through the wastes of the Vegas area. Starting a new game from the beginning and, instead of following your original path from your first playthrough (usually to the first objective), can lead to a very different experience of the game, with the discovery of new places, people and quests. Fallout: New Vegas is jam-packed full of variety and the unique choices through the game serve excellently to ensure that every gamer has a very different experience of the same game, whilst still delivering the goods.

New Vegas isn't without its problems, but they're the same ones that plagued Fallout 3, and no-one seemed to care then. The game will often stutter, there are issues with 'popping' due to the short draw distance for detail objects, game crashes aren't unheard of, and companions can often be a hindrance rather than a help. However, when playing New Vegas, the bugs are often outweighed by the mere awe-factor that at least I felt during play.

Still, what is the opinion of an unknown, lowly, independent games journo like me worth? Well, perhaps these quotes from well-known critics will be able to quell your fears about the game, and show you just why Fallout: New Vegas deserves my top-spot in my 'Games of 2010'.

"The fact that the many issues with glitches and bugs weren’t ironed out of this release would be unforgivable if the core game wasn’t so tirelessly compulsive and complex. [...] If you don’t mind working around them then this could be a game of the year contender."
- Peter Chapman, TheSixthAxis.com

"Fallout New Vegas is a fantastic game that in its vast, interesting, flavour-filled world has something for everyone. I could say that I’ve not loved the last thirty hours, and don’t expect to spend another thirty more, but ‘It’s a sin, to tell, a lie’."
- Reece Warrender, Console Monster

"While New Vegas is unmistakably built upon the fundamental gameplay and structure laid out in Fallout 3, it’s a formula that any student of that game will be happy to see repeated, and Obsidian’s numerous embellishments result in what is, in many respects, a deeper and more compelling experience."
- gamesTM

"Fallout: New Vegas is the game that many wanted Fallout 3 to be. It's harder, more ruthless, better written and more morally ambiguous. It's a game we’ve been wanting to play for more than a decade, a real modern re-imagining of the Fallout series, complete with that deliciously black humour. [...] If Obsidian were to make another Fallout game, we certainly wouldn't say no."
- Keza MacDonald, IGN UK

"Fallout: New Vegas is an expansive and complicated RPG that encourages you to see and do as much as you can. This is an explorer's game, always lavishing new and interesting quests on you and giving you a lot of flexibility in how you approach many of them. It builds upon Fallout 3's mechanics in interesting and esoteric ways, making it a comfortable evolution to one of 2008's best games. [...] Fallout: New Vegas is periodically awesome and consistently compelling.
- Kevin VanOrd, GameSpot

Fallout: New Vegas is a game which, despite the common bugs, never fails to impress. For the ridiculously cheap amount you can get it for now, its an investment that will tide over twenty or more hours of gaming time with its incredibly deep storyline and variety.

Cheapest Fallout: New Vegas prices:

£13.99, Amazon.co.uk

£26.99, Play.com (UK)

£16.99, Play.com (UK)

Labels: 2011, Assassin's Creed, Assassin's Creed II, Fallout, Fallout: New Vegas, Games of 2010, Just Cause 2, Lego Harry Potter, Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4, Linford Butler, Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit

2010: you were a jackass. Let's go over what the last year of days brought to the table:

- A papier-mâché worldwide economy
- The BP oil spill
- Bluetooth popularity
- The Last Airbender, Sex and the City 2, Jonah Hex
- More terrorism
- Justin Bieber's autobiography
- Final Fantasy XIV
- The Denver Broncos record
- Your peacock...cock..........cock
- No 'first contact'
- No zombies
- No fun

Yep, 2010 took in all our hopes and dreams, absorbed their precious nutrients, and laid an egg of sadness. I thought 2009 was bad, but then the next year burst in like a tornado of suck, demolishing all hopes of a better and brighter year. Thanks, buddy. Thanks a lot.

With so much to not be thankful for, it's good that we were offered such a wide array of quality games into which we could escape when things outside were ugly. Here are my five best digital alternatives to heroin presented in 2010.

5: Starcraft II

I'm torn here. On one hand, this game was terrific. The gameplay was great, the graphics made my computer wheeze with happy asthma, and Battle.net's sexy new makeover made it the prettiest girl at the prom. Everything was great in Starcraft town.

...except that its story was shorter than Daniel Radcliffe's post-Harry Potter career.

When I play a Starcraft, I want three chapters - one for each race - so that I can have a full dose of story. With more than just a Terran chapter, Starcraft II would be better ranked on this list.

4: Civilization V

Anyone who doubts that absolute power is addicting should watch a non-gamer sit down at a computer and play Civilization V for twelve hours straight. This game has a way with people... and that way involves gluing people to a computer screen for unhealthy hours without end despite the desperate pleas of their forgotten families.

Lost friends and loved ones aside, Civilization V was a perfect upgrade to the classic series. Less military units, a historically understandable social upgrade system, and shiny new graphics improved everything smoothly and effectively (except for maybe the AI). There are hundreds of strategies you can use to win, from combining a race with a certain social upgrade, to obsessively courting lesser city states or mixing science and diplomacy in order to keep large, militaristic opponents at bay.

Keep doing what you do, Sid.

3: World of Warcraft: Cataclysm

What to say about Warcraft that hasn't been said a thousand thousand times... In every possible way, shape, and form, this game has been done to death. So why was Cataclysm better than Civilization or Starcraft II? Because after sporadically returning to Warcraft for over five years, I'm still not bored. Cataclysm's new low-level zones and dedication to story have kept it sexy through a long and often arduous marriage, causing me to come back to it despite numerous shallow affairs (City of Heroes, Champions Online, Star Trek Online, et cetera). Cataclysm is the latest outfit in a series of spicy, exciting costumes which WoW has donned in order to hold the attention of millions.

2: Heavy Rain

The best parenting game since Octodad.

Anyone who has skim-read two sentences of any of my articles knows that the value I place on a game's story is paramount. You can make the best damn game design in the history of time, but if it doesn't make me laugh, cry, or have an asthma attack in anticipation, then I couldn't care less. Games need to make me feel, or they're not worth my time.

Heavy Rain had more feelings than a pregnant woman watching Fried Green Tomatoes in a Ben and Jerry's factory. It takes modern game design, mates it with Choose Your Own Adventure novels, and makes something great.

If you fundamentally don't want to play a game that doesn't involve killing twelve-thousand Space Nazis with a spoon before ripping off your shirt and yelling your own name (in my own special way, I just attempted to describe Call of Duty), then avoid playing Heavy Rain tonight. You probably have a Klan meeting to attend anyway.

Otherwise, though, you have no excuse.

1: Red Dead Redemption

Without question the greatest game released in the last three or four years. You may disagree, saying that Red Dead is boring, overly violent; a juvenile portrayal of the American West. That's fine. Though I disagree with what you say, I'll fight to the death for your right to say it. But as I lay my head on the block for your inherent natural rights, my last words will follow thusly:

"You. Are. Wrong."

Red Dead Redemption brings all the ingredients of an amazing, memorable game to the table: great gameplay, a powerful emotive soundtrack, badass, well-developed characters, terrific voice acting, competitive online play, a treasure chest of endgame secrets, downloadable content, and endless replayability. But what does Red Dead Redemption do best? What is the aspect of it that makes it one of the greatest games of all time?

It creates a world.

Hundreds of game journalists have done reviews on Red Dead Redemption, and they all cite the feeling they experience while playing: the exhilaration that only comes when a person immerses themselves fully in a setting that is not their own.

"With Red Dead Redemption, Rockstar succeeds in creating one of the most impressive open worlds I've ever seen in a game, and it's telling that — even after playing for over 30 hours — all I want to do is get back on my horse and gallop back into the wilderness."
- Will Tuttle, GameSpy

"Red Dead Redemption is a must-play game. Rockstar has taken the Western to new heights and created one of the deepest, most fun, and most gorgeous games around. You can expect the occasional bug or visual hiccup, but you can also expect a fantastic game that offers the Western experience we've all been waiting for."
- Erik Brudvig, IGN

"The leading edge of interactive media has a new face. [...] In the more than 1,100 articles I have written for this newspaper since 1996, I have never before called anything a tour de force. Yet there is no more succinct and appropriate way to describe Red Dead Redemption."
- Seth Schiesel, New York Times

My critic colleagues and I agree: Red Dead Redemption is one of the best games ever made.

Labels: 2011, Cataclysm, Civilization, Civilization 5, Games of 2010, Greg Mengel, Heavy Rain, Red Dead Redemption, Starcraft II, World of Warcraft, World of Warcraft: Cataclysm

It’s a new year in the videogame kingdom and that means out with the old and in with the shiny. But, before we traverse the pleasantries of 2011, how about revisiting some gems that might have passed you by from the last three-hundred-and-sixty-five days? Here are the games that I found to be 2010’s defining moments.

Before we get to the juicy, tender centrepiece you should know that I didn’t possess the innate power to manipulate time this year, and so I missed a lot of critically-acclaimed titles. For that, I am ashamed. Still, I think you’ll find my choices to be a mixture of unique and awesome. Mostly awesome.

7: Super Meat Boy

What else can I say? The name of the developer is 'Team Meat'. These guys know how to make a game that harkens back to the days of brutalisation. Thankfully, though the difficulty is through the roof, it’s so much fun you’ll forget that you’re actually attempting to cross the demon-hydra-laser-spinner-of-doom for the eighty-ninth time. The controls are solid, the visuals are captivating, and the game is riddled with hordes of homages to videogames of the past. I couldn’t ask for much more. Oh, the music is pretty damn catchy too.

6: NHL 11

Woah: a sports game in someone’s best of the year list?! You better believe it. NHL 11 builds upon the incredibly streamlined and intuitive gameplay of last year’s title. Not only does it add a multitude of varying gameplay quirks, like breakable sticks and the best passing system yet to enter an NHL game, but the Ultimate Team mode isn’t bad either. Whether you want to create your own pro, control behind-the-scenes action or just jump into a match carefree, it’s all readily available and accessed within a few button presses.

5: God of War III

I still remember the first day I placed the original God of War in my Playstation 2. The game, being so shockingly gorgeous and smooth to play, set the bar for how action games were conceived. Saying that, with how stunningly cinematic the third instalment is, it’s hard not to assess the prize for 'Best of Series' to number three. Gameplay wise, not much has changed but Sony Santa Monica managed to keep the experience fresh with newfound weapons, moves, and the most savage boss fights you could hope for. The only game to rival the cinematic quality of Sony’s masterpiece would be the sly folks over at Konami and their classic Metal Gear Solid 4. Now that’s saying something.

4: Bayonetta

You will probably argue that God of War’s combat and cinematics are superior in quality to Bayonetta’s, but I’d tell you you’re wrong. You see, there’s nothing out there that can match the quirky habitat that Platinum Games' feminine star resides in. Witches killing angels, suits made out of hair, shooting dudes in all directions with high-heeled bullet hoses. Quite honestly, I can’t even begin to explain what’s what in this damn universe, but once again, I don’t have to. I guess that’s what makes Bayonetta so delightfully original; it doesn’t care about anything and pays homage to everything. It also doesn’t hurt that Hideki Kamiya blends his famed Devil May Cry gameplay perfectly with a host of over the top moments that must be experienced to be believed. By the way, the fight against the final boss... it’s the best in gaming. No joke.

3: Mega Man 10

You won’t find a more hardcore, purist Mega Man fan than yours truly. After the holy grail of Mega Man’s in number nine, I was pumped when the tenth made its way onto my screen. Exacerbated and classic in every way, Capcom outdid themselves this time around. First off, let me stress how gut-wrenchingly difficult some of the bosses are. THEY ARE GUT-WRENCHINGLY DIFFICULT! If you can beat Solar Man with only your Mega Buster and no Energy Tanks, you’re as awesome as I am. But in true Mega Man fashion, after your ass gets handed to you many, many times you adapt to the pain and pull through in glorious victory. The music is still completely rockin’ - not as good as Mega Man 9’s was, but still excellent (see Nitro Man and Staff Roll). Being able to play as Proto Man was just icing on the cake and for ten smackers, it doesn’t get much better than this.

2: StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty

Maybe you knew this was coming. Maybe. The original StarCraft was a personal favourite of mine, and after that heinous wait for the sequel, just looking at the title screen sent tingles down my spine. Yes, yes it’s the same ole’ formula but think of it like this; it’s a revitalisation formula which resurrects and rejuvenates classic RTS gameplay. Build orders still exist but the balance of this game is so near perfection that it almost hurts to deliberate it. Every single thing has a counter in this game so think about that when you declare that Void Rays are the devil incarnate; they are but you get what I mean. The single player mode lacks the emotional grasp the original held over me but it remains entertaining nonetheless. I love the Wing Commander throwback style of the ship screens and the new Battle.net is refined beyond belief. Even if you don’t care about the single player or competitive multiplayer experience, you can still build maps or play custom ones all night long. In summation, there’s way too much to like here.

1: Mass Effect 2

BioWare’s follow up to the praised original is miles – no, light-years - ahead of its predecessor. As a matter of fact, if you play Mass Effect 2 there’s no possible way you can ever retreat back to the clunky, cluttered mess that was the first game. That’s not to say that Mass Effect was bad, but when a sequel is this refined it’s pretty hard to go back to the roots.

Anyway, so much has changed that you could pretty much call Mass Effect 2 a completely different game. The combat, menu systems, weapons, classes: every single thing has seen an overhaul and it’s all the better for it. Classes, like the Vanguard, have specialised functions like warping through solid matter, that make combat engaging and pure fun. There’s nothing like sitting behind some cover, waiting for several guards to come running your way when, like the magic-space-ninja you are, you throw out a ball that bursts into a void of energy that tosses the cretins around like little Geisha dolls with bobbling heads.

Combat is great but the number one factor in Mass Effect 2’s victory is its unparalleled writing. Never have I been more interested and enticed to find out more about my crew members in a game – save perhaps Baldur’s Gate II. Conversations are twice as good this time around and, to make matters even more awesome, you're sometimes allowed to interrupt conversations. Don’t like how this guy is treating your dudes? If the renegade icon jumps on-screen you just might take that laser-wrench and... well, you know. This kind of characterisation only augments an already stunning story, and with the DLC and extra support the title’s been getting, the wait for Mass Effect 3 is a little easier. There’s still so much more to tell. Alas, space and its constraints.

If I had to say one thing to describe my experience in its entirety with this game - and I still can’t believe I’m saying this - it would be that I consider Mass Effect 2 to be one of the greatest games I’ve ever played.

Labels: 2011, Andrew Whipple III, Bayonetta, Feature, Games of 2010, God of War III, Mass Effect 2, Mega Man 10, NHL 11, Starcraft II, Super Meat Boy

2010 has, for the most part, been a fantastic year for games. Whilst there may not have been as many truly outstanding titles as in previous years, the quality of the top-tier games in 2010 was perhaps greater than any year in memory.

We've been treated to improved and refined sequels, gawped at some great new IPs, used up download quotas on some truly wonderful downloadable games and played to death plenty of great expansions for older games that have kept the likes of Borderlands and Uncharted 2 relevant one year on.

It's been a challenge narrowing down my favourite games of the year, but I've managed it. These are the games I've enjoyed the most and spent the most time playing - these are my Games of 2010.

5: FIFA 11

I'm a huge football fan, so I can definitely appreciate a great football game and EA Sports delivered one of those with FIFA 11. Managing to improve and refine the already brilliant FIFA 10 is no easy feat, but that's just what the folk at EA Sports managed to do. The gameplay is as realistic as any football game to date, there are plenty of modes to play through, and the improvements to the graphics are most welcome. It's one of those rare sports titles that can be enjoyed even if you aren't a huge football fan, which is a fantastic achievement. In terms of hours played, FIFA 11 is probably at the top of list.

4: Call of Duty: Black Ops

Following up on Modern Warfare 2 was never going to be easy, but Treyarch stepped up to the mark and in my opinion crafted the best Call of Duty game yet with Black Ops. The campaign was well-designed with a genuinely intriguing story, and the usual smattering of competitive online modes have seen me sink dozens of hours into the game. The return of Zombies provides us with some great and unpredictable co-op, and it's all wrapped up in one of the best audio and visual presentations this year. If you like shooters, you won't find a better one in 2010.

3: Red Dead Redemption

I wasn't a huge fan of Grand Theft Auto IV, so for Rockstar to suck me in to Red Dead Redemption and for me to enjoy it was something I didn't expect. For a start, the game looks and sounds stunning, with a beautifully realised world that really does feel alive and different every time you pop the disc in. The story is of the highest order, with memorable characters and incredible set pieces. Add to that some inspired and well designed gameplay mechanics, which are far more intuitive and fun than GTA, and you've got the base of a truly great game. What stood out for me though was the multiplayer: the free roaming, the team modes, the co-op and all that came with it were so addicting and so damn fun that it should be experienced by everyone. Oh, and there's that Zombie DLC... brilliant.

2: Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit

This might seem like a crazy choice, but goodness me: this game is just flat out fun. The feeling of playing cops and robbers in the world's most desirable cars, over the roads of a beautiful landscape with a rocking soundtrack blasting in your ears is the stuff of childhood dreams. This core mode is supplemented by standard racing and time trials, but it all works because of the fast paced and action packed gameplay which is a joy to play. The multiplayer will keep you coming back, the innovative Autolog feature makes everything competitive and worth trying, and the game looks stunning. This is like the Top Gear of racing games: crazy, explosive fun... with cars.

1. Mass Effect 2

You only have to read my review to know why I think this game is so damn good, and why I love it so much. I've completed the game three times, each time doing all the missions and side-quests and I've played through all the DLC. This game is huge, with an incredible story in which your decisions do really matter. The way in which your choices from the first game are carried into this one is an incredibly innovative and well done element of the story, and it makes your adventure feel totally personal and unique. The characters are so well written, the set pieces are stunning and there's still plenty of mystery left to answer in the third act of this incredible trilogy. Not only that, the gameplay itself is phenomenal. The shooting can easily stand up against industry juggernauts like Gears of War and Uncharted, whilst the other elements like the conversation system and the vehicle segments are also far enhanced over the first game. It's got incredible voice acting and music, with stunning visuals both technically and artistically to match. Games don't come any better than this; simply stunning, and certainly my game of the year by a long way. PS3 gamers: don't you dare miss out on this when it releases later in the month.

Labels: 2011, Black Ops, Call of Duty, Feature, FIFA 11, Games of 2010, Mass Effect 2, Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit, Red Dead Redemption, Tom Acres