Gaming 2010: The good, the bad, and the 'was this really worth my time?'
Written by Aaron Bressler-Staff Writer | 
Videogames were a hot topic for gamers in 2010. With so many newly released games, it was impossible to play them all. Overall, the these are the top video games of 2010. This guide is a reference so that potential players know which ones they shouldn’t have missed, and which ones are best left for the nOObs.
Content
One of the most important, criteria of judging a game is by its content. Even if the game looks good or plays well, it can still be a terrible game if the content isn’t good. The best game of 2010 for content is StarCraft 2. This long awaited sequel of the groundbreaking RTS (real time strategy) of the 90’s provided enough content in the single-player mode alone to win this category. The interactive menus and many achievements allow for weeks if not months of entertainment. While many games felt somewhat lacking this past year, none seemed quite as padded as Dead Rising 2. While the game was initially entertaining, it became apparent that the game was just copying and pasting the majority of the ‘content’ from itself. This lack of original content made it seem as if the player was repeating the same stages several times in order complete the game once.
Mechanics
The term mechanics refers to the gameplay, not only the goals of the game but how well it the gameplay is done. Surprisingly, one of the top contenders is Popcap’s Plants vs. Zombies. While the game’s mechanics are simple, they are surprisingly well done. It is no wonder then that Plants vs. Zombies has leapt to the top of casual gaming. For the title of worst offender, Fallout New Vegas takes the cake. While a good game, the expansion was – and still is – plagued by bugs and glitches, possibly the result of a rushed deadline. Fallout New Vegas takes worst mechanics despite its other redeeming qualities.
Graphics
The award of best or worst graphics is fairly relative. One cannot expect a DS to have the same level of graphics as a PC game. When judged by its platform and competition, one of the best graphics comes from the MMO, Global Agenda. This up and coming third-person shooter uses a lot of special effects and detail to create a beautiful visual experience without appearing too busy. Despite the decent initial appearance, Medal of Honor was somewhat lacking in graphics. The textures and other effects seemed sub-par or washed out.
Story
While the story isn’t always the most important aspect of a game, it can make a mediocre game great or a good game terrible. StarCraft 2 and Call of Duty: Black Ops are tied for best story. StarCraft 2continued the story from Brood, and the interactive menus and varied side paths offers a well-polished experience. Despite a complicated story line and an underdeveloped main character, Black Op’s still managed to convey a powerfully dark and intriguing tale. Global Agenda on the other hand had a perplexing lack of a story. The game starts with a backstory, but drops it as soon as the tutorial ends. While the storyline really wasn’t necessary for the game, the tease offered at the beginning was quite interesting.
Multiplayer
One of the best parts of playing a game is testing your skill against other players and competing for the top rank. The number one multiplayer of 2010 therefore is Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood. There is only one problem with multiplayer games: people can be jerks. Brotherhood takes advantage of the natural urge to ruin somebody’s day with a brilliant stealth-based game. Using crowds and smoke bombs to assassinate your target is hours of fun. One of the worst of 2010 was Medal of Honor. An obvious Call of Duty knock-off, most of its features really either fell flat or just ended up irritating people.
Originality
The most original game of 2010 was by far the cheapest and simplest game yet. In fact, the game hasn’t been publically released. MineCraft is a survival game with the potential for endless creativity. For a game that hasn’t even left beta testing yet, this game has sold an unreasonably large number of copies to its target audience.
Upset
This year’s biggest upset is Pokémon Heart Gold/Soul Silver. The Pokémon series, despite working from a good formula, seems to have come to a complete stand still. The new edition of the game is an exact replica of all of its predecessors. The game still has the same plot, same storyline, same everything. There is no originality whatsoever regarding the game.
No game this past year was perfect, but a few came pretty close. Hopefully, 2011 will be promising year with the rumored releases of Diablo 3 and Duke Nukem Forever, as well as many other games and the eye-bending 3DS.
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