by chaser324
After playing so many damn games, it's really difficult to narrow them down to the ten best, but here's my best attempt.
Ten really isn't enough, so here's another ten games that I feel deserve a mention, but I can't find a place to squeeze them in on my list:
Showing 1-10 of 10 items
The original Mass Effect was an instant classic, delivering an epic story in an incredibly fleshed out universe along with some of the best dialog and morality systems ever seen. It was THE reason to own a 360. The fact that Mass Effect 2 makes it look like crap speaks volumes to just how much Bioware managed to up the ante. All the fat of the first game has been removed, leaving us with a giant chunk of prime cut action RPG filet. Sure, I hated the final boss (...I mean WTF was up with that Bioware), but it wasn't enough to detract from Shepard and company's amazing suicide mission thrill ride. If Mass Effect 3 comes anywhere near this level of quality, then I can probably tell you right now what my GotY will be in 2011.
Sergio Leone should be proud. This game distills the essence of classic western films such as his into one of the most atmospheric and well constructed sandbox games ever produced. The basic gameplay is a pretty natural evolution of what Rockstar delivered with GTA4 just removed from grimy urban environs and placed in an even grimier wild west. John Marston is what really makes the game shine. While the quality of the narrative and missions vary, John Marston is consistently entertaining. He's definitely one of the best characters Rockstar has ever crafted. Top it off with one of the most amazing endings that I've ever experienced (one that few developers would even have the balls to attempt), and you've got one of 2010's best.
If I let myself, I would probably never stop playing this game. Combining the best parts of Civ IV with some streamlining and interface improvements inspired by Civ Rev has produced both one of the best and most approachable experiences in the series. Sure, you can still obsess over positioning a city in the perfect place to maximize gold production, but overall this game just feels far less overwhelming than Civ IV could at times. The hex grid doesn't end up affecting the gameplay all that much in my opinion, but it does wonders for making the maps more aesthetically pleasing by getting rid of all of the unnatural 90 degree angles. By far the biggest revelation is how much restricting the player to one unit per space simplifies and improves the gameplay. No longer do you have to deal with stalemates where you constantly march panzer tanks into a death stack of archers until the game ends.
This game has one foot firmly rooted in the past and the other foot up your ass. Tight controls, simple addictive gameplay, and heaps of personality and polish make this one of the best indie productions ever released.
