More important than my top games of 2010 are the games I missed out on. I say this because I believe that what I miss out on is quite important. It's kind of like the saying "better to let a guilty man go free than put an innocent man behind bars." Get it? Everyone can dispute their favorites all year, but unless we all played the same things, or everything, no one will be on an equal playing field anyway. Besides, Mass Effect 2 is hands down the best game of 2010. FACT.
So, this list is of games I wish to play in 2011 that where released in 2010 (excluding DLC released since then). I bought an XBOX in October after a lifetime of handheld, PC, and Ninendo exclusive (Wii and all handheld lines) gaming and I'm a bit behind.
A bit of an aside, I'm truly grateful for my friends. The day they learned I bought my XBOX, many guys let me borrow games. I've only bought 2 games for the console to date. I consider myself truly gifted to have a group of people who will let me borrow multiple $60 items indefinitely, and on such short notice. This is the main reason I haven't gotten around to playing some the acclaimed games this past year.
In loose order of priority:
-Red Dead Redemption: I planned on buying this game at the same time as I bought my XBOX. Mass Effect 2 was simply cheaper. I consider it a great twist of fate, as Mass Effect 2 was the most enjoyable game I think I've ever played. I haven't, however, forgotten about Red Dead. I can't believe I never got around to playing it, being a huge fan of old spaghetti western movies (the fact that I know what a spaghetti western is is a testament to that). Even if it didn't get the hype it got, I truly planned on getting this game. (If you really liked it, check out the movies "3:10 to Yuma" and the new "True Grit,"two great modern westerns.)
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-Mass Effect 2: Overlord: I've played Lair of the Shadow Broker and I was pretty much blown away. If there is any hint that Overlord might be similar I'd easily spend 800 points on it. I want to play Mass Effect 2 all the way through again completely to max out my stats for two playthroughs to transfer into Mass Effect 3, and more DLC is an easy excuse to do so.
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-Dragon Age: Origins: Even though this gamecame out in December of 2009, I've got to play it. Bioware can do no wrong, not after Knights of the Old Republic and Mass Effect series (I know they didn't do KotOR II, for the record). A medieval world is something I can easily get into, and I plan on it. I'd like to get the game with the Awakening expansion, the duo pack, after they drop the price a bit. I'm not dropping $60 on an older game, even if it includes the expansion (if you haven't noticed, I'm kind of cheap).
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-Fallout 3/New Vegas: Haven't played either, and I've heard so much about them. I actually own Fallout 3 after I traded for it with a friend for homework (a lot of it...in college). I've heard a lot about how they compare to each other, and the controversy interests me. I haven't even opened Fallout 3...
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-Vanquish: I played them demo and liked the mechanics. One problem; I suck at games. I died a lot. I'm the guy who plays on "easy" or "casual" because I think its way more fun to "own" a game. My kill-death ratio for multiplayer on all games is always between 0.74-0.98. I got frustrated a couple of times after dyingWITH THE DEMO. However, I am again interested enough to try the full game, but I probably won't buy it.
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-Deathspank/Costume Quest: Equally cool looking games that aren't too long or expensive, both of which I enjoyed demos for as well. I see arcade games as games just as worth playing as typical games, that are just a bit cheaper and a bit shorter. Deathspank seemed pretty funny, and I love the art. Costume Quest looks like a neat RPG, similar to handheld ones I enjoyed as a kid. I love the idea, and simplicity doesn't bother me if the game has charm, the same goes for Deathspank. I may get Costume Quest next Octoberand play the whole thing through on Halloween night...
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-Enslaved: Odyssey to the West: If the game is said to have a good plot, then I'm totally game. The combat in the demo wasn't groundbreaking and I'm not a big fan of platformers, but the mix of both was pretty neat. The visuals and the setting looked great too. Another one I want to play, but perhaps not buy.
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-Professor Layton and the Unwound Future: I loved the Diabolical Box, much more than the first game in the series. I'm sure the third installment of the series (at least the 3rd released in the US) will re-kindle my love for British themed games and puzzles. Seriously, I've got me be handicapped with word searches and Sudoku's to name a few. As soon as I finish the new Golden Sun, I'll pick this up.
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-The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest: I'm a fan of LotR, and I really meant to check this game out. I guess it just fell through the cracks, and I've been meaning to get back to try out some stuff on the Wii. So, I definitely plan on returning to Middle Earth just to wield the weapons of Aragron.
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-Bayonetta: To be nominated for game of the year awards, this game must stand out from other button mashers andit looks similar too. God of War's combat doesn't really interest me, there's no strategy to mashing even if the results look good. If Bayonetta has mechanics that aren't repetitive it looks like a good game.
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-XMEN Arcade Game: I played this old 1992 game in an arcade with two of my cousins for 4 hours straight back when I when I was younger. I spent a lot of change. I really want to give this game a go again, but 10 bucks is a bit steep for a 1992 game. I'm afraid that I'll buy it and the experience will taint my memories. The jury is out on this one...
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-Assassins Creed II/Brotherhood: Like Fallout, I have not played any games in the Assassins Creed series. This will soon be an item I'll probably borrow from a friend and I think the series deserves a look, at least for all the hype. This one isn't really a priority though.
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-Fable II/III: Another series I have yet to try. I hear the choices you make don't really effect the gameplay, so I might just start with Fable II. For the hype alone I guess it's worth a try, but not a priority.
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The Sad Truth:
There's no way I'll get to try all these games. I don't really play a lot, what with working fulltime over the holidays and then Winter Break ends with January. I haven't finished the stuff I'm currently playing, including multiplayer stuff I have yet to really explore. Hopefully by making the list I'll at least be able to pay tribute to the game that could be great. I'll never know...
Recommendations would be appreciated!
I have played most popular handheld and Wii games, Mass Effect 2, Halo: Reach, Final Fantasy XIII, and CoD: Black Ops [which was a bit dissappointing].