Best (and Worst) of Half

Hargosh Ranks The Year’s Games So Far

The first half of 2010 started off with a bang for me, with my first ever MAGFest experience, and since then it has been a great year for games. While the second half of the year will be leaning more towards 3D and motion sensor based titles via Kinect and PlayStation Move, the first half of the year brought a lot to the table for hardcore gamers. And of course there were some huge disappointments added to the mix as well. I decided to give my take on the best games this first half of the year as well as those that either disappointed, or downright upset me. Let’s start with the best.

#5. TRANSFORMERS: WAR FOR CYBERTRON (Activision/High Moon Studios, Xbox 360/PlayStation3)

While I loved the Transformers toys and the movies (and yes, that includes Revenge of the Fallen,) most of the games left a lot to be desired. Not so with WFC. By making an original story (which actually was accepted by Hasbro as canon,) High Moon Studios took the Generation One characters into an action-filled campaign that Gears of War fans will feel quite at home with.

As if the excellent boss battles (such as the two chapter endurance match against Omega Supreme) weren’t enough, excellent voice acting by the original Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen) and Shockwave (Corey Burton) and non-stop fan service is more than enough to win any jaded Transformers fan over. This is to Transformers what Arkham Asylum was to Batman!

#4. SPLIT/SECOND (Disney/BlackRock Studios, Xbox 360, PlayStation3)

While Blur might have been the better multiplayer racer, it was Split/Second that kept bringing me back. Sure there weren’t many tracks available, but the destructible environments, some which actually changed the courses on the fly, and the aggressive Elite Races continue to make Split/Second a joy to play. I only wish the second season would come out sooner.

#3. MASS EFFECT 2 (EA/Bioware, Xbox 360, PC)

The first Mass Effect was a great sci-fi based RPG, but it’s sequel takes the series to a whole new level. The game tends to play more like an action shooter, but it still keeps true to its RPG roots. Featuring a heavily structured storyline, excellent dialogue, tons of planets to explore, and a much smoother graphic engine than its predecessor, the awesome ending makes me long for Mass Effect 3.

#2. SUPER MARIO GALAXY 2 (Nintendo, Wii)

I still believe the first Super Mario Galaxy was robbed for a GiN Award, and I hope the sequel gets an instant nomination. Galaxy 2 continues the disorientation that I experienced when planet hopping, but feels much more streamlined. New suits are a welcome addition to Mario fans, as is the return of Yoshi! Star collecting has never been more fun!

#1. RED DEAD REDEMPTION (Rockstar San Diego, Xbox 360/PlayStation3, PC)

What else is there to say about this game? Chella reviewed it and gave it 5 Gems. I did a GiN Lounge praising its finer aspects, and still I keep playing it and finding something new every day. RDR eclipses even Rockstar’s own GTA IV as their deepest game yet, both in single and multiplayer modes.

Even better, Rockstar just released their first downloadable mission pack online…for FREE! How many developers care about their fans enough to offer free DLC instead of charging for online access? (I’m looking at YOU, EA!) How good is RDR? Put it this way, if even your glitches come out enjoyable (I can never get tired of the Donkey Lady,) then you know you did something right!

But as we know the first half of the year wasn’t all wine and roses; there were many disappointments, failures, and games that just ticked me off. Here are the most notorious offenders.

So lets countdown the bad of the bad.

#5. ARMY OF TWO: THE 40TH DAY (EA, Xbox 360/PlayStation3)

The first Army of Two was a simple, fun and mindless shooter, but the AI was just atrocious and the dialogue/bromance was far too laughable. The sequel is actually worse, featuring a storyline that makes you question your judgment, a partner AI that still has you fumbling over your controller, and a disappointing ending that makes you want to pull your hair out.

#4. DANTE’S INFERNO (EA/Visceral Games, Xbox 360/PlayStation3)

While my GamerGeeks co-host may have loved this game, it just infuriated me. Yes the narration and plot structure (based on the Divine Comedy) was excellent, the gameplay itself was a maddening battle against the unknown circle of Hell, that of frustration. It is also the game that caused me to break a controller out of anger, and I’ll be sending EA a bill for $50 to cover a new one.

Ironically, Platinum Games’ Bayonetta came out at about the same time, and fan service notwithstanding, I found it to actually be the better game. It just barely got beat out for the top 5 list. Consider it an honorable mention, I guess.

#3. BIOSHOCK 2 (2K Marin, Xbox 360/PlayStation 3, PC)

I loved the first Bioshock, but the ending I got was disappointing (all the Little Sisters grow up and visit you at your deathbed.) The sequel’s ending was even more disappointing, where my character actually DIED before the final cut scene. Way to end on a high note there. Even worse, the game felt a lot shorter than the original and featured multiplayer that felt like it was just added for the sake of multiplayer.

#2. ALPHA PROTOCOL (Sega/Obsidian, Xbox 360/PlayStation 3, PC)

I love a good espionage game (Metal Gear Solid, Splinter Cell, etc.) but Alpha Protocol is just maddening! What could have been a great spy story is butchered with brain-dead AI, inaccurate weaponry except for assault rifles, headshot non-kills that come straight from Perfect Dark Zero, and simple textures that actually take 20 SECONDS to load in game, and you got a recipe for disaster that can only be thought of by an executive producer with a bad case of creative control overkill. It’s too bad that an excellent dialogue system (which I think of as Mass Effect’s meets QTE) had to be put to waste!

#1. ALAN WAKE (Microsoft/Remedy, Xbox 360)

Nearly five years and I had to wait for THIS? I cannot understand how Alan Wake has got a Metacritic score of 83. Yes, the graphics are gorgeous. They feature some of the best lighting and flare effects I have ever seen in a game. And yes the story has a strong, stirring, eerie narrative. But why is it the most disappointing game of the year so far, you ask? Simple. The game is BORING! After you get past the narrative parts of each episode, it becomes a linear shooter. Move from point A to point B, while along the way shining light on dark foes, then shooting them with firearms, then continuing to next area. Lather, rinse, repeat. Yes I know this is similar to the formula that Remedy used for Max Payne, but this time I got tired of it after three episodes, and more are on their way as DLC? No thanks.

I have to wonder if any of these games will be in the official GamerGeeks end of year lists? I know one of each list that will stay on, but there is a lot more to cover. A lot of good games are coming out, as well as new peripherals such as Kinect. It’s going to be an interesting rest of 2010!

Currently Playing : Transformers: War for Cybertron (360)

Waiting For: Sin and Punishment : Star Successor (Wii), Rock Band 3 (with PRO guitar and Keyboard accessories, Xbox 360)

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