General Gaming Chit Chat: Game of the year (Overall)

Well it is here. 2010 had passed us by, and what a year it has been. Yes, there has been major events such as a new PM and the Chilean miners, but for a select few, 2010 will be remembered for the huge amount of awesome games that the year bought us. And, it is normal to expect a game of the year feature, and that is just what I'm doing! I already did a top 5 game list, but that was in September, and since then, many epic games have been released that have changed that previous list. Here are my top 3 games of the year, but updated.

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West

This was one of the saddest stories of the whole year. Sadly, much like every year there is an unfortunate game that is released around November, which results in bad sales and it being shunned into a corner thanks to a certain FPS series. Enslaved was this game. The actual game was fantastic, and it even got good reviews from critics, but, sadly, the game did not sell as well as it deserved too, and because of this, it was forgotten by many people. Annoyingly, this game was amazing, the gameplay was, although bit shabby at times, was extremely tight and fun, whilst the story was incredible. The apocalyptic setting was a whole new breath of fresh within the boring grey and dull worlds of games such as Fallout or Oblivion. The buildings where covered in different shades of green, and the famous monuments of New York looked gorgeous under the setting sun. However, it is not the setting that helps this place get number 3, that honour goes to the characters and story. Never since Uncharted 2 have I felt so connected and in love with the characters, and Enslaved somehow bought back the magic which I felt within U2. Andy Serkis (of whom I am bit of a lover) played the mysterious Monkey with so much gusto and passion that I truly believe he deserves an Oscar. The facial animations and subtle but sweet touches created an aura of genuine feeling that is almost unmatched in gaming. Place this along with an old classic story and hilarious array of characters, Enslaved was a fantastic game, that, sadly, did not receive the attention it deserved.

Vanquish

You may have seen from my previous review how much I love this game. I had almost nothing but pure praise for Platinum Games' amazing sci-fi shooter. Once again, Vanquish was released around the build up of CODBLOPS, so, much like Enslaved, the figures weren't as good as the game deserved. I was struck between which of Platinum Games' games to include, whether it should have been Vanquish or the bizarre Bayonetta, but Vanquish had one thing over Bayonetta that made it the obvious choice. The gameplay. Although Bayonetta did introduce new elements, such as finishing moves with her hair (dont ask), I felt that the controls were still too similar to God of War. Some may argue that Vanquish brings nothing entirely new to the table, but unlike Bayonetta's few glaring faults, Vanquish mixed together so many different elements of different games, that it somehow paid off and created the most unique experience on any console. The feeling of zooming around a crowded battleground whilst firing a giant disk towards a little Russian robot - in slow-mo- was by far the most exhilarating moment of 2010. Many games have stand out moments; such as Half Life's walker fight or the brilliant Red Dead Redemption's first journey into Mexico, but the whole of Vanquish is just one massive highlight. I think that the fact that the action almost never stops is one of the reason why I have to give Vanquish my number 2 spot, as I hold it very close too me. No game will ever let me shoot robots whilst speeding along an upside down train. Vanquish was incredible.

Super Mario Galaxy 2

Yes, my favourite game of 2010 was not Red Dead Redemption's huge open-world, or Mass Effects epic tale, but instead, my GOTY 2010 goes to Super Mario Galaxy 2. I, like every gamer adores being involved in a violent world where there are resistances and fights breaking out, but sometimes, I feel our gamer brains need time to relax and enjoy a simple, but extremely deep, cartoony game. And who else would we rely on to provide us with this service? The one and only Nintendo. Through time, Mario has always been seen as a symbol of quality, and also happiness! The first Super Mario Galaxy received great reception, and it was seen as a game that could not be improved, but somehow, the sequel stepped the series up a notch and helped cement Mario as the all time greatest mascot. The gameplay was unbeatable, so simple that kids can easily pick up and play, whilst sad old men can still enjoy the pure joy of playing this masterpiece. With the introduction of Mario's good old pal Yoshi, Mario set the new standard for platforming once again. Whether it be flying through space on Yoshi or drilling through a planet, Super Mario Galaxy 2 gave us one of the most involving and fun games ever to be released. If you do not feel happiness whilst playing this incredible game, then get yourself checkedc out. Everyone loves Mario, and somehow Nintendo created another magical piece that will go down in history as pure gaming bliss. Whilst many websites are awarding games such as RDR or Mass Effect 2 as their GOTY, I feel that Super Mario Galaxy 2 is the perfect example of 'real' gaming. Who really cares about a story or mining on a planet? Mario made games. Without Mario, we would never of had classics such as Super Mario Bro's or Super Mario 64. These classics redefined gaming and are still used as landmarks when creating a game. Super Mario 2 has cemented itself within these games. Super Mario Galaxy 2 fully deserves my GOTY 2010, a pure work of art.

Notable absences