My Games of 2010: The Ones that Weren't My Games

For several reasons, my games of 2010 list lacked quite a few games that appeared on plenty of other lists. For some, it was not a case of not wanting, simply not able to list it, and of course others for less-nice reasons.  I figured now was the best time to get this one out while the "Of 2010" ideal hasn't worn out its welcome.  While I won't go into every game I wanted to play this year but couldn't, I'll try to put out the most notable examples.

No Time

Bayonetta

Now, I'll admit, I wasn't always hyped in any sort of way for Bayonetta, especially early on, but from the time that the marketing really started injecting the crazy into what we saw, I become more and more interested in the concept and the product that I expected to come from it.  Though I didn't have the money to buy it right out of the gate, I kept an eye on it for a long while, only to be a bit disappointed in one fact that I learned.

The PS3 Version was fairly significantly inferior.

In a way beyond long load times (as is described, or at least touched on, in that article) and less impressive visual (as is shown off in the video the article links to), but numerous reports of general choppy framerate and the like were abound.  So much so that a patch (by Sony, not even Sega or Platinum Games) eventually was put out there, and even that couldn't fix everything.

Now, if there's one thing that tears at me, it's Lazy Ports.  And that's just what this was; there was no real attempt pre-release to get it at least a little closer to the 360 version.  And what's worse, it wasn't even supported after the fact.  

Still, after all the praise it received and my admitted interest in the game, it became hard to pass up on when I saw it on the shelf of a Movie Gallery that was going out of business, and thus, marked all of their games down increasingly on the way to shutting their doors.  Several games were picked up this way, and most of them were put directly into the ol' backlog that still hasn't budged much.  As such, I own Bayonetta, but I simply haven't played it yet.  I think my grudge with it has mostly passed; after all, it was Sega that put it out, and, well, if you're not used to their nonsense by now, then there's no way to get around disliking them and the games they put out.

Darksiders

This right here, this was never a game that I had any qualms in saying, "I will own this game".  The only thing that held any qualms with it was my wallet.  My financial situation wasn't that great in 2010 (not that it looks too much better in 2011) and it was only through gift cards, careful sale-purchasing and the odd gain in funds here and there for part-time things that I was able to get anything game-wise.  And as much as I hate to be that guy I knew Darksiders wouldn't hold its price for long, so it was simply a matter of waiting for it to enter a price I could afford.

Between waiting and playing what I managed to get my hands on last year, it did manage to slip my radar until, well, December.  While out running errands, I stopped by a Blockbuster because, well, why not, and checked out what few things they had for sale.  (Truth-told, I went in half-expecting to see a similar situation to the Movie Gallery that had shut down months prior.  I was not expecting to see a line of customers, certainly.)  After a bit of perusing, I passed on Final Fantasy XIII for $30 and a few other things on similar sales when I noticed Darksiders.  "Oh yeah," I thought, "I really meant to buy that.  And it's only Fifteen Bucks.  I think I can swing that."

I did leave, intending on looking elsewhere for Christmassy things while the line thinned down and came back when my shopping was done.  Sure enough, only a few other people milling about in the place, and the line was completely clear.  I grabbed it, placed it on the counter, produced the payment in card form and was bewildered to see $9.99 show up after the scan.  While I knew the cashier could sense my confusion, I rolled with it; certainly a game costing less than I thought it would was not a thing to look in the mouth, even if the voice in my head was going, "Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!~".

Of course, as I said, that was in December, when all my non-gaming time was spent running errands and spreading Christmas cheer (also other things) and my gaming time was spent frantically trying to finish a couple games so my backlog would have room for the Season's haul.  As such, I haven't managed to get into it, though I anxiously await a time when I can give it the try I've wanted to since last year started.

No Ability

Deadly Premonition

To deny that this game has a cult following would be lunacy; it has one of the more prominent "Seriously, you think it's bad, but it's sooo goood" vocal groups working for it that I've seen in quite a while.  And, having seen a good majority of the game in a livestream done by the broest of bros, Kaseius, I can't very well argue with them.

While the game did in fact look painful to play (at least, the fighting parts, which there were quite a number of) the story and the characters were by and large interesting at the very least, and all the twists and turns it took were rather nicely done...except, in my opinion, the ending.  Which admittedly, is a definite YMMV deal, so by no means should that be a condemnation of it.  Even if you don't like the ending, the journey there is a fantastic one (if you haven't noticed by now, I'm more of a "It's not the destination that matters" type of guy) that I could definitely recommend to people who can tolerate the gameplay.

At $20, the only reason I didn't pick this game up and play it was the fact that, at this point in the States, it's 360-exclusive and I, without said console, can't very well buy it and play it to draw a verdict on it, now can I?  While there have been rumblings of a PS3 version over here, nothing made it out in time and, in fact, there's still no confirmation on it one-way or another.

Minecraft

There isn't a lot to say about Minecraft that isn't known to the general population of the internet by this point.  The game thrusts you into one of the most literal definitions of a sandbox, makes it clear in short order the pattern of things (Monsters come out at night, you'll need to make shelter to survive) and inevitably presses down on your Create button and never lets go.  And that's all it needs.

The game, as of this posting, in the Beta phase, doesn't have an end-game goal.  Instead, it's focusing on the actual mechanics of building and giving you things to build.  New crafting formulas, new blocks to put down in whatever fashion you please, new items to craft -with- and new mobs to drop said items.  While some may speculate that the game will, in fact, never see an actual release outside of what it currently is, time will only tell if there's truth to that.  But, in the eyes of many, it doesn't need a goal just yet, as there is simply too many things left to build.

The reason for me not getting this game, despite it's similarly cheap pricetag is because, again, it is on a viable gaming platform that I do not possess; the PC.  While it is true that I have a PC and, in fact, am typing this -from- it, it's not exactly what you would consider game-worthy.  It's most certainly not what -I- would consider game-worthy, either and I've given up that idea long ago.  Always on the horizon is the idea that I will, someday, get a computer that will actually allow me to play games, crazy as that may seem, but that day doesn't draw nearer in any way that I can see.

Alan Wake

At no real point did my interest in Alan Wake rise above "Meh" during it's development (Well, the latter stages of it, when it was clear that it was, in fact, not a dead project) until after it was released.  Not only did I not really have much faith in it, from what little information I saw prior to its release, but I knew from day one that I simply wouldn't be able to play it for a long while, given that it was originally a 360/PC title.  (I say originally, as the PC version was canceled.)

And in all honesty, everything I've seen now, from a livestream of a good portion of the game to reviews leads me to believe that, while it wouldn't underwhelm me, it wouldn't amaze me either, leaving it to fall, at the very most, into the "Good" category.  Which, of course, is not bad at all, what with the category being called "Good" and all.

But of course, being in that category means that I do still want to play it at some point, perhaps to flesh out the story that I missed, perhaps to see if some of the sections were as difficult as I saw them to be, or maybe perhaps just to experience it for that very slight chance of surprise.  I can't lie, thinking about possibly playing the game someday, does stir a slight of excitement in all the right gaming areas, but it's a subdued excitement, more for being able to play it, rather than the hope for something more.

No Reason

Dark Void

Another of the games I bought from Movie Gallery, I went into this game with the mindset of, "It can't be -that- bad, right?  Right?" and let me tell you something.

It is.  It is that bad.

Now, I will say, when I first picked it up, it left a good impression.  Decent third-person shooter, Nolan North voicing the main character, the promise of a jetpack in the future, everything was just peachy.  And then, well, I kept playing the game.

And kept playing it.

And kept playing it.

Over time, the reason I kept playing it changed, at first it was, "Well, it's not all that bad, I'll just go ahead and beat it and file it under mediocre." next it was, "oh, well, now, this isn't very good at all.  But not unplayable, I suppose.  I can finish it so I can be done with it" to, eventually, "ARRGH, GAME.  I WILL SHOW YOU WHO'S BOSS."

Yes, that's right, over time, the over-arching reason for beating this game (Not only beating it, I felt I had to truly dominate it by getting the Platinum trophy for it) was spite.  Never before has this happened, and I hope, truly hope, that it never happens again.  But in the end, I had a few laughs (at its expense) and an accomplishment that I feel oddly alright with (absolute domination over it, minus the DLC) so I guess I still won by playing it.

But seriously, just steer clear of it.

No Hurry

 Final Fantasy XIII

I would like to preface this one with the fact that no, I am not trying to flash my Internet Cool Kid Card with this one, even though it seems to be the thing to do.  The truth of the matter is, I haven't truly enjoyed a Final Fantasy game since Tactics, or if you merely count the Main-line, 8.  9 felt too slow and too boring to me; I simply couldn't establish any sort of connection with the characters that made me want to go on, and when nothing had been done to alleviate my boredom by the end of the first disk, well, I simply knew it wasn't for me.  10, well, I did beat it, and I did get a lot of the extra things, which must have indicated that I, at the very least, did not mind playing it, but with the ol' hind-sight going, I simply don't see any reason why I need to return there.

I never did play 10-2, and I don't really see a reason to; I accidentally, (Read: Purposefully) got spoiled on the ending possibilities and, well, somehow I'm not sure I'd be too keen with the adventure to get there.  And 12.....well, 12 is a whole other matter that I will probably talk about in a separate post.  (That will likely launch another one of the series of posts like the ones I already have started.)

So that right there dampens my enthusiasm quite a bit, and, make no mistake, the internet has not made it easy to care about the game either.  While I generally do take popular internet thinking and put it separate to how I look at things, I simply cannot help but take some of the things provided and say, "Why no, I don't believe I will enjoy that."  Of course, the battle system, of which nearly everyone agrees upon as the high-point is enticing, but overall, I'm not too fussed at waiting out on this game.  And in fact, I'll likely continue to for a time.  Down the road, if I'm looking for something to play and I spot it at $20 or so, feh, I might pick it up and see where it falls on my scale.

But until then, Meh.

Red Dead Redemption

This game and the following one are probably the two big reasons I decided to make a section titled "No Hurry" rather than putting them in the "No Reason" category as I was almost ready to do with FFXIII.  (Well, that and the fact that I decided nothing should be included in with the crapheap that was Dark Void.  Aside from Brütal Legend, which I played last year as well, but that was from 2009.)  Because, honestly, I can't say with a straight face that there is in fact no reason to play Red Dead Redemption; It seems like a swell game to people who are prepared to like it and once you get past the tutorials.

While I'm sure I make it seem like I constantly spoil myself on everything by this point, I don't, in fact.  You'll just have to trust me on that.  But, again, I have seen the way this game starts; the riding missions, the, uh....riding missions.....the missions where you keep pace with somebody for five minutes....riding a horse, and, having experienced something similar in Grand Theft Auto:  The Lost and Damned (Riding in formation, yeuch), I can't say I'm too prepared to tackle things like that again.  Of course, I'm sure it gets much better after that.

But the honest fact is, at the time of its release and, hell even now, I had and still have entirely too many other great games to play through, and, after the whole deal that was the Episodes of Liberty City, the individual packs, the combo disk and eventually, the collection, well, I'm keeping my eyes peeled for a similar situation on this one.  It'd be nice to be able to pick up the entire RDR experience at once, rather than the semi-fragmented state it's in currently.

Fallout:  New Vegas

I do so hate to be blunt, as I come off sounding rude, but honestly to me, there's absolutely no reason to buy a Bethesda and/or Obsidian Game on release.  Are they fantastic games?  Yes, usually.  Are they laden with bugs?  Yes, I daresay always.  Will there always inevitably be DLC that will eventually be packaged into a Game of the Year version, meaning you get all of it cheaper even if you buy -that- day one?  Believe it.

By no means am I saying that there's no reason for you to not buy an Elder Scrolls or Fallout game on release day if you're excited for them.  In fact, I would encourage anyone who had the desire to do so, provided they can deal with the game pre-patch, as most people can.  But for myself, while I do enjoy the Elder Scrolls games, (Fallout 3's GotY will be my first real dip into that world) having bought Oblivion's GotY for full price and then buying Morrowind's GotY for PC for a song, I can say that the level of enjoyment is the same regardless of how much I spent.  (Well, not so much for Oblivion as I did get cheaped out of some of the DLC.  PS3 version, you see, but the point remains.)

So while I've seen practically all positives around for New Vegas, I can't do anything more than sit back and bide my time for that inevitable One Disk to Rule Them All version; one that will hopefully include all the DLC, even the ones marked "exclusive" for now.

Right then.  That seems to be the bulk of the games I've passed on for one reason or another (or simply couldn't play), so I do believe that's good.  One of your games not mentioned at all?  Feel free to ask me about it!

My Games of 2010: Number 1

The game I picked for 2010 has a long and storied past, not only with myself, but for every fan of the series it belongs to.  One of repeated gain after loss, of hope upon hope being crushed before being restored.  The game had been a long time coming for those of us outside of Japan, and it almost seemed that it would never come.  But not only did it, but it's release seems to have lit a fire under it's creator's company, who have already begun localizing the next installment, putting more effort into it than ever before.

By no means is the game perfect.  In fact, it's assuredly technically inferior to plenty of the other titles in my list.  But, quite frankly, no other game on my list is this game either. And this game makes me Squeeeee.

If you haven't guessed by now (Though you've probably already seen what it is below), then here it is:

1.  Yakuza 3

The tale of Yakuza 3's localization process is a difficult one to tell, as, for the longest time there was, in fact, no localization to be spoken of.  Sega was busy with other projects and given the series lackluster sales in previous incarnations (I believe 2 sold less than 1, but was assuredly more profitable thanks to the lack of American VAs), they didn't believe a localization was worthwhile.  (This was the impression given, of course, I don't believe there was ever a statement made regarding the necessity of a localization.)

"But Sega!" the fans cried, "We will buy it!".  Largely, it seemed their outcries went unnoticed as speculation after speculation was released and then quashed.  On no less than four occasions throughout 2009, the game was rumored to see a release in the States and Europe, only to quickly be debunked by the passing of time with no official word, or official word stating, matter-of-factly, that they had nothing to say on the matter.

Kazuma doesn't like being toyed with, Sega.

Then, a more promising beacon appeared.  A listing on Amazon Germany appeared and was eventually taken down.  Why was this more promising?  Because, by this point, Amazon Germany had gone 1/1 on outing things early and fans like myself would simply latch on to anything at this point.  Time went by, a week, in fact, with nothing really stated on the matter.

Then, on December 8th, it happened.  It was finally confirmed, and all was right with the world.  I remember the first time I saw that; I'd become accustomed to checking the Blog often, as I run the thread for the Playstation Store on Penny Arcade, so I finished whatever game I was playing at the time and decided I'd check it before getting on the computer for the night.  And when I saw that, the controller fell from my hand as I could say only, "What."

Getting the game eventually proved to be a chore in itself.  Sega's street date ended up being one of the misleading "This is the day we send them out" dates, so after two fruitless trips to Best Buy, I returned home empty-handed and re-learned the virtue in calling ahead.

But when I finally got it, it was glorious.

Thugs learn the hard way that taunting an Ex-Yakuza is a bad idea.

 I find that a lot of my gaming library involves combat of some sort (as will most people's, assuredly), and I will say, at the very least, the Combat system in the Yakuza series is one of the most, if not the most satisfying systems out there.  Intensely Brutal, the moves involved in about 70 or so percent of it would assuredly leave a person in need of a hospital at the very least, and it only expands in every game.

Haruka loves her semi-family thiiiiis much.

Of course, the game is not for everybody.  It isn't just about the fighting; you see, Kazuma Kiryu has tried to leave that life behind him.  Unfortunately, he keeps getting dragged back in, this time in an attempt to save his Orphanage from being destroyed by the Government to make way for....something.  At the surface, the idea that the land is going to be seized is a foregone conclusion, it's simply being argued by two prominent political figures what should go in its' place:  A Resort for greater income, or a Military Base for national security.  Given the chance, any chance, to keep his building intact, Kazuma must do whatever he can to prevent his land from being sold out from under him.

Honor isn't dead, merely harder to find.

This proves to bring about a rather strange start to the game; between the battles that are fairly sparse to start with, and the more subdued story than one might expect if they haven't played a Yakuza game before (The kids, for one.  And it starts out more a mystery than anything; which isn't exactly new for the series) it has the potential to push away people who might just want to get to the real meat of the game.  But rest assured, once the meat has presented itself, it doesn't go away.

Punch mans.  Enjoy punching mans.

Surprisingly (Or not, again depends on your exposure to the series) the story goes deep and gets quite powerful as more and more about this land deal is exposed and how it affects Kazuma's past and, of course, his future as well as the future for the children he's raising.  And, as always, through the power of punching people in the face, Kazuma makes new allies along the way, who grow as the story advances, showing real development and real maturity.

Though all my pictures are from the Japanese version, there's a specific reason why this one is.

It's not all good, of course.  A lot of content was left on the editing floor over at Sega before the game was released over here; most of it was inconsequential like some mini-games and hostess events (which I was initially annoyed about; Yakuza's 2 Hostess Bar management was rather enjoyable, but then I learned it wasn't in Yakuza 3 to begin with and the Hostess things were simply other things, so I didn't care).  But what stung was the fact that quite a few side-missions, I believe over or around two dozen, simply were not in the game at all.  Which might be fine, as it means less work, but that means less exposition and less Experience to make your Kazuma all the badass he can be.

The Golf Clubs are more fun when you're hitting people with them.

On top of that, there's a plethora of mini-games in Yakuza 3 (Some were actually cut from the localization, even) that range from Alright to Absolute Dick.  More often than not, I would pass by the bowling alley and tell myself, "I'm going to have to do the Bowling for 100% and the trophies", only to say, "Eh.  Later."  And in fact, I never completed them.  Which is for the best, really, as I would have nothing currently to show for it.  Yes, my Yakuza 3 save was a casualty of the oft-mentioned PS3 YLOD I had, and while I mourned it at first, I realized it meant I got to play the whole thing again fresh, rather than I had to and that made all the difference.

So how did Yakuza 3 end up being my game of the year when even I admit that it's far from perfect?  Is it because it potentially has a great story surrounding the many many trials of it's eventual release?  Is it because the fighting is so good it outshines it's flaws to make them seem miniscule?  Is it because Kazuma is just such a tiger-punching badass, I have to give the spot to him out of reverence?

No.  The reason Yakuza 3 ended up being my game of the year is because even when it was difficult, it was fun.  I bitch about the Bowling mini-game, the Darts mini-game, and this and that, but it doesn't really matter because even when I wasn't enjoying the game (thanks to the mini-games), I was still having fun because I was playing Yakuza 3 after believing for so long that I would never be able to without learning Japanese and stepping into the wide world of importing.  I wanted this game badly enough, I finally got it, and it was simply everything I could have hoped it to be.  And its release has even improved Sega at least somewhat; as I said before, Yakuza 4 is already being localized and in better fashion than any game in the series.  Hell, they're acting like they have a Marketing Department for once.

So that is why Yakuza 3 is my definitive game of 2010.

My Games of 2010: Part 3

We're nearing the end, here, and I have to say, while I didn't want to split up the whole list like this, I'm rather glad I did, since I got to focus on the individual games more than I'd expected to be able to, had I tried fitting them all into one post.  But, without further ado, let's get right into it.  Don't need to preface much at this point.

4.  Heavy Rain

I can remember, vaguely, the first time I heard of Heavy Rain.  It was a sideline item in a magazine article concerning 'Upcoming' Announced Playstation 3 exclusives, some two years ago, at least.  Not a lot of information was given, as there wasn't much information available on it, but from what I read, it managed to get a "Huh, that sounds pretty neat" from me before I forgot about it completely.

Then, last year (Well, -two- years ago, technically.  Year's barely started, after all.  Made this mistake before, though, see if you can find it!) I actually saw it in action.  I don't remember where specifically, but I remember seeing the Junkyard fight scene with our friend Norman "Nahman" Jayden.  The concept alone intrigued me, along with the knowledge (They made a point to do the scene twice, showing branching paths) of how differently a scene could play out.  Then they dropped the bomb:  The characters can die.

At that moment, Norman Jayden begins to regret wearing his sunglasses at night.

 Not only can they die, but the game continues on without them.  Though not completely new by any means, the thought alone was tantalizing.  When it was implemented, it wasn't as good as one could have hoped (Namely, some scenes just plain don't end with death), but, much like everything Heavy Rain accomplished, it sounded so good on paper.

Private Investigator Scott Shelby knows the importance of having a partner you can trust; one that's made of metal and deadly.

That isn't to say that I was disappointed with the game.  Far from it.  While I may hand-wave away the plot-holes I don't like (as most of them can be rationally explained away in a way that isn't giving too much credit) I don't even think I'm being too lenient on it, because it's less the game I'm concerned about than the importance of the experience it provided and the hope it might be emulated in the future.  And I know that might seem counter to the point, buuuut...

Just think of a Kojima-created re-imaging of Snatcher in the style of Heavy Rain.

That said, Heavy Rain remains one of the few games that I am looking forward to replaying thanks to my PS3 bricking and me losing all my previous saves.  It has to wait in line, but at least it is in the line.  And that may seem odd to people, as, to most people, it's not a game that lends itself to replayability.  In fact, David Cage, the creator of the game, all but insists that you play it once to get your story and then move on.  But, with all due respect, Mr. Cage, I remember my story.  It is clearly embedded in my memory.  But I am the type of person who watches a movie I like over and over again simply because I like it, one who plays a video game over and over again, because I enjoy it.  So that is what I did, and it is what I will continue to do.  Fact is, I can recreate my story any time I want to.

3.  Nier

I'll be completely and totally honest here:  I had absolutely zero hope in Nier turning out to be good, much less one of my favorite games of the year.  Whenever I read anything about it, they always brought up the Drakengard series, as it's Cavia's notorious franchise that this is, in fact, a spiritual successor to.  And whenever I read anything about Drakengard in relations to Nier, I remembered the absolute pile of crap that Drakengard 2 was.  While a very archaic game, as far as gameplay goes, Drakengard at least had a crazy, yet deep story to fall back on.  Drakengard 2 (at Squeenix's urging, I'm sure) borrowed the big book of anime/RPG clichés and never gave it back.  So needless to say, barring a few marginal gameplay improvements (that I would contest did absolutely nothing positive) Drakengard 2 was a game that never deserved to exist, much less continue the story of the original, especially in the way that it does.

Nier, though?  Well, the connections are there, is all I'll say.  And they deserve to be there since, much like Drakengard, you may not be happy with how Nier plays (or, to some, how it looks), but you will be hard-pressed to convince yourself that the story it's telling, and indeed, how it's being told (through the writing and the Voice-acting both) is not worth experiencing.  

D'awwww.

 At its core, Nier tells the timeless story of a Father's devotion to his daughter, and to what ends he will go to to ensure her safety.  And as you play more and more, the impact of that single fact begins to reverberate more and more in ways that you'll simply have to play to understand.

So, Kainé, brutally slaughtered anything lately?

Our main character, simply referred to as the "Father" as you get to name him, doesn't have to face his journey alone, of course.  You end up recruiting a rag-tag group of people so......diverse, we'll say, that the dynamic of the group simply shines through at all times.  From your very first companion to your last, they never fall into a rut of being wholly unoriginally 'themselves' for the benefit of the player to know "who" they're supposed to be in a typical group, and instead continue to grow and grow as the story presses on and you learn more and more about them.

Yes.  Yes she has.

Nier is truly a game that keeps on giving the more and more you play it.  As long as you remember that most sidequests are not worth your time (even if you're going for Achievements/Trophies, as you only -need- to complete a certain amount of them for them) and fishing/fighting is something you'll get the hang of eventually, you're in for a ride that keeps going when you think it's going to stop, and then makes you understand when it actually is going to.

And, if you're like me, getting to that point will be tough, as you truly won't want it to be over.

2.  God of War 3

The inclusion of God of War 3 is likely not a surprise to anyone reading this (especially after my fandom for the series was expressed in the last post), but this game didn't get a pass on good faith alone.  It didn't even claw its way to the top.  No, after the sense of scale and the feelings of awe it created in players everywhere (myself, of course, included), everything else seemed to step to the side to allow Kratos to sit upon his proper throne.

Can you spot the bloodthirsty anti-hero on Poseidon's Arm?

From the very start you're presented with, quite possibly, the largest boss battle in the series, and it's merely the tutorial.  And from there, it never hesitates to at least attempt top itself from the last one, and it usually succeeds, depending on what you're expecting.

Unsurprisingly, this ends badly.  Well, for him, anyway.

Through out the entire game, it creates the visceral feel that you can only expect from God of War, and indulges in it in a way that leaves you unable to put it down, as there may be more just ahead.  Ultimately, it lets that desire build and build in yourself, much as Kratos, before finally giving both player and character a release at the end in a way that I could not have predicted better.

Don't let the scope fool you; Kratos is but an ant in size to Atlas.

Though anybody who has played the game will find something to their displeasure, be it the ending or that it was, in fact too gruesome for them, (my gripe being simply that it ended) a general consensus can be reached that it is, in fact, a great game and well worth every bit of praise it receives and the fact that the more-argued point is whether or not it's better than God of War 2 simply shines a light on the quality of the series itself.  I may have gone a little light on the text for this game, as compared to the others, but, be assured, it's simply because each word brings my want to play it again higher and higher; a temptation I will have to resist until I've cleared my backlog of games out at least a little more.

My Number One pick for 2010 will be the next, and last post in this series (unless I decide to do a post dedicated to the games I wish I could have rated) will be tonight.  Not to tease, but I do hope everyone is wondering, at least somewhat, what could have beaten out all these other games that I've gushed about.  Though, to most people who know me, it might not be such a surprise.  (Especially since I've told a few people already.)

My Games of 2010: Part 2

In considering the list going forward from my last post, I came to a conclusion that I'm surprised I didn't come to before.  Since this section will be about the four 'tricky' games in my list, and it could be considered malleable within a numbered scale, why not skip the numbered scale altogether?  To be sure, the games listed here are definitely my 8 through 5, but when the dust settles after I've actually given them all equally fair shakes, their order may be far different from how they were when I voted.  So, in no particular order....

Phantasy Star Portable 2

Back in 2001, a game was released for the now-gone, but not forgotten, Dreamcast that holds a little bit more weight than most games can hold a candle to as far as being important go.  A game that, no matter how many games I play, I can always still remember it fondly, perhaps even harbor interest in playing again, as nothing comes close to matching it, to replicating what I feel in my memories.  That game, of course, being, Phantasy Star Online.

This box art just brings back so many memories.

For me, someone who wasn't, and still isn't, that much into PC gaming, the concept was insanity.  "Single-player and Online Multi-player?  I can play this same game with other people through the Internet?!"  Well, I could have, if I could have ever gotten my Dreamcast online.  Sadly, not knowing that much about how internet works, not to mention we were simply using Dial-up that was so bad it paled in comparison to other Dial-up, meant that I never got to play PSO as anything more than a Single-Player experience, something that's always weighed on me a bit.

Later on, when Phantasy Star Portable (Which I've yet to get, unfortunately) and Phantasy Star Zero were released, they were both well into better internet times for me.  Though not perfect by a long shot, we have DSL now that pales in comparison to other DSL, but it's most certainly better than Dial-up.  "I'll finally get that Internet Experience." I said.  "All that hunting, the missions with friends, running about in the lobby and just being silly, I'll get to do it."  I did not.  Phantasy Star Zero's experience proved lacking, to say the least, though it clearly tried to emulate parts of PSO.  I can't say much for Phantasy Star Portable 1, as I never played beyond the demo, but, while closer, it still didn't catch that spark of PSO I wanted so badly from it.

Phantasy Star Portable 2 is as close as I can imagine to being what I wanted.

Just like PSO before it, PSP2 was shown off with Sega's Mascots names.

I'm clearly in no position to call Phantasy Star Portable 2 better than Phantasy Star Online, and I will not; some deficiencies are clear, but the structure of PSP2 feels so much more familiar, especially when compared to Phantasy Star Zero.  If I had to be more clear in the differences, I don't know what more I could say than, "I have played Phantasy Star Zero online.  I have experienced Phantasy Star Portable 2.", and I believe that's what makes all the difference.

Metal Gear Solid:  Peace Walker

 

As a very unapologetic fan of the Metal Gear Solid series, it'd be a little silly of me to not include this in my list.  Even not as a fan, this game would still have found a place on my list, because it was just that fun.

Taking a cue from the fans response to Metal Gear Solid:  Portable Ops, Peace Walker's first success lies in a vastly improved control scheme.  Though I didn't have much difficulty with Portable Ops on my original playthrough, I did give it another go after trying the demo for Peace Walker and, suffice to say, the differences are night and day and even if you operated PO without difficulty, the improvement is nearly unchallengeable.

Also vastly improved was the story.  In lieu of prefacing yet another statement with "I had no problems with Portable Ops..", I will simply state that the Story and the whole single-player run through the game, minus a couple gripes with a few maps, was just fantastic.  Of course, the fact that it was so closely tied with Metal Gear Solid 3:  Snake Eater, could likely have helped, being that 3 is usually the best regarded game in the series.

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Somewhat(?) new to the series was the Co-op Multi-player that Peace Walker added in, which more or less mirrored experiences likened to the Monster Hunter franchise.  Essentially, as Peace Walker was Mission Based, it offered you the chance to tackle Extra missions (read:  Non-story) with your friend or friends.  It's very self-explanatory, and while not the best Online Experience I've had, it was certainly one of the better ones.

Teamwork doubles as a bonding experience in Peace Walker.

Still, though, after I was finished with Peace Walker, an unsettling level of closure set in, which may sound odd, but normally with Metal Gear games, that's not a feeling that sets in as much after time, not to mention right after.  I got through the main story, I got through all the Extra Ops, I got through everything and then I was done.  The thought of playing one more Vehicle Capture mission, even with Stealth Camo and all the fun extras turned my stomach.  Challenging Rathalos one more time seemed boring, and challenging Tigrex or, Indeed, Metal Gear REX (if it were a reptile) seemed like punishing myself for committing no wrong.  My little romp with Peace Walker was clearly done with, even if I couldn't understand why.  The memories last, however, and I do entertain the notion of going through it all again someday.  We'll just have to see when that day is.

Valkyria Chronicles 2

The first of the two remaining titles that, while I haven't actually sunk my teeth into, so to speak, I feel I am well-enough equipped to expect good things without the idea of disappointment.  As such, it was given a spot on my list in simple measured good faith.  

But that good faith is well-placed, if I do say so myself.  Valkyria Chronicles on PS3 was one of the better experiences I've had with the system; well enough that it made my "Games of the year" list for the year it was eligible, though what place it was, I'm not too sure I remember.

VC2's Main Character runs through gunfire, possibly doesn't afraid of anything.

Needless to say, the series jump from the PS3 to the PSP did not come without its complaints, nor without its compromises, one of them being a downgrade of the much loved CANVAS engine which really made VC stand out on the PS3.  Without going for AAA-level graphics intensity, they still managed to make one of the better looking games on the platform on art style alone. Maps are also changed; instead of the grand-scale maps the first game offers, the sequel breaks every map into chunks to travel between for a mission.  To what degree this affects things, I don't know, as my experience with the game was the Demo, which didn't prove to be too disconcerting.  Still, it is something I wonder about beforehand.

Still, from all I've heard, VC2 seems to be a worthy successor to the first and considering that VC3 will be on the same platform, we can only hope that it works to improve on what 2 has to offer, since the series certainly won't see another PS3 entry if it doesn't.

God of War:  Ghost of Sparta

Once again, the extent of my fandom for the God of War series almost guarantees a spot on my list for this, as it was released in 2010 and is a God of War game.  I know this because I have played the demo, and am aware that it doesn't pull any sort of Brütal Legend-style trickery afterward.

I'm not sure what attack this is.  I just know I can't wait to use it.

While I have a certain level of expectations for the title, somehow I'm assured that GoS meet them and then some, so to even consider that GoS would have not earned a spot on my list is slightly more outlandish than simply not including it because of a technicality.  Still, as with Valkyria Chronicles 2, it's hard to assign a rank to it, being that it is still somewhat of an unknown, but I am confident in having them placed alongside the other two titles in this post.

So while I couldn't give these four games ranks among themselves, I still place them firmly in the 5-8 spots of my list.  My only concern now is how I'll be able to convince you, the reader, much less myself, why my top 4 games ranked higher after gushing so much over these ones.  If nothing else, you can just assume that they're all on the same level from this post and on and use your own tastes to determine my opinion's worth.

My Games of 2010

With the new year in, but barely, it's the perfect time to reflect on the previous year of gaming and see what it had to offer versus what seems to be on the horizon (barring delays and the like.).  A poll on the Penny Arcade forums just concluded as well, and while I didn't post my votes there, as I haven't played a lot of the usual suspects, I figured I'd do my list here to share.  Because that's what this blog is about, right?  Sharing.

My list only goes has 12 spots, as I simply voted for games that I played at least somewhat.  It will be split up into parts for easy posting and reading, and no, this isn't a way to pad my "post a day" habit out; I'll probably do all of the posts over the course of tonight/tomorrow.  There are a few games that I really really would have liked to vote for, but I simply haven't gotten my hands on them yet, so I can't.  Of course, there are also a couple of games which I have only played the demo of, but in my defense, I already pretty much know how these games play.  I will explain, of course, when we get to them.  So let's get this started, yes?

12.  Patchwork Heroes (PSP)

I almost, almost, almost did not vote for this game, because, while I bought it, and played it, I did eventually simply become bored with it.  If anything, it's on my list simply because of the potential it had, that I was envisioning, because while not dramatically innovative, it offered a simple mechanic that proved to be fun if used right:  Cutting.  

You are the blue guy.  This airship is on its last legs, as represented by the growing explosions.

You are the Vanguard Defense Unit of a Kingdom constantly under attack of enemy warships.  Do you use some sort of anti-air missile defense to protect yourself?  Of course not!  Where would the fun be in that!?  Why, what you really do is fly your little helicopter to incoming airships, pull out your saw, and get to cutting.  Piece-by-piece, you cut swathes over the surface of the airship until the husk left is unable to sustain its own flight and it crashes to the ground below, miles away from your beloved kingdom.

Sounds like a fun premise, right?  Right?  Well, it certainly did, and the demo offered a good bit of fun (I do encourage you to try it, of course), but the problem lies in its longevity.  You see, the game never offers any real upgrade to this system.  In fact, if anything, it tries its best to impede your fun.  Steel surfaces that you can only cut through with a special attack built up with items and by cutting off chunks with enemies or bombs, Proximity Mines, enemies that can patch your cuts, time limits, they're all in place and while never pushing the game to a frustrating point of difficulty, it does frustrate the player because it is simply not fun after a certain amount of time.  Still, I bought it for half price, and I feel that I got my moneys worth; I simply don't know if I'll ever finish it.

11.Pokémon Heart Gold

Ahh, yes.  Pokémon.  What all can be said about this series that's spanned Four full line-ups (Excluding remakes and those "third" games, e.g. Yellow, Crystal, etc.) of colors, metals and precious stones?  

It's, uh...Pokémon.  There are these critters about, you catch them, go to gyms and beat other critters for badges.  Then you do that some more.  Along the way, you fight off a Team of adult idiots who you inevitably out-Pokémon because adults just don't understand and make a special friend that you inevitably have to challenge to a friendly battle at some point.

Unique (somewhat) to these installments:  Talking with any of your Pokémon, provided they're first in line.

Through some inexplicable reason I, and plenty of others, always find myself dragged back in despite how samey they can all feel, because It's a New Adventure, Son!  Even if it's a re-polished old one like Heart Gold. (Also applicable, Soul Silver.  Rest assured, this vote is for both games, I simply just haven't played SS yet.)  And while fatigue has set in on the series for me, I'm sure Black/White will change that.  Again.

10.  3D Dot Game Heroes

Now, I have a very odd relationship, admittedly, with 3D Dot Game Heroes.  I haven't played a lot of it.  It was the game in my PS3 when it broke, and after I got them both back (Well, a refurb PS3, of course) I simply never played it again.  I intend to, of course, it's just that I haven't yet.  But, what I did play was so very, very fun.

Part Ginormo Sword (One of those "Where did ten hours of my life go?" games), Part Legend of Zelda (some would argue, too big of a part, which I counter-argue that there can never be too much Old Zelda), Part homage to the classics, and part Self-Parody, it offers real fun gameplay, solid humor, and a beautiful style that definitely stands out on its own, if nothing else.

Those blocks.  That landscape.  Should've sent a poet.

It ain't easy being blue.  Of course, you could change your heroes armor and overall look in the editor.

One day, I'll get back into this.  I just don't know when that day will be, since I will be paranoid that my PS3 will flop again.

9.  White Knight Chronicles International Edition

Like many others, when I first saw White Knight Chronicles, the possibilities seemed too good to be true.  JRPG standings were slipping as games started making the transition to the HD Consoles, or, rather, they did not or did so in a way that left a bad taste in everyone's mouth.  Of course, not a blanket statement, but there were several (and continue to be) that just lack the charm, or whatever you could place on the games of old that prevent current ones from stacking up.  But this, this looked like it would change all of that.

Did it?  Not really, but it certainly looked like it.  It looked good, and it only got better and better as time went on.  Fans in countries that were not Japan, simply watched on as the game released and expanded.  Taking a cue from their older series, Dark Cloud, a GeoRama-esque mode was put in place to expand on the lacking Multiplayer, as well as several other improvements.  And always, always, a localization was "on the horizon".  Then, last year, it was announced; the game would be released in February for everyone else to get a taste of the game in its current form; no additional patch for GeoRama, nor any of the quests added.  They would all be released on disk to be enjoyed from the get-go.

While it didn't set the charts on fire, the level of pure excitement that I held for this title pre-release was enormous; Dark Cloud was a series I was rather fond of, of course, thanks to its GeoRama aspect.  And what I got out of it was fun; my enjoyment of the Multiplayer was not as much as I'd hoped, unfortunately.  It wasn't the game's fault, however.  When I purchased the game (Day One), I simply delved into the Single-Player to start, trying to get a feel for the game before the MP (which, you have to unlock during the SP anyway), and constantly told myself, "I'll get into it more after this.".  Which took me into the period of time where I was then in the middle of a blizzard and just generally prolonged freezing rain/sleet, and the like that makes power outages so rampant.

"I can't play this if the power goes out.  What about my save?  All the time I might not get?  What about my PS3?!"

So, while I avoided playing this, for fear that the power would go out while I played, my adventurer buddies did just that, adventured.  They got to enjoy it, and for that, I'm happy.  Of course I don't begrudge them that; I couldn't play and I couldn't expect them to not play, either.  Still, I had hoped to do more with it.  Perhaps once the sequel arrives, interest will be sparked enough that I'll be able to get a little more enjoyment before moving on to WKC2.

I'll stop the list here for now, as the next section will be where it gets tricky.  Surprisingly enough (to me, if nobody else), titles 8 through 5 are all for the PSP, and while I haven't sunk my teeth into two of them, I feel that I've done enough with the other installments in their respective lines that I'll be able to judge them accordingly.