The Outlaw's Game of the Year!

Well everyone, it's New Year's Eve which means it's time for me to look back on 2010's gaming catalog and choose my game of the year, my runner-up, and my biggest disappointment. It also means that I have to take time out from getting hammered to write this. So let's get on with it!

GAME OF THE YEAR: MASS EFFECT 2


If this blog existed back when Mass Effect 2 came out, Stephen and I probably would have killed each other fighting over who got to review it. The thing is Mass Effect 2 was brilliant for a billion different reasons. For one, it took a really good game and improved everything about it. The shooting was better, the graphics were better, the dialogue was better, and we got to delve deeper into a bunch of characters we had already started to love. Beyond that, getting to upload your old profile from ME1 was amazing. Seeing all my old decisions effect the sequel made the universe feel all the more real and it gave you the impression that your decisions really did have long-lasting consequences. I even welcomed the large amount of new characters with open arms (seeing the point of view of a Geth, who is actually 1,000 geth is awesome).

Sure, some people hated mining. I honestly didn't care because I felt it was relaxing and anything was better than the Mako. Also, we no longer had cluttered menus to deal with. All of this came together to make a universe I think I might love more than Star Wars (and that's saying a lot). You can bet that Mass Effect 3 will probably take my GotY again when it comes out.

RUNNER UP: RED DEAD REDEMPTION


As much as I love Mass Effect, this decision was super difficult to make. As you can probably tell from my online handle, I am a huge fan of the Old West. For years I had been waiting for a game that I felt captured the feel of the time period. We had Red Dead Revolver, which was good but much too campy to be the game I was looking for.
Then there was Gun, which I loved but it didn't have the level of polish it needed. Then Rockstar worked with a clean slate (remember that Red Dead Revolver was originally being made by Capcom) and holy shit did they hit the ball out of the park.

First of all, the game looks even better than GTAIV. Seriously, go look at how everyone in GTA looks like their faces are covered in vaseline and how they are animated when not in a cutscene. Compare that to how much more real everyone in Red Dead looks and animates. Back? See, I told you so. On top of that, the world is incredibly gorgeous. I could honestly just ride to the top of a plateau and watch the sunset. There are also a vast number of animals that inhabit the land which you can hunt and skin to make money. I don't know how, but Rockstar manages to make their worlds feel more alive each and every time, and RDR is the apex of that.

But what is a landscape without characters? Well let me tell you, RDR has plenty of great ones. Not only does everyone in the cast have their own desires, motives, and personalities, but they are all memorable. Everyone is so well written and acted that I could probably recite the entire cast off the top of my head. Add to that great shooting and riding mechanics and you have a near perfect game.

Normally that would be enough to seal the deal, but the game goes even farther with one of the best stories I've seen in a long time. I won't spoil anything, but I rarely get as attached to game characters as I did to Marston. Seeing the game's events culminate into the ending is one of the best gaming experiences I've ever had. Also, if you haven't read my article about riding into Mexico while the original song "Far Away" plays do so. It might be the greatest gaming moment of the year.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: METROID: OTHER M



I wrote a review for this back when it came out and my opinion still stands. It was in no way my least favorite game of the year, just the most disappointing , hence the category. The thing is, I am a huge Nintendo fanboy and I just expected more. There were just too many problems. While I liked the map layout and the powerups, the controls just weren't good enough. First of all, using a D-pad to move around in a 3D area just isn't precise enough. Oh, and have I mentioned how much I hated standing still to fire missiles? Cause I do. However, that wasn't my biggest problem.

My strongest complaint is the story and I direct most of the blame at Team Ninja. I expected them to turn Nintendo's classic heroin into an even bigger bad-ass, but, in a brilliant stroke of sexism, they turned her into an order-taking submissive who wouldn't do anything unless Adam told her she could. Not only was this insulting to the character, but it made the story look stupid as Samus would stand and watch someone in peril until Adam okay-ed the use of a new weapon. Combine that with a story arch about an under-cover assassin that never gets resolved or mentioned again and you can consider the ball officially dropped. Now that Retro Studios has finished the amazing Donkey Kong Country Returns, hopefully they'll be given back the reigns to the Metroid franchise.