Rate your 2010!

[NRP]

I haven't played nearly as many games as most of you, but here goes . . . .

Red Dead Redemption 7/10
Was fun at first rolling with my "posse" (aka people on my Friends list), riding a donkey, watching RobertR1 chase down a grizzly bear on foot with nothing but a knife, and getting into shootouts with locals in small crappy towns. But after a while I grew tired of it all and couldn't bring myself to play anymore. I can see how people would like this kind of game though, especially if you just like to screw around for hours. Great game, good visuals, large world with lots to do. Just not my thing I guess.

Borderlands + DLC 9.5/10
Was this a 2010 game? Regardless, there was DLC in 2010. This game was a very pleasant surprise. I fully expected this game to be crap based on pre-release screenshots. Just the right amount of shooting and looting for my tastes. I still play it to this day, which says a lot. Zombie Island was the highlight of the DLC IMO (though I haven't started the Claptrap DLC yet - still tying up loose ends in the General Knoxx DLC).

Singularity 6/10
Got stuck somewhere partway through the game on a train level where a huge alien monster repeatedly attacks as you have to shoot a bunch of orbs on its head and body. Just a terribly tedious section of cheap, uninspired, antiquated gameplay design to add difficulty. It's no surprise that Raven is going down the tubes. Their ideas about fun and interesting gameplay are about two decades out of touch.

Monday Night Combat 8.5/10
Another pleasant surprise. This XBLA game made me scream, laugh, and cuss . . . what's not to love? Highlight was pancaking Alstrong for an achievement. Free DLC too!

Halo Reach 9.5/10
Since I'm a Halo fanboy, I'm pretty biased here. Prettiest and most innovative Halo game to date. Very refined gameplay. Firefight matchmaking is just pure win. Only complaint is the set piece battles in SP weren't as epic as Halo 3, which is mindboggling given how well this game maintains framerate with all kinds of shit exploding all over the place. Seems like a missed gameplay opportunity. Oh well, Al and Brit seem to love it, which is good enough for me.

Battlefield Bad Company 2 9/10
I have been a huge critic of the console versions of Battlefield games. I first played BF2 on PC, so that set my expectation level very high, and the previous console versions of BF just didn't measure up. Then came BC2. What a pleasant surprise. Very solid game that I'm about to jump back into from a long hiatus. My gripes with it are basically the same as my gripes with BF2 - after playing a while the milestones (unlocks/medals/rank increases/etc) just require too much grinding to get. DICE could learn something from Infinity Ward in this respect. MW2 was just about perfect in this aspect.

Edit: Crap, I forgot about this one . . .

Call of Duty Black Ops 7/10 (MP only)
This one is wierd, as I really like shooters. Technically, the game is fine (looks and runs great), but the gameplay just doesn't have the "hook" that MW2 had IMO. I'm not exactly sure why, probably has something to do with the weapons being ass.

 

[aselto]

I don't understand why people like to give numerical scores to their entertainment experiences. It seems a bit silly. "I liked this year's journey to Tunesia, but not as much as last year's to China. 7/10"

 

[Tap In]

1 vs 100 8.5/10 sad that it's gone

Mass Effect 2 8.5/10 fun ride but no need to do it again, amazing visuals, good pacing, voice-overs

AC2 8/10 a great step up form AC1 but after playing ACB it is good, not great.

Forza 3 9/10 beautiful, sublime

Toy soldiers 8/10 in visuals and execution but just lost interest

Just Cause 2 9/10 so much carnage, so much freedom, so much fun!

Blur Multiplayer 9/10 sad panda to see it DOA

Tiger Woods 11 8/10 does what it's supposed to do

DiRT 2 9.5/10 wow, what a ride. execution, visuals, variety and FUN

Red Dead 10/10. yea.

Madden 11 8/10 looks like real NFL, sounds like NFL but not as fun

Medal of Honor Multiplayer only 6/10 fail

Fallout New Vegas 7/10 felt like a less interesting expansion of the great FO3. not enough new, graphics felt extremely dated

AC Brotherhood 9.5/10 (in progress) WOW, yea, good stuff

Halo Reach Mulitplayer only 9/10. King of online and still the most unique, complete package

BF:BC2 mulitplayer only 9/10 excellent balance, incredible visuals and destruction and variety in environments and action. would love to see them add some more game modes

CoD Bops: multiplayer only 9/10 addictive.

NBA 2k11 10/10 best, most completely playing realistic sports sim to date

NCAA Football 11 9.5/10 close 2nd to NBA 2k11. most fun, realistic playing football game ever and I may have played them ALL.


overall so far 2010 is one of the best if not the best year of gaming of all time (since 1976 for me )

 

[kagemaru]

I don't understand why people like to give numerical scores to their entertainment experiences. It seems a bit silly. "I liked this year's journey to Tunesia, but not as much as last year's to China. 7/10"

Well the topic is to "rate" your 2010, so that's what we're doing

BTW I give your post a 5/10

 

[zed]

I don't understand why people like to give numerical scores to their entertainment experiences. It seems a bit silly. "I liked this year's journey to Tunesia, but not as much as last year's to China. 7/10"

why not, everything is quantifiable?

what i find amusing though is everyone (except shifty geezer) is using the game reviewers ratings scale

A=10
F=5

 

[RobertR1]

why not, everything is quantifiable?

what i find amusing though is everyone (except shifty geezer) is using the game reviewers ratings scale

A=10
F=5

More likely people avoided shitty games.

 

[Tap In]

why not, everything is quantifiable?

what i find amusing though is everyone (except shifty geezer) is using the game reviewers ratings scale

A=10
F=5

true but to me, since I try to NEVER pay for a game that I would possibly even think of giving a 4 to (reviews, peer responses, demos) anything thats is a 5 (or 6)/10 is Fail in my book when it comes to my gaming dollar. :smile:

EDIT:
Oh and the only games i omitted were those that i only tried as a buy and return used deal or borrowed and did not care for enough to purchase so several stinkers did not make the list as i did not own them.

 

[NRP]

why not, everything is quantifiable?

what i find amusing though is everyone (except shifty geezer) is using the game reviewers ratings scale

A=10
F=5

That's because anything less than 5/10 wouldn't have been purchased in the first place. Games that bad don't even deserve a shot.

 

[joker454]

That's because anything less than 5/10 wouldn't have been purchased in the first place. Games that bad don't even deserve a shot.

Exactly, every single game today has a demo available, so it's easy to avoid buying the games we don't like.

 

[djskribbles]

More likely people avoided shitty games.

Yup.

 

[ultragpu]

Really enjoyed a few excellent games this year on all platforms but I still feel like none has surpassed the sheer masterpiece that is Uncharted 2 from last year.
PS3
God of war 3: best looking console game of 2010 bar none, pure epic and brutal gameplay which served justice to the conclusion of Kratos' vengeance. If SM could include the director's cut of the ending bits then it would undoubtedly be my GOTY. 9.5/10

Heavy Rain: What a pleasant surprise this was! This game made me actually care for the characters and genuine sentiment were felt at times. Some facial animation and lip sync could use more work but the game overall looked very convincing. 9/10

GT5: I'm not a hardcore racer fan nor do I care about 1000+ cars, but the sleek presentation and photo-realistic rendering have gave me more than a reason to buy the game. After all, this is the closest you can get to drive a Ferrari F40. 8/10

Xbox360
Mass effect 2: Totally loved that game from start to finish, excellent gameplay with RPG elements, very nice graphics and art, the characters and dialogues were very interesting and unique. Maybe I'm just a huge sucker for space epic but this is quite simply the most enjoyable game of 2010 overall.

RDR: not a fan of western style, so none of the game features grabbed me except for the beautiful, vast landscape and sunsets. Well, I do enjoy the thrill of a hunt from time to time but everything just feels so repetitive. 7/10

Halo Reach: Pretty good campaign with some memorable character deaths, vastly superior to Halo 3 graphically but still feel dated compared to other heavy hitters. The music score was so good it gave me goosebumps. 7.5/10

Alan Wake: I actually enjoyed it mostly, the story was quite interesting and the graphics has amazing atmosphere. If only the environment could present more exploration and variation, it could become a real gem. 8/10

Others
COD BO: utter crap, bad story telling, messy actions, forgettable characters, down right ugly graphics and nothing memorable. I'm sorry but I have to be honest here, MW1&2 are so much better in every way, even WAW kills this. 6/10
MOH: enjoyed the short but fun campaign, AI could use more work and wouldn't mind to chuck in a couple of more levels like the Rangers. 7/10
Castlevania: Beautiful game but stutters heavily. The game impresses all the way till the mid section and followed by dull less visually fantastic ending. 7/10
Enslaved: A decent game overall with some nice environments but ultimately the ending ruined it. 7/10

There are a few more but those are the major ones for me, ME2 is my GOTY for the overall experience and GOW3 comes close 2nd. 2011 looks very packed with great games and I can't wait for Killzone 3, Crysis 2, Rage, TLG, Gears 3 and Infamous 2.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Exactly, every single game today has a demo available, so it's easy to avoid buying the games we don't like.

Not on PS3. Alien Breed was bought on the reputation of Team17. They've never made such a cheap and clumsy game before that I remember; the controls and sticking on scenery of AB were pretty bad. MAG is probably a good 7/10 as a shooter, but I bought it for this wonderful new mechanic and teamwork that didn't happen. So many stupidities it was plain broken by my standards. There was no way of knowing that prior to experiencing it first hand. And I think that's the major point here - I'm a lot more picky than most!

 

[I.S.T.]

Really enjoyed a few excellent games this year on all platforms but I still feel like none has surpassed the sheer masterpiece that is Uncharted 2 from last year.
PS3
God of war 3: best looking console game of 2010 bar none, pure epic and brutal gameplay which served justice to the conclusion of Kratos' vengeance. If SM could include the director's cut of the ending bits then it would undoubtedly be my GOTY. 9.5/10

Heavy Rain: What a pleasant surprise this was! This game made me actually care for the characters and genuine sentiment were felt at times. Some facial animation and lip sync could use more work but the game overall looked very convincing. 9/10

GT5: I'm not a hardcore racer fan nor do I care about 1000+ cars, but the sleek presentation and photo-realistic rendering have gave me more than a reason to buy the game. After all, this is the closest you can get to drive a Ferrari F40. 8/10

Xbox360
Mass effect 2: Totally loved that game from start to finish, excellent gameplay with RPG elements, very nice graphics and art, the characters and dialogues were very interesting and unique. Maybe I'm just a huge sucker for space epic but this is quite simply the most enjoyable game of 2010 overall.

RDR: not a fan of western style, so none of the game features grabbed me except for the beautiful, vast landscape and sunsets. Well, I do enjoy the thrill of a hunt from time to time but everything just feels so repetitive. 7/10

Halo Reach: Pretty good campaign with some memorable character deaths, vastly superior to Halo 3 graphically but still feel dated compared to other heavy hitters. The music score was so good it gave me goosebumps. 7.5/10

Alan Wake: I actually enjoyed it mostly, the story was quite interesting and the graphics has amazing atmosphere. If only the environment could present more exploration and variation, it could become a real gem. 8/10

Others
COD BO: utter crap, bad story telling, messy actions, forgettable characters, down right ugly graphics and nothing memorable. I'm sorry but I have to be honest here, MW1&2 are so much better in every way, even WAW kills this. 6/10
MOH: enjoyed the short but fun campaign, AI could use more work and wouldn't mind to chuck in a couple of more levels like the Rangers. 7/10
Castlevania: Beautiful game but stutters heavily. The game impresses all the way till the mid section and followed by dull less visually fantastic ending. 7/10
Enslaved: A decent game overall with some nice environments but ultimately the ending ruined it. 7/10

There are a few more but those are the major ones for me, ME2 is my GOTY for the overall experience and GOW3 comes close 2nd. 2011 looks very packed with great games and I can't wait for Killzone 3, Crysis 2, Rage, TLG, Gears 3 and Infamous 2.

Wow, you gave a game you called "utter crap" a 6.

Game reviewing really is fucked in general.

Edit: I forgot a game... I had the "privilege" of beta testing a translation patch for a DS game: Tales of Innocence.

My rating?

Worst game ever.

To relate what is broken about this game would take far too long. Instead, I'll list what works: The first three hours of the game.

That's it. After that, it spirals incredibly quickly.

 

[Arwin]

Wow, you gave a game you called "utter crap" a 6.

Game reviewing really is fucked in general.

*snip*

My rating?

Worst game ever.

To relate what is broken about this game would take far too long. Instead, I'll list what works: The first three hours of the game.

That's it. After that, it spirals incredibly quickly.

If the first three hours of the game work, it's hardly the worst game ever. Thereby you're highlighting one of the many wrongs of game reviewing: hyperbole.

Note that it is as many said below here: either we didn't buy bad games, or the bad games we played weren't worth remembering ...

Also note that I gave a 4/10 to Resident Evil 5, and I haven't reviewed PSN games yet (I'm making a list of games I bought this year shortly)

 

[Laa-Yosh]

Exactly, every single game today has a demo available,

I'm not exactly sure about that... Not that we couldn't get enough information, there's always gametrailers and youtube and forums.

 

[Arwin]

Charted out all my PSN purchases for the year, and added them to my original post. XBLA Purchases still to follow - not much, but I did for instance buy three or so packs of Forza 3 cars late this year. I played a lot of demos that turned me off a game (Limbo a notable example), and I don't think I bought a single 360 game this year.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

I'm not exactly sure about that... Not that we couldn't get enough information, there's always gametrailers and youtube and forums.

Forums only work for those who have played the game and give useful feedback. And if a game is rubbish, it'd require someone to buy it and the report its rubbish, meaning you can't ensure you'd never buy a turkey, unless you play it very safe. Which if everyone did, would mean no-one would buy any games!

Forums also don't solve personal preference. eg. Someone like me could read tha_con saying LBP plays like a dream, and then get annoyed with I consider the awkward controls that weren't awkward for him. The end result could be a game rated 8/10 for one person that another person sees as, say, 5/10, due to differences in taste etc. Likewise a youTube vid of Alien Breed would show the gameplay, but not how annoying getting stuck on scenery is, unless there's commentary. Seeing a player standing still getting mauled, you'd assume they were playing badly, and not that a pipe 1 foot from the character is preventing them from retreating.

I feel a bit awkward with this notion that anyone rating a game lowly was something of an ill-informed idiot for buying it in the ifrst place. This creates a sort of Emperor's New Clothes scenario where no-one would want to be honest about hoe they felt about a game because theyn they'd be labelled a doofus for buying it in the first place. It's not a big issue, but I do hope everyone contributing to this thread is using the full range of values 1 - 10 with 5 being a mediocre experience, to maen that those 8/10 etc were exceptional experiences for them. Otherwise, as ever, without a uniform reference ponit all this numbers are pointless, which more often than not they are anyways!

 

[NRP]

User ratings are non-linear.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

You'd think the IEEE would have stepped in by now...

 

[AzBat]

I can't afford to buy every game that might be good. I have to know for a fact it's good before I buy it. So yeah, I very rarely buy shitty games. That's the great thing about Live: free trials & demos. It has saved me lots of money on spending money on less than average games. I can always get those later when I think the cost is more appropriate for the experience(used, sales). Just wished disc games had trials. Buying used is the closest thing since I can take it back within 24hrs if I don't like it, but it would be nice if the Games On Demand titles had a trial. Maybe that will come next-gen?

BTW, of all the titles I actually bought this year only 1 wasn't even on my radar: Red Dead Redemption. Didn't even know about it till a couple of weeks before it shipped & I only got excited about it after watching all the Live videos. I was probably just as excited about Alan Wake at the time & had been following that for over a year. It was a surprise I even got RDR. The wife got tired of me talking about it & she bought it for me. LOL I'll eventually get back to Alan Wake. Sorry Remedy, just bad launch timing.

Tommy McClain