Monday, January 24, 2011

Best Games of 2010

Hello and welcome to another edition of The Doctor's Prognosis!

This is how the year in review is going to work: Every game mentioned will get a short review and will be in order leading up to the Game of the Year. I will also include a few of my favorite music tracks from some of these games. First up are the best downloadable games of the year starting with a review I meant to do earlier....


Downloadable Honorable Mention
Castlevania: Harmony of Despair




Unlike previous 2D Castlevania games, Harmony of Despair focuses on multiplayer. Very little story to it but you can play as several characters from previous games such as Alucard from Symphony of the Night, and Shanoa from the more recent Order of Ecclesia. Each character plays differently enough to be interesting such as magic users and melee based attackers. However, HD eschews the old leveling system for an equipment based one. So in essence, HD plays a lot like a Castlevania/Diablo hybrid. This is supposed to help with balance but more often than not, a newbie will have trouble keeping up with veterans. So it is recommended to do a little single-player action to learn the ropes and earn some better gear before trying online multiplayer.

Up to 6 can play together through Live.

There are only 6 levels but each one is made up of enemies from previous games and sometimes not even the best looking ones they could have used. The levels themselves are mishmashes of areas from previous games and must be completed within 30 minutes. At the end of each level is a boss from a previous game which will net you a gold chest with nice loot. This can get addicting but can also be repetitive. Thankfully there is some DLC to help with replayability with some more characters and levels available for purchase. There are also some extra song tracks available for purchase to be used in the level of your choice. The music, while terrific, is also remixed from previous games. But seeing as the music has always been one of the series' hallmarks, this is not a bad thing.


Overall, Harmony of Despair is a fun game that can provide several hours of gameplay, but strays a bit from the old formula. It can be confusing for new players since many of the game's mechanics are not straightforward, and therefore may give a bad first impression. If you can stick it through, HD is a flawed but rewarding experience for Castlevania fans. Castlevania: Harmony of Despair gets a 7.5 out of 10.


Downloadable First Runner-Up
Limbo



Limbo is a fun and challenging puzzle-platforming game. It is a game of trial and error where you must go from one challenge to the next as you travel through a bizarre and unsettling world. The art style really makes the game stand out and helps set the disturbing mood along with the soundtrack. What makes the soundtrack stand out is actually the lack of music, which is kept to a minimum. When music is used, it is used effectively and helps keep the dark mood going throughout.

Think and act quickly to survive.

The main downside to Limbo is the short playtime. You can finish the game in only a few hours. There is some replayability thanks to some of the achievements which encourage you to play a second time. But there is little incentive to play it much more than that. Despite that, Limbo is fun and will make you think as you try to overcome each challenge the game throws at you. Limbo is not only one of the best downloadable games of the year, but one of the overall best games of the year! That is why it was so difficult to choose between this game and the winner. Limbo earns a 9 out of 10.


Best Downloadable Game of 2010
Super Meat Boy



This was a tough choice but Super Meat Boy won due to its simple but fun platforming gameplay, great level design, wicked sense of humor, and a surprisingly amazing soundtrack. Each world in SMB has several levels to complete before the final boss fight. You, as Super Meat Boy, must complete the level by simply rescuing your girlfriend Bandage Girl from the evil Dr. Fetus. You simply walk, run, and jump to complete each level. And each level, when completed with an A+ rating, will unlock a "dark world" level to complete as well. There are also several playable characters to unlock which all play differently. There is no shortage of things to do in this game.

This game is hilarious!

The only downside to this game is the punishing difficulty. While challenge is good, SMB can get frustrating at times and may discourage some from playing any further. Thankfully, this is a game of trial and error, and you can try each level as many times as you like. And when you finally do finish that level that gave you so much trouble, you get to see a replay of every attempt of the level at the same time so you can watch all your errors and deaths at once.



Despite the difficulty, SMB is still a lot of fun and reminiscent of games like Super Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog. And like a Mario game, if you die it is your own fault as the controls are very precise. Furthermore, it is not just the best downloadable game of the year, but one of the best pure platformers ever! That is why Super Meat Boy earns a 9 out of 10.


And now the best in console gaming!


Console Second Runner-Up
Super Street Fighter IV


Super Street Fighter IV took what made vanilla SFIV great and expanded on it. Two great new characters were introduced with Juri, a Tae Kwon Do master from Korea, and Hakan, a Turkish oil wrestler. Furthermore, many old favorites have returned such as Adon and Guy. Even a few SF3 characters were included and tweaked to match the fighting system such as Ibuki and Dudley.



SSFIV could have stopped at adding new characters and new stages but the game has been further balanced and now features more modes than ever before. The online component was ramped up for further replayability and fun. With so much added to the game, and a lower price point than vanilla SFIV, Super Street Fighter IV earns a 9 out of 10.


Console First Runner-Up
Halo: Reach



What can be said about Halo: Reach that hasn't been said before? It is just a more refined version of what made the old Halo games so great. It helps that the graphics were finally revamped. This helps make this the grittiest Halo ever. The single-player component is still strong but is more fun with friends like usual. And the online is better than ever. The addition of special abilities to choose from before each online match helps ramp up the strategy in the gameplay. If this is indeed the last Halo developed by Bungie, it is a great swan song that shooter fans will be playing for a while. Halo: Reach earns a 9 out of 10.


Overall Game of the Year 2010
Super Mario Galaxy 2



Is anyone really surprised? No game I played this year was both as fun and as challenging as SMG2. It really is difficult to think of anything wrong with this game. Like I mentioned in my complete review, the developers could have been lazy but instead expanded on what made the first game so great: the power-ups, the music, the precise controls, and the pure fun factor. Oh yeah! And Purple Coins!



Super Mario Galaxy 2 is what every game aspires to be. It just oozes quality and never feels hackneyed despite being a sequel to an equally large game. That is why Super Mario Galaxy 2 earns not only a 10 out of 10 but also The Doctor's Prognosis' coveted Game of the Year Award!

One of the best games ever!

I hope you all enjoyed my 2010 year in review for games! Make an appointment for my highly anticipated year in review for movies as well!

See you again soon!