The Game of the Year Awards have been compiled in this list from the least amount of awards to the greatest. In case of a tie, the one with the more prestigious awards, ie. the more major ones, will take precedent.
The list of the rules can be found on the "About" page.
Honourable Mentions:
Halo: Reach (Xbox 360) -1 GotY - Yahoo! Games UK
Alan Wake (Xbox 360) -1 GotY - TIME Darksiders (PS3, Xbox 360) -1 GotY - Made2GameEpic Mickey (Wii) -1 GotY - TheMarriedGamers
10. Call of Duty: Black Ops (Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Wii)
-2 Game of the Year Awards
The unstoppable juggernaut franchise that is Call of Duty returns to place in the Top Ten for the 4th year in a row. Following it's past success, Call of Duty: World at War, Treyarch takes the franchise out of World War II for good, giving gamers a taste of the Cold War. The exceptional campaign, the (as usual) addictive multiplayer, and the whole package of excellent extras makes Black Ops a compelling package. From the conspiracy-laden campaign, which brings you across the world from Siberia, to Vietnam, and to America, to the new multiplayer Wager matches, which brings a whole new spin to the CoD multiplayer experience, and the ever-so-addictive Zombies, which return in Black Ops to once again persuade gamers to team up and spend countless hours grinding away at zombies, Call of Duty: Black Ops opens this list at Number Ten.
9. Bayonetta (Xbox 360, PS3)
-2 Game of the Year Awards
IGN UK
GameAxis |
"Believe it or not, her hair is more deadly than the gun." |
Hideki Kamiya, off the back of the success of his Devil May Cry franchise, introduces gamers to another gloriously silly and entertaining action game. Bayonetta tells a tale of witches, of the struggle between darkness and light, and the conflict between the dimensions of Paradiso and Inferno. This may not sound thrilling, but where Bayonetta draws its success from is its outrageous and ludicrously fast gameplay. Using her hair and guns, Bayonetta offers players to play as an unstoppable witch, and experience the elegant and powerful style of combat that has garnered much acclaim from the press. While the PS3 version was noted to run much more slower than its Xbox counterpart, and many critics pointed out Bayonetta's weakly presented story and its overly masochistic depiction of the title character, it has garnered enough acclaim from sites like IGN UK to earn this amazing 9th position amongst the games of 2010.
8. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (Xbox 360, PS3)
-2 Game of the Year Awards
When Brotherhood was announced, few believed that Ubisoft could improve the series in the space of a year. Gamers were just expecting a Assassins's Creed 2.5, but what they got was easily the best Assassin's Creed in the franchise. All the major complaints of ACII were swept aside and fixed. The once stale combat of the franchise has now evolved into a beautifully flowing and brutal string of kills and executions. The ability to recruit, train and utilize assassins also greatly enhances the gameplay. The plot has matured tremendously, and the characters are more detailed and rounded than ever. Not to mention the beautiful graphics, as players can see as they roam Rome (see what we did there?) as Ezio Auditore fights against corruption and conspiracy in Italy's greatest city. And if all this wasn't enough, the game come with a a fresh and unique multiplayer mode, that surprised gamers for its originality and polish. And all of these improvements were made in less than a year. Truly, AC Brotherhood deserves this incredible 8th spot.
7. God of War III (PS3)
-3 Game of the Year Awards
After years of torment by the hands of the gods, Kratos returns to finally end his suffering, once and for all, by taking on the gods themselves. The God of War series is known for its brutal gameplay, groundbreaking visuals, hearstopping boss battles, and its merciless protagonist, and all of those are present in this sequel, albeit turned up to 11. From the opening battle with Poseidon, the brutal decapitation of Helios, scaling the massive body of the Titan Cronos, to the final battle with the King of the gods himself, Zeus, God of War 3 always throws something that obliterates the limitations you thought the PS3 had. Combined with the stellar gameplay, the amazing soundtrack, and the gripping story of revenge and chaos, God of War III easily steals this outstanding 7th place.
6. Fallout: New Vegas (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
-4 Game of the Year Awards
When Bethesda revived the Fallout series back in 2008, even catapulting their Fallout 3 to the 2nd spot in the 2008 Top Ten, gamers wanted more from the Fallout universe. Obisidian, comprised of the makers of the the first two Fallouts returned back to their franchise to deliver another immersing RPG expierence. And they succeeded, moving from the Capitol Wasteland, the setting takes place in the Mojave Desert. 200 years after a deadly nuclear war, Nevada is a shadow of its former itself. Decayed, deserted, and diseased, the land is overrun with chaos. That is, except for one little spot. By the genius and leadership of a figure called Mr. House, Vegas still thrives and exists, attracting travellers from around post-apocalyptic America to experience the sophistication of life before the war. Players can once again expect a deeply detailed and unparalleled RPG experience, that will drain countless hours out of their productivity. Unfortunately, the game is riddled with an unbelievable amount of bugs, including game-breaking ones. Critics also pointed out the lack of evolution from Fallout 3, and the lack of compelling details in the plot. Nevertheless, the game enamoured those that dared to brave its glitches, and the acclaim given New Vegas, have given it this 6th position.
5. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty (PC)
-5 Game of the Year Awards
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"There's a zerg rush waiting to ambush both of them..." |
The ongoing struggle between the Terrans, Zerg, and the Protoss enters a new level in the sequel to the unbelievably popular Starcraft. Blizzard gives the franchise a new facelift, repainting the game in glorious detail and depth, while adding some little tweaks and changes to the gameplay. While the game still plays the same as the original, and some critics pointed out this lack of evolution, the game remains as fun and addictive as ever. The exceptional detailed, and varied campaign will surely entertain strategy enthusiasts, but where the game shines is its world-renowned multiplayer, that will definately satisfy even the most skilled of strategy gamers. The amount of acclaim that both fans and press give StarCraft earn it this coveted 5th spot.
4. Heavy Rain (PS3)
-8 Game of the Year Awards
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"What! We didn't make it into the top three?" |
In what is one of the most unique and original experiences in such a long time, Heavy Rain goes to show that gamers are willing to put aside their FPS games and try something new for a change. And Heavy Rain is a perfect example of a game that charters new territory and triumphs. While it could be described as basically just a series of Quick-Time-Events, that would do an injustice to the artistic and technical triumphs accomplished bu Quantic Dream. The game revolves around 4 characters, as they deal with a dark serial killer known as the Oragami Killer, who preys on little boys. After one of the main character's son gets killed in an accident, and his life starts to spiral into depression, his faced with a parent's worst nightmare as his only surviving son is now kidnapped. Now he must know how far is he willing to go to save someone he loves. The games unique move-like experience, excellent visuals, stellar (for the most part) voice acting, detailed charcters, gripping consequences and choices, make Heavy Rain a wonderfully compelling experience, and easily the 4th best game of 2010.
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