The heavy weight 3 for GoTY

Ok so here it is my final three games from where I think the Game of 2010 will come from:

Starcraft 2 – you know its been 10 years since we saw the first game and its been a pretty dull wasteland for strategy game fans, I mean we had the Command & Conquer series to keep us happy in the mean time with games like Red Alert 2 & 3, and Dawn of War - but really there was nothing that could hold a candle to this series. I mean I was late to the party with the first game (only just), but this has always held a special place in my heart. Now I bought the collectors edition (you know the £70 version which came with the art book, DVD, USB stick etc) and would do it again for this game. I mean I rebuilt my computer JUST to play this game! The graphics – AMAZING, Cutscenes – JAWDROPPING, Music – ATMPOSHERIC. All in all the game leave you wanting more and has so much to offer and is clearly worth its price, one minor (well major) is that the game has no LAN play supposedly to lower piracy levels which is a bummer when you want to play offline. That aside the game is pretty much the package for what you want in an RTS (yes notice I remembered the acronym now) just don’t expect much till 2012 when we get the 1st add on Heart of the Swarm

Heavy Rain – Ok so I bought a PS3 this year and watched a review about this game and thought – “you know what? I think that sounds kind of cool, I’ll give it a go”. So I did. The game is a very immersive experience with you having the standard look and move controls but in set moment you need to use the six axis to carry out a move, like shake left to avoid the oncoming car as you drive down the freeway in the rain, THE WRONG WAY to prove that you’re a worthy father to a psycho-kidnapper. This plays like an interactive movie, and has the score to boot, throw in a story that really does belong on the Silver screen and reward the player with a set of multiple endings you’re in for a treat. This game has a couple of minor flaws, mainly around the camera system (a bit clunky) and the controls need precise movements otherwise it throws a hissy fit and spits the dummy, however over looking this minor issue its a great game and worth a good solid 10 hours gameplay at least 2 or 3 times making those really massive moral choices like Save my child or CHOP OF MY OWN FINGER!!!!

Mass Effect 2 – so this is a sequel to a game that was a good solid first go at a brand new IP from Bioware (legendary RPG makers), it had its faults but it was a good mix of RPG and 3rd person shooter. With the sequel we were teased that the main character, Commander Sheppard (you know the guy / girl from the first one – the very one you made and can import and continue with in this game) is dead, dead as a door nail, bought the farm, currently found orbiting a planet in space after an encounter with an enemy only known as “The Collectors”. Well he / she isn’t dead (not yet) and those bastards that shot at you, well they’re abducting humans for some unknown reason and the only people who are willing to help you are Cerberus (pro-human terrorist group from the 1st game – you know the people who wanted to release the Rachini on the universe again). Anyway off you go to build a crew of suicidal nut-jobs all with specialities (Archangel – the badass merc killer, Jack – biotic psycho, Thane – super cool assassin, Grub – super solider Krogan, Mordin – crazy scientist with a penchants for Gilbert and Sullivan (modified) and Legion – a Geth – go look it up I’m not going there!) to go on this mission to save humanity. The game splits over two disks and transfers well, the music is superb, camera work is good, music is really there, and the voice acting has both humour and seriousness to really drag you in. The more I went into the game the more I wanted Sheppard to live (yes if you don’t do this game the right way Sheppard will die no Lazarus this time!) as well as the rest of rag-tag crew, all of them. I mean I put at least 50 – 60 hours into one save and really enjoyed this. My minor fault, the cover system it just didn’t work right sometimes I’d bump and he’d be like “erm no this isn’t cover I’m not ducking down”. Which became rather annoying in the final rush through the Collectors ship.

So what’s the answer? On innovation and gameplay it would be Heavy Rain, however in my heart Mass Effect 2 grabbed me by the balls and didn’t want to let go until the end. The game just felt complete and what makes it better is the fact that other parts of the background are reference and written by the writing staff so it make the expanded universe all a part of the game experience, even if you don’t realise it