OK, Let's try this again - Favorite game of 2010

[TheGrandMom]

Re: OK, Let's try this again - Favorite game of 2010

Fable III

...for me. The main storyline was pretty short but it unraveled an interesting little yarn. The side quests really made the world of Albion come to life in all it's wierdly twisted ways. I appreciated a game that constantly rewards it's playerbase. It was not hard by any means... it was simply fun. I give it my vote from pure enjoyment. Biggest gripe about the game for me is the DLC. Some (if not all) of that shouldn't be content to be purchased and should have been in the game at release.

I got my Fable III and Fable III controller for Christmas! Now to get the time to play. I thought that I'd do it while the hubby is out of town but then my son commandeered the god damn tv downstairs! I just can't win!

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: OK, Let's try this again - Favorite game of 2010

OK, so personally, I gauge this by which games I invested the most time into or the game that push me to want to see/do everything I can, so that leaves me with a handful of games.

There was MGS: Peacewalker, Phantasy Star Portable 2, Kirby's Epic Yarn, Pokemon HeartGold/Soul Silver, Donkey Kong Country Returns. Many of them were games that just kept on giving in terms of content and fun, but there's one game that outstrips them all in this regard.

Super Mario Galaxy 2.



I just beat it today (in the sense that the credits rolled) and there's still so much more to do and see. World S, 120 more stars after the original 120. I only needed 60 to beat the final boss in world 6, but I pushed myself up to 105 before even making an attempt on it.

This game was not on the top of my list to play this year, not my most anticipated, either. I really wasn't sure if Nintendo could up the ante compared to what they pulled off with the original Mario Galaxy, but the sequel proved to have a ton of new ideas and was a master class in platformer design in a year filled with excellent platformers.



Games like Kirby's Epic Yarn and Donkey Kong Country Returns only further prove Nintendo's mastery of this genre and were Mario not released this year, I probably would have picked one of those two because they have the same sense about upping the ante, making you want to see everything and keeping a smile on your face as you do it.

And all this complimented by one of the best soundtracks to date, a nice mix of originals and classics.

[Icemage]

Re: OK, Let's try this again - Favorite game of 2010

You know, I took a look back over the games I bought this year, and while most of them didn't really have huge expectations, I was pleasantly surprised by quite a few of them.

Outperformed expectations for me:

Vanquish (PS3, 360)
Speed, action, and bullet-time in one heady mix that makes you feel so powerful yet so fragile all at the same time.

Majin and the Forsaken Realm (PS3, 360)
This was a real gem of a game that came out late this year. Not without its flaws, but definitely the most likable non-human critter I've seen in a video game all year. Reminiscent of Prince of Persia 2008 but with a better storyline and better gameplay.

Rock Band 3 (PS3, 360, Wii)
This is the first time I've seen a video game successfully bridge the gap between gameplay and actually making music without taking all the fun out of the equation.

God of War: Ghost of Sparta (PSP)
This game (and its earlier cousin, God of War: Chains of Olympus) constantly have me wondering if I'm really playing them on a PlayStation Portable. Truly outstanding visuals and gameplay in a handheld game.

3D Dot Game Heroes (PS3)
Sure, it's a Zelda clone, but it's a very, very GOOD Zelda clone, and it's got its own quirky tongue-in-cheek style.

You might ask why Super Mario Galaxy 2, Call of Duty: Black Ops or Red Dead Redemption didn't make my list. SMG2 feels like it could have been a DLC pack - a good one, but I never was able to quite shake the "I've seen this before" feeling when playing SMG2. CoD: Black Ops is a decent game, but my current hatred of all things Activision automatically disqualifies it (ditto for Starcraft 2 and World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, both of which are also quite good). Red Dead Redemption just didn't turn any of my cranks, either in the free-roaming aspect or the Western theme.

My game of the year, therefore, goes to Mass Effect 2 (PC, Xbox 360, soon to be PS3).

A tight, well-written storyline with incredible voice acting, great graphics, and vastly improved gameplay from ME1. You always feel in control, and it does a great job to reward you for going the extra mile. It goes out of its way to track your progress from the first game, and that makes the universe you travel around in that much more believable.


Icemage

[Neverslip]

Re: OK, Let's try this again - Favorite game of 2010

I got my Fable III and Fable III controller for Christmas! Now to get the time to play. I thought that I'd do it while the hubby is out of town but then my son commandeered the god damn tv downstairs! I just can't win!

I really think it had some interested aspects. Some people didn't like the menu system. I enjoyed it. It's way better than Fable II, imHo. Only other things I was disappointed in that I didn't mention before was the dog is still kinda stupid when it comes to showing you where buried treasure is and you can't swim thru your gold like Scrooge McDuck. I love the Trial of Magians-esque route they went with their weapons. I love that at max stats your hero isn't a tubby weird looking monstrosity. Just started an "evil" playthru the other day... and I love how vastly different it is from the good path so far.

Runners up for me are in no particular order:

Abyssea add ons... they got me hooked... again.

Castlevania LoS... idc what others say, this was a very solid game. Haters will hate.

Halo Reach... I loved the way it ended. The story was pretty decent the whole way through. MP is not for me but I loved the Gruntapocolypse mode.

Castlevania HoD... again... haters will hate; but, I found this game well worth the M$ pts I laid down for it. Just wish more of my buddies who said they were gonna buy it actually bought it.

[Luna Flower]

Re: OK, Let's try this again - Favorite game of 2010

Some of my fave FFX13 videos Could be cuz im gay and they are one of the only lesbian couples in the FF series.

[Neverslip]

Re: OK, Let's try this again - Favorite game of 2010

LOL... I haven't played FF13 and I can't see the vidz you posted cuz work is a Nazi about web content, but I remember during the extended previews thinking to myself... damn those girls look like they are about to get way more intimate than I have ever expected.

[Luna Flower]

Re: OK, Let's try this again - Favorite game of 2010

LOL... I haven't played FF13 and I can't see the vidz you posted cuz work is a Nazi about web content, but I remember during the extended previews thinking to myself... damn those girls look like they are about to get way more intimate than I have ever expected.

T-T sadly they never do! It is however quite clear of their feelings for each other some people would argue that they are sisters but they are not. For one it never mentions they are, and two they come from two different clans. Fang just lived with Vanille I guess cuz her clan got killed off. I think its just the homophobes who think otherwise, to everyone els its quite clear (as you can see from the vids haha). Well not right now but when you get home

[Firewind]

Re: OK, Let's try this again - Favorite game of 2010

People actually think that. I just saw them as two very good friends of the same gender who have gone through hell and back together and have developed a very close bond over that time.

Then again I also forgot that everything has to be able sex and people have to be fucking having sex even when let's be honest, it's not going to happen no matter how fucking annoying all the yuri fanboys and yaoi fangirls are. No if two people are close they have to be fucking each other or apparently it's unrealistic or not satisfying or some other shit that plagues any sort of character relationship regardless of if it romantic or not or just platonic where two fucking friends love each other but not in that way.

it's probably why I can never read Lucky Star or Persona forums without having my faith in humanity ruined any more that it has already been by people who have to associate sex with every single fucking character interaction in storytelling.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: OK, Let's try this again - Favorite game of 2010

To be fair, Persona games have been known to explore sexuality, Persona 2 and 4 most notoriously.

Naoto was a cool character, but I don't really understand the fan fixation with her. I guess its just wanting to see her feminine appearance since the game didn't go very much into it. I never saw Kanji as gay so much as undecided. I dunno, he popped that nosebleed on Yukiko and Chie, so I think he has room for girls. Plus he was drawn to Naoto because he thought she was a guy, so there's also that

And I think in P2: Innocent SInt there was the option for Tatsuya to have a male romantic interest as an alternative to canon female love interest Maya.

So the series and sexuality, unlike Final Fantasy, are kinda inseparable at this point. I think the reason P3 and P4 avoid the gay/lesbian player relationships is because it would just add another layer of complications to the social link structure and calender system. You already have characters that appear at a certain time or place, which is also influenced by the weather, school, work ,vacations - so yeah, I think deciding which characters are gay, which are straight and which go both ways is a bit over the top for event-planning in a game.

Having them as a main cast member is just easier.

Its just creepy what people come up with that the games don't suggest. Or dress the girls up as cows.

Really, just looking up a nice JRPG character-themed wallpaper these days is asking for smut you never dreamed of.

[Yellow Mage]

Re: OK, Let's try this again - Favorite game of 2010

and people have to be fucking having sex

This rant brought to you by the Department of Redundancy Department, who brought this rant to you.

[Luna Flower]

Re: OK, Let's try this again - Favorite game of 2010

People actually think that. I just saw them as two very good friends of the same gender who have gone through hell and back together and have developed a very close bond over that time.

Then again I also forgot that everything has to be able sex and people have to be fucking having sex even when let's be honest, it's not going to happen no matter how fucking annoying all the yuri fanboys and yaoi fangirls are. No if two people are close they have to be fucking each other or apparently it's unrealistic or not satisfying or some other shit that plagues any sort of character relationship regardless of if it romantic or not or just platonic where two fucking friends love each other but not in that way.

it's probably why I can never read Lucky Star or Persona forums without having my faith in humanity ruined any more that it has already been by people who have to associate sex with every single fucking character interaction in storytelling.

Yes people actually think that. In a world where being openly gay especially in a video game is considered taboo or looked down upon people have no other choice but to assume from the way they interact with each other. As a gay female I know a lot about how lesbians act around one another, thus why this assumption is not too far off the deep end.

I do not expect you to understand any of this. As they say you need to walk in a gay person's shoes to understand what their life is really like. Oh and furthermore no one said it was about sex. So I think you need to take your pent up anger and stuff it up ur butt.

[Raydeus]

Re: OK, Let's try this again - Favorite game of 2010

I just can't find the difference between gay or straight sexualization of X couple in Y series because of how close they were in Z scenes.


But anyway, while I do not agree with the way Firewind said it, he/she does make a very valid point.

Fortunately a lot of people out there actually get that there can be great closeness between individuals without anything resembling sexual attraction. Even if there seems to be an even greater amount of people out there without the sensibility and or self-knowledge to look beyond their own urges.

Curiously enough when it happens, that closeness usually seems to be greater than it could ever be with a sexual partner. Probably because libido usually gets in the way when couples are trying to get to know one another, regardless of sexual preferences.



PS > Best part is when couples run out of sex drive and start really getting to know each other. That's when the real fireworks start.

PPS > I'd also like to nominate Mass Effect 2.

If only because ME1 was not released in 2010 (I liked it more, because even if ME2 is superior in most aspects it failed to capture my imagination the way ME or Fallout did)

---------- Post added at 01:48 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:31 AM ----------

Vanquish (PS3, 360)
Speed, action, and bullet-time in one heady mix that makes you feel so powerful yet so fragile all at the same time.

Holy mother of the moogles, I didn't know about this game.

Awesomeness

It has been added to my next import order.

[Icemage]

Re: OK, Let's try this again - Favorite game of 2010

It has been added to my next import order.

Vanquish was released in North America as well, so unless you're particularly enamored of Japanese voice acting and menus, it's probably a lot easier to get that version.


Icemage

[Aksannyi]

Re: OK, Let's try this again - Favorite game of 2010

The only new game (if you can consider it a game, since it's an expansion) I've played this year is Cataclysm. I guess that doesn't really count, so I'm not really voting. It's been a shitty year for me in games, I suppose, though I have been having a lot of fun with my older games and with WoW so it's not a total loss.

The sex thing drives me nuts, too. It does make for some very entertaining fanfiction, but really, it's just ridiculous sometimes. It's possible to be very close to someone without ever having seen their naughty bits.

[DakAttack]

Re: OK, Let's try this again - Favorite game of 2010

I think there's an entirely different class of porn when it's not just random people, but two people who you know*. I can't recount how many hentai pics show up on Google search when I'm looking for something completely non-sexual, but they only ever catch my attention when it's of a character I know, such as Tifa, Kasumi, etc. If I didn't know who those characters were, it wouldn't catch my attention any more than any other character I didn't know. It seems like porn of somebody you know* is simply more attractive to some people.

*In the sense that you know their character, not that you've met them.