Welcome to our Game of the Year awards 2010.
There was an abundance of great games last year over a multitude of unique styles and genres and we feel, after much deliberation, we’ve picked the best from each. It wasn’t an easy process, with many votes going to the wire, which resulted in some big omissions that were edged out by what we felt was the better overall title.
We will reveal the list of winners for each genre today, with each of those becoming the final contenders for Game of the Year, which we will announce early tomorrow.
So without further ado...
Split into three, we start with the heavy hitters of our action-adventure trilogy of awesomeness. From smashing zombies in the face with a paddle, to wiping out hoards of enemies with your magical hair; once these games start, it’s pretty darn hard to stop them; and who would want to.
Alan Wake (360)
Bayonetta (360, PS3)
Castle Crashers (XBL, PSN)
Dead Rising 2 (360, PS3, PC)
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle (Wii)
And the winner is...
Bayonetta
This is a game that truly encompasses the word action. From start to finish it’s a non-stop, fast-paced, thrill ride of pistols and powerful magical attacks that blow the enemy away. Bayonetta, the lead character, has awoken from a 500 year sleep and is hell-bent on remembering her past and using it to change the course of the future.
In addition to her pistol packing prowess and various magical aids, she’s also able to slowdown time, in a Viewtiful Joe style game mechanic that works really well. The game also features some superb character and level design that helps paint a very vivid picture of the world encompassed. It’s all this and it’s so much more that makes this a game to remember. The fact that it was released so early on in the year and is still at the forefront of our minds speaks volumes.
A category so congested with quality we could have come up with four times as many nominees. From the bustling streets and not so bustling rooftops of Rome, to the gun-slinging plains of the American Old West; each nominee packs more punch than Mike Tyson and Kratos’ love spawn, wielding the Blades of Exile in its giant Master Hand.
Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood (360, PS3, PC)
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (360, PS3)
God of War III (PS3)
Red Dead Redemption (360, PS3)
Tom Clancy’s: Splinter Cell Conviction (360, PC)
And the winner is...
Red Dead Redemption
The game has beat out some true competition to become our action/adventure game of 2010, but you only need spend a few hours with the game yourself to understand why. Red Dead Redemption’s open world brings alive the West like never before, with its lush visuals, dynamic soundtrack and engaging plot.
As well as interacting with the environment, players must engage with enemies in third-person combat, using a combination of targeting, blind fire and free aim. Players may also make use of a ‘Dead-Eye’ system, where you slowdown time to pull off more accurate shots, such as taking out an outlaw’s legs as opposed to killing them. These actions may ultimately earn you a good morality rating, or if you decide to blast them into oblivion, a bad one. Combine this with a fun online multiplayer, with just enough variety to keep things interesting and what you have is a game that offers the GTA-generation a welcomed alternative.
They intrigue us with their compelling stories and lavish plots, but the truly great adventure games have a heart and soul that set them apart from the competition. There were some solid titles to choose from over the year, but one of these five nominees stood head and shoulders above the rest.
Amnesia: The Dark Descent (PC)
CSI: Fatal Conspiracy (360, PS3, Wii, PC)
Heavy Rain (PS3)
999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors (DS)
Tales of Monkey Island (PSN, WiiW, PC)
And the winner is...
Heavy Rain
Every now and then a game comes along that gives the genre it represents a kick up the proverbial backside, which is exactly what the guys at Quantum Dream and Sony Computer Entertainment have achieved. The game is essentially a thriller with strong hints of film noir and exudes the kind of mystery and deep, engrossing storytelling that wins Oscars.
You take the reins of four characters at various points in the story, all connected to the murder of a boy and eventual disappearance of his brother. Each action and decision you make in the story has a knock on effect down the line and whether you’re successful at various points and/or all your characters survive will serve up very different endings. Heavy Rain is one of those games that will stick with you for a very long time, has its image firmly implanted on your brain and by the end credits you’ll feel exhausted from the full spectrum of emotions you’ll have suffered right along with the game’s main protagonists.
Instead of having separate categories for rhythm game, dance game, party game, fitness game and singing game, we thought, seen as each one didn’t offer a whole lot individually, that we would merge them together to form one all singing and dancing award that represents the best of the bunch.
Buzz! The Ultimate Music Quiz (PS3)
EA Sports Active 2.0 (360, PS3, Wii)
Just Dance 2 (Wii)
Rock Band 3 (360, PS3, Wii, DS)
Rock Band: Green Day (360, PS3, Wii)
And the winner is...
Rock Band 3
This could have been just another release in a long line of rhythm games churned out by Harmonix and Activision. But thankfully even though it’s still following many of the standard conventions we’ve come to expect from such games of late, it takes the series above and beyond, with the introduction of a ‘Pro’ mode. It’s arguably the biggest leap in the genre since Guitar Hero came on the scene five years ago.
Each of the games 83 tracks are all playable as a ‘Pro’ as long as you’ve purchased the required instruments, which are pricey to say the least, but well crafted and the guitar especially represents its real-life counterpart to a tee. The mode does have its shortfalls, but that’s to be expected with such a leap of faith. But it’s hats off from us here for at least attempting to ditch the red, green, yellow formula for one that may actually teach gamers the instrument they’re actually supposed to be playing.
Arguably, this was the most hotly contested of them all, with all sorts of different driving games being released, spanning many sub-genres. Great games such as Blur, Split/Second: Velocity and Sonic & Sega All-Star Racing fell by the wayside, but overall we think these shone through.
F1 2011 (360, PS3, PC)
Gran Turismo 5 (PS3)
Joe Danger (PSN)
ModNation Racers (PS3)
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (360, PS3, Wii, PC)
And the winner is...
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit
In a year of hardcore racing simulators and light-hearted arcade mayhem, Hot Pursuit sits in the middle, showcasing the best of both worlds. Hot Pursuit returns to its roots, focusing on the fastest cars and the high-octane police chases that made the series so popular in the first place, whilst doing just enough tinkering and refining to bring it into the modern era.
Everything happens in the fictional town of Seacrest, with illegal racing a regular occurrence down its long and winding stretches; all represented in glorious detail. The most interesting aspects of the game can be found in its career mode, where you can take on the role of the chaser or the chased, with each side able to take advantage of various skill sets, such as road blocks and radar jamming. The game also has strong multiplayer value, with its three main modes: Hot Pursuit, Interceptor and Classic all making for highly playable and enjoyable online experiences.
In a year of great games it would be easy to forget the unsung heroes of the industry, which expand our horizons and breathe new life into our favourite titles. From Cataclysm’s insane amount of new add-ons, fixes and features, to Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption’s entirely new single-player campaigns.
Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned (360, PS3, PC)
Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare (XBL, PSN)
The Sims 3: Late Night (PC)
The Sims 3: Ambitions (PC)
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm (PC)
And the winner is...
Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare
It’s a double scoop for the guys at Rockstar, with the release of this superb expansion pack. Undead Nightmare still features the same great gameplay of the main game, yet adds a zombie infested twist, adding numerous zombie-based elements, such as random encounters with the flesh-eating critters, and various plague-related missions.
There are also a few quirky additions, with players able to tame The Four Horses of The Apocalypse for use as mounts, as well as some hugely enjoyable multiplayer features, including “Undead Overrun,” in which players must work together to fend off a zombie outbreak, which unsurprisingly gets worse as time elapses. All-in-all this is everything you want from an expansion pack, providing enough variety and extras to extend an already lengthy and fulfilling gaming experience.
It’s a hard feat making the transition from film or TV into the gaming market and many end up uninspired money spinners, with a short-lived story and limited gameplay value that becomes repetitive after about a minute and a half. Thankfully there are some that buck the trend and here are the best the year had to offer.
Disney Epic Mickey (Wii)
GoldenEye 007 (Wii, DS)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (360, PS3, Wii, PC, DS)
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II (360, PS3, Wii, PC, DS)
Toy Story 3 (360, PS3, Wii, PC, PS2, PSP, DS)
And the winner is...
GoldenEye 007
When we heard of a GoldenEye reimagining we were a little sceptical, because the original was such a masterpiece, and tampering with that was asking for trouble. Then we got wind they were replacing Pierce Brosnan as Bond, who starred in the original movie, with current actor Daniel Craig, which seemed crazy.
However, after our initial misgivings the game was given a chance and some of the old magic came flooding back. While the game doesn’t stick religiously to the 1995 original, it gives it the respect it deserves, and then brings it up to date with destructible environments, an online multiplayer component, with some fun unlockables, and a campaign that is more in-line with the current generation of Bond films. It’s definitely one of the surprise packages of the year.
Super Mario Galaxy swept aside all competition in its asteroid field last time out, with groundbreaking gameplay that was out of this world. However, this time its sequel had some genuine competition from some top notch platforming titles that each offered up something special.
Cave Story (Wii, PC, DS)
Donkey Kong Country Returns (Wii)
Kirby’s Epic Yarn (Wii)
Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)
Super Meat Boy (XBL, PC)
And the winner is...
Super Mario Galaxy 2
It seems crazy and unheard of that a Mario game would even have a direct sequel made. But the time we had with Super Mario Galaxy 2 reminds us of why we loved Super Mario Galaxy in the first place. Not only is it still a jaunty experience from start to finish, it’s also chock-full of excellent boss battles, nostalgic references to the Mario games of old and a grand, ambitious, save-the-princess-from-the-evil-dinosaur adventure we’d be glad to jump in again. So in short, it’s just more Super Mario Galaxy, sure. But with clever, well-designed levels and superb, accessible gameplay, it’s an exhilarating pleasure trip through the stars you need to experience for yourself.
You never know what the puzzle genre is going to throw up. Some years we’re treated to some right gems (pun intended), and others we sit and watch as the tumbleweeds roll on by. Thankfully in 2010 there has been a nice selection of games, from the return of the ghost gobbler himself, to some thought-provoking puzzle solvers.
Bejeweled 3 (PC)
LIMBO (XBL)
Pac-Man Championship Edition DX (XBL, PSN)
Professor Layton and the Unwound Future / Lost Future (DS)
Super Scribblenauts (DS)
And the winner is...
Pac-Man Championship Edition DX
In 1980 one of the biggest icons of the gaming industry was born and he pioneered the genre known as “labyrinth.” Pac-Man has yielded dozens of licensed games and hundreds of clones in the past three decades, almost always keeping the basic concept of eating Pac-dots and evading ghosts. Few sequels or remakes since however have managed to go beyond merely acting as a tribute to a past great and failed to gain any real momentum. Pac-Man Championship Edition DX is an exception.
Released first on Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Store later, the title isn’t a direct remake of the classic, where the goal is to eat all the dots. It follows the less conventional method of avoiding the ghosts, whilst making sure to obtain the highest score possible. This isn’t the only mode of course, there are many to be discovered, with some pattern changes mid-level, in a constant bid to keep you on your toes. The sum of this and many other new elements is what makes DX so appealing, adding a fresh twist to a true and authentic revival.
Whether you’re a handheld, console or PC gamer, there has been no shortage of quality in the role-playing genre, in what has been a year of impressive sequels. There’s one game in particular though that we feel went the extra mile and planted its flag firmly at the top of the pile.
Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies (DS)
Fable III (360, PC)
Fallout: New Vegas (360, PS3, PC)
Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep (PSP)
Mass Effect 2 (360, PS3, PC)
And the winner is...
Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect 2 had a lot of expectation on its shoulders prior to release, given the success of the first, which combined the main staples of the RPG genre with strong action elements. It didn’t disappoint though and managed to achieve that tricky blend of appealing to both hardcore RPG’ers and the more casual gamer.
The game was always in safe hands with Bioware at the helm; a company that ooze RPG proficiency and have already seen huge success from Dragon Age and KOTOR. As a result, the story is laced with multiple choice dialogues and a slew of story-altering decisions that you must navigate. The character and level designs are also beautiful and help bring strong gameplay mechanics to life in glorious detail. This really is the prime example of how to create a sequel and if we were giving an award for greatest sequel, it would surely land here.
It’s no surprise that first-person shooters have become the forerunners in the video game industry, with their innovative gameplay, storytelling and strong online components. This past year has been no different and all of our nominees have excelled in their own right, but there can be only one winner.
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (360, PS3, PC)
BioShock 2 (360, PS3, PC)
Call of Duty: Black Ops (360, PS3, Wii, PC, DS)
Halo: Reach (360)
STALKER: Call of Pripyat (PC)
And the winner is...
Call of Duty: Black Ops
Black Ops is a game that delivers on almost every level, offering the perfect modern first-person shooter experience that any gamer craves. Singing the praises of the latest Call of Duty release is becoming somewhat of a regular occurrence; with the level of consistency no matter the developer, maintaining an alarming standard of excellence.
The single player portion of the game is as terrific as always, with a realistic story and a historically appropriate setting, but as is becoming a bad habit of the series, ends all too quickly in what is a relatively short campaign. Any longevity of the game comes from its deep and richly rewarding multiplayer, which seems to get better with age and adds just enough new elements from Modern Warfare 2 to make it worthy of a purchase, solely for online play.
Our nominees for the best sports game may each be the latest in a long line of yearly releases in their respective franchises, but this year we saw some publishers pushing the envelope and taking a few risks, instead of spewing out the same recycled offerings for a quick turnover.
FIFA 11 (360, PS3, Wii, PC, PS2, PSP, DS)
Football Manager 2011 (PC, PSP)
NBA 2K11 (360, PS3, Wii, PC, PS2, PSP, DS)
NHL 11 (360, PS3)
Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 (360, PS3, Wii, PC, PS2, PSP)
And the winner is...
FIFA 11
Our decision to crown FIFA the sports title of 2010 will undoubtedly split opinions amongst the gaming world. The feud between this and Pro Evolution Soccer is a long, arduous one, with each attempting to gain the upper-hand year-on-year, by adding new features that attempt to change the way we play soccer games for good.
With this latest instalment EA tried to instil in-game players with the personality of their true-to-life counterparts and actually went some way to achieving that. Lionel Messi wriggles and shifts his way through defences in shockingly accurate fashion and upon scoring, celebrates just the way you’d expect. Sure the concept needs more work, but it’s a positive start and is definitely one for the future. There is now also brand new Career Mode, which combines the best aspects of the old Pro and Manager Modes into one well put together bundle, which goes someway to creating the ultimate single player experience we demand from sports titles. It’s these refinements that really help showcase what is already a well crafted, well engineered gaming vessel.
Strategy fans have been truly spoilt for choice this year, with a handful of superb games that possess true class, all vying for top spot. From one of the most anticipated games of all time, nine years in the making, to a quirky tower defence game that took everyone by surprise.
Plants vs. Zombies (360, PC, DS)
RUSE (360, PS3, PC)
Sid Meier's Civilization V (PC)
StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty (PC)
Supreme Commander 2 (360, PC)
And the winner is...
StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty
You know, there is a reason why Starcraft remains as popular today as it did over a decade since its release. The balance between the series’ three races is astonishingly impressive; some might say near perfect. It will continue to be an excellent touchstone of how quality competitive multiplayer games should be made.
Starcraft 2 follows the same essential strategy elements as its predecessor, albeit with a few tweaks here and there, which will remain fixed in gamers’ minds for years to come. While StarCraft 2’s Terran focused single player campaign may fall short on some spots, it keeps things fairly interesting that we’re eager to find out how the rest of the expansions will play out. It would’ve been foolish of Blizzard if they had changed the core mechanics of what made this South Korean national pastime such a phenomenon in many parts of the world; we’re glad they didn’t.
Be sure to check out our Game of the Year 2010 tomorrow!
Played a few games on that list, and personally I'm satisfied with the final outcome.
I'd say it's a well put together list, doncha think? :P
What could our Game of the Year be? :o
Congratulations to everyone who helped for another year and made this GOTY awards a reality. On a personal note, I'd like to point out my huge surprise of Gran Turismo 5 not winning the Driving / Racing category. Having played both GT5 and Hot Pursuit for significant amount of hours, I MUST say that GT5 wins by far. Just try the endurance races with "Le Man" 24hrs challenges, let's see how it feels 
Good choices overall. Except for the shooter I agree with all the categories.
@Sleven: C&C4 is a blemish on the C&C franchise and as a fan, I would've been quite upset to see such a large disappointment make it into a list with such heavy contendors this year. Not everyone I liked made it into the heavy Strategy top, but I'm good with the outcome.
I agree with most of them, except the racing and action/adventure winners. GT5 is so much better than NFS, and God of War beats the crap out of RDR!
I agree with all of them except shooter. Black Ops is far from being perfect, campaign and multiplayer wise.
Also, where's the Best Story/Dialoge awards? We need those.
I love how it went the winners were well deserved, All i ask is, Why is there no mentioning what so every about the... ackward feel of Bayonetta. Am i the only one that felt wodd when playing that game? It was amzing and i loved it but at the same time i felt like ti was pole dancing and seductive postionings every fight... I did enjoy it, just wondering if anyone felt like that.
fairly ok, except for the Strategy part. SC2 being there kinda makes any other game look like its unworthy.
I agree with a few of these, though I was kind of disappointed to see KH: BbS lose to Mass Effect. :(
Over all, it was a pretty good article and I can't wait to see the game of the year! :D
Very happy to see this. I was surprised though (even though I have played neither) to see Hot Pursuit win over Grand Turismo 5, there was so much talking about that one this year.
Nice to see Dragon Quest mentioned with the Role Playing games, it really was a great game.
Hahaha.. MoH is not there...
It must have been tough picking which games is the best of the best of 2010...
I'm still kinda shocked on Plants vs. Zombies being a contender...
Great presentation of the awards. I'm really surprised that GT 5 didn't take it for the racing category.
Yet another year goes by and we are glad to be publishing GOTY 2010. There's been a huge discussion and debate among the team members and we've finally come up with the winners. I personally was disappointed to see few of my favorites not clinching the titles, but in the end all it matters is a fair publication. Games that have own under each genre; truly deserved it. My special thanks goes to Craig, all the writers and other team members and officials for their huge contributions putting up this fine feature.
I'd however request you all to share the links of our GOTY 2010 publications among your friends in other networks/websites. NoobFeed is very proud of its user-base and we gladly thank you for your contributions for making GOTY 2010 a successful event.
I agree with everything, last year we played so many great games that is almost impossible to choose only one game per category, the downside was to see a game like God of War 3 be smashed by other games that has been out later...
I'm probably the only person here who didn't play any of the games listed and won except for ModNation Racers demol.
very nice article, but the best for me are Mass Effect 2, Call of Duty: Black Ops, Halo: Reach, Alan Wake, Bayonetta, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, God of War 3. 
The Fact that Black Ops got best shooter is simply ludacris. It features shocking contact physics and animation to rival that of an N64 standard game. i will of course bow the the wisdom of the powers that be but. come on. every one knows IW make Better COD games then Treyarch. so as for the shooter, i think one of the others should have won. its either that or the FPS genre was very weak this year
Im sorry Bayonetta? Button mashing Arcade Port. beating Alan Wake. im sorry but just no. .. just no....
and my last non agreement: Mass Effect 2. i will conceede is a brilliant game. i have it and played it. its good and deserves all the acolades it got. but as an RPG Fallout NV is far superior. Simply because Mass Effect is more of a third person shooter now then an RPG.
other then those three examples. i think the games that won the awards were well picked and deserved them, well done all involved
I agree that some games should of won and some shouldn't - but you can't win everything right..
Except for the shooter,action i'm happy on the other winners
@biZZy- f1 2010 is a good game- just need someting more in the career mode but overall it's a good game-as well as HP ( which i've only played the demo of)
Interesting categories and nominations, I agree with several, but not all of the winners, but that's all right, everyone's got different opinions.
Is there going to be dubious categories, like the worst game, etc.?
@Dramus : haha so true. Happens only once in 10 years though. Maybe next year there will be a fair listing.
@Ron next year is going to be a problem too...because Starcraft II : Heart Of The Swarm will be out next year as well..so there wont be much competition for other games :(
on the other hand, cant wait for that one to come out :D
I was expecting PES to win, but FIFA11 is brilliant this year. Glitchy, and unpolished, but the gameplay itself is fantastic.
ummer is truly a special time of the year when the weather is warmer, the grass is greener, and gaming companies play their best hand from their deck. Specifically, they announce t
| Platform(s): | Xbox One, PS4, Switch, Xbox 360, PS3, PC, WII, 3DS, Vita, Mobile |
| Publisher(s): | NoobFeed |
| Developer(s): | NoobFeed Editors |
| Genres: | Artcile |
| Themes: | Feature, Editorial, Interviews, Opinion Pieces |
| Release Date: | 2009-02-14 |
Elden Ring fans having a blast with the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC or getting ab
Ballad of Antara was revealed at the Sony State of Play May 2024 event by InFol
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom and a slew of other games from Nintendo&#
After the success of puzzle platformer Shady Part of Me under their belts, publ
Register with Us
About time :D Pretty interesting choices too.
A little surprise to see that Command & Conquer 4 didn't make it to the top 5 strategy games.