The Absolute Best Boss Fights This Gen

The Best Graphics On Consoles At Its Time of Release

Revamped Combat & Weapon System Improving On Previous Games Of The Series

Amazing End To An Amazing Trilogy

Mass Effect 2 by far!!

Hmm... It's tough to say for me. I've been pretty disappointed by a lot of games I was looking forward to in 2010. None of them are "bad" games but I was just expecting a lot more from each of them.

Mass Effect 2 was the one I was looking forward to most. As many of you have heard me blab one time too many, Mass Effect is my single favourite game this gen. Mass Effect 2 lacked most of what I liked about ME. No Mako planet exploration, No customizable weapons, extremely reduced character stat customization, lack of inventory, a lack of hard hitting plot points and a cast that, while good, paled in comparison to the original. A solid action game with RPG elements, but really stripping out what I found to the be essence of the first game's greatness. Plus the entire story was a disappointment to me.

God of War 3. Truly a visual masterpiece. No one can deny that. But then I got to playing it and found that it just felt too similar to past games. I know that it's a sequel and that is what it's supposed to be like but I just didn't find it all that different which made it less exciting to experience. Platforming still felt clunky and old I also didn't like some of the design choices like no health bars on bosses. The story was also (IMO) the weakest of the series and I found that was the one thing that made the old games absolutely great.

Alan Wake was simply just not scary, spooky, eery. I wanted to be scared by it. I wanted to have to think twice before moving forward in the game. It just didn't happen. I loved the atmosphere but I just didn't find the game unsettling at all, besides one part near the beginning of the game. Having said that the game was also all over the place technically. Its saving grace was the story. Absolutely excellent. I will definitely get the DLC's when I have the time.

Heavy Rain... Oh Heavy Rain... Sorry CGI but this game also disappointed. Don't get me wrong. It's fantastic in just about every way. I played Indigo Prophecy 5 times and I see just as many playthroughs for Heavy Rain in my future. But the ending was unsatisfying to me just like it was in Indigo Prophecy. Without that ending this game was an easy 9.3 from me. I value story greatly (just edges out immersion and sound as the most important things in a game for me) and I just couldn't swallow that ending.

I won't get started on Splinter Cell Conviction or this post will double in length. Just let me say this... Bravo Ubisoft. You've managed to make me care almost nothing for 3 of my top 10 franchises.

I'm still going through RDR but i've had it for a month and a half and don't find myself wanting to go back to it. I beat GTA IV in a matter of 3 days, putting in 42 hours over that span (gotta love March break) but I'm having a really hard time wanting to play RDR.

That leaves Halo Reach. This is the game I was least disappointed by this year out of games I was waiting for. The story and characters were meh (with the exception of the fantastic ending surprise) but they did nail giving the planet a personality and pretty much passed anything else in technical design (scope, visuals, sound, gameplay design, balancing, multiplayer) on the 360 at the moment. The only other problem I've had with this game is that I haven't had time to play it. I got to the rank of captain in a week and a half and then haven't been able to touch it.

So my final answer after all that rambling and ranting... Halo Reach.. almost by default.

Waits for influx of arguments and complaints... :P

read dead redemption

released in 2010 is going to be tough as I've only played 4 games released this year (own a 5th, but haven't gotten to it yet)

I'm going to choose

• Super Mario Galaxy 2

Over

• Pokemon Soul Silver
• Professor Layton and the Unwound Future
• 3D Dot Game Heroes

Even that is actually a bit of an understatement. "The absolute Best Boss Fights in the History of Gaming, except for, perhaps, Shadow of the Colossus" sounds more appropriate. 

Mass Effect 2

I got 5 playthroughs out of that game, and if they release some meaty DLC with another weapon pack I might make it 6.

Not that Ive played too many other new games this year. Still I consider ME2 the current best game of this gen.

Indeed ! Though in SotC, they weren't exactly bosses...they're normal enemies ! :O

I only found Blazblue: Calamity Trigger this year and that's probably the best one so far... But that's not a 2010 game.

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker is. I don't know why but I still haven't finished it - but finished or not, it's probably the best game released in 2010. Final Fantasy XIII comes second.

I'd love to say Civ V but unfortunately I can't. There's still so many things they need to fix.

You'll get no argument from me.  Halo Reach was great and I'm not even a big fan of FPS's.  I will say that Alan Wake scared the hell out of me and I've walked through graveyards at midnight, gone to several churches in secluded areas in total darkness, and handled dead bodies.  But like you said, AW had technical issues and was pretty straightforward for the most part.  If they had worked on the pacing a little more and slowed down the intensity, it would have been an instant classic.