Choosing our favourite games of 2010 was no easy task, with arguments, witchcraft and mathematical equations all being used to take hundreds of games and whittle them down to just 10. Read on for our thoughts on why each game deserves its place and head to our Game of the Year 2010 hub for access to video features and loads of other content.
I'm not sure how many months late to the party I was with this, but I'm amazed I managed to avoid big spoilers. I did have to put up with "Jason" droned at me over and over again, but having finally played the game it all made sense. What's so brilliant is that everyone in the office saw different things, had different endings and felt differently about the main characters. Some of us felt the game had to be played in one sitting (or two at a push), whereas I played it with my girlfriend over a few weeks, taking turns being in control. Heavy Rain is definitely one of the most memorable gaming experiences I've had in many years.
I was initially surprised to see Heavy Rain emerge as our GOTY winner, but is this outcome really that unexpected? When I started playing the game at the start of the year, it felt like I was the only person who really cared about it. James was the next person to get the bug, wolfing the game down over the course of two evenings, and slowly the game's allure seemed to spread throughout the office. At the time of writing, it's the one release this year that's been explored by almost every member of staff - including them next door wot don't get to write. Heavy Rain's originality is beyond question, offering a gaming experience that is virtually without parallel.
With hindsight, the game's weaker areas are easy to see, but they're easy to forgive, too. The script may falter on occasion, or the plot take a turn that would be criticised if it appeared in a film or TV show - but it speaks volumes that we're making such comparisons in the first place. David Cage and Quantic Dream have successfully bridged the gap between films and games; the bridge isn't perfect, but it's strong enough that other people will follow in their wake. For the time being, however, Heavy Rain stands alone. It's provocative, hugely exciting, and unafraid to show its true feelings. No wonder it scares the hell out of us.
Everyone was positively tripping over themselves to offer up superlative platitudes to Heavy Rain earlier in the year, so it's no real surprise to see it score so highly on the list. I'm 96% sure we're all tossing one off right now while thinking about Heavy Rain's attempt to seriously integrate a palpable plot into video games. While I'm disappointed that the game pulls a few of its narrative punches, and I also believe it stumbles as it heads towards its final act, seeing mainstream success of a game attempting to be a little bit more thoughtful than most is ultimately a fantastic thing for the medium. So let's talk about our favourite moments, then: wasn't it exciting when it turned out that the reanimated corpse of Genghis Khan turned out to be the Origami Killer? I also could never have predicted that JaaaAAAaaaSOOOooOOONNNN's brain would be used to power the mothership.
I was pretty down on Heavy Rain in the build up to its release. A glorified sequence of quick time events is what I saw, but I don't think I've ever been so wrong about a game. Over a weekend in February I finished the game in two evening sessions - a first for me in my adult life - and I remember the few weeks that followed to be hugely irritating because only myself and Neon knew who the Origami Killer was, making it impossible to talk openly about our experiences for fear of spoiling it for everyone else. And almost a year later there are still moments when we begin chatting about the game in the office, testament to how provoking an experience it was. Forget about the numerous plot holes and the disappointing replay value; for me there wasn't a more emotionally engaging way to spend 10 hours in 2010.
Heavy Rain is the most important game of 2010. While other games on our list are clearly very good (they're the ten best games of the year, after all), none of them are as bold, innovative or important to the medium as a whole as Heavy Rain. I'm not saying it's a perfect game (there are plot holes and some dodgy voice acting here and there), but its marriage of narrative and gameplay is quite unlike anything games have spawned before. It's a game that once you've completed, you'll want to ring up your friends and discuss in excitable tones. Such conversations have taken place here in the office, with even the most mundane of events - laying the table or putting a baby to sleep for example - becoming the subject of merry discussion. The fact that so many people can have such a diverse range of experiences with one game is justification alone for it nabbing the top spot.
It's a game about the guilt of a parent told within the form of an interactive story. Heavy Rain is hands down the most interesting title this year. Taking control of a handful of different characters throughout, the mystery that you are introduced to within the first half hour of play begins to unfold from each of their perspectives and brings you closer and closer to a surprising climax. But you're hardly following a linear path. Every choice you make in the game has a significant effect on the outcome: form a romantic relationship with the chick in the motel room next door or give in to those drug cravings. You might not realise it immediately, but once you begin talking about the game with your friends it will become clear how different everyone's experience of the game really is.
For more end of year content, head over to our Game of the Year 2010 hub. Amongst other things you'll be able to watch videos in which we talk about each game in the Top 10.
