Top 5 on 5: Most Impressive Games of 2010

Welcome to a new kind of Article--the Top 5 on 5! On the 5th of every month, I'll post a top 5 list of something relevant to gaming. For this, the first top 5, I'm going to take a look back at the games I got in 2010 and list the ones that impressed me most. This isn't a list of necessarily the BEST games of 2010; just the ones that surprised me the most with how good they were. That's why you won't see Heavy Rain on this list, despite it being my second favorite game of all time--because I was EXPECTING Heavy Rain to be awesome.

#5--WORLD OF WARCRAFT: CATACLYSM
An odd case for two reasons. First, it's an expansion, not a full game. Second, like with Heavy Rain, I knew what to expect for Cataclysm. The reason it makes this list is because a lot of the small changes Cataclysm made that I hadn't given much thought ended up changing the game far more than I thought it would. New quest mechanics such as allowing quests to chain without going back to the questgiver, Archaeology as a new Secondary Skill, and revamped Profession mechanics allowing multiple skillups from a single crafting are all small changes that make this expansion much more worthwhile than it seems.

#4--MAG
A PS3-exclusive FPS released early in 2010, MAG is interesting in that it combines elements of MMOs and traditional FPS. While it's not a true MMO shooter a la Planetside, you do have a persistent character who levels up and gains new skills and equipment as you play. However, you jump into and out of matches and switch equipment loadouts on the fly much more like a standard shooter such as Call of Duty. Your games do contribute to something larger than yourself: winning matches helps your faction earn 'contracts', which in turn give you passive bonuses in future matches. The real key that gets this game on my list is the support it's received: the MAG team continually updates the game based on player feedback and has released two rather substantial gameplay updates including new modes and a revamp of the system in place for acquiring gear. If a game is only playable online, it needs good support, and MAG's is a shining example that was not guaranteed at launch, so I was impressed to see it followed through.

#3--BLUR
Allow me to sum up Blur for you in a single sentence: it's Mario Kart with real cars. That one statement is all it's taken for me to get almost all of my friends to try this game, and we all love playing it. The thing that made this game take the #3 spot on the list is simple--I had no expectations for it whatsoever. I picked it up completely on a whim some time after its release, and my initial single player experience was pretty mediocre--not bad, but not great. The moment we fired up the multiplayer, however, the game changed completely. A wide variety of tracks and a staggering number of cars over four speed classes, completely customizable options for powerups, laps, AI, handicap, et al, and a smooth presentation and easy-to-learn control scheme keep us all coming back to this game again and again when company is over.

#2--VANQUISH
Another game like Blur that I had no prior expectations for, Vanquish edges out the racer in this list by being something new, blending gametypes instead of being an incredibly well-done game following a previous trend. Vanquish takes high-octane, over-the-top action and combines it with a strategic cover-based shooter by giving your character a suit of powered armor with built-in jets. This leads to you speeding around the level on your kneepads screaming "WOOOOOOOO!!!!" as you gun down enemies in slow motion. When your jets are on cooldown, you hide behind cover and take potshots at enemies dumb enough to advance on you. Despite the schizophrenic nature of the gameplay, it somehow blends miraculously well and is a delight to play.

#1--ASSASSIN'S CREED: BROTHERHOOD
I've said it before, I'll say it again, and I'll keep saying it until you all play this game: the multiplayer absolutely has to be seen(and tried) to be believed. One of the most innovative and downright thrilling games I've played in a long, long time. While it's not perfect--Alliance mode could use some work--it's so unique that it's a breath of fresh air from any other game you might be playing. The singleplayer mode is not to be scoffed at either--it continues the story of Ezio from Assassin's Creed 2 as he founds a Brotherhood of Assassins(bet you didn't see that coming!) to fight against his enemies. One of the coolest things they added with the whole 'brotherhood' bit is calling your assassin recruits to help you. Ezio lifts a hand and an assassin jumps out and kills your enemy. If you have enough recruits available, you can call an 'arrow storm', which kills every guard on screen in a hail of arrows. It's extremely fun to play and fun to watch. The singleplayer leaves the game open for Assassin's Creed 3, which will something to watch for in the future.

That's it for now, gamers. Hope you enjoyed my rundown of surprise excellent games from 2010, and look forward to more Top 5 on 5 articles in the coming months.

Until next time, game on!