| 07 January 2011
The Easy Mode is counting down its top games of 2010 throughout the week! Stay tuned for more reveals, more twists and a satisfying conclusion. On the way, we reveal what our editors picked and their personal take on the year.
1. Mass Effect 2
2. Red Dead Redemption
3. Heavy Rain
4. Civilization V
5. Enslaved: Odyssey to the West
Mass Effect 2 set the bar high and early in January 2010. Even though I didn't play it until much later in the year than everyone else, I knew people's expectations for upcoming releases spiked, and deservedly so. Mass Effect 2 is elaborate in its presentation, yet so tightly focused in its scope. The same applies to Red Dead Redemption - a game originally nowhere near my radar and the biggest surprise performer for me this year. The romanticised American Southwest backdrop seemed to soften the usual staleness traditionally seem from Rockstar's GTA series and its story of revenge, grief and survival struck a chord with many.
Even though the market for a story-driven, single-player only, action/adventure game may be increasingly niche, games like Heavy Rain and Enslaved proved that there was rightful place for concise and condensed gaming experiences. Compared to some notable exclusions on the list (Fallout: New Vegas, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood come to mind), I took a lot more out of those two games and I hope the industry does as well.
Civilization V may seem the most out of place game on The Easy Mode's combined list but it quickly sunk its claws into me and never let go. The game is a never-ending simulator of war, diplomacy and economy; for a control freak like myself, it's pure fun.
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