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. Bayonetta
3. Amnesia: The Dark Descent
4. Heavy Rain
5. Split/Second: Velocity

2010 was something of a surprise year for gamers. We finally got that long-awaited sequel to Red Dead Revolver, which turned out to be better than anyone could have predicted; Bayonetta arrived, and despite all of the creepy innuendo and innate Japanese-ness, turned out to be a surprisingly well made - not to mention fun – game, with a combat system that would make Kratos weep; Alan Wake proved that it was no longer vapourware by finally making it to store shelves after a nightmare five-year development cycle; Duke Nukem Forever also shed its vapourware tag, though this time by being cancelled… and then resurrected like some freaky Frankenstein’s monster, albeit one that likes to shoot stuff, crack wise and make dookie on alien’s heads. Hell, it was even a decent year for proper survival horror with a strong showing from both Silent Hill: Shattered Memories and Amnesia: The Dark Descent.

Not content with just that however, 2010 also taught us that Natal was really Kinect, and was actually (surprisingly!) pretty good, the games we were looking forward to were – despite a strong start to the year – mostly disappointing, and that both XBLA and PSN would have a relatively mediocre year. Oh, and that racing games don’t sell unless they’re developed by Polyphony Digital (Gran Turismo 5) or Criterion Games (Need For Speed Hot Pursuit).

For me, the first six months of the year were by far the best, with Mass Effect 2, Bayonetta, Heavy Rain, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and Red Dead Redemption stealing the spotlight early on. If I have any regrets about my list, it’s that I wish I could have placed Battlefield: Bad Company 2 in my top 5. However, whilst Bad Company 2 was admittedly my multiplayer game of choice for several months, I just felt it was perhaps a little too similar to its predecessor, and I never got the mileage out of it that I expected to. Also, I feel a little bad that no XBLA/PSN titles made my list this year, as we all had at least one arcade title on last year’s list. no comments

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.

Call of Duty killer indeed. While Modern Warfare is less of a "multiplayer online shooter" and more of a bunch of single players connected on the internet and running around on the same map, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is truly a team-based game. Of course you can lone-wolf your way through an online match, but you will almost certainly perform better if you concentrate less on yourself and more on your team (i.e. instead of sniping from way in the back like a chump, why don't you grab a medpack and heal some teammates? Or, instead of taking off in that Jeep by yourself, why don't you let some homies hop in with you?).

Regrettably, I haven't yet played the Battlefield: Vietnam expansion, but I know two things about it that I already love - it's Battlefield, and it's in Vietnam. (P.S. This game jumped from #4 on the list to #2 on my personal list in the middle of writing this.) no comments

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.

Most people probably shied away from Bayonetta for the same reasons: it’s a Japanese action game therefore it’s likely to be ridiculously hard, have a story which makes no sense conveyed by irritating two-dimensional characters, and feature enough slow-motion crotch shots and partial nudity to make you feel awkward and dirty. The truth is, Bayonetta unashamedly does all of these things, yet it still manages to strike a fine balance between absurdity and genius, and it’s because of this that it still manages to be an impressive and hugely enjoyable game.

Part of this is due to the fact that the game was developed by the ridiculous pedigree that comprises all-star development team Platinum Games, and part of it is due to the fact that it is one of the most fresh and exhilarating action games to be released in years, with a brilliant combat system which is both immediate enough to allow beginners to become surprisingly adept, yet deep enough to keep high-level players coming back to test their skill. While Bayonetta isn’t without faults, they’re all relatively minor when weighed up against how much fun the game is to play. If you’re willing to look past some of the blemishes on the surface, you’ll find Bayonetta to be a slick, intense action game which is accomplished enough to leave Kratos, Dante and Ryu crying in the dirt like little girls. Fact! no comments

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. Heavy Rain
3. Enslaved: Odyssey to the West
4. Halo: Reach
5. Red Dead Redemption

Heading into 2010, my anticipated "Best Of" list would have been wildly different from what it actually turned out to be: I thought Final Fantasy XIII was a sure contender (we all know how that turned out) and I figured Enslaved: Odyssey to the West was going to bomb (and it did…although only financially). Instead, 2010 turned out to be a year with a few sure bets and a couple unexpected turns. Red Dead Redeption turned out to be the first Rockstar game I truly enjoyed, and Halo: Reach greatly exceeded my expectations by being completely refreshing and a beautiful swan song for an influential series. And luckily, Mass Effect 2 and Heavy Rain delivered on their promises. Looking back, I think that gaming has started to adapt itself to the world's growing number of dedicated gamers (as evidenced by 2010's balanced release calendar instead of that traditional holiday crunch), and I think next year will be even more, um, consistent on our wallet. no comments

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.

(Ed. note: 5th place was a tie between 2 games, so don't freak out when you see another 5)

Some may deride Enslaved: Odyssey to the West for its simplistic combat or the disjointed platforming but that's taking the wrong perspective on this one-of-a-kind game. Enslaved is a tightly woven package that combines great art direction, stellar animation and an adventure that puts many other games to shame. Trip and Monkey anchor the story with honesty and grit while Pigsy is equally endearing and disgusting. You have to applaud Ninja Theory for doing what they do best and sticking to their guns when it comes to creating focused single-player games. Hopefully, games like this will leave a lasting impact on the industry to create more convincing and higher quality narratives. In the meantime, pick up Enslaved - which I'm sure is discounted. no comments

Let's face it - you're probably not at work right now. Chances are you've had a whole slew of time off recently, which means you've had ample opportunity to pop a few of your new Christmas presents into your console of choice. So, what did you get? What are you playing?

Personally, I've been playing a little of everything - Mass Effect 2, Red Dead Redemption, Civ 5, Kinect Sports, and Dante's Inferno sum it up nicely. I also started up Metro 2033 but the disc I bought from Gamestop didn't work (I called them and they sent out a new one within a day, with one-day shipping to boot). My new copy came in the mail today so I might give it a whirl later. no comments

 The long-awaited (well, like two weeks) Infinity Blade update is finally available! New helms, armor, enemies, raising of the level cap from 40 to 45, and just a general increased level badassery, is waiting to be downloaded on your iPhone.

Also added to the game is the ability to buy Gold in-game with real-world money. I wish that would have been there last night because I sold off my entire inventory to have enough money for the Infinity Blade. Sonofabitch. no comments

Update: The Red Dead Redemption DLC deals listed here are only available for one day, so get them while you still can!

Wow. Just... wow! Maybe it's because it's the last week before Christmas, but the Xbox Live Marketplace and PSN Store are both drowning in new content today. Seriously, it's like content-a-palooza out there!

I would list all of it here, but frankly, that would probably take me around 54 years, so I've decided to just give you the highlights. All of these are available now, by the way, so go check 'em out:

- Dead Space 2 demo; XBLM and PSN.

- Gray Matter demo (the new game from Jane Jensen, author of the Gabriel Knight series); XBLM and PSN.

- Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam; XBLM and PSN; 1200MSP ($15)

- Red Dead Redemption DLC special offer;XBLM; Undead Nightmare now available for 600MSP ($7.50) or all three DLC packs available for 1200MSP ($15), whilst the Legends & Killers and Liars & Cheats packs are 50% off at 400MSP ($5)

- Fallout:New Vegas Dead Money DLC; Xbox exclusive content; 800MSP ($10).

As if that wasn't bad enough, littlebigplanet.com also states that the demo for Little Big Planet 2 will arrive on PSN tomorrow, December 22nd. Whew! Provided that you are:

a)Rich, and

b)Off work this week, then you should be laughing!

Wait, what's that you say? This is the final week before Christmas, and as such you're broke and up to your ears in deadlines? Oh well, there's always next week. no comments

My only *ahem* - beef - with Infinity Blade is that the icon looks too much like the icon for Chipotle app as evidenced in the image to the right.

I mean, at first I just want to avenge my ancestors by defeating the God King, but then all I want to defeat is a Steak bowl with pinto beans and my usual "uuuurrrrryyyything." I believe this was done intentionally. no comments

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