Syndicate Awards 2010

By Mark

Well this year is just about all done up and in the past so it’s time to give my personal awards to the games I enjoyed the most this year and maybe a nod or two to games that disappointed me. Keep in mind these are the games I found most enjoyable or felt deserving of recognition and you may not agree. If that’s the case let us know what your favourites are!

This is going to be a lengthy article as you can imagine but if you do stick with it then thank you for your time and here are my Syndicate Awards.

Studio of the Year – Bungie

I don’t really think this award needs any justification. Bungie have proven with Halo 3 that they dearly love their fans and with Reach they only extend that warm fuzzy fan love, giving players a ridiculously improved and even more user friendly forge mode nay forge world (okay it’s more like a gigantic map but still!) and updating their multiplayer with new elements and features all the while listening to fans.

Characters of the Year – Enslaved: Odyssey to the West

Enslaved was hit or miss with most folks but I don’t really feel you can honestly say that the portrayal of the characters in the way they act/look/speak is bad. As it simply isn’t, a lot of things are subjective when it comes to taste in video games but the fact that Enslaved boasts tremendous motion capture work and believable characters is an objective fact. So this award goes to Ninja Theory for Monkey, Trip and Pigsy. Next!

Best Handheld Title – Lufia: Curse of the Sinistrals

Taking an old classic and revamping it is nothing new, that doesn’t mean it’s bad though as Lufia: Curse of the Sinistrals shows. Adding in new quests and fun minigames to break up the usual cut and dry RPG breathes new life into the game and an overhauled battle system that focuses more on action appeals to a broader audience. Add in the charming characters and decent narrative and we have a winner here.

Best FPS and Best Multiplayer – Halo: Reach

Not much of a surprise here really, as I stated earlier in the Studio of the Year award Bungie did all they could to ensure their Halo Swan Song was as good as it could be and aside from the step forward in forge and MP they also cracked out a great single player that told the tail of the Fall of Reach. 

Best Hack n Slash – Bayonetta

Need I really say anything? Really?

Best Platformer – Super Mario Galaxy 2

Best Action Adventure – Red Dead Redemption

This was a title that for all intents and purposes I didn’t feel would resonate with me and yet the story of John Marston’s struggle against the government and life itself was a fantastic trip to the Old West. If you haven’t played this game then I strongly recommend you do.

Best Racer – Blur

Although Blur kinda tanked once it was released for reasons unknown, the game itself was actually a blast. It controlled well, looked good and delivered high octane racing action while allowing you to take out friends online. Mario Kart grown up was the idea but it just never took off.

Best Sports – FIFA 11

Best Original Soundtrack – Halo: Reach – Marty O’Donnell

Best Downloadable/Indie Title – Limbo

Best DLC – ME2 – Lair of the Shadow Broker

This was a fantastic piece of DLC from Bioware as it had all that was needed for just ‘that bit extra’ to add to Mass Effect 2, we got to experience a car chase sequence with witty banter, the return of Liara and it was all about the Shadow Broker himself and all led up to a stunning end. If you haven’t put out yet for this DLC, do so now.

Biggest Surpise – Mafia 2

Mafia 2 was a game that had a strange relationship with me. I played the demo when it came out and found myself not liking the game very much at all so it’s only a mystery as to why I ended up with the full game once it was released. However I’m glad that I gave it another try as it turned out to be a great experience with a good narrative, great characters and a beautiful city to play in. The game had downsides sure such as the lack of side content or the pretty blunt conclusion but all in all this game really surprised me and deserves some credit.

Most Overlooked/Dismissed Game – Alpha Protocol

I’m almost fed up with describing and explaining why Alpha Protocol shouldn’t just be ignored and called crap just because of a few flaws (albeit fatal flaws to some). If you haven’t heard of it or have found yourself to be a dismissive of the title but you love RPG’s then give this a go, you never know you may be forgiving and find yourself loving it like I did. Check my review for it here

Most Anticipated Game of 2011 – Catherine

If you’re a regular reader and are surprised about this award then shame on you...shame on you. Next!

Biggest Disappointment of 2010 – Final Fantasy XIII

Five years in the making and some people love this game and some people hate it. While I don’t by any means hate it, this is definitely the game this year that let me down. Although I liked the characters, the story and the battle system Final Fantasy XIII just couldn’t make me love it as effortlessly as past titles. It didn’t feel the same in any regard and apart from recurring features like Chocobos I just couldn’t care for the game. That’s not necessarily the game’s fault but as far as disappointment goes, this was it for me.

Game of the Year 2010 and Best RPG – Mass Effect 2

Again, no surprises here right? Released at the beginning of this year Mass Effect 2 hit stores and immediately I knew it would most likely be my Game of the Year. It took the game we already loved and made it much darker, and a whole lot more epic. Some favourite characters returned (if you kept them alive from the original that is) and a whole new bunch was thrown in there as well. And being told before we even got the game that it’s about a suicide mission and not everyone will make it back (if anyone) only added to the intrigue.

It had its problems sure but forgiving them and enjoying this title fully was a great way to start off this year and I eagerly await the next instalment.

Honourable Mentions

This section is really just here for games I feel deserve some kind of shout out so here they are.

Amnesia: The Dark Descent

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit

Donkey Kong Country Returns

NIER

Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood

Fallout: New Vegas

Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands

Last Window: The Secret of Cape West

Super Meat Boy

There are indeed more but let’s leave it there for this year shall we? 

That about wraps it up folks, if you’ve made it this far thank you for reading and why don’t you share your favourite games in the comments below!