Operation Rainfall was founded June 22, 2011 in order to push for the localization of a trilogy of Wii RPGs: Xenoblade Chronicles, The Last Story, and Pandora’s Tower. Since successfully achieving our campaign goals, we have moved to covering the latest and greatest in video game and anime news. In celebration of the 2010 to 2019 decade ending, the staff put together a list of the top thirty-one best games that you simply cannot miss. In order to qualify for this list, the game had to:
- Be released between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2019 in North America.
- Obtain at least a plurality of votes from our staff.
- Re-releases from this decade were allowed for consideration, if the new release was a substantive increase of content over the original. For example, 2012 Persona 4: Golden would qualify due to the heavy amount of substantive new content included in that re-release versus 2008’s original release, but the HD re-release of 2008’s God of War: Chains of Olympus as part of the 2011 God of War: Origins Collection would not due to the minimal increase of new content.
Our writers then came together, and each picked up several games that they have played and loved, and talked about why each of those games are one of the thirty-one best video games from this past decade in each of the pieces to follow. Furthermore, a special thank you to Brandon Rose for the featured logo image.
Our final list will be published over five days in order of release date, covering two years per article. Today’s article covers five games that were released between the years 2010 and 2011.
2010
1) Mass Effect 2
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Platform(s): Xbox 360 / Xbox One / PlayStation 3 / PlayStation 4 / PC
Release Date: January 26, 2010
Quentin H. says:
Mass Effect 2, coming in at the very beginning of the decade, continued Shepard’s story two years after the first Mass Effect game left off with the Reaper threat being revealed to the galaxy-at-large. During the intervening time between that game and this sequel, Shepard dies and then comes back to life as part of the Lazarus Project by a group called Cerberus. While working for Cerberus, Shepard is tasked with finding out why multiple human colonies in the galaxy are disappearing as he rebuilds his crew, explores planets, and makes both romantic and character development choices.
Mass Effect 2 is one of the best games of this past decade for its storytelling strengths and the character relationships that develop between Shepard’s crew as the story and its central mystery of exactly what happened to the various human colonies is revealed. The entire game takes place essentially as an interactive Ocean’s 11 movie, with Shepard recruiting both new and old friends while plotting the big ‘heist’ for the storyline’s climax. The story is tightly woven together in a way that makes every decision matter in this entry, and it sets the stakes incredibly high for the trilogy’s conclusion in 2012’s Mass Effect 3. While there are four games (and several books, mobile games, etc) out there, Mass Effect 2 remains the strongest entry in this entire franchise and a game that is easy to revisit over and over again with both a better-organized ability tree and relationship options than the prior game.
2) METAL GEAR SOLID: PEACE WALKER
(Stand-alone Release / METAL GEAR SOLID HD Collection)
Publisher: KONAMI
Platforms: PlayStation Portable / PlayStation 3 / Xbox 360
Release Date: April 29, 2010 / November 8, 2011
Walter P. says:
Set about 10 years after the events of Operation Snake Eater, Big Boss (who still prefers to be called Snake) has set up a mercenary group named Militaires Sans Frontieres. He is contacted about an Army which has taken hold in Costa Rica, and although reluctant, agrees to head there once he hears a recording of The Boss. Backed by the ever expanding MSF, Big Boss finds that even more is going on in the country as the world is once again heading in the direction of a nuclear war.
METAL GEAR SOLID: PEACE WALKER introduced a number of new additions to the series. There is the introduction of Mother Base where you can build up the facilities of MSF and manage the personnel that you recruit which would go on to be included in THE PHANTOM PAIN. The game came included with multiplayer and a co-op mode which means you don’t have to sneak around by yourself. The HD Edition built upon the original PSP title by including features such as having a second analog stick, trophies/achievements, improved sound quality and graphics, and for the PS3 version the “tranfarring” capability. The story uses Ashley Wood’s art for cutscenes just as like PORTABLE OPS did, and of course references other games in the series. One element to the story also follows how Big Boss still hasn’t seemed to have accepted the title of Boss. The game introduces a number of new characters not to mention the soldiers you end up recruiting. You truly do get the feeling of the growth of Mother Base and MSF as you progress. With some additions to an already amazing game, it isn’t surprising that METAL GEAR SOLID: PEACE WALKER is among the best of the decade.
https://youtu.be/Gbe_HIL46lY
How could you not like this for music for a final boss fight?
3) Alan Wake
Publisher(s): Microsoft Game Studios / Remedy Entertainment
Platform(s): Xbox 360 / PC
Release Date: May 18, 2010
Walter P. says:
Released originally in 2010 for the Xbox 360, Alan Wake follows the titular author who’s had a long case of writer’s block. Alan and his wife Alice decide to take a vacation and the trip has them stop in the small Washington town of Bright Falls. Things take a turn when Alice is taken and Alan loses his memory only coming to some time later. From there Alan searches for his wife as things get stranger and he faces forces whose only weakness is light.
Alan Wake differs from other games for its episodic structure which makes it seem like you’re watching a TV show. It takes inspiration and makes quite a few references to a number of things such Stephen King stories and Twin Peaks. The game adds a bit of a twist in its combat for the use of light. Enemies will not be hurt unless they are first exposed to some sort of light usually from Alan’s flashlight and other times from the environment. The game’s atmosphere is one of its strongest points as you feel the tension while you wander through the darkness. A trip to Bright Falls is something worth taking.
