Far from an objective declaration of the best video games out there (you\u2019ll notice a distinct and shameful lack of Wii games), the following is a list that we have compiled of our favorite games of the past year. These are games that we had the chance to play, and that we loved not just for their value proposition or for their genuine ability to entertain, but for their undeniable beauty. For the most part, this is a list of experiences. The great thing about games, is that they are experiences that can be recommended and passed on. That\u2019s what we hope to do with this list. <\/em><\/p>\n 1. Limbo<\/em><\/a> \u2013 Xbox Live Arcade<\/a><\/strong> 2. Bioshock 2<\/em><\/a> \u2013 Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC Instead, 2K Marin made Bioshock 2<\/em> their own, and in doing so managed to unequivocally improve the gameplay while also embracing an entirely different mood and theme than the first. While the original Bioshock<\/em> contained a satisfying mix of mystery and philosophical rumination, the sequel embraces the emotional and relational impact of certain ideas. Yes, this is a game about collectivism and its affect on a community, but more importantly it\u2019s a game about its affect on families and individuals. If I can make one recommendation, it\u2019s this: if you are a father, and you play games, you should absolutely play this one. -Richard Clark<\/em><\/p>\n 3. Red Dead Redemption<\/em><\/a> \u2013 Xbox 360, Playstation 3 Red Dead Redemption<\/em>, as the name implies, is meant to be a story of redemption, but it\u2019s certainly muddled in the way that redemption comes about.\u00a0 If you are like me and like to play the hero in video games, you will find that although there is much to be done that is heroic, being a true hero in RDR is impossible.\u00a0 That frustrated me and forced me to step back and observe John Marston and the story that is RDR.\u00a0 In fact, I would say RDR refuses to let you take ownership of Marston and forces you to deal with him as he is.\u00a0 Despite my disgust at some of Marston\u2019s decisions (mostly his compromises to help shady characters), I began to empathize with him.\u00a0 Sure there are lots of things I didn\u2019t like about Marston, but by the end I wanted redemption for him because there was much about him worth redeeming.\u00a0 This journey of hating and growing to love Marston was intentional and makes the games\u2019 ending all the more brilliant. -Drew Dixon<\/em><\/p>\n 4. Halo Reach<\/em><\/a> \u2013 Xbox 360 I have had more fun playing Halo<\/em> online with good friends than any game I can remember. Its almost as fun as the massive LAN parties I used to have with friends in college playing Halo<\/em> 1 and 2, but at least we don\u2019t have to lug our consoles and TV\u2019s around anymore to have nearly the same kind of experience.\u00a0\u00a0If you haven\u2019t joined in one of our CAPC multiplayer games, now is the time to start\u2014tweet me your gamer tag and we will invite you to the next game.\u00a0\u00a0We are going to tentatively shoot for having a CAPC game most every Monday Night around 10:00 P.M. Eastern time.\u00a0-Drew Dixon<\/em><\/p>\n 5. Mass Effect 2<\/em><\/a> \u2013 Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC ME2 gives you quests to complete on behalf of each of your playable characters and each quest reveals more about the characters who are helping you on your quest.\u00a0 I found this fascinating because the people helping you are complex and their desires often conflict with each other and their pasts intertwine to make every decision you make, to support them or not, very important.\u00a0 Most of the characters have at least a few redeemable qualities and this makes your decision to support them all the more difficult.\u00a0 These characters, their back-stories, and your interaction with them kept me coming back to ME2.\u00a0 I would have liked to see ME2 make more of my decisions in ME1, but nonetheless, I think ME2 is a tremendous example of character writing in video games is capable of rivaling that of other mediums. My ability to influence these various characters in their growth made that element all the more fascinating. -Drew Dixon<\/em><\/p>\n 6. Super Meat Boy<\/em><\/a> \u2013 Xbox Live Arcade, PC<\/strong> Some of SMB\u2019s levels will take you dozens of attempts to finish and there are no checkpoints. You die and you go right back to the beginning.\u00a0\u00a0Thankfully the levels are all rather short and once you finally do finish a level, you get to watch a replay of every single attempt you made to complete the level at once\u2014all the struggle that led up to your eventual victory is summed up in a 10-15 second clip.\u00a0\u00a0If you could beat every level on your first try the game would probably take less than 30 minutes to finish.\u00a0\u00a0Unless you have super human dexterity and concentration, you will surely be playing much longer than that and yet despite your failed attempts, none of these levels will ever feel unbeatable and when you finally beat them you will relish the replay of your every failure and your final victory.\u00a0\u00a0If you are like me, you will be so delighted you\u2019ll save many of them and reminisce on the insanity of their difficulty.\u00a0\u00a0Although SMB is single player, this is a great game to play in groups and take turns seeing who has the chops to take on various insanely difficult levels.\u00a0\u00a0SMB will make you laugh, cry, and potentially break your controller and its this combination of emotions that it will produce in you that makes it one of the year\u2019s best. -Drew Dixon<\/em><\/p>\n 7. Fallout: New Vegas<\/em><\/a> \u2013 Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC One of the most interesting changes from Fallout 3<\/em> is the inclusion of factions, which seem to basically represent different ways of looking at the world. Each of these factions see the world differently, and it\u2019s up to you to decide not only who you most relate to, but who you\u2019re willing to allow to exist. -Richard Clark<\/em><\/p>\n 8. VVVVVV<\/em><\/a> \u2013 PC, Mac<\/strong> By the way, have you ever noticed that when a sense of endless possibilities is inescapable what that really feels like is a sense of being lost? Welcome to VVVVVVV<\/em>, where it\u2019s all about being lost and helping those who are lost. The varying characters may only consist of different colored stick-people, and their expressions may not span beyond huge smiles and distraught frowns, but you will get to know them, and eventually you will care for them. As an experiment in minimalism, it\u2019s a huge success. As a game, it\u2019s creepily affecting and undeniably resonant, not to mention a steal at $5. -Richard Clark<\/em><\/p>\n 9. <\/strong>Assassin\u2019s Creed: Brotherhood<\/em><\/a> \u2013 Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC<\/strong>
\n Limbo<\/em> doesn\u2019t look like much, and in truth it\u2019s not. It starts with a simple title screen. The controls are uncomplicated. There is no multiplayer and no long list of features. Once you start the game, there\u2019s no words of any form, and no color. It\u2019s just the silhouette of a boy, and the things around him that want him dead. Trying to articulate exactly what makes Limbo<\/em> a harrowing, haunting and ultimately hopeful experience is impossible, but I can tell you that it\u2019s well worth the small price tag you\u2019d pay to play it on Xbox Live, despite the lack of features and special modes. It\u2019s a game that causes you to remember what it was like to be young and alone, that reminds you what it was like to long for someone, and ultimately, it\u2019s a game that changes you if you let it. -Richard Clark
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\n<\/strong>Recommended Reading: \u201cBioshock 2 and the Power of Influence<\/a>,\u201d \u201cTime to Revisit Rapture \u2013 Again<\/a>\u201d
\nAfter such a complete and artistically flawless experience as Bioshock<\/em>, the announcement of a sequal drew a large amount of skepticism, and I\u2019ll be the first to admit that the skepticism was indeed fair. The sentiment only got worse when it was revealed that Irrational Games, the studio behind the original Bioshock<\/em> wouldn\u2019t have anything to do with the sequel. Throw in an arbitrary multiplayer mode and you\u2019ve got all the ingredients for a disaster.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Recommended Reading: \u201cRead Dead\u2019s Particular Brand of Redemption<\/a>,\u201d \u201cRead Dead Redemption\u2019s\u00a0Squandered\u00a0Potential<\/a>,\u201d \u201cThe Dastardly\u00a0Achievement<\/a>.\u201d
\n Red Dead Redemption<\/em> is on the top of most everyone\u2019s list and for good reason too\u2014it\u2019s graphically beautiful, boasts an intricately detailed game world and a dynamic main character. \u00a0All that said, what was most memorable about RDR was how much it frustrated me.\u00a0 If you make it to the end of RDR, you will never forget the way the story was brought to a close and the way in which the game forces you to take part in that ending.\u00a0 I wish I could say more, but I would ruin for many who really ought to give this game a try, but in short, I would say that the story was as memorable if not more so than the original Bioshock<\/em>.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>If you think Halo Reach<\/em> is stupid, that is partly because you have never been involved in one of our CAPC and friends\u2019 multiplayer matches.\u00a0\u00a0Reach<\/em> deserves to be on this list if for no other reason than it is the best console multiplayer experience available right now.\u00a0\u00a0That may sound like overly boastful praise and perhaps it is, but Reach<\/em> excels at giving its players a myriad of options for how to best enjoy multiplayer.\u00a0\u00a0If you like to play co-op you can play with 4 people in both campaign and survival modes.\u00a0\u00a0If you like to play small games you can do that.\u00a0\u00a0Large games? Yep.\u00a0\u00a0Lots of vehicles?\u00a0\u00a0Yep.\u00a0\u00a0You just want to play on the same team with your friends?\u00a0\u00a0Sure can.\u00a0\u00a0Want to play with 3 other friends online on one Xbox?\u00a0\u00a0Of course.\u00a0\u00a0Want to play against uber competitive people?\u00a0\u00a0Yep.\u00a0\u00a0Want to play just for fun?\u00a0\u00a0Indeed.\u00a0\u00a0Basically,\u00a0Reach<\/em> makes every effort to make your multiplayer experience enjoyable.\u00a0\u00a0Finally, I feel like I have found a multiplayer experience on a console that is pretty much everything I want it to be. \u00a0What games like\u00a0Call of Duty: Black Ops<\/em> get horribly wrong on multiplayer<\/a>, Halo<\/em> gets consistently right.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Recommended Reading: \u201cMommy, What is that Alien Doing?<\/a>\u201d
\n Mass Effect 2<\/em> improved on its predecessor in many ways\u2014numerous critics have hailed it due to the lessening of RPG elements so as to appeal to shooter-fans\u2014in so much as they succeeded in that goal, I applaud them if only for putting this fantastic game in more people\u2019s hands.\u00a0 ME2\u2019s greatest achievements, however, have been largely overlooked\u2014its world and its characters kept me playing to the very end.\u00a0 The world of ME2 feels massive, complex, and detailed. To me it rivaled the world of a good science fiction book.\u00a0 ME2 is less linear than the first installment but still a largely linear game and yet, I never felt forced to do anything in the game.\u00a0 I wanted<\/em> to complete the quests, I wanted to do more than I had to do to complete the game and I think this is due mostly to the compelling characters of ME2.<\/p>\n
\nIn what world does a game titled Super Meat Boy<\/em> deserve to be on this list?\u00a0\u00a0That is an excellent question and it is worth noting that SMB\u2019s story is less than moving in comparison to many of the games we have included here, but SMB, after all, pays homage to Super Mario Bros (also SMB) as its spiritual successor. It plays like a 2D Mario game on steriods.\u00a0\u00a0The hero is Meat Boy\u2014a boy with no skin who is determined to save bandage girl from certain peril at the hands of evil Dr. Fetus.\u00a0\u00a0I am not making this up and yet I promise you this is a great game.\u00a0\u00a0SMB will take you back to a time when game consoles didn\u2019t have hard-drives and finishing a game felt like a significant achievement.\u00a0\u00a0In short this is an incredibly difficult platformer that will<\/em> frustrate you. Still, the accomplishment of actually beating some of its most difficult levels is so rewarding that I couldn\u2019t pass up the chance to \u00a0write about this game.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Recommended Reading: \u201cFallout 3: The Challenge of Gaming Morality<\/a>,\u201d \u201cGamer\u2019s Choice<\/a>\u201d
\nThe Internet tells me I should warn you about the myriad of bugs that are a part of this game, but to be truthful, I haven\u2019t experienced even one of them. What I have experienced is a game of limitless possibilities in a haunting environment with a heart-wrenching series of plotlines. Sure, some of the games narrative turns are silly, but the most resonant moments are those when you are forced to make hard choices between two equally good or bad ideas.<\/p>\n
\nWhat\u2019s so special about a bare-bones pixelated 8-bit style platformer? At first, nothing, but the longer you manage to stick with this game, the more depth you\u2019ll find in every facet. The gravity switching mechanic never seems to get old, as the game iterates on it in increasingly unique ways. The concept of an 8-bit open world platformer is carried out flawlessly. Bring up the map at any given time and the sense of endless possibilities is inescapable.<\/p>\n
\nRecommended Reading: \u201cAssassin\u2019s Creed 2: Shot Through the Heart<\/a>\u201d
\nMany dismissed Assassin\u2019s Creed:Brotherhood<\/em> as Assassin\u2019s Creed 2.5, and in some ways they\u2019re right. More than anything, this game is an iteration on the previous, picking up immediately where AC2 left off and adding a few intriguing mechanics to an already full gameplay experience. The final product, though, is markedly more satisfying than its\u2019 predecessor. With the tech mastered and the format established, the team that made AC:Bros were able to take that foundation and build one incredible game on top of it. On top of all of that, the game includes a multiplayer mode that\u2019s by far the most unique we\u2019ve seen all year, rewarding patience, focus and subversiveness rather than\u00a0indiscriminate\u00a0killing and destruction.<\/p>\n