The 25 Best VIdeo Games of 2010 (So Far)

It's the middle of the year, so Complex is looking back at The Best of 2010 (So Far) with a series of features that highlight our favorite stuff from the world of entertainment, fashion, art, and more.

Medal of HonorCoD: Black OpsGran Turismo 5Halo: ReachLittle Big Planet 2favorite video games of the first six months of the year

Systems: PS3, 360, PC

Release Date: Feb. 9

Back to Rapture! The original Ken Levine brainchild blew everybody's mind, and even if the Levineless follow-up (BS2 was handled by 2K Marin rather than the Boston branch, d.b.a. Irrational Games) didn't have quiiiiite the WTF OMG factor (we see you, Royce!), it was still a solid game with more beauty and chills than just about any morally nuanced horror-FPS out there. More underwater derelict Art Deco creepiness? Check. More splicers? Yup. More playing as a Big Daddy? Yup. Wait, playing as a Big Daddy? Check, please.

Systems: Wii

Release Date: Jan. 26

The first game made us Travis Touchdown fans for life, and the sequel brought genius director Suda51 back to the table for more slicey-slicey action. Dear everyone who said the Wii is for kids: this one will slash your expectations until they either are cleaved limb from limb or simply explode in a cloud of innuendo-laden otaku assassin blood. Also, dude's sunglasses are fire. Just sayin'.

Systems: Nintendo DS

Release Date: Feb. 16

Like it or not, there are times when we just want to sit quietly on a bus from one city's Chinatown to another city's Chinatown and solve a mystery; evidence, logic, and rebuttal (ayo!) are a bookish gamer's best friend. And now we get to do it all as Phoenix Wright's foppish nemesis. (You know he's a nemesis because he's got dark hair, and you know he's foppish because he wears a FRILLY ASCOT.) In the best way possible, it's like an old DOS text adventure. Those were the video games we played back before the first Nintendo came out!

Systems: Wii

Release Date: Jan. 26

What's not to like about a fighting game with more crossovers than Tim Hardaway in the

Systems: PS3, 360, PC

Release Date: Jan. 5

Zelda-style questing, just with way less elvish androgyny and way more RAWR BROLIC APOCALYPTO. You want war? We'll give you war. Play as a hypertrophic War (yeah, as in one of the Four Horseman), forced to battle angels and demons and sadly not Dan Brown in his quest to restore balance to the world. There might not be a ton of originality, but there's a ton of color and a ton of action and a ton of brawn—which, as you know, is half of what built the Eiffel Tower.

Systems: PS3

Release Date: May 11

Holy sleeper hit, Blockman. We have to admit, this game wasn't on our radar in the slightest. 1) It was from a Japanese company that was more of a tech "middleware" developer than a game developer, and 2) it was made in 10 months. So why is it so much fun? Lego-ish RPG, but way more whimsy. Inside jokes abound, the high-def/8-bit hybrid looks great, gameplay feels Zelda-y, would review again!

Systems: PS3, 360

Release Date: May 11

Skater or not, you'll find something to get lost in with EA's newest sandbox grindathon. Jump online to go head-to-head, putter around Port Caverton for hours, or just amuse yourself by seeing how many (virtual) bones you can break in the new and improved Hall of Meat mode. Sorry, Tony Hawk, you're not taking the trophy this time. Ollie ollie in come free!

Systems: PS3, 360, PSP

Release Date: May 25

After the 2009 version sold more than 3.5 milli, THQ and Japan devs Yuke's decided against your average annual rehash, instead totally overhauling the ground grappling mechanics and introducing three new fighting styles (including Sambo, which still makes us think of this ol' bullshit. Ground-and-pounding your friends has never been this easy or fun (except that time at summer camp when that one dude with the pretty lips fell asleep). And if you play the game juuuuuust right, you turn Kimbo Slice into a decent UFC fighter! We heard there's an achievement for it, but we just can't manage to unlock it.

Systems: PS3, 360, PC

Release Date: Mar. 23

Sometimes it felt every third-person action game coming out in 2010 was permeated with the fantastic—Darksiders, Bayonetta, and God of War III all dealt with the decidedly otherworldy—so it was a breath of fresh air when Avalanche brought us a explosion-filled human-on-human adventure. A dope grappling-hook mechanic (especially coupled with a parachute) make for a Bruckheimer-y experience: not so hot on story, but plenty of satisfying pyrotechnics.

Systems: PSP

Release Date: June 8

Five MGS games deep on the PSP, and Peace Walker is the first to be directed by series godfather Hideo Kojima—and it shows. Long story short, it's like a greatest-hits lineup from the console games. Good single-player, dope multiplayer, camouflage, and above all, our favorite/most pauseworthy character evar. Big Boss/Naked Snake (II) FTW!

Systems: PS3, 360

Release Date: Mar. 9

Squenix's RPG juggernaut finally came to the Xbox in its 13th iteration, which not surprisingly helped it become the fastest-selling FF yet. The fact that the game had only six characters and was much more linear this time around invited criticism from some, but as we're not exactly fiending for the full JRPG experience, we thought they were welcome changes that streamlined RPG bloat without sacrificing character development or bitchin' combat. Don't think you'll be finding the soundtrack on our iPods, though.

Systems: Nintendo DS

Release Date: Mar. 14

Bundled pedometer or not—seriously, calling something the "Pokewalker" is like one step away from kiddie porn—this throwback to the classic

Systems: PS3, 360

Release Date: Apr. 27

We laughed when we heard that Capcom was adding a Turkish oil wrestler to the lineup, but all that pause shit went out the window when we actually got our hands on the game. Not only does it build on last year's great Street Fighter IV—with 10 more characters, including favorites from earlier SF games, and improved online play—but at only $40 it's a bargain like few other titles. Don't be fooled, this isn't dressed-up DLC; this is a worthy step forward in the fighting series' legacy.

Systems: PS3

Release Date: May 25

Mario Kart x Little Big Planet, and we mean that in the best way possible. Sure, it doesn't have the same wealth of power-ups as MK, or the unrelenting sweetness of LBP—but at the same time, we've never seen a racing game that had such level-editing potential or was so innocently awesome. If developers United Front are half as creative with their upcoming open-world action title, True Crime, then we may have a new Dev to Watch. Which'll be nice, because we're a little tired of Dev Patel.

Systems: PS3

Release Date: Feb. 23

French trailblazers Quantic Dream honed the interactive techniques they explored in the cult favorite Indigo Prophecy to create a dark, moody, ever-changing mystery that places narrative agency above all else. The voice acting may be a little Euro-sounding for the American neo-noir it aims to be, but fuck it: if a game has the stones to out-QTE Resident Evil 4, we'll tip our cap. And when the Move-enabled version comes out later this year, take our word for it: you're gonna feel like you're playing the weirdest game of charades, like, ever.

Systems: 360

Release Date: May 18

Five years (five!) after they initially announced the game, Remedy finally released the third-person action-horror-mystery-tv-show thingy. An awesome Stephen Kingish concept (horror author finds his books coming true) presented awesomely (in fourth-wall-breaking meta-episodes), with awesome mechanics (light used as a weapon against townspeople who have been possessed by a "Dark Presence"), and incredibly awesome light/shadow effects. When a game manages to feel claustrophobic even during outdoor scenes, you know it's doing something right. We're still wondering if it might be some kind of racist allegory, but we'll give Remedy the benefit of the doubt—the Finnish have the right to fear darkness, what with those nine-month winters and all.

Systems: PS3, 360, PC

Release Date: May 25

Fuck yeah, we like driving cars like maniacs. And fuck yeah, we like hitting other people's cars with laser shunts and force fields so that they flip over or spin out or fly off a cliff. That's why we took driver's ed all those years ago—to re-enact our Mario Kart fantasies behind the wheel of a Hummer! It's true that the single-player can get a wee bit repetitive (and makes a quantum leap in difficulty at one point in the campaign), but the endlessly rewarding fuck-y'all multiplayer, with its Modern Warfare 2-like system of unlocks and perks, gives this thing unbelievable replayability. Just don't let us catching you posting in-game photos to Facebook or Twitter. C'mon, fam, just drive.

Systems: 360, PC, iOS

Release Date: Apr. 13

Hey, Sam Fisher. Back again, huh? Gotta infiltrate your former Third Echelon employers to find out who killed your daughter, eh? What's that? You've got new skills? You can pull off spectacular multi-kills in a fashion amazingly similar to Red Dead Redemption's Dead Eye mechanism? All your objectives are emblazoned in enormous letters on every surface you look at, a la the opening credits of Panic Room? Well, we don't mind saying that that is fucking awesome, and we enjoy your latest adventure very much. Have fun storming the [redacted]!

Systems: PS3, 360, Wii, PSP, iOS

Release Date: Apr. 27

Your national team flame out with zero goals in the World Cup group stage or fail to even make it to South Africa? No problem. 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa lets you rewrite history. With better player handling (there's a reason ESPN linked with EA for those ill FIFA-engine World Cup animaations), more realistic A.I. and penalty shooting, and even more goal celebrations than the stellar FIFA Soccer 10, this game has everything the real tourney does. Besides refs with cataracts to cock block your glorious game-winning GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL, that is. Vuvuzelas not included.

Systems: PS3

Release Date: Mar. 2

In a year when 2K sought to close the gap that had opened between the two competing baseball franchises, Sony's San Diego division said "sa-WIIIIIING and a miss!" Gameplay innovations like calling the game as the catcher, user-controlled pick-offs, full online season leagues, and a host of new animations (climbing the wall to rob hitters of home runs!) all combined to make real-life baseball seem that much less compelling. Sorry, Bud Selig and all you slow portly dudes who make untold millions!

Systems: 360, PC

Release Date: Jan. 26

Crazy voice talent (Martin Sheen, Carrie-Ann Moss, Tricia Helfer) melds with an FPS-heavy RPG mechanic for a hybrid experience that's out of this world. Because they're in space! As we said in our original review, "Combat or no combat, this is at its core a game about relationships, and mark our words, you will become attached—to your character and the NPCs alike." What can we say? We were pussies back then. Nowadays, we just use our Commander Shepard to rape the universe of its resources and humanity alike. Now THAT'S morality, Bioware!

Systems: PS3

Release Date: Mar. 16

Kratos' adventure winds up with fitting enormity and ultraviolence, with the shirtless one bringing it to the very gods of Mt. Olympus. We said it the first time around: "Because as much the franchise

Systems: PS3, 360, PC

Release Date: Mar. 2

Some games you get because they're engrossing single-player adventures that give you a fulfilling mix of action, exploration, and compelling narrative. Some games you get because you like SHOOTING MOTHERFUCKERS YOU KNOW WITH A TANK YEEEEEEEHAW. BFBC2 does have a single-player campaign, but its draw lies almost entirely in its infinitely playable multiplayer implementation. Free (for the most part) of the pre-pubescent racists that plague the Halo and Call of Duty online communities, the title is a pinnacle of personal fragging fun. Destructible environments, vehicle piloting, and well-balanced classes; there's a reason we've hardly played MW2 since March.

Systems: Wii

Release Date: May 23

What the fuck, Nintendo? No matter how angry we get with your Friend Codes and ceaseless minigame flogging, you manage to make us feel like we're seven years old every time the big homie Mario comes around. As glorious as the original SMG was, the sequel matches it for sheer jaw-dropping game mechanics and level design—and manages to even do it one better by virtue of a much-improved (if still semi-hobbled) co-op experience. If Nintendo ever goes high-def, we're quitting our jobs and spending the rest of our days with kush and Mario.

Systems: PS3, 360

Release Date: May 18

For a while, we thought we were the only people excited about this game finally coming out. Then it fucked around and sold more than 5 million copies. Yes, a Western game. And yes, it deserved it. Huge open-world freedom, great writing—just in case you doubted it was Rockstar, have some cannibalism and necrophilia to go with your hooker-hogtying—and truly addictive gameplay combine to make this one of the best reasons we can imagine for spending $60. We've spent hours picking flowers, people. FLOWERS. So get at us if you need some wild feverfew...or if you just have some tips on how to use our short time on this Earth a bit more productively.