Top 10 PC Games of 2010

2010 was a nice year for PC gamers. It could have been better, but still it was great. Strategy and adventure fans got to play a lot of quality PC exclusives, from Starcraft 2 and Civilization V to Gray Matter and The Whispered World. The indie devs once again proved that they can really surprise us and deliver some amazing games. Titles like Sleep Is Death, Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Minecraft and Super Meat Boy are some of the best indie games we got this year.

Sports and racing fans were left behind but thankfully, EA managed to deliver a great PC version of Fifa11 and NBA2K11 from 2K Games is astounding. WRC 2010 was the perfect blend of arcade/sim rally racing and would have made it in our Top10, if only it had more stages and better menus/presentation. Split Second was a hell of a game, Blur was a fan arcade racing and even though F1 2010 was not as sim as we'd hoped to, it was overall a nice game. RPG fans got to play Mass Effect 2, Two Worlds II, Fallout: New Vegas and Alpha Protocol, whereas the action fans enjoyed games like Bad Company 2, STALKER: Call Of Pripyat, Metro 2033, Just Cause 2 and Splinter Cell: Conviction.

As for the MMO fans, there were a lot of games that got our attention. And it's funny, because the best and the worst of this genre are games that are so well known to all of us. WoW: Cataclysm is the best MMO available right now, although this might change with games like TERA or Vindictus. And the worst MMO? Final Fantasy XIV.

So, all in all, it was a great year. It would have been better if some games didn't slip to 2011 like Crysis2 or Deus Ex: Human Revolution. But still, we can't complain. So which of them are the Top 10 of 2010? Take a deep breath and here we go...

Honorable Mentions: NBA2K11, STALKER: Call Of Pripyat, Just Cause 2, Call Of Duty: Black Ops, Fallout: New Vegas, Alpha Protocol, ArmA II: Operation Arrowhead

10)  Fifa11: While NBA2K11 is amazing, it suffers from a lot of bugs. As a result, the gaming experience is so inconsistent. One day you'll be loving the game and the next day you'll be cursing it. Fifa11 on the other hand provides a much better gameplay experience. Yes, EA delivered this year. And although the console versions have the Personality+, we'll tell you one thing. If you didn't know that it wasn't included, you wouldn't notice its absence at all. Don't believe us? Put away your fanboism and try both of them at the same time. You'll be surprised how similar they are. Fifa11 is the best soccer game and at last, PC gamers can experience it. Or in other words, so long PES!

9) Super Meat Boy: You gotta love the indie devs. They try to impress us with some amazing games and Super Meat Boy is one of them. Developed by Team Meat, this is an addictive and challenging platform game, with retro graphics and amazing level design. Words cannot describe how good it is. You really need to play it. And for the holiday season, it only costs 7 euros. Get it as soon as possible, you won't regret it!

8) Civilization V: The big daddy of turn based strategy games is here. The latest installment of the Civilization series is as good as it can get. Challenging for the veterans and user friendly for the new comers. If you wanted to try the series put were put of by its complexity, here is your chance. Great graphics, excellent interface and amazing new combat tactical system are some of the new features of Civilization V.

7) Battlefield: Bad Company 2: DICE surprised us this year with Bad Company 2. Although the game is not as huge as the Battlefield series and the SP is lacking in a lot of areas, the MP experience is one of a kind. This is mainly due to the destructibility. DICE also released some days ago the much anticipated DLC, Vietnam. If you want to enjoy some war mayhem, this game is for you.

6) Metro 2033: If you liked STALKER's atmosphere but hated it for its gameplay mechanics, you will love Metro 2033. This FPS is developed by 4A Games and has the best PC game graphics of 2010. It's more linear than STALKER, with great cut-scenes and some nice stealth missions. Plus, its post-apocalyptic environment is so atmospheric. Metro 2033 also takes advantage of PhysX and Nvidia 3D Vision, so if you own them, Metro 2033 is the game to test them with!

5) Two Worlds II: At first, Two Worlds II seems like an average RPG. Although it has great graphics and physics, the combat seems tedious at first. Unlike most RPGs, in Two Worlds II there is a high possibility to encounter a high-level opponent. After some grinding and careful selection of your weapons though, the game becomes easier. And then you can enjoy one of the best RPGs of 2010. Great leveling up system, proper inventory, huge world to explore, in-depth magic system, lots of interesting side-quests and an interesting main story will keep you playing till you finish it. If it had better voice acting, better ending as it is rushed out and a bit more polishing, it would have been even better. Kudos to Reality Pump!

4) Minecraft: Now here is a simple and great idea. Build your own level in a game that will immediately remind you of Legos. Minecraft is addictive and we were shocked with its great appeal. And guess what, it is still in beta phase. Developed by Markus Persson, the game involves players creating and destroying various types of blocks in a three dimensional environment. The player takes an avatar that can destroy or create blocks, forming fantastic structures, creations and artwork across the various multiplayer servers in multiple game modes.

3) Amnesia: The Dark Descent: Frictional's horror game is simply amazing. In a similar vein to Frictional's previous games, Amnesia is an exploration-based adventure game played from a first-person perspective. The game retains the physical object interaction used in Penumbra, allowing for advanced physics based puzzles and interactions such as opening doors and fixing machinery. This game clearly shows that the indie devs can try, experiment with and risk things that most 'triple A' studios can't. If you liked the Silent Hill series and are in search of a scary game, you will love Amnesia!

2) Starcraft 2: It took Blizzard 12 years to release the sequel of one of the best RTS games, but here it is. Starcraft 2 is cinematic, is a 3D graphical tribute to its prequel, has amazing storyline, has varied SP missions, runs great and has an addictive MP part. Although Blizzard decided to exclude the Zerg and Protoss campaigns, the overall experience is great and you will really enjoy the Terrans campaign. The three races are well balanced for the MP and some of the matches are truly epic, especially when 8 persons are battling in one map.

1) Mass Effect 2: Bioware did it again. Mass Effect 2 is the best game of 2010. It has great graphics, mind-blowing soundtrack and voice acting, interesting level design, intriguing storyline, memorable characters, choices that have an impact in your gaming experience and you can use your saves from the first game. Although the RPG elements are simplified and it is more action oriented, this is a game you have to play. By all means. Stop reading and buy it. You won't regret it!