Russ Pitts' Five Favorites 2010

[Valagetti]

I have to completely disagree with Mafia II being at number 3, that game was horrible! I don't buy the whole interactive media/drama bullshit, because it wasn't immersive. Heavy Rain was! The characters had character. Unlike Vito. And why did they make it sandbox based hmmm? And the gameplay is just driving cars and coverbased combat, as if we don't have enough of that as it is!

And also all of his top five are sequels and Undead Nightmare counts. Who else finds that depressing?

 

[BehattedWanderer]

Good list, but, just to be a language usage pest, if your penultimate game was not your top choice, then you're using penultimate wrong. Just saying. All the same, props for using the under-appreciated word.

Penultimate is second to last in a list.
Ultimate would be top choice, no?

Well, this is embarrassing. It appears I was lied to by a teacher who had instructed us that it was superior to, not secondary to.

 

[Steve Butts]

Good list, but, just to be a language usage pest, if your penultimate game was not your top choice, then you're using penultimate wrong. Just saying. All the same, props for using the under-appreciated word.

Penultimate is second to last in a list.
Ultimate would be top choice, no?

As any four-year Latin student can tell you, you are correct. Let's go even further and call out the lesser known antepenult as the third to last.

 

[roostuf]

A very nice list you got there Russ but now its time to concentrate on your santa's list.

 

[Russ Pitts]

Good list, but, just to be a language usage pest, if your penultimate game was not your top choice, then you're using penultimate wrong. Just saying. All the same, props for using the under-appreciated word.

Look it up:

penultimate: adj., 1. next to last. [http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/penultimate?show=0&t=1292454460]

Also, don't word nerd the EIC unless you're right.

 

[John Funk]

Good list, but, just to be a language usage pest, if your penultimate game was not your top choice, then you're using penultimate wrong. Just saying. All the same, props for using the under-appreciated word.

Penultimate is second to last in a list.
Ultimate would be top choice, no?

As any four-year Latin student can tell you, you are correct. Let's go even further and call out the lesser known antepenult as the third to last.

Isn't that also "pentultimate"?

 

[BehattedWanderer]

Good list, but, just to be a language usage pest, if your penultimate game was not your top choice, then you're using penultimate wrong. Just saying. All the same, props for using the under-appreciated word.

Look it up:

penultimate: adj., 1. next to last. [http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/penultimate?show=0&t=1292454460]

Also, don't word nerd the EIC unless you're right.

I was called out on this just before, and again I shall apologize. I was quite erroneously informed by a teacher at my university that penultimate was the superior case, not the successive case. I stand mortified and embarrassed at myself, and am quite irked at the aforementioned teacher for giving me erroneous information.

 

[Andy of Comix Inc]

This isn't at all what I expected. At all. A lot of these games are cut-out sequels despite the fact that this year that had a lot of wonderfully original and exciting new ideas. (Even though most of them came from the independents, but hey, toss a dog a bone).

 

[Smooth Operator]

Well Russ that is quite an... interesting list.

Mafia 2, not a sandbox game... ya and the pope isn't catholic, it is so very obvious what they aimed it at and what parts are missing, but the publisher made them release it one or two years too soon, if it were finished it would take a steaming dump on GTA, like it is now I wouldn't advise anyone to buy it.

Crackdown 2, "more of the good less of the bad"... that is very interesting because they took all the best parts of Crackdown and replaced them with a zombie grind-fest, I guess there will always be someone who likes that

Oh and: "Splinter Cell pretty much invented stealth shooting" ... no, just no

 

[ChupathingyX]

Fallout 3...classic? WTF is that suppossed to mean? Bethesda's baby? I'm at a loss for words at those statements.

Although you sure did get the whole "re-telling" thing right, Bethesda sure did "re-tell" the Fallout universe by practically kicking a bunch of the established lore in the arse.

 

[teebeeohh]

number 1 and 5 make my "pls pls pls bring this to the PC" list
i can agree with placing new vegas second, it is an awesome game(especially on the PC with mods), but something this buggy just can't be #1

Mafia and Splinter cell?
no.
splinter cell was just and Mafia 2, although i liked big parts of the game just made me hate it in the end, mostly by the way they implemented the DLC.
on the other hand, both games could have gotten way better press if they just had other names

 

[legion431]

No Mass Effect 2.....okay, I'm going to go punch a few walls now.

 

[CAPTCHA]

Seems like a top five most marketed games list to me, minus CoD Black Opps and Halo. Perhaps they didn't send the Escapist a present this year.

 

[bjj hero]

I find this interesting. None of these games would have been picked for my list. It will give me something to consider when reading your reviews. It is obvious you have a soft spot for sandbox gaming. Thats fine but with a few exceptions they don't really grab me.

 

[YodaUnleashed]

To be honest I thought Crackdown 2 was a step down from the first crackdown; it was still certainly fun in that crazy and chaotic super-jumping way but it didn't really advance from the first game.

Far from being one of the best games of 2010 it was one of the most disappointing; it lacked the personality of the first with its three colourful factions, it was the same map but altered only slightly with a more war-torn look (but that's about it), it had no new game mechanics, the vehicle evolving was absent and it's 'activate beacon and defend mission' structure was in fact more repetitive than the first games 'eliminate gang leaders' as at least in the latter it took you to different environments to fight in whereas in the former it was essentially very similar looking caves.

And those stupid helicopters died so easily, just trying to land them would take off some of their health. Stupid helicopters.

 

[Lvl 64 Klutz]

I neither agree nor disagree with this list, since I haven't played any of the games mentioned. However, I would like to point out that it is strangely coincidental that pretty much all of these games were reviewed by Russ himself.

 

[Russ Pitts]

Good list, but, just to be a language usage pest, if your penultimate game was not your top choice, then you're using penultimate wrong. Just saying. All the same, props for using the under-appreciated word.

Look it up:

penultimate: adj., 1. next to last. [http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/penultimate?show=0&t=1292454460]

Also, don't word nerd the EIC unless you're right.

I was called out on this just before, and again I shall apologize. I was quite erroneously informed by a teacher at my university that penultimate was the superior case, not the successive case. I stand mortified and embarrassed at myself, and am quite irked at the aforementioned teacher for giving me erroneous information.

You're a stand-up guy for owning up to your mistake. Way to be, sir.

As for what your teacher taught you, welcome to one of life's cruelest lessons: Teachers do not know everything. I should know. I used to teach!

Lesson number two here is: Before you presume to correct someone, make certain of your facts.

 

[Fasckira]

I'm genuinely surprised to not see Galaxy 2 or Mass Effect 2 on this list...seemed like he forgot alot of the games that came out earlier this year >_> but that's just my opinion.

Was thinking the exact same thing! Good list none the less though