Our Five Favorite Games of 2010: Chris Monfette

Chris Monfette is the Previews Editor at G4, where he spends a lot of time checking out new games. He also wears a lot of hats. I mean physically, the hat is never without a hat. We're beginning to think he has no skull.

Heavy Rain

While Heavy Rain might not have been a perfectly constructed or particularly well-acted game, there's no doubt that the graphical presentation, visual design and gameplay mechanics pulled me into that universe completely. Even with a flawed third-act reveal, the story up to that point compelled me to strive for the appropriate ending, and then demanded that I go back and see what might-have-been. I rarely take the time to do that in games, and for all its minor missteps, Heavy Rain's efforts to pull the player into the experience hooked me and never let me go.  

Read on for the rest of Chris' Top Five!

Red Dead Redemption

This western tethered first-rate dramatic game-writing with stunningly realized world creation, pairing story and setting in a partnership unmatched in gaming this year. Absolutely my favorite title of the year. 

Limbo

This was the gaming equivalent of the "perfect bite" of food, a small, flawless construction that required nothing more or less than exactly what was on the plate. Simple, yet complex; minimal, yet teaming with substance. Limbo's melancholic journey made me think, emote and, quite surprisingly, feel a true sense of tension and fear. 

Mass Effect 2

This failed to take my game of the year only because of its unfortunate over-compensation for the too-complicated looting system of the first tile. Had this RPG-loving editor had slightly more room in the sequel to track down and modify more powerful weapons and armor, the far-reaching narrative of this engrossing space opera, coupled with its perfectly streamlined gameplay, would easily have constituted my favorite game of 2010. 

Costume Quest

Here is that little gem that proved that comedy in games can still make me laugh out loud. Not "LOL" in the overly casual sense of the world, but truly make me belly laugh in an otherwise empty apartment. The stylized and vibrant design, the simple-yet-challenging combat system, the characters and their uber-witty dialogue -- it all worked perfectly for me. 

Check back as the entire staff reveals their Top Five Games of 2010. What were yours?