Video Games From 2010 That Are Now Considered Classics

It’s amazing to think that 15 years have already passed since Katy Perry’s “California Gurls” came out in 2010! Looking back like this really highlights how quickly time flies. It also gives us a chance to remember some great things from the past. For example, 2010 was a fantastic year for gaming, with incredible titles like Mass Effect 2, Super Street Fighter 4, Super Meat Boy, and Fallout: New Vegas.

Here are a few other great games that didn’t quite make our top ten, but are still worth mentioning. These standout titles from 2010 represent a variety of genres and are now widely considered classic games.

Heavy Rain

One Of Gaming’s Most Unforgettable Narratives

Some people question whether video games can tell stories as compelling and meaningful as movies. Those who defend the medium often highlight games that prove it can, and Heavy Rain by Quantic Dream is a standout example. Even if you haven’t played it, you likely know the basic story: it centers around the crimes of the Origami Killer and the police investigation to catch them.

Like games such as Life Is Strange, Heavy Rain prioritizes storytelling over complex gameplay. The game frequently shifts viewpoints and uses flashbacks to build mystery and keep players engaged. However, players aren’t just watching – their choices matter, significantly impacting the story and leading to surprising endings. Its powerful emotional moments have kept Heavy Rain relevant and discussed for over 15 years.

BioShock 2

The Same Rapture, New Horrors

Following up on the incredibly popular BioShock was a major undertaking. The first game revealed Rapture, a fascinating underwater city created by Andrew Ryan as his ideal society, and showed the devastation of a violent civil war. BioShock 2 takes players back to Rapture as Subject Delta, delving deeper into the story behind the Big Daddies and Little Sisters with a particularly emotional and revealing look at their connection.

As the protagonist, Delta possesses a unique set of skills and weapons compared to the original game’s hero, Jack. He excels in close combat and uses a powerful Rivet Gun, and he can freely combine these weapons with Plasmids – special abilities that no longer take up weapon slots. Players once again face tough choices about saving or exploiting the citizens of Rapture, specifically the ‘Rapture Family’. Delta’s quest to rescue Eleanor feels just as important as the original story, and the developers successfully built upon the first game’s strengths without simply retreading old ground.

Bit.Trip Runner

A Vibrant Endless Runner Unlike Any Other

This list includes many well-known, high-profile games, but it’s important to look at some smaller titles too. Gaijin Games’ Bit.Trip series is a collection of rhythm games known for its old-school graphics and impressive lighting. The series started with Bit.Trip Beat in April 2009, but Bit.Trip Runner, released the following year, is what many fans remember most.

Okay, so this game is seriously unique. It’s an endless runner starring Commander Video from Bit.Trip, and it really stands out. It starts off pretty chill, teaching you the ropes – how to kick, slide, and block stuff. I actually felt like a pro in the beginning, grabbing every single collectible. But then, wow, the levels ramp up fast. Suddenly you’re dodging a crazy amount of obstacles and you’re like, ‘How did I ever think I could get everything?!’ Seriously, completing every stage, and even the bonus ones, is a huge accomplishment. And the graphics? Amazing! If you can even take a peek between dodging things, it’s beautiful. It’s so good, they made sequels and even a remake called Bit.Trip Rerunner in 2023. It’s a game people clearly love!

Red Dead Redemption

What Came Before The Legendary Sequel

Red Dead Redemption 2 is widely considered a modern gaming masterpiece. It will be a significant challenge for Rockstar Games to create a sequel that surpasses it – though they are no strangers to the pressure of following up successful titles. A key part of what makes the game so impactful is that it’s a prequel, deeply connected to the original Red Dead Redemption, which adds a layer of tragedy for some characters.

Building on the foundation of Red Dead Revolver from six years earlier, 2010’s Red Dead Redemption essentially created the formula for future games in the series. Features like the morality system, the Dead Eye shooting mechanic, and the expansive open world were all refined and expanded upon in Red Dead Redemption 2. The sequel’s success is directly tied to the strong groundwork laid by the first game, which featured a compelling story and characters that truly drew players in.

Super Mario Galaxy 2

Just Add Yoshi

Mario fans constantly debate which of his 3D platforming games is the best. While they’re all excellent, Super Mario Galaxy – especially with its hidden ending – is often at the top of the list. Released in 2007 for the Wii, it was arguably Mario’s most ambitious game yet, sending him and friends into space. It introduced unique gravity mechanics, letting Mario run around and on the surfaces of small planets, with the camera dynamically following his movements. A direct sequel, Super Mario Galaxy 2, followed just three years later.

The goal with this new game wasn’t to drastically change what players already loved about the series, but to build upon it with meaningful additions. While opinions are divided among fans, the addition of Starship Mario and Yoshi definitely freshened up the gameplay. Some players prefer the way the sequel let you choose stages from a world map, while others enjoy the original’s approach. What really makes Galaxy 2 stand out is its introduction of completely new galaxies and gameplay mechanics. It’s a fantastic sequel full of surprises, and both games are essential for anyone who enjoys platformers. Moments like speeding through Hightail Falls with Yoshi’s Dash Pepper demonstrate that Nintendo still had plenty of creative ideas to explore the space setting.

God Of War 3

A New Height For The Series

Kratos is known for his brutal and over-the-top violence. By the end of God of War 2, he’d already done incredibly violent things, like crushing a Kraken’s head with a bridge and ripping off Euryale’s head. So, fans wondered how God of War 3 could possibly top that? The answer, it turned out, was even more extreme – including tearing out Poseidon’s eyes. Santa Monica Studio definitely delivered a spectacularly violent game.

In God of War 3, Kratos aimed to unlock the powerful Pandora’s Box as part of his journey to finally confront Zeus. The game was a stunning visual and technical achievement on the PS3, perfectly capturing the scale and drama of this story about gods and epic battles. It also refreshed the gameplay, adding magical abilities tied to each weapon and giving Kratos new moves to keep combat exciting. This game marks a memorable conclusion to the Greek mythology chapter of the God of War series.

Halo: Reach

A Doomed, Honorable Fight

Many people who play first-person shooters aren’t interested in the story or single-player campaign, and that’s perfectly fine if they prefer multiplayer. However, some FPS games have stories that are truly worth experiencing. Halo: Reach is one of those games. Unlike other Halo titles, you don’t play as Master Chief – instead, you follow Noble Team. You know from the beginning that they are destined to fall and that Reach will be lost, but this makes the campaign incredibly intense, moving, and action-packed.

Because Halo: Reach wasn’t part of the core numbered series, the developers had more freedom to experiment with how the game played. They made it simpler for players to customize their characters by clearly separating abilities and power-ups, using armor skills that could be pre-selected. This system was later refined and improved in Halo 4 by 343 Industries, with additions like Promethean Vision. Like the movie Rogue One, the characters in Reach were destined to fall, but their actions paved the way for a larger victory, and they delivered a fast-paced and well-made shooting experience for fans.

Civilization 5

The Introduction Of The All-Important Hexagons

When Civilization 6 launched on platforms like the Nintendo Switch, it attracted many new players to the series. These newcomers might not have realized how much each Civilization game evolves with each release, and how important those changes can be. The previous game, Civilization 5 (released in 2010), introduced a key feature that became a standard in the strategy genre: hexagonal tiles. As Sid Meier explained to Kotaku, this change made movement, combat, and overall strategy much more engaging and realistic, creating a more intuitive connection between players and the game.

Many fans still enjoy and play Civilization 5 because it’s easy to pick up and play. It was expanded with two major additions, Gods & Kings and Brave New World, and by the end, it included distinctive civilizations like Venice, which focused on trade and couldn’t expand using traditional settlers. For those who prefer a simpler experience, especially regarding how workers and cities are managed, this version of Civilization is often considered the most streamlined and enjoyable in the series.

Limbo

A Macabre Monochrome Masterpiece

There are many compelling ways to tell a story, and the game Heavy Rain is a great example. Limbo, created by Playdead, is another. It shares a similar unsettling atmosphere with the Little Nightmares series, relying heavily on visuals to create its impact. Limbo starts with a boy waking up lost in a forest. As he moves forward, he faces various challenges – like spike pits, bear traps, and even a massive spider – that he must find ways to overcome. Sometimes a simple jump will do, but often he needs to be much more clever.

I absolutely loved exploring the world of Limbo! There are puzzles everywhere, and figuring them out is so satisfying. You’re constantly scanning your surroundings, trying to see how you can use what’s around you to get past obstacles. What’s really cool is the game doesn’t tell you what to do – it subtly encourages you to try things out and experiment. Everything you need is right there in front of you, you just have to put it together. It’s not a super long game, but it’s packed with clever ideas and has a truly unique and beautiful look that I haven’t seen anywhere else.

Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood

Possibly Ezio’s Finest Hour

When fans discuss the best Assassin’s Creed games, Black Flag is often at the top of the list. However, Brotherhood, released three years earlier, is also a strong contender for many. In Brotherhood, players follow Ezio Auditore da Firenze as he works to weaken the Templars and secure a powerful item known as the Apple of Eden. Like other games in the series, Brotherhood focuses on stealth to find these special artifacts, and it significantly improved those mechanics. The game features a much more fluid parkour system, new pulley-based tools, and gadgets for Ezio, making the world more interactive and enjoyable to explore.

The storyline involving Desmond Miles is often inconsistent in player reception, but the quest for the Apple does a good job of linking the game’s historical and modern settings as the plot unfolds. Ultimately, Brotherhood introduced both innovative features – like the ability to command a network of Assassins – and important improvements that would influence future games in the series.

2025-12-24 04:08