Games Of 2010 Are Better Than 2009, So Far

Have you stopped to wonder how the quality of games released in the first half of this year compare to last year? You have? Well wonder no longer, because review aggregate site Metacritic has done the number crunching, and so far the gaming landscape is a critical cornucopia.

Even though the NPD numbers for 2010 show that overall game sales are down from this time last year, the review scores are up. Back in 2009’s first half Street Fighter IV(94) landed the highest score (94), this year there are three titles that have scored higher – Super Mario Galaxy 2 (98), Mass Effect 2 (96), and Red Dead Redemption (95).

Platform-wise, the Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, and PC managed to secure the best median Metacritic scores, with the PSP coming in last.

While games like God of War III (92), Heavy Rain (87), and Alan Wake (83) have enjoyed solid scores, other anticipated title like Lost Planet 2 (PS3/360: 68), Dante’s Inferno (PS3: 75, 360:73), and Dark Void (PS3/360: 59, PC: 57) failed to meet expectations.

Metacritic’s Top 5 Cross-Platform Games Through June 30, 2010:

1. Mass Effect 2 (95)
2. Red Dead Redemption (95)
3. Super Street Fighter IV (92)
4. Bayonetta (89)
5. BioShock 2 (88)

Remember, this is only the beginning of the year, and as Metacritic is quick to remind us the best games generally release closer to the holidays. We’ve still got games like Dead Rising 2, StarCraft II, and Call of Duty: Black Ops coming down the pipe.