From defeating the gods to becoming king, a myriad of achievements and countless trophies have been earned in 2010, but which were the most meaningful? It’s time to take a look back at the gaming benchmarks that epitomized virtual accomplishment this year and pick them apart until a mere five have been proclaimed "the top." They receive their title either for their creativity, their merciless eye towards violence, or maybe a little bit of both. These are the milestones not to be missed this year, regardless of their difficulty or their simplicity. These are the Top 5 Achievements/Trophies of 2010.
*As these do represent in-game accomplishment, they are prone to give away plot points or hints. Spoiler alert!*
5) Bad Nanny – Dante’s Inferno
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Dante’s journey into the layers of hell pits the poet and crusader against plenty of disgusting, bloated, over-sexualized foes. But to Visceral Games, no enemy was more deserving of this brutish achievement/trophy than the vile un-baptized babies. Who put those claws on their hands? Who gave them the thirst for blood? All we can really say is that it looks hilarious and downright insufferable when Dante rips one in half with Death’s scythe.
4) Don’t Let the Wookie Win – Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2
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The word of George Lucas is a serious matter around LucasArts, so rewriting some of his original work was a bold move for the team that developed Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2‘s DLC, The Battle of Endor. No doubt Lucas sanctioned this move as a kind of tongue-in-cheek offshoot, like Inglorious Basterd‘s Hitler murder to a history textbook. Whatever the case, there’s something sickly satisfying about shoving it to Han and Chewie in what used to be their moment of triumph.
3) Dastardly – Red Dead Redemption
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This is one of the few achievements that actually caused me to perform a real gesture while waiting for the fruits of my labor. As I laid the poor prostitute on the track and watched the smokestack from the train roll nearer, I reached a hand to my imaginary handlebar moustache above my lip and twisted it menacingly. Why didn’t anyone think of this sooner!?
2) 9-Irony – BioShock 2
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The reference here, like most of BioShock 2, is a nod to Irrational Games, the creators of the original BioShock and the dark humor that permeates the halls of Rapture. It wasn’t bad enough for Andrew Ryan to be vilified, overcome by a gangster in Irishman’s clothing, then murdered by his own genetically grown son, but now his likeness is being defamed all over the decrepit city. Will it ever end?
1) Perfect Crime – Heavy Rain
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Quantic Dream knows how to tell a story, and nowhere is that more evident than the possible ending accompanied by this trophy. It requires a lot of careful planning, but assuming all the pieces are in place, the ultimate in criminal capers allow for one of the most sadistic endings in modern generation gaming. Just clean up the fingerprints, allow Lauren, Hassan, and Kramer to perish, and forcibly murder Madison and Jayden — the Origami Killer’s finest masterpiece, and a heavily laden trophy for the old mantle.
