The world of computer and video games has witnessed a revolution of a magnitude, that has transformed this industry vertical into one of the most lucrative and perhaps the most entertaining of all media activities. There was a time when, games such as the like of Contra, Sonic and Mario Bros. were considered to be befit for kids and adults on the other hand, didn’t have any real interest in playing such games.

However, consider the post year 2000 period and you’ll find yourself staring in the face of incredible advances made in the field of gaming engines, with the emergence of some of the best visual graphics rendering companies such as the likes of NVIDIA, ATI etc. These entities not only took the gaming culture to a cult level status, but they paved the road for faster than light evolution of modern gaming. The introduction of gaming consoles such as the Sony PlayStation series and Microsoft Xbox 360, took the gamers from their computer tables to the their couch in the living room, providing them with an unparallel experience in high definition (HD) gaming and creating social networking venues for the players to connect with friends and other gamers and share their triumphs.

Keeping in tune with the legend that, modern gaming has become, here is our very own choice of some of the coolest and most engaging games to hit the circuits in the year 2010.

• Dead Rising 2: Developed by Capcom, Dead Rising 2 is a survival horror game for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Windows platforms and is has been one of the most awaited sequels. DR 2 takes place in a fictional city, modeled after Las Vegas Nevada, where the zombie infection of Dead Rising 1 has now taken over the entire U.S. The protagonist, Chuck Greens will be seen fighting numerous zombies and surviving psychopaths to earn money so as maintain a steady supply of the ‘Zombrex’ vaccine for his daughter.

• Call of Duty: Black Ops: After the immense success achieved by Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, developers Treyarch and publishers Activision are now gearing up for the launch of the all new Call of Duty: Special Ops. Unlike its predecessor, the Modern Warfare series, in Special Ops, the players will be thrown back in time to the Cold War, where they will lead highly specialized covert units deep behind enemy lines ranging from the Ural Mountains to Vietnam. Players will even be able to control combat aircrafts such as SR-71 Blackbird and Hind attack choppers. Call of Duty: Special Ops is slated for a launch on November 9th, 2010 and will be available for Microsoft Windows, Sony PS 3 and Nintendo Wii.

• God of War III: Designed and developed by Santa Monica Studio for the Sony PlayStation 3 console, God of War 3 is one of the most highly anticipated sequels for the year 2010 and since its release in March this year, the game so far attained more than 90% positive critic scores. The protagonist of the game, Kratos makes a comeback from God of War 2 and is tasked with the accomplishment of combat and various puzzle games. Apart from the default weapon called, ‘Blades of Exile’, Kratos will also be equipped with new weapons such as Claws of Hades, the Nemean Cestus and the Nemesis Whip. God of War 3 is one of the most acclaimed titles on the Sony PS3 and in the very first week of its launch, the game sold 1.1 million units across the world.

• Halo: Reach: Published by Microsoft, Halo Reach is FPS game that, takes the players back to the year 2552, at a time when the human forces were entwined in a battle for survival against the alien forces of the Covenant. The storyline for the game is set before the events of the Halo: Combat Evolved. Halo Reach puts the player in the role of the protagonist, Noble 6, a Spartan warrior and a member of the Spartan elite, Noble Team. The game has been modified in terms of weapons and power ups. Unlike Halo 3, players in Halo Reach will be provided with reusable and persistent armor abilities, that need not be replenished. Furthermore, Halo Reach also has been given new weapon systems, and a chance for the players to fight alongside the legendary Spartan warriors of the Halo universe. Halo: Reach will be officially launched on September 14, 2010 and will be available exclusively on Xbox 360.

• Mass Effect 2: Developed by BioWare and launched in January this year, Mass Effect 2 has become one of the most enticing and engaging action role playing game across various platforms. Mass Effect 2 takes off after the events of its predecessor and is centered around the creation of an elite team under the supervision of Commander Shephard, who is killed by an alien species, but is later revived by a group called Cerberus. For Mass Effect 2, the developers significantly upgraded the combat system and the A.I (artificial intelligence), along with the introduction of realistic damage, that also includes continued fighting from put down enemies. Two main changes seen in this sequel, include the introduction of regenerative health as against med packs and the use of ammunitions, instead of the overheating system, as portrayed in the prequel. Mass Effect 2 is available on Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360.

• Splinter Cell: Conviction: The fifth installment in the Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell series and developed by Ubisoft Montreal, Splinter Cell: Conviction takes off soon after the events of Splinter Cell: Double Agent. In this latest version, the players will once again resume the role of the fearless NSA agent, Sam Fisher, who is now trying to cope up with the loss of his daughter. However, the news from a trusted ally, Anna “Grim” Grímsdóttir, that his daughter is very much alive, sets Sam on a mission to find his daughter and terminate the NSA mole. Ubisoft has incorporated several new features and moves into this latest Splinter Cell title, such as the use ‘Mark & Execute’ feature, where in the players will be able to target multiple enemies as well as objects and destroy them at the same time. Splinter Cell: Conviction was released April, 2010 across Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and a iPhone version of the game was launch on May 27th, 2010.

• Red Dead Redemption: Released in May 2010 for Xbox 360 and Sony PS 3, Red Dead Redemption is a action-adventure western video game, that puts the players in the shoes of John Marston, who is portrayed as an outlaw in the year 1911, who is carrying a vendetta against his former gang members and intends to snub them. Red Dead Redemption is published by Rockstar Games and the title upon its release was met by critical acclaim from all over the world, while generating great reviews. Unlike the modern settings of various titles, for this game, the players would have top rely on horses for transportation instead of hummers and helicopters and will be wielding 1900 era weapons with a combination of hand to hand combat. The weapons available in Red Dead Redemption include, revolvers, pistols, lever or bolt-action rifles, knives, explosives, lassos, mounted gatling guns, shotguns, and cannons.

• Grand Turismo 5: The much cherished Grand Turismo series makes a comeback on the Sony PS 3 console in the form of Grand Turismo 5. Published by Sony Computer Entertainment, the Grand Turismo 5 or GT 5 will for the first time ever, provide the players with an online mode, that would support up to 16 players. The GT5 will be provided with 170 cutting edge sports cars with night racing being available in every mode and race track of the game. Players will be able to race down 20 total track locations driving some of the most desirable four wheels such as Lamborghini, Bugatti, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, McLaren F1, along with a host of hybrid and electric cars including Toyota Prius and the Honda Insight. Grand Turismo 5 is slated for launch in November 2010.

• Battlefield: Bad Company 2: Published by Electronic Arts, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 was released in March 2010 and was considered to be one of the awaited sequels in the gaming industry. One of the salient features of the game is the player’s ability to earn points by performing various engineering and medical tasks, that do not involve direct combat. Furthermore, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 has now been given a new system called, “Destruction 2.0″, that enables the players level entire buildings and kill any soldiers in there with sustained and overwhelming firepower. Among other additions to the game, the developer have added new combat vehicles in the shape of UH-60 Black Hawk, a quad bike, a three-man patrol boat, a personal watercraft, a ZU-23 mounted on a BTR-D armored personnel carrier, and a UAV helicopter. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is available on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.

• 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa: Celebrating the spirit of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, EA Sports launched the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa on April 27th, 2010. This all new game features all 199 teams that were part of the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification matches. Players will be able to choose from the 199 teams to either play against the A.I or against their friends an other players, via online gaming services like PlayStation Network and Xbox Live and the game features all ten stadiums in South Africa, currently hosting the World Cup. Since the launch of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa, the game has gained much appreciation and quite positive reviews in terms of game play and graphics along with variety of team and better commentary. The 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa is available across most platforms such as PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, PlayStation Portable and iPhone OS