The game allows you to play as one of the iconic Big Daddy characters on a quest to escape Rapture, which has recently been repopulated with Little Sisters following the kidnapping of multiple little girls from communities nearby the undersea city.

The Mac version of the game also features the multiplayer mode found in the console and PC versions of the game, where players take part in the civil war that ultimately tore Rapture to pieces before the first game.

“BioShock 2 shows Rapture in a completely new light,” said David Stephen, Managing Director of Feral Interactive. “By allowing players to be a Big Daddy, it explores the emotional consequences of the Rapture project.”

The game will be available through Feral’s online store as well as the Mac App Store.

So we’ve done Holiday Guides for games, but those are a collaborative effort. Now that it’s (pretty much) too late to go get any more presents and you don’t need a Holiday Guide anymore, it’s time for a “best of” compilation! Except it’s all by me, so you might not care. Yeah, that’s the catch.

How this goes down: This is my list. I’ll put a game on it (really, just whatever I think of, there’s no order here at all), tell you why I thought it was one of the best of the year, and it’s up to you to decide whether or not you actually care about what I say. Cool, right? Except that’s like the entire rest of the Internet, so you should totally be used to that.

Without further ado, this is the part where I talk about how 2010 was such an awesome year for games, and that it’s totally impossible to pick just a few. Except I’m totally lying! Well, I’m not lying about the 2010 part, I’m lying about the impossibility. It’s totally easy to paredown games in 2010, especially when you don’t have any silly numbers hanging over your head like I do. I did that on purpose, because I’m smart. Or something.

Eh, I’ll just shut up and start listing.

Bayonetta (PS3, 360 – Rated M for the fun kind of violence and kinda-sorta nudity on a kinda-sorta regular basis)

Its fast-paced action, mixed with a campy sexuality that made a lot of people uncomfortable, makes this one of the best action games of the year. Bayonetta made me laugh, though, because it was just so on-purpose and over-the-top – I mean, seriously, she wears her hair and it’s her main weapon. That’s funny enough. The combat was a dream, too, just in case you thought I forgot about the part where the playing was the good part. (I didn’t.) You have to play it multiple times through if you’re a completist, and trust me – you won’t mind.

Red Dead Redemption (PS3, 360 – Rated M for a version of the Old West that would make John Wayne blush)

Okay, it might be Grand Theft Horse. Actually, no. “Might be” is a little weak. It’s definitely Grand Theft Horse. However, once you get past the interface’s GTA look (which took me a while, since I’m not exactly a fan of Rockstar’s signature series), there’s an awesome story to behold – one that is based fully in American history, is completely believable and beautiful, and you’re going to want to take that ride all the way to the end. My husband bought this game for himself, but I’m the one who’s spent about 60 hours playing it this year. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that Undead Nightmare easily adds tons more playtime to the title, and multiplayer is actually fun. (Except when people try to invite you to a posse when you don’t want to be there. I said no once, I don’t need to clarify that twenty more times.) This is the only multiplayer I’ve ever really enjoyed outside an MMO. I do feel, however, like I have to defend my RDR love all the time, and I probably do. The game definitely could have used a couple more months of refinement – the infamous Cougar-Man is testament enough to that, though it was always fun to see what would bug out next – and a few of the mechanics just seem off to me, especially when it comes to horseback riding. I mean, come on! We have two analog sticks – would it be that hard to use them as reins? I’m actually willing to say that, despite the occasional graphical glitch, if I were ranking things, this would sit at the top, not a doubt in the world about it. (If you’ve finished the game – and only if you’ve finished the game, I don’t want to ruin anyone’s experience – reminisce with me and watch this perfectly-placed moment that shows off the true power of in-game music and scripting. No, that wasn’t a tear coming out of my eye. It’s allergies. Winter allergies.)

Kirby’s Epic Yarn (Wii, Rated E for E-dorable)

I just got this as a gift yesterday. Best gift ever. No, seriously, I’ve had the game a day and it’s on the list. Why? It’s adorable (the word everyone seems to use when describing this if only because it’s so apt), plays incredibly well, and is designed well. You might find the arts-and-crafts aspect a little gimmicky, but I don’t care if you’re 4 or 84 – you can (and should) enjoy this game.

DJ Hero 2 (PS3, 360, Wii – rated T for lyrics)

I’ve never been a fan of classic rock (and I still only like some newer stuff), so even though there are tons of plastic instruments littering the house, the turntable is consistently my favorite. I mean, who could hate a game filled with mashups? (If the answer is you, get off my lawn.) They took everything in the original DJ Hero that was even slightly problematic, fixed it, and even added vocals. Excellent.

Once you see Bomberman, you cannot erase him from your brain.

BioShock 2 (PS3, 360, PC – Rated M for underwater drugged-up zombie folk and general scariness)

A lot of people didn’t like BioShock 2. Whatever, I’m not them. I put in the game expecting more creepy underwater Art Deco FPS action, and by golly, I got it. I also got a multiplayer mode that wasn’t really worth putting in any effort, but I don’t care. Let’s just rename it to BioShock 1.5, acknowledge that the story changed completely from conception to completion, and act like the story fits in with the original mythos. I got more of Rapture, and it was all I really wanted from a direct sequel, therefore I was pleased. Haters, to the left. Or wherever you go. Come back for BioShock Infinite, I’ll greet you with open arms.

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm (PC, Mac – Rated T because you’re playing with other people, and we know other people are idiots)

I am a WoW n00b. I acknowledge this freely. But I love it so much right now that I needed some kind of justification for putting it on the list. A 2010 expansion is that justification. Thanks, Blizzard! I spent enough time playing in the pre-Cataclysm Azeroth to recognize exactly how much work they put into the Shattering just prior to Cataclysm‘s release – and you know what? Going in and breaking a world you’ve spent years making takes guts. Kudos. I need to talk about something that a Cataclysm code actually unlocks, though – and that love comes from the two new races, Worgen and Goblins. Their starting areas are incredibly hand-holdy (I’d imagine that is even more evident to the veterans), but the origin stories they give you are an excellent few hours of fun. Since I can’t quite get to the high-level content yet (that whole n00b thing), I can only give you reports that this content is excellent, as well. I plan to make it there in 2011, so I anticipate agreeing. However, I bought this for new races alone and haven’t been disappointed.

Gran Turismo 5 (PS3 – Rated E for cars that are far less harmful than actual automobiles)

I’m still working on my review of this, actually. Fun fact: This game is massive. If it wasn’t, race fans around the world would have every right to be angry. There are over 1,000 cars (which…um, wow), damage is back, and you know what? It’s just plain fun. I don’t want to spoil everything I have to say about the game (or simulator, if you’d prefer), but I’ll leave it at this: The only way I think I could like it more would be if it let me drive my daily commute in increasingly fabulous cars. I’ll leave it up to Polyphony to recreate the Interstate Highway System. I think they can manage it.

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light (PS3, 360, PC, iOS – Rated T for guns that shoot things)

They took my favorite series and literally turned it on its head by changing it into an isometric action game. With so many camera problems in the past, this, funnily enough, may have been the right step to take. Of course, I don’t know if it’s going to stick. I mean, they are working on the reboot now, so this could be a one-off downloadable title with no sequel in sight. With so much critical acclaim, they’d be dumb not to try the formula again, though. The game features surprisingly plush environments and puzzles that were actually fun to solve – taking the series back to what it used to be (and what made me fall in love in the first place).

Heavy Rain (PS3 – Rated M for love, loss, and that time you had to go through Saw-levels-of-insane trials to save your kid)

Are you prepared to be disturbed? Because Heavy Rain is pretty disturbing at times. But it wins for me because it’s pretty much a genre-creator, in that it’s not really a game, per se, but it’s more of a choose-your-own-adventure. I loved that series of books and always figured out every possible ending, and I did the same with Heavy Rain. At the moment, it’s the only game in which I’ve actually taken the time to get the platinum trophy, because that’s how curious I was to see every ending. Again, it’s not perfect, but it was an enjoyable story that hit me in all the right places. Also, it was nice to be able to play on the hardest setting right from the very beginning, since it only tests controller familiarity. And hey, now that I’ve bought Move, I can play it all over again. For only about the tenth time.

Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 (Wii, 360, PS3, PC, DS, PSP, iOS – Rated E10+ for magical hijinks)

I’m a complete Harry Potter nerd (really, that should surprise no one) and the games for the series have always left me a little…wanting. So this re-imagining by Traveler’s Tales is pretty much exactly what I’ve been searching for the whole time. Besides automatically getting a checkmark in the “cute” column (the wordless cutscenes definitely add to this), the game actually works really well and the world is just plain gigantic, like it should be. A world that includes magic definitely lends itself to a Lego title – in fact, it makes me wish that magic, in this form, existed in every previous Lego game. It certainly helps explain a few of the game mechanics. It’s a lot of fun to create in this world, as well.

Toy Story 3 (Everything but your phone – Rated E-E10+ because Buzz Lightyear has a blinking light that is actually, totally a laser)

I file this one under “surprises.” I really didn’t expect to like this game as much as I did. First off, I normally hate (HATE HATE HATE) platformers (which makes a few items in this list surprising to me), and movie tie-ins are almost always something you can relegate to the bargain bin. But here…you know, it’s obvious that they took some kind of care with this game – much like Pixar’s movies. You’ve got the standard “recreate the movie” mode, and then you’ve also got the Toy Box, which is…well, if you took an open-world game and put it in a Toy Box featuring all the Toy Story characters. It’s great, really. (I hear that this mode loses a fair bit of its shine in every version except the PS3, 360 and PC, though, so be warned.) Even though the game is missing Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, you’d never guess, and the charm from the source material is preserved appropriately. So if you liked the movie (and really, who didn’t?) this is worth a shot.

One Chance (Flash game – Not rated, it’s the Internet)

@Cherithe recommended this game to me one night a couple of weeks ago, and it’s really resonated with me. (Luckily for you, she also reviewed it.) You’re a doctor who’s found the cure for cancer, and you get six days to play out. In those six days, you only get one chance (hence the title) to save all of humanity. This game is what Heavy Rain wanted to be, I think. You finish once, and that’s it. There’s no going back for Platinum trophies, there’s no replaying. You finish, and that’s it. Reload the page, and you’re stuck with your last decision. You make moral choices along the way, and unlike other games (BioShock comes to mind), your choices aren’t always so cut-and-dry, so absolute-good-vs.-absolute-evil. There are shades of grey in there, and I appreciate that immensely. Yeah, you can play it through again if you want to cheat the system. But that completely kills any meaning the game has. It neuters whatever beauty was there. So…just don’t do it. Own your choices – in the game and out. It’s a life lesson, really.

Trauma Team (Wii – Rated T for excessive internal organs)

This is yet another surgery game from the folks over at Atlus. (Oh, hey, I totally reviewed it!) This Wii version revitalizes the genre (or, really, it’s more like revitalizing the Trauma series), in my opinion. The comic sequences between and before surgeries inject needed doses of life into what has, for the most part, become as sterile as an operating room. I loved the new medical examiner portions, where you effectively fight crime with MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE! as well. It took lines of logic that rivaled some crazier Phoenix Wright trials to make certain connections, but figuring everything out from the evidence always felt extremely rewarding. Like Kirby up above, this was a game that made me happy I had a Wii.

So! There you have it. My favorites, in no particular order, with only one Ultimate Favorite chosen. And hey, you didn’t have to click “Next Page” once. Let this be a lesson to everyone – pagination is no fun. And yeah, I probably left out your favorite game. If I did that, it was just because I didn’t play it. Or I did, and I didn’t like it. Or I liked it, but it didn’t particularly stick out. But hey – this was a list of 13 that did.

Now, let’s bring on 2011! A lot is on the way and I’m excited to find out what I’ll love next year.

In Minerva’s Den, you’ll play as a brand-new character who is working with Bridgid Tenenbaum to bring down a dictator in the Minerva’s Den area of Rapture. This is a self-contained narrative that 2K president Christoph Hartmann considers a “fitting conclusion to the BioShock 2 saga.”

In Minerva’s Den, you’ll explore Rapture Central Computing, wield new weaponry and a new Plasmid, and take on even more new Splicers. Adding to the fun, you’ll also face a new Big Daddy type and upgraded Security Bots that throw rockets and lightning bolts (ouch).

No word on pricing or a release date yet.

Wishing for a little more for your Bioshock 2 experience? 2K Games has released today, Protector Trials, a new single-player based DLC for Bioshock 2. The DLC is now available on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 for 400 Microsoft Points and $4.99 respectively.

Protector Trials is the first DLC for the single-player campaign. In it there are challenges for combat, where the player must keep the Little Sister safe from the Splicers.

The pack has new unlockables containing concept art and videos, seven new achievements, and six new maps.

Protector Trials will feature a series of challenges that are designed to push your knowledge and mastery of weapons and plasmids. The goal is deceptively simple: players gotta keep their Little Sister safe from the crazy Splicers as she gathers ADAM from corpses. Yeah, we’ve all seen how easy it to protect Little Sisters. And by easy, I clearly mean insane.

The pack includes:

• Six new maps: three unique difficulty levels, each based on favorite locales from BioShock 2;
• New unlockables, including never-before-seen concept art and videos;
• Seven new Achievements/Trophies.

BioShock 2′s first two DLC packages – Sinclair Solutions Tester Pack and Rapture Metro Pack – are currently available for download from both the Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360 and Games for Windows-LIVE, and from the PlayStation Network for the PlayStation 3.

Protector Trials will be available starting August 3, 2010 from the Xbox LIVE Marketplace for the Xbox 360 and Games for Windows-LIVE for 400 Microsoft Points, and from the PlayStation Network for the PlayStation 3 for $4.99.

Surprise! The Rapture Metro Pack for BioShock 2 is debuting tomorrow on XBL and PSN, along with two other DLC packs: Kill’Em’Kindly, where you fight to the death with golf clubs, and a character pack that adds two more characters to the multiplayer lineup.

The Rapture Metro Pack of maps will cost 800 Microsoft points (or $9.99), while the character pack will cost 160 ($1.99). The mode that lets you beat the living daylights out of people for seemingly no reason other than a perceived threat? Totally free! Hooray for small miracles.

The map pack contains six new maps for your playing pleasure (some from the original BioShock), three new achievements/trophies and the “Rebirth” feature that allows your character to be reborn as a Level 1 rank with a special mask.

Check out this trailer for the free DLC coming tomorrow. It might make you want to play golf. Might.

This trailer, released today, gives you a flyover of all six new multiplayer maps.

It also doesn’t let us know when the DLC will be ready, instead choosing to cut in with the joke seen to the left.

One thing the trailer doesn’t mention is the game’s new “Kill ‘Em Kindly” mode. This involves no weapons…except golf clubs. No, not kidding.

It’ll really make more sense once you watch it below. The trailer itself is incredibly entertaining and well-styled.

What maps are you looking forward to? I’m so excited (and in Jessie Spano style, I’m also so scared) that Siren Alley is being included. So many places to hide on all of these maps!

Apparently quite a few people heard about 2K’s upcoming “Rapture Metro Pack” for BioShock 2, and they asked a ton of questions about it. So, 2K let some more details slip, and even added a couple of screenshots to the mix!

The DLC pack will cost 800 MS Points, or $9.99 if you’re getting it from PlayStation Network. Six brand-new maps will be available for multiplayer, they’re adding three new achievements/trophies, and the new “Rebirth” feature for multiplayer gives you the option to start completely over once you reach rank 50 – if you do it, you get a special mask.

2K also clarified that the new content won’t be available this week. They also didn’t say when it would be available, so it sounds like we have a wait on our hands, but maybe not a long one.

Will you be grabbing this?

If you’ve seen me online lately, I’ve probably been too busy playing Bioshock 2′s multiplayer to notice any other games (I wish this was an exaggeration). Really, you should try it – it’s a satisfying gaming experience. Fortunately, I was able to unglue myself from the screen long enough to notice that I had been given the opportunity to play a new game from Bioshock 2′s Lead Programmer, Jesse Attard (you may remember his name from the Bioshock 2 developer conference call I sat in on before the release). Turns out, Jesse has taken his talent and experience and started his own company, Tactic Studios. Their new game is called Immortal Empire, a foray into the brower-based RPG world. Check out my interview with Jesse below, and then go to his site and download Immortal Empire.

Q: What was the decision behind going from something like the Bioshock 2 multiplayer to Immortal Empire?

A: Immortal Empire was something I started developing before I began working on Bioshock 2. It was developed in my spare time really just as a hobby because I love making games. Working on a major project like Bioshock was an awesome experience and there was an excellent level of camaraderie among the team.  It has a unique and fascinating universe that was lots of fun to explore – but it’s a universe someone else created. Immortal Empire was an opportunity to bring something I imagined to life, and seeing it materialize is a very special and different feeling.

The class designs are amazing, and it was really hard deciding which character I wanted to go with.

Q: Is “browser-based multiplayer RPG” a genre you’re personally interested in?

A: I love RPGs, being a huge fan of Diablo and Baldur’s Gate, with some obvious influences making their way into Immortal Empire. I knew I wanted to create something that had a storyline and party system like Baldur’s Gate, but was complemented by the multiplayer style and item structure found in Diablo.

The browser-based market was a good medium for the game.  The scope of browser-based games allowed me to make sure I could create a full-fledged world in that old school isometric style, without it feeling extremely dated.  I had no budget other than my own personal income and very little time because I was busily working away on Bioshock.  Web games seemed like a perfect avenue for a game such as this where I could make storyline and gameplay the focus, rather than the mindblowing graphics you see on modern consoles nowadays.

Q: What has the feedback been like for Immortal Empire?

A: It’s been very positive.  Customers tell me it gets more engaging the deeper you go, as you see more storyline and unlock more party members, the strategy becomes more evident and has greater depth.  It’s really exciting to hear comments like that, because it means they are enjoying the more complex and subjective parts of the game.  Those are the parts that I think are the hardest to get right, since everybody has their own opinions on what makes an interesting story or a fun game.

A lot of people tell us that they want more!  Which is good news because we’re planning an expansion in the near future that will explore a lot of the Polar and Volcanic realms, with new monsters, NPCs, quests, the whole bit.

Q: What is your personal background and how did you get to where you are now?

A: I’m a computer science graduate so my primary skill is programming.  That’s what I’ve focused my career around, but I love music, art, writing and game design as hobbies.  Before I started work on console games I was a manager at Capcom’s North American mobile games studio, making mobile versions of their classic games like Street Fighter 2 or Resident Evil.  That’s really where I felt I got to flex my creative skills because I was contributing pixel art, music, sound effects, programming, as well as designing the games.

This is how you correctly use pixels.

Q: Are you playing Immortal Empire, and if so, which class are you playing as?

A: Absolutely. I’ve played through it several times with every character, my favourite probably being the Summoner.  She just has a huge arsenal of powerful magic spells all centered around summoning “something”, and are really fun to use.  I also like the Berserker and Treant.  They’re the most badass of the Immortals I’d say, the Treant being a huge slow tank, and the Berserker being quick and powerful.

Q: Bioshock 2 mulitplayer is amazingly fun – how did you like working on that?

A: I’m glad you think so! I happen to find it pretty fun too.  What can I say, Bioshock was a great franchise and we had a fantastic team.  The project went smoothly and both Digital Extremes and 2K worked very hard on creating a quality product.  I’m very happy with the reception and the number of people who seem to be playing multiplayer.

Q: What’s next for you and Tactic Studios?

A: Well I’m still working full time as a Lead Programmer on a new secret console game, but that won’t stop me from focusing on Tactic.  The next thing is to keep updating Immortal Empire.  We have two expansions worth of content planned, with each expansion roughly doubling the length of the current game.  We’re also adding a very light, optional micro-transaction system, which should come online before the expansion is complete.  Other community features such as PVP ladder, tournaments, trading and the like are also planned after the first expansion.  I really want to make sure Immortal Empire is what I’d consider to be a “full” RPG before we move onto another game – somewhere around 50 to 60 hours of gameplay.

After that however, a new game is definitely the plan.  I have lots of other fun ideas and stories to tell, and I won’t stop making games until they’re out there

The Sinclair Solutions Test Pack contains a number of customization features that will allow players to further their character’s development in BioShock 2’s multiplayer modes and provide a deeper multiplayer experience. The pack includes:

• Rank Increase to level 50 with Rank Rewards
• New playable characters: Louie McGraff and Oscar Calraca
• 20 new trials (available at rank 41+)
• A third weapon upgrade for each weapon
• Five additional masks (available at rank 41+)

The single player experience will also be extended to provide additional insight into the world of Rapture. These packages will include more narrative, new tools and new challenges that extend the lore and fiction of the failed Utopia under the sea.