The 2010 Electronic Entertainment Expo -- better known as E3 -- is said and done, and we managed to see a lot of great stuff. Of course, some games really stood out -- and we're happy to present you with our annual pick of the litter. So sit back, relax, and check out our very favorite games and technologies of E3 2010!

Overall/Platform Awards

Overall (and Multiplatform) Game of Show:
Portal 2 (PC/360/PS3)

During our demo for Valve's highly anticipated sequel, the first thing Project Manager Erik Johnson mentioned was the fact that the developers had no idea that Portal would resonate with gamers the way it did. While that's obviously a good thing in many ways, it had to have put a lot of pressure on the development team tasked with creating a sequel to one of the most beloved games of this generation. Judging by what we saw during our two separate behind-closed-doors demos, they handled the pressure beautifully, creating what's sure to be one of the most intelligently designed games of 2011. Yes, Portal 2's got its hooks in us and it's not even coming out this year.

So what makes Portal 2 such a unique experience, especially when we live in a time when sequels really only need to live up to the "bigger, better, and more badass" credo to be considered successful? Amazingly, the game feels less like a sequel than the first true Portal game, almost as if the game we all came to know and love was just a glorified tech demo. There are a staggering number of new and wildly inventive gameplay mechanics on display here (note to Valve: we probably would have been happy with one or two), from squirtable goos that can help you move faster or bounce higher to air vents that allow you to suck enemies in through your portals to lasers that can be redirected using special crystal cubes to... you know what, you're better off just watching these hilarious videos of the entire demo (but continue on for some stuff you won't see!):







Pretty cool, huh? What wasn't show publicly was the new co-op mode, which looks to be one of those types of experiences that ends marriages and drives wedges between old friends (and we mean that in a good way). There's actually a completely separate co-op campaign with different puzzles that will intertwine with the single-player story. Best of all, both the single-player and multiplayer offerings will be upwards of six hours in length, dwarfing the all-too-short original game. We generally feel like longer isn't always better, but we think you'll agree that this is one case in which we'll happily take as much as we can get.

Runners-Up: Dead Space 2, Epic Mickey, Rock Band 3


PS3 Game of Show:
Heavy Rain: Move Edition (PS3)

We can already hear everyone crying foul on this one, but it's the honest truth: The PlayStation Move-enabled edition of Heavy Rain put on an impressive show, and single-handedly made us lust for the Move. This peripheral addresses the creepy adventure's unwieldy controls, transforming awkward bumbling into intuitive exploration. Plus, well, Heavy Rain's also just a great game -- and, as system exclusives go, it's still far more captivating than the deluge of generic-looking shooters and increment-the-number announcements that Sony and company unveiled during E3. Our only hope is that Heavy Rain isn't the only big game to get such royal treatment when it comes to the Move; copycat or not, the thing has a lot of potential. The applications are what matter, and this is a pretty impressive first step.



Runners-Up: Infamous 2, Killzone 3


Xbox 360 Game of Show:
Dance Central (360)

Surprised? Don't be. While dance games have been around for years, it took the genre-defining smarts of the developers at Harmonix to finally make a dance game that made you feel like a dancer, not just some guy flailing his feet (sorry DDR fans). The developer that made playing plastic instruments cooler than playing real ones (at least for a little while) is now offering us a chance to show what we can do on the dancefloor. Hey, we may not be Saturday Night Fever's Tony Manero, but we're not Seinfeld's Elaine Benes either.

Of course, it's not like you're going to be doing Power Step Hops or Flares right off the bat, as all it takes is a few embarassing gaffes to turn off beginners. Instead, players have the option of practicing the core moves before the song starts, and will even be able to slow down more advanced moves so it's easier to master the footwork. It's also one of the few Kinect games that actually shows off the true potential of the peripheral, providing a fun, educational experience with instant feedback. After just a few dances, we were hooked.

Then there's the music, which (so far) ranges from Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" and "Hella Good" by No Doubt" to "Body Movin'" by The Beastie Boys and Bell Biv Devoe's "Poison". There looks to be a nice mix of songs from the 70s, 80s and 90s, meaning there will be a little something from everyone. And to think you might have never known about Granny's former life as a disco queen.


Runners-Up: Fable III, Gears of War 3, Halo: Reach