After great debate, Heavy Rain takes the crown as a game that means more to the culture than it may to the gamers that played it.
A couple things you should know about, what I consider, the highest honor of all these awards being given. Below, in the honorable mention section, you're going to notice three games which got some pretty harsh reviews by yours truly. My position on said reviews hasn't changed. However, the reason why these games earned the honorable mention nod is because, no matter my feelings on these games, I recognize a certain quality in them.
God of War III had a piss poor story that ran out of steam two-to-three hours in. But the art design of the cut scenes and the design and style of Kratos' final epilogue warrants a play. Alpha Protocol is a game that doesn't become mildly entertaining until playing through it two or three times. The conversation and espionage mechanics far outweigh the incredibly broken gunplay and graphics engine. Finally, Final Fantasy XIII was one of the worst single player experiences I endured in all of 2010. The characters are annoying. The story is convoluted [and this is coming from someone who liked Bayonetta & Vanquish's individual stories] and lets not forget the 12-hour handhold-fest before the game lets you really play it.
Play Final Fantasy XIII for its amazing active time battle system and refreshing challenges that went missing in recent games in the franchise; once a player grinded to a high level.
The reason I value single player experiences so highly is because they are becoming a dying breed. The aforementioned games may not have been the best story-based experiences, but something is happening in these games. This is why the award for best single player game of 2010 goes to Quantic Dream's Heavy Rain.
A game rife with localization issues, awkward control mechanics and if we really wanted to be reductive, a hi-res Choose Your Own Adventure-style game. When you play Heavy Rain, you can tell that Icarus is getting too close to the sun. What this game wants to be isn't what it ultimately became. The execution is close enough. One of the few justifiable reasons to put an M-rating on a game box. Heavy Rain pits you in situations that actual mature people can relate to. Have you ever lost someone or been lost in a mall? True terror is shown through mechanics and storytelling not reliant on a zombiefied dog or cheap jump scares.
There are tons of games that came out in the last 5 years that exploit the graphic engines and online capabilities of this new generation of gaming consoles. Heavy Rain is one of few games that reminds the player that there is still value between one person, their controller, and an experience that is definitely worth the financial risk.
Honorable Mention: Red Dead Redempton, Bayonetta, Vanquish, Final Fantasy XIII, God Of War III, Alpha Protocol, Blaz Blue: Continuum Shift