Long read: The beauty and drama of video games and their clouds

"It's a little bit hard to work out without knowing the altitude of that dragon..."

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Eurogamer Expo 2010 Top 10

Including your game of the show.

5. Dead Space 2

For a game that supposedly bombed at retailers, Dead Space hasn't done badly building up a following in the last two years, and it's no surprise to see it on your most-wanted list for the months ahead. The sequel removes Isaac Clarke to a space station called the Sprawl, which poses many of the same threats as the first game's stricken Ishimuura, but with a huge population to worry about too.

4. Gears of War 3

We were probably the only people on the planet delighted to hear that Gears of War 3 had been delayed. Hardly surprising, given we heard about its slip to autumn 2011 just after we opened the show doors on the first day of the Expo, knowing we now had it playable around a year ahead of release. We were hardly alone in enjoying the Beast mode demo on the show floor, however, which was General RAAMed throughout the event as you discovered how Horde might work with the shoe on the other foot.

3. Killzone 3

The invasion's over, so now it's time for the peace, right? Well, probably not, given that the game's called KILLZONE. The third instalment picks up where the second left off, with protagonist Sev and his colleagues caught in the battle between rival factions on Helghan hoping to fill the vacuum left by Visari. After the darkness comes the light, too, with developer Guerrilla promising a bit more humour as well as brighter locations - best illustrated by the battles above and upon huge ice floes. Also: jetpacks. Get in.

2. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood

When Ubisoft said it was introducing multiplayer to Assassin's Creed in a new episode featuring ACII hero Ezio, we didn't jump for joy. In fact, we muttered something unrepeatable and wondered how long we'd have to wait before we found out about Desmond's future, because after the way ACII concluded, the last thing on our mind was another round with Ezio, let alone 16 Ezios controlled by squeaky teenage adversaries. Brotherhood looks like it could change our minds though. Never mind Ezio - the real thrill in ACII was rinsing the game's fabulous cities, each more packed than the last with hidden collectibles and parcels of intrigue. Brotherhood brings us to Rome. The multiplayer, meanwhile, was one of your stars of the Expo - a game of cat and mouse where the mouse doesn't know it's the mouse and the cat's playing it cool.

1. Brink

Last year Splash Damage founder Paul Wedgwood headlined our developer sessions with a superb presentation of Brink's customisation systems and unique approach to the multiplayer first-person shooter. This year Splash Damage brought the game for you to play ahead of its spring 2011 launch, and it's fair to say it kept up the momentum! Whether you like single-player FPS campaigns or team-based multiplayer, and whether you like accessible controls that let you vault over random terrain like a pro or you prefer to handle the fine details of movement yourself, Brink has you covered, while veteran designers from the likes of Killzone 2, Fable II, Counter-Strike and more are responsible for the levels, art and storyline. What's not to like? Judging by Brink's success at the Expo, not much.