FEATURE: PLAYDEVIL'S GAME OF THE YEAR 2009 AWARDS Posted by PlayDevil.com Staff on Jan 27, 2010 12:06 (44 days ago) |
 So, 2009 is closed, and "Playdevil.com" has had a superb year, with a brand new site, and more reviews in the 8 months since we launched than we averaged a year with the old site!
Anyway, loads of great games have come out this year, more than we thought would after a great 2008. And whilst they may not have received the highest scores at the time, here are PlayDevil's Top 5 Games that had the longest lasting impression on us that were released in 2009.
Our 4 reviewers have made a list of their best games that were released in 2009 with on top, their 'Game Of The Year'. Enjoy!
5. Forza Motorsport 3 (Ian)
Forza didn’t reinvent the driving game, or even revolutionise it. But the sheer quantity of content, coupled with several significant gameplay improvements, including the flashback, coupled with the brilliant scalable difficulty, and the brilliant online functionality meant that despite strong competition from Dirt 2 and NFS: Shift, Forza 3 was the best driving game release of the year
5. UFC Undisputed 2009 (Mark)
MMA fans have waited years for this game and suffice to say that it did not disappoint. Although it had it’s faults it was a brilliant game and UFC 2010 should be even better.
5. Resident Evil 5 (Alex)
Any who talked to me while I was playing RE5 would have heard me complain about indefinable flaws I found in the game. How it wasn’t scary, or a horror game and how it didn’t ‘feel’ like Resident Evil. I stand by those comments, for me it wasn’t as good as the original game or Resident Evil 4, but when those stand as two of the games dearest to my heart that isn’t as damning as it may sound. Resident Evil 5 kept me coming back for months, I earned every achievement, unlocked every… unlockable… and finished the game some seven or eight times. Now I am just looking forward to seeing what they do with for the downloadable content later this year.
5. Street Fighter IV (Chris)
What's initially striking about Street Fighter IV is its gorgeous art-style, making the game very appealing, even if the character models are no longer 2D. The game is also very appealing thanks to its very well tuned mechanics, oh and not forgetting to mention that Dragon Punches just never seem to get old, even when I'm on the receiving end of one.
4. Borderlands (Ian)
Borderlands again, is a title that doesn’t do anything new- although here it mashes up Diablo and COD to create a slightly different genre. Shooters normally only keep me occupied for 6-7 hours before they wear thin, but Borderlands had me hooked until the end of the campaign, and then the first DLC too with its unique blend of tight shooting, quest-based gameplay system, co-op and, of course, the huge quantities of loot.
4. Street Fighter 4 (Mark)
Gorgeous visuals improved on the classic series ten fold. Undoubtedly one of the greatest ever console beat em up games.
4. The Path (Alex)
Controlling one of seven Little Red Riding Hoods on their way to Grandma’s house The Path is evocative, soulful and terrifying. Defiantly a more relaxed, and almost passive, experience compared to most games. It may only appeal to a select group who are interested in narrative and expression in games. Those that fit this bill (like myself) will find a Grimm Fairy Tale experience unlike any other title on the market.
4. Killzone 2 (Chris)
Despite the theme of war and gas mask wearing hostiles, Killzone 2 is a beautiful game. It's a game that really shows that the PS3 is surging with power under its shiny bonnet, but more importantly it's a very well made cover-based FPS game that really took the potential of the PS2 original and then made it realize that potential. It's just a shame that they had to take Gears of War as story inspiration, resulting in boring, loud-mouthed soldiers.
3. Tales of Vesperia (Ian)
The Tales series has been going for a long time, and we had to wait ages for a European release as well, but boy, was it worth the wait! A stunningly beautiful, cell-shaded world that felt like you were directing your own cartoon, a deep yet action-packed real-time combat system, a gripping story, and over 60 hours of gameplay meant that ToV was not just a standout Japanese RPG, or even RPG, but simply a standout game in 2009.
3. Batman Arkham Asylum (Mark)
A real surprise this one. Offering a brilliant storyline and gameplay to match this was my surprise hit of 2009.
3. Uncharted 2 (Alex)
It is an over used expression but describing Uncharted 2 as cinematic is the only way I know to do the games presentation justice. Some of the most breathtaking graphics and voice work yet seen on a home console combine with set pieces that would not be out of place in an Indian Jones movie to create an experience which is almost as fun to watch as it is to play.
3. Uncharted 2 (Chris)
Whilst the game got the blind-fire wrong (it's just too easy to pull off), Uncharted 2 still does a lot of things right. Like the original, it combines fluid platforming, action and a great cover system (well, apart from the blind-fire). Nathan Drake and company are also, whilst very cliched, some of the finest characters on any game, thanks to brilliant dialogue delivery from the involved actors. The game is just full of memorable moments and has a deserving production budget to go with it.
2. Modern Warfare 2 (Ian)
As I said in my review, I really wanted to hate MW2- the series had got really stale in my opinion. And then Infinity Ward blew me away. Again, we’re talking about subtle improvements here, but the bombastic, action-flick single player, brilliant co-op modes, and a far more balanced multiplayer mode made this one of the most polished, fun, and long-lasting titles released in 2009.
2. Uncharted 2 (Mark)
Impoved on it’s predecessor with a superb storyline and excellent visuals. This is one game you must play!
2. Dragon Age (Alex)
Released the latest of my top five Dragon Age Origins has the advantage of being the freshest in my mind, but having pumped neigh on forty hours into the game in the last three weeks I can declare this one of the best of the year. It isn’t pretty, the game went into development some time ago and the engine seems to have only undergone some mild tweaks since it began. Its lack of visual pizzazz however is more than made up for by hours of unique dialogue delivered by its superb cast.
2. Batman: Arkham Asylum (Chris)
Until Arkham Asylum had been released I had never played such a well made Batman game. The eponymous Arkham Asylum is a truly wonderful environment to explore, somewhat reminiscent of Bioshock and very atmospheric. It's not only fun to explore, but the silky smooth combat system deserves credit for trying to please the button masher as well as those who like some added depth to their fights. If I have any complaints about the game, it's that the stealth could have been a little deeper and less contrived (there always seems to be gargoyles to swing between, which is just too convenient.)
And what is their BEST game of 2009 ? Their "Game Of The Year" ? Read their 'Number One's' on the following page to find out!
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Jan 29, 2010 13:33:03 (42 days ago)
