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adziboy

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Best of 2009

Adziboy: Best of 2009

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  • What can I say? Outstanding game. I have never really taken much interest in Gearbox before now, but Borderlands totally changed that. Borderlands has kept me playing for hours on end, and many more days than any other game this year. I've played MMO's less than this. Combat is challenging, rewarding, exciting and balanced and offers great gameplay throughout the campaign, played solo or co-op. Travelling has been improved upon games like Fallout 3 with the use of vehicles, and although slightly shallow, offer a great way of exploring and travelling to places quickly.

    I am much anticipating a sequel and am giving this the honour of 1st place, GOTY. Thank you Gearbox and well done on making a superb game.

  • Much of the developer ass-licking from my above entry at number one can be transferred here since Naughty Dog have delivered a game that is much more than just a summer blockbuster and offers an aptitude of gameplay in one package. Uncharted 1 was signifcantly better than most action games at that time, and really set a standard, and Uncharted 2 follows suit. The single player campaign packs a punch that will keep hitting you every few minutes with a set piece which is much more than an interactive cutscene. Everything works well in a single package and most people would be happy with that.

    But Naughty Dog, as developers who push themselves, went further than step forward and offered us co-op and multiplayer which many though would fail miserably but instead, just kept on raising the benchmark. A truly magnificent game worthy of a GOTY spot were it not for a new IP which offered slightly longer gameplay.

  • Nobody thought that an RPG with next to no marketing whatsoever would become an instant classic on the PS3. A game which many didn't even know about, and many more don't - in fact, most of Europe.

    Difficulty in a game is normally managed by your skill level in previous games, but Demons Souls is a unique action real-time RPG which gives much more than just your average hack and slash or turned based combat. Timing and patience is key and after succeeding, is very rewarding in that you managed to overcome something many have given up hours before on, and the fact that you use pure skill and knowledge to get past these obstacles.

    Not much else to say about this amazing game which everyone should try out, and promptly return if they are just a few percent a 'casual gamer'.

  • Batman games have been coming and going, but none have managed to make a real imapct in the videogame market, so surprisingly, a Batman game was made. But this is where the long line of no-hype batman games ends ad only just begins. With a Batman sequel recently announced, you know that the game must've done something right.

    The game mixes a flawless beat 'em up combat which takes many elements and combines them into not just the best this year, but possibly the best ever. Flawless means perfection. Top notch graphics, astonishing voice actors and a story fit for the comic books makes this number 4 in my GOTY top ten.

  • This year is full of surprises. One of them was Ubisoft. The team who gave us Assassns Creed 1, the game which albeit repetitive gave a fascinating journey through time and fell short of classic status, is back, but this time, there's no falling short. Assassins Creed 2 is what many people wanted Assassins Creed 1 to be, but that was never going to happen. Assassins Creed 2 is so fleshed out and polished that a new IP like this would become more than a classic.

    AC2 fixes and improves everything about the old game, leaving nothing stale, and they do it with great talent as the game comes out to be one of the best action-adventure games ever produced. It's mix of amazing free-running which although isn't perfect is enjoyable, new combat animations and an overall better combat experience make for a very enjoyable game and one that shouldn't be missed by anyone who is remotely interested.

  • inFAMOUS is a strange game. For starters, it's spelt inFAMOUS - not infamous or Infamous, inFAMOUS.

    Luckily the standard of naming games is a one-off and the team behind inFAMOUS, Sucker Punch, are miles better at developing action-adventure games.

    Borrowing the much loved sandbox elements in games like GTAIV, it creates a living city that falls short of the quality expected in a Rockstar game but still manages to captivate people when playing and offers enough realism to make the game that bit more enjoyable. The climbing isn't as elegant as other titles such as Assassins Creed 2 but it certainly makes it accessible and easy, while still looking like a superhero. The city feels very much alive when gliding, swinging, climbing and 'surfing'.

    Combat only helps improve this experience - every inch of combat is polished enough to nearly make Uncharted 2 feel weak. Lots of choices and gameplay elements churned into the slightly button mashing combat makes it extremely fun, varied and offers plenty of replayability.

    The game is only let down by a mediocre voice cast and a almost-there story turned Indy-crystal-skull wierd at the end. A sequel is much anticipated to clear odd ends and hopefully add to the already stunning game.

  • Torchlight is the odd one out on this list. For one, it's a PC game only. But the obvious difference is the amount of money used to make this game - it's one of the smallest titles this year and except from a few people, was hardly known for a while. People who are born in the 90's who missed out on the cm long pixels have been graced with gorgues visuals and many turned Diablo down for that reason. Torchlight gives them a reason to hang their heads in shame, as the creaters of Diablo and a new team bring this title which polishes and fixes everything about Diablo and streamlines it into a game accessible by anyone yet still hardcore to those who wish.

    For such a small title, its outstanding what they've done and to earn a spot, high up at 7th for that, among big name titles and exclusives which have recieved funding massively shadowing this is a massive feat and will hopefully make other smaller developers remember that clever game design, rewarding combat, great style and persistence will always be better than a bulging wallet.

  • Eh. If you're reading this then you have just read number 7 and haven't even bothered seeing whats at eight and immediately gone to read what I've written.

    Everyone knows MW2 so I'll keep it brief, and pretty close to what Jeff wrote in his review.

    Anyone that caught COD4 in the late stages or didn't even bother playing it will see this as a clone of gameplay with new maps, weapons and a few elements to keep the casuals happy, but anyone that like me continuously played COD4 day in day out will see the bigger picture. Small gameplay changes such as timing, speed or size make little difference, but a good difference for what it's worth, and major game designs like killstreaks make the multiplayer even more rewarding.

  • Many people a hated on this title. It wasn't what people expected. It could be called Foreign Gangsta Sim and everyone would love it, but unfortunately they developed it under the title of Grand Theft Auto - the franchise which everyone has come to love with the storys of films, characters so deep that they had their own Wiki pages, over-the-top action and otherwise cinematic gameplay and action which always gave the player a new gameplay design to mess around with.

    GTAIV took the next-gen hype rule and went bland, grey, no colours. It went realistic as possible and turned away from the parachuting, planes and buggies, and focused more on the deep setting, characters and very much alive city. As a GTA game this falls short of the hype, but as a seperate game under a seperate name and its a masterpiece. You live as a gangster and this is by all means fun, exciting, intense and interesting as you meet characteres such as the hormone fueled, adrenaline induced Brucie and the overwieght, selfish fucker of a brother. But yet the city feels so real and crazy, and American, which makes you want to play on and forget its a GTA game and play it as a no-name story driven action game.

  • Overhyped, yes. Overrated, yes. Unfortunately, there weren't many other games I rated higher.

    The graphics were of high quality and nobody can argue - unless the arguments about invisible light sources, random shadows and distinct lack of colour. Everything Killzone 2 consist of.

    But the campaign is still fun and intense albeit short and is still a campaign not worth missing if you like games with guns, explosions and nice looking blood. It's challenging and not very rewarding but the satisfaction of seeing nukes and lovely settings as you play throughout the game is enough to fuel you to the finish with a very unsatisfying ending, which leaves open the doorway to even multiple sequels.

    Multiplayer makes up for a portion of the campaigns disapointment with a fun, class based system similar to that of, say, Team Fortress, with turrets, invisibility, armour etc etc. Guns feel strong and powerful and players take a few hits to go down, but so do you, so alls dandy. Maps have the best design in any multiplayer game, ever. A mix of choke points, high towers, underground systems and a load of different elements make for exciting multiplayer action which is weighty and different from MW2 and a blast to play as long as you can cope with some of the minor disadvantages of the game.