2008 was a great year for video games. Many would argue that two of the greatest games ever made - Grand Theft Auto 4 and Metal Gear Solid 4 - were released in this historic year. But you know what? I didn't play MGS4 and I didn't like GTA4, so here's the REAL list of 2008's games of the year.
So much hyperbole has been spouted about this game at this point, so I'll keep it real simple; Bethesda did a fantastic job of bringing the Fallout universe back to life as an action RPG. You could just call it Oblivion with guns, but it really is so much more than that. While not as expansive and deep as Oblivion, it definitely brought some brilliant new stuff to the table, and the collection and exploration and side quests are some of the greatest of all-time. You could lose months to this game if you let it. It really is that good.
Fable II was something of a polarising game; some loved it, some hated it. I adored Fable II. I love the way that the game world felt so strangely alive, I loved the witty dialogue and the charming characters, and I loved the art style of that game. But that aside, it actually was a pretty damn solid action RPG, with a good levelling system and nice perks. Sure, there were flaws, and the less said about the co-op the better, but few games in 2008 made me smile as much as Fable II. And of course, it was awesome to have that dog following you around, and to settle down and start a family...or two.
After releasing two absolute classics and then something of a dud, the jury was rather open on how Soulcalibur IV would turn out. It has Star Wars characters, which is pretty stupid, and Ivy's breasts are even more...disturbing than ever. But despite this, Soulcalibur IV was undoubtedly the best fighting game of the year, and by miles. From it's more than solid multiplayer, a good variety of single player modes, tons of unlockables and really slick gorgeous animation, the quality Soulcalibur gameplay has never looked and felt as smooth as this. But probably my favourite thing about the game was the character creator. Sure, you were just re-skinning models, but I loved the way you could have stats and perks for your fighters. I love creating characters (hence the RPG love), I love Soulcalibur's gameplay, and I love gorgeous looking games. Therefore it was obvious that I would love SC4. And I did. And then some.
As with most years, there were games released in 2008 that had people banging the drum of "games are art". Dead Space was not one of these games. Dead Space was a game about science, that is the science of making games. Everything about Dead Space was so finely crafted and brilliantly realised, and it really came together wonderfully to create a great horror action game. I didn't find it as scary as many people did, but the disturbing atmosphere throughout set a really nice tempo. The combat was a laugh riot, the upgrade mechanic was handled well, and it was a game that was much more methodical than most, which really helped make it feel unique. The game also boasts perhaps the all-time best sound design of any horror game. A fantastic game from start to finish.
Civ Rev was my sleeper hit of 2008. I had never played a Civ game before, but I have a good long history with strategy games. And then there's the question of strategy games working on consoles. Having now played a bit of Civ 4, I can totally see how Civ Rev is a stripped down more bare-bones more accessible Civ experience. And you know what? That's exactly what it should have been. It was not only a great introduction to the Civ series, but it was also the best console strategy game I've ever played, and despite being scaled down from the mammoth PC experience, it was still deeper and more engrossing than I ever thought a console strategy game would be. Long-time Civ fans are probably justified in their hate, but as a newcomer, it made me a thousand times more interested in Civ games than I ever would have been before.
Banjo-Kazooie shares many of its strengths with Fable II, in that it's completely entertaining, humerous, infinitely charming and visually beautiful. But once you got past what was on the surface, there was actually a hell of a game here. The challenges were fun, and building and customising cars and seeing how they worked out was incredibly addictive and very rewarding. In that sense, this was the absolute perfect amalgamation of a platformer with a racer. Perhaps the most amazing thing about Nuts & Bolts was that it never lost its momentum; there were frustrating challenges for sure, but that just made you more determined to build a sick new vehicle to beat it, and all the more rewarding when you finally did. From start to finish, Nuts & Bolts was completely engrossing, and I genuinely believe that people who play this game and feel nothing for it either hate video games or have no soul. Simple as that.
If Nuts & Bolts was similar to Fable II, then Left 4 Dead is similar to Dead Space. Both games are absolutely about the science of making video games. Everything in Left 4 Dead was designed with excellent execution, and everything about the game was completely evocative of the creepy zombie-filled diseased world you were trying to survive in. Everything, from the look, sound and feel of that game, was disturbing, disorienting and in many ways terrifying. Left 4 Dead is a little thin on content, especially for those of us who aren't enamoured with multiplayer, but in terms of what's there, L4D is one of the most technically impressive games of the year, and anyone wanting to learn this science would do well to study this incredibly visceral and ultimately fun game.
I'll keep this one simple; Harmonix and MTV did exactly what they needed to do with Rock Band 2. Many of the quibbles that people had with the 2007 classic have been addressed, and then some. Not only do you get a fresh track list, but you can bring all your music from the first game into this one. Sounds simple, but without it, this game would be nowhere near the top ten. So, what else do you want me to say? It's Rock Band. You play plastic instruments, you pretend you're a rock star, and it's one of the most entertaining gaming experiences of this generation. Done.
FIFA 09 was a game that I expected that I wouldn't like at all, because I had played enough of FIFA 08 to know that I didn't like the feel of that game at all. But after seeing all the glowing reviews, I rented 09, and was just completely blown away. There was evolution of gameplay between 08 and 09 than usually goes into a sports game franchise in half a decade. Everything felt completely different, and actually playing football became fun again. The multiplayer was fine, but it was manager mode that really won me over; it felt so good to start with a shit team like Notts County and taking them to the top of the world. Americal football has always been my number one sport, and I wish they made Madden games that were as engrossing and enjoyable as FIFA 09, but regardless this game is a modern sports classic, and it's amazing to me that they could improve on it yet more with FIFA 10.
