Best of 2008
My 20 favorite games of 2008.
List items
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P4 sheds most of the darkness of its predecessor for a Scooby Doo supernatural murder mystery tale set in small town Japan. Builds and improves upon the social sim/dungeon crawl formula and adds up to one of the most memorable experiences I've had in gaming by the end.
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As an open world RPG with an overwhelming amount of scenarios and locations to uncover, Fallout 3 is a slow, satisfying burn. Many of the it's best moments are tucked away deep inside the wasteland, just waiting for you to stumble upon unexpectedly. A landmark game that's worth the investment.
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Hypnotic and comforting. Rez is a game that works just as well in small doses as it does from start to finish. A tasteful update to the original visuals with a wealth of modes and extras to unlock.
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Seminal racer from Criterion with something to do at every turn and an incredible sense of speed for how good it looks. Free DLC and a great PC release made it even better.
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Lots of great ideas and systems at play with a story that takes place in real world Shibuya and keeps you guessing. The most original output from Square Enix in years.
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Playing around in a reasonable facsimile of the city I grew up around and currently live in was half the fun for me. I got a rush just taking the cabs. Seeing Ricky Gervais with my cousin and shooting dudes in the face was pretty good, too.
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Once you enter the world of puzzles inside your first Layton game, you never want to put it down. Stylish, well written and brain teasingly satisfying from start to finish with some neat asides as well.
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Fun combat, the dog works, and as much farting and flexing as you can handle. Ambitious but not overly so, all the parts actually come together resulting in Lionhead's best work to date.
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Genuine thrills, chills and spills. Of blood! As I stomped on the still moving carcass of some gross alien thing in a beautifully lit, claustrophobic space station of death.
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Manipulating your fluffy inhabitants and the ecosystems they create to maximum candiosity has never been quite as satisfying, and it can be had for super cheap.
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Lots of replayability to be had here with new modes, leaderboards and multiplayer. Great core gameplay that deserved to be expanded upon.
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Braid isn't really a game that gets any better over time, but the time I spent with it won't soon be forgotten.
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Alcohol and Rock Band 2 with a group of folks is always a good time, and the steady stream of new content from Harmonix keeps playlists fresh.
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While it pales a bit in comparison to the fresh new kid on the block P4, the FES release of Persona 3 is still a beautiful and innovative RPG in it's own right.
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There may not be a ton of content in Left 4 Dead out of the box, but what's there is so polished and satisfying that it's worth returning to over and over again.
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A one-off reimagining of the Prince of Persia tale that turned out to be the most refreshing take on the series since it's return.
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The harsh open world of Far Cry 2 makes for an intense, unforgiving experience. Not a game for everyone but if it clicks, it's got a lot to offer.
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When the game is at it's best it's like nothing else out there. Exhilarating free running mechanics with a stunning visual style.
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More than a bunch of fan service (which it is), Crisis Core is also a competent RPG in it's own right with smart mechanics designed around portability.
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Kind of a throwaway experience but one that grows on you. Found myself booting it up as a thing to do for when I wanted to listen to music, so they must be doing something right.
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