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Giant Bomb's Multiplatform Game of the Year, 2009

Which product crossed platform lines to unite the world in one, singular vision of gaming greatness?

With so many capable platforms to choose from, developers and publishers are increasingly releasing their products across them all. When it's done correctly, this can mean an exciting and memorable gaming experience for anyone, regardless of system. Someday we may see the end of the wars between console diehards, and these spectacular multiplatform games will be leading the charge.

 

Best Multiplatform Game


Batman: Arkham Asylum


I'm Batman. As far as we know, taking a licensed property and making a quality product with it is one of the hardest tasks in the business. So, it is no small accomplishment that Rocksteady Studios was able to make one of the most impressive games of the year centering around one of the most prolific comic book characters out there, Batman. Over the years, Batman has appeared, with varying degrees of success, across all forms of media. So it's equally astonishing that Batman: Arkham Asylum feels so original and fresh.

 

The intense and fluid combat, the stealth, and the exploration all take place within a tightly told narrative and environments that seem so naturally rendered that it's hard to believe the dank, clammy halls of Arkham Asylum are completely fictional. The whole experience is immensely satisfying, with pacing that keeps you eager to see what's going to happen next. The game also does a spectacular job of portraying the conflict between Batman and the Joker as more of a battle of opposing ideals between two equally insane opponents than some mundane case of criminal mischief. Batman is painted as order and justice to the extreme, while the Joker is his antithesis--complete chaos and anarchy. All of this combines to flesh out one of the finest games to grace any platform this year.





Runners-Up: Modern Warfare 2, Assassin's Creed II

115 Comments

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vinny

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Edited By vinny

With so many capable platforms to choose from, developers and publishers are increasingly releasing their products across them all. When it's done correctly, this can mean an exciting and memorable gaming experience for anyone, regardless of system. Someday we may see the end of the wars between console diehards, and these spectacular multiplatform games will be leading the charge.

 

Best Multiplatform Game


Batman: Arkham Asylum


No Caption Provided
I'm Batman. As far as we know, taking a licensed property and making a quality product with it is one of the hardest tasks in the business. So, it is no small accomplishment that Rocksteady Studios was able to make one of the most impressive games of the year centering around one of the most prolific comic book characters out there, Batman. Over the years, Batman has appeared, with varying degrees of success, across all forms of media. So it's equally astonishing that Batman: Arkham Asylum feels so original and fresh. 
 
The intense and fluid combat, the stealth, and the exploration all take place within a tightly told narrative and environments that seem so naturally rendered that it's hard to believe the dank, clammy halls of Arkham Asylum are completely fictional. The whole experience is immensely satisfying, with pacing that keeps you eager to see what's going to happen next. The game also does a spectacular job of portraying the conflict between Batman and the Joker as more of a battle of opposing ideals between two equally insane opponents than some mundane case of criminal mischief. Batman is painted as order and justice to the extreme, while the Joker is his antithesis--complete chaos and anarchy. All of this combines to flesh out one of the finest games to grace any platform this year.

  
   

Runners-Up: Modern Warfare 2, Assassin's Creed II
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cstrang

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Edited By cstrang

Good pick.  In a tough category this year, Batman is a very, very solid choice.

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Demonstride

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Edited By Demonstride

All 3 of the choices are great and I agree with all of them for this category.

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Dany

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Edited By Dany

I really wished I could buy or even rent Batman but ACII was worth it!

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JJOR64

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Edited By JJOR64

Nice pick.  I still want to get this game really badly.

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Pie

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Edited By Pie

Posted 6 days ago!?

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Furyjoell

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Edited By Furyjoell

Yeah still need to get this game. Badly.

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raviolisumo

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Edited By raviolisumo

It wouldn't win any GOTY awards in my book but I can see why someone would pick it. Good picks guys.

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dbz1995

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Edited By dbz1995

Completely agree with this one. So does that mean the nominees for GOTY are:
 
Uncharted 2
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Shadow Complex
Dragon Age: Origins
Bowser's Inside Story
Patapon 2
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories

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zombie2011

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Edited By zombie2011

cool beans.

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ZenaxPure

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Edited By ZenaxPure

I really need to get this game sometime with all the praise it is getting. The demo thoroughly unimpressed me, but I get the feeling the full game itself is much better.

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Ghostiet

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Edited By Ghostiet

Modern Warfare 2 is probably the most overrated game of the year.

Also, I've bought Batman earlier this week and it'll land in my mailbox probably after Sunday, so I hope it's fucking awesome.

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TobyD81

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Edited By TobyD81

Good call!

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ZombieJesus

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Edited By ZombieJesus

Looks like the main event is down to Uncharted 2 and Batman

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Stephen_Von_Cloud

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Nice choice.  The only thing I have to say negative against this game, and it is somewhat of a big deal, is that the boss fights in this game were just lame.  They were shallow and used very basic and cliche patterns.  With how well the rest of the game was crafted I was hoping for some MGS-type boss fights that are less linear and make you really think.  Considering how important the villains are to Batman it was a pretty big misfire. 
 
Still an awesome game but I haven't seen many people call the game out for the boss fights.  I'll be interested to see if the guys mention this on the Bombcast.

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Glitch

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Edited By Glitch

I completely agree!

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The_Philosopher

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Edited By The_Philosopher

The only choice! Now I wonder will it be Batman or Uncharted for Game of the Year?

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@dbz1995 said:
" Completely agree with this one. So does that mean the nominees for GOTY are:  Uncharted 2 Batman: Arkham Asylum Shadow Complex Dragon Age: Origins Bowser's Inside Story Patapon 2 Silent Hill: Uncharted Memories "
I bet they didn't pick these catagories before the bombcast so I bet Modern Warfare 2, Assassin's Creed II, and all the other big games will still be discussed
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Meowayne

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Edited By Meowayne

Thank you for picking the singleplayer adventure over the multiplayer FPS and the sandbox game!
 
 Awesome to see that not all is lost. 
 
Today, we're all Batman.

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Legend

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Edited By Legend

Can't wait for the sequel.

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Noxpectius

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Edited By Noxpectius

I can understand the choice, but its not even on My top 10 list of this year. Played it, and immediatly sold it. I just dont see whatever everyoen else sees in it. Having said that.....Mark Hamill was AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Jazz

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Edited By Jazz
@dbz1995 said:

" Completely agree with this one. So does that mean the nominees for GOTY are:  Uncharted 2 Batman: Arkham Asylum Shadow Complex Dragon Age: Origins Bowser's Inside Story Patapon 2 Silent Hill: Uncharted Memories "

Uncharted Memories? Hell thats a game I'd play! 
Nathan Drake on a quest to discover why he has kleptomania, why is it only ancient relics, and what really happened to his and Elena's relationship during those years between games? Answer a pub quiz every section that changes the way you play! 
Do you like blondes or brunettes? 
Who is more evil? The English or a member of a former Soviet country? 
On a scale of 1-10 how much do you hate helicopters? 
Can you understand Tibetan?  
Edit: Shirt tucked in fully or only half tucked in? 
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nuness1988

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Edited By nuness1988

Very happy with this choice.  I know this comes with being entrenched in video game culture, you know caring about things that ultimately don't matter, but it made me pretty incensed when MW2 won every single game of the year award from gametrailers.com and I really enjoyed the process here at GB.  Thanks to the whole crew.

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Jimbo

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Edited By Jimbo

Nice knowin' ya, MW2.

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Nemesis

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Edited By Nemesis

So glad there was finally a good Batman game, and an amazing game in general. Rocksteady became overnight super star developers with this game.

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KillyDarko

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Edited By KillyDarko

My choice exactly. Also my choice for definite game of the year!

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Sunjammer

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Edited By Sunjammer

Fuck yeah. Can't argue with that. Totally deserved it. Kudos Rocksteady!

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Edited By damnboyadvance

What a twist!

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sjschmidt93

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Edited By sjschmidt93

I think AC2 is a bit better, but good choice nonetheless.

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rbanke

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Edited By rbanke

I'm glad Batman picked this up, awesome game. Completly addicted to MW2 multiplayer. I'm halfway through AC2 and im bored to tears with it, bad controls, boring story. terrible character graphics. I dont get the love people give it.
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Kajaah117

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Edited By Kajaah117

Aha! My prediction that the Giant Bomb GOTY would be between Batman and Uncharted 2 was right. This is a tough one. My favorite was Batman, but I think the best game of the year is Uncharted 2. They both had some dumb parts though. I hated the last 2 chapters of Uncharted 2, and the boss fights in Batman were weak as hell.
 
I choose Uncharted by a hair, but I think Giant Bomb will actually end up choosing Batman. Something about the way they talk about it, it seems to be the most universally praised game in the office. Arg, this is though! I'm just glad MW2 didn't win. It's a phenomenal game, and I actually didn't think the story was as confusing as most people though it was, but dude.... Batman...

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WickedCestus

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Edited By WickedCestus
@Ghostiet said:
"

Modern Warfare 2 is probably the most overrated game of the year.

 
I'd say Uncharted 2 was more overrated.  
 
@Meowayne said:
" Thank you for picking the singleplayer adventure over the multiplayer FPS and the sandbox game!   Awesome to see that not all is lost.   Today, we're all Batman. "
What the hell's wrong with sandbox games? It's still a single-player adventure.
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Edited By SaucySala

Come on guys, we all know Red Faction: Guerrilla is the obvious game of the year. SPACE HAMMER.

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Edited By Addfwyn
@supermike6 said:
" @Ghostiet said:
"

Modern Warfare 2 is probably the most overrated game of the year.


"
I'd say Uncharted 2 was more overrated.  "
Nah, Uncharted 2 actually deserved all the hype it got, which actually surprised me, cause I try to avoid letting myself get caught up in the hype.  But it really deserved all the praise it got.  So it isn't really overrated when it's true
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Ghostiet

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Edited By Ghostiet
@supermike6 said:
" @Ghostiet said:
"

Modern Warfare 2 is probably the most overrated game of the year.


"
I'd say Uncharted 2 was more overrated.  "

Right. You couldn't shoot down UAVs and get killed by a knife thrown from the other side of the map.
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Ratcabbage

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Edited By Ratcabbage

As a huge fan of Batman TAS this game was like a godsend. Paul Dini writing it, Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill returning to voice the characters. it was impossible for this to fail. Oh yeah, and it was a great game too!

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Davin

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Edited By Davin

Wow, Borderlands snubbed. Not cool.

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PhatSeeJay

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Edited By PhatSeeJay

I would have gone for Assassin's Creed II simply because I just enjoyed the overall a bit more. Batman was an awesome game but the later bossfights were too disappointing for my taste.

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WickedCestus

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Edited By WickedCestus
@Addfwyn said:
" @supermike6 said:
" @Ghostiet said:
"

Modern Warfare 2 is probably the most overrated game of the year.


"
I'd say Uncharted 2 was more overrated.  "
Nah, Uncharted 2 actually deserved all the hype it got, which actually surprised me, cause I try to avoid letting myself get caught up in the hype.  But it really deserved all the praise it got.  So it isn't really overrated when it's true "
I've just heard a lot more people talking about Uncharted 2 than MW2. I thought MW2 was pretty amazing and deserved a lot of hype.
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WickedCestus

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Edited By WickedCestus
@Ghostiet said:
" @supermike6 said:
" @Ghostiet said:
"

Modern Warfare 2 is probably the most overrated game of the year.


"
I'd say Uncharted 2 was more overrated.  "
Right. You couldn't shoot down UAVs and get killed by a knife thrown from the other side of the map. "
Yeah, and Uncharted 2 has no problems at all. How often did you actually get killed by knives from across the map or have you not even played it?
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imhuntad

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Edited By imhuntad

No argument here. This game was GOOOOOOOD!

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Meowayne

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Edited By Meowayne

 What the hell's wrong with sandbox games?

Storytelling, pacing, characters.
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Stephen_Von_Cloud

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@Kajaah117 said:
" Aha! My prediction that the Giant Bomb GOTY would be between Batman and Uncharted 2 was right. This is a tough one. My favorite was Batman, but I think the best game of the year is Uncharted 2. They both had some dumb parts though. I hated the last 2 chapters of Uncharted 2, and the boss fights in Batman were weak as hell. I choose Uncharted by a hair, but I think Giant Bomb will actually end up choosing Batman. Something about the way they talk about it, it seems to be the most universally praised game in the office. Arg, this is though! I'm just glad MW2 didn't win. It's a phenomenal game, and I actually didn't think the story was as confusing as most people though it was, but dude.... Batman... "
If you're talking flaws in the gameplay, I think Batman's boss fights are weak, while in comparison to Uncharted 2 there really weren't any glaring flaws.  Sure, depending on your taste you could complain about different aspects of that game but there was no glaring flaws like with Batman.  Maybe that can be overridden by the rest of the game but I think it's worth mentioning when comparing the two.
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imhuntad

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Edited By imhuntad

I'm so glad they chose this game. Not because it's the game I wanted to win the category, but because the game deserved this. Great pick!

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Edited By Driadon

I think this was the first game where 5 minutes after I watched a quick look about it, I was putting on my shoes to go buy it.  Great choice and great game.

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Gruff182

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Edited By Gruff182

Good effort Giant Bomb, as much as I do love MW2. I salute your choice.
 
 Fantastic game from the underdog, getting much deserved recognition.

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Edited By handlas

ya, shocking! :p
 
so is there any game that deserved a runner-up slot above the 2 that got it (I think Batman was a shoe-in for this category already).  Maybe Street Fighter 4?  Great on all platforms (you can argue that PC gamers weren't happy with MW2).

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WickedCestus

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Edited By WickedCestus
@Meowayne said:
"

 What the hell's wrong with sandbox games?

Storytelling, pacing, characters. "
You can still tell a good story in a sandbox game. Look at the game you were talking about, Assassin's Creed 2. If that game was linear it would have no appeal because the whole thing is about the story unfolding in a real world where you can actually explore. The story and characters are just as good as any linear game. 
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marlow83

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Edited By marlow83

Just picked up Batman today, purchase seems justified now

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Ghostiet

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Edited By Ghostiet
@supermike6 said:

" @Ghostiet said:
" @supermike6 said:
" @Ghostiet said:
" Modern Warfare 2 is probably the most overrated game of the year.

"I'd say Uncharted 2 was more overrated.  "Right. You couldn't shoot down UAVs and get killed by a knife thrown from the other side of the map. "Yeah, and Uncharted 2 has no problems at all. How often did you actually get killed by knives from across the map or have you not even played it? "


Actually, yes - apart from the lame boss fight I had not found any problems with that, and U2 is alongside with Assassin's Creed 2 the definition of a perfect sequel, that took everything that was cool from the first game, throw out the crap bits and put some new good stuff on top. While in the case of Modern Warfare 2 I can easily say that it's inferior to the first one. Also, I hate plotless games.

And I wasn't killed by it a single time, I just got tired with the ridiculous, unforgiving pacing and that the game basicly encourages players to use cheap tricks to fuck up the balance completely.

Also, I suggest EOT - it's a pointless discussion. Or a sarcasm battle, to be clear.