Best of 2009
LonelySpacePanda: Best of 2009
List items
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Uncharted 2: Among Thieves doesn’t reimagine what games can be, but it’s the first game I’ve played that holds the same range and technique as a great Hollywood summer film. But the game isn’t special because it resembles a film, it’s special because it’s better then most action films released in recent years. In Uncharted 2, the player revisits the role of Nathan Drake, a charismatic treasure hunter who can’t seem to make his millions without screwing over a colleague or two.
The game constantly reminds us that Drake is only human, which leads to great moments of vulnerability. Take, for example, the intro that finds Drake waking up on a train that is about to fall off a snowy cliffside. There is no explanation given; the player must simply survive as he leaps from chair to chair on the vertically positioned cart — all while bleeding from a bullet wound that makes him loose his balance and grip. Constant surprises (a chair suddenly breaking, birds flying by) add to the suspense of what should be a very easy intro.
Uncharted 2 includes so many great set pieces that it’s hard to discuss the story without spoiling it. Just know that if this were Indiana Jones 4, there would be a lot less people in the world upset at Spielberg. Uncharted 2 doesn’t do anything new, but it sums up everything games have done right this decade in a story that actually makes you care.
★★★★★
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By now, you most likely have heard enough about the controversial airport level (SPOILERS!) and publisher Activision’s boast that Call of Duty has the strongest opening ever (yes, that includes film). But is it good? Since this is the sequel to one of the best games of recent years, let’s set the bar higher by asking “Is it the best game ever?”
Like most video game sequels, MW2 doesn’t set off in a new direction as much as it improves on every aspect of the first while raising the stakes. You can now set off an atom bomb in multiplayer matches that will end the game. This is a perfect metaphor for MW2, as everything from the campaign to the revamped multiplayer adds in enough unpredictable elements to take even the most jaded players by surprise. However, this isn’t always a good thing. The story of the main campaign is stuck in a Michael Bay mindset of constant insanity and explosions that often detract from the high points, and it can be hard to get bearings on the who, where and why of the missions you are a part of.
On the other hand, new additions to multiplayer, like death streak (die enough times and unlock a bonus), add enough rewards that it even makes losing fun. MW2 isn’t quite as well structured as Half-Life 2 or has the personality of Uncharted 2, but if the original Modern Warfare was your favorite game, then you will most likely think this is the best game ever.
★★★★★
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Tools of Destruction came as such a disappointment that I never bothered to play the follow-up downloadable sequel, Quest for Booty. The game was actually okay, but following the amazing Up Your Arsenal with such a poorly designed, monotonous sequel that just happens to be on PS3 hit the wrong chord with me (not to mention all the other sub-par sequels surrounding it on PSP and PS2). The problem was that it was a rushed project, which makes A Crack in Time all the more surprising as it's the most lovingly crafted game in the series that finds Insomniac almost at the level of Naughty Dog for the 2nd time. Being a fan of 90s cartoons (Tailspin, Darkwing Duck) and the Capcom games based on those Disney licenses, it's a joy that's impossible to express to see such a bright, funny, and genuinely good story of a similiar ilk realized in HD. The pacing, variety, and storytelling here is so far beyond ToD and even UYA. The merging of Halo-esque sandbox battles and Mario platforming with an exuberant story is combination that I won't soon grow tired of. It's just sad to think who will be left to make games like this now that Insomniac has moved on to browner pastures.
★★★★1/2
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It’s easy to make a Batman game, and it’s especially easy to make a bad Batman game. Ever since the days of Nintendo, the Batman license has been in the hands of developers who make games for their investors rather then their inner DC fan. Batman: Arkham Asylum might as well be the first Batman game since it’s the first to get it right. The game starts with the Joker breaking out of captivity in Arkham Asylum (Gotham’s jail for Batman’s villains), so Batman has to bring order to a place that has forever rested in turmoil. While AA encompasses many diverse play styles, it is mostly a 3rd person action-stealth title with lots of exploration (think Bioshock meets Splinter Cell). Sometimes you will be mindlessly mashing the punch button, while other moments will have you playing detective, checking every corner of a room for a DNA sample. Whatever action the player is taking part in, it is always intrinsically linked to who Batman is as a character. Developer Rocksteady should be applauded for making a game that not only highlights Batman’s strengths but also the character’s emotional and physical fragility. Running into Joker’s armed henchmen will always be a suicide run; instead you must make good use of Batman’s gadgets and agility. Even more impressive are the many set pieces that immerse the player through unconventional use of disempowerment. It’s very forward thinking and mature for a videogame, but what else do you expect of a game being made in the shadow of Nolan’s films.
★★★★
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Some would argue that 2009 was the year of the sandbox sub-genre of action-adventure games, but there is a more specific development amongst Prototype, Red Faction: Guerrilla, and inFamous. These are games that let you manipulate your environment, not merely exist in it. Flying over buildings gives a sense of scale, running on rooftops provides strategy, and jumping down is just exhilarating. The sandbox you play within in inFamous isn't only window dressing, but integral to how you play the game. You don't start off fast and powerful, but by the end of the game you'll feel comfortable enough with all the powers you possess that your actions will perfectly mirror a scene out of a super hero film. To compliment this is a great comic book look and tone that is executed through great comic book panel storytelling and superb voice acting. Despite being far removed from the aesthetics of their previous series, inFamous has everything a Sly Cooper fan could want in a next-generation action-platformer.
★★★★
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It’s not too often that we see companies in this medium take chances on new properties, so it came as a surprise when Assassin’s Creed came out in 2007 with record sales.
While it was original in many ways, it was frustrating in many more. So, I approached the sequel with trepidation, only to be completely surprised by the amount of detail, depth and thought that Ubisoft has instilled into the game this time around. First off, the setting of Renaissance-era Italy has to be one of the most inspired and well-realized virtual worlds since Grand Theft Auto IV’s Liberty City. Even better is how the game takes you on a history lesson, giving you detailed backgrounds on real-world locations and historic characters you will meet throughout the game.
The biggest complaint about the original was the lack of variety in missions and locations, which isn’t a problem here. Whether you are chasing a group of Templars on horseback through the Tuscan hillside or walking the rooftops of Venice at night, Assassin’s Creed II manages to weave plenty of distractions into the exciting story just in case you ever get bored. The game is much more than a simple refinement of its predecessor.
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Resident Evil 4 wasn't only a great game but one of the most innovative of the decade. It's funny how we went from "ooh, more Resident Evil" during the Code Veronica era to now "Resident Evil 5 needs to reinvent the wheel". In this sense, RE5 is more of a continuation of RE4 then another bold re-imagining of the series. That's not to say that RE5 is merely an expansion of RE4, as the setting and co-op make it into an entirely different game. Where RE4 felt like a Metroidvania sort of exploration action-adventure, RE5 feels more like a narrow, faster paced shooter along the lines of Gears of War. It's hardly a Gears clone, as the survival elements of the series make you dread encounters more then wanting to run in and melee every zombie to death. The great pace, great graphics, and improved controls help make RE5 into more than a series rehash--not that, that wouldn't be enough to make it on this list.
★★★★
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I know I shouldn't go against the rules I set for ignoring Japanese releases, but since Picross 3D took up so much of my time this year and because it's so accessible (both in obtaining it and playing) to non-Japanese players I can't just very well ignore it or wait for it's North American release next year when I will have become exhausted of the game. Actually, that last point is pure speculation. To tell you the truth, I still have a long way to go if I ever want to finish this incredibly addictive and calming puzzle game. The Picross format is so simple yet fun, playing on Sodoku and Minesweeper yet feeling far more immediate. Taking the game into 3D might seem like a gimmick, but it adds so much to both the visuals and how you play. I loved the stylus controls in the original Picross DS, but the metaphor of chiseling these great big blocks in P3D is even more satisfying to play with. Puzzle games usually become dull or limited in time, but the minor challenges of P3D will have me coming back for sometime. This is the sort of DS game you take for an airplane ride, but find yourself obsessively playing during your entire vacation. I speak from experience, sadly.
★★★★
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Bound in Blood doesn't quite have the variety or creativity of the original, but it's a successful genre exercise that brings some new things to the table and wraps them all up in an enjoyable story. FEAR 2 might have the best shooting controls so far this year, but Bound in Blood is a much more memorable experience. We rarely see story taken seriously in the FPS genre, even though Half-Life has been its poster boy for the past decade. Bound in Blood is pushing the medium forward in this respect and shows us that there is no excuse for distanced, incoherent plot that every other FPS has been paired with. It's sad to see Techland ditch many aspects that made the original so great, but at least they went all out in making Bound in Blood a Call of Duty clone worth remembering.
★★★★
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Headshots and explosions will always be in the way of the "games as art" argument, but Guerrilla provides as a better example for the "games are fun" debate. I always thought that the "sandbox" title was a misnomer, since games like GTAIV provide minimal interaction with the city, although the people you can have plenty of fun with. Red Faction: Guerrilla is quite the opposite. You won't find many pedestrians, but you can always have fun manipulating buildings to fall how you like. The gimmick seems novel but shallow at first, but once you work your way into later missions you realize just how intricate of a engine this game has. You've never seen buildings destroyed like this before. Having a battle against a group of enemies, with each of you destroying the building you are in is just epic. Unlike the memorable set piece in Uncharted 2 of a building collapsing, it's always a non-linear experience in Guerrilla. The fun of the game is really getting a mission done in any way you see fit, kind of like the original Grand Theft Auto 3 without the annoyances. Once you get the jetpack, you'll have so much fun planting explosives in a building and taking off while the remains shower around you. Just make sure to play on casual, or else you might end up hating this gem for all the wrong reasons.
★★★★
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