2009 was a strange year for me, with a mass of games brought out every year and someone whose lucky / stupid enough to own too many consoles, it was hard to put a list together. I'm aware 6 is an odd number for a list but hey, these are the games that for one reason or another stuck in my mind from 2009.
My first 'next gen' game when i was a kid was Tomb raider back in 1996, for the PSX. I was 7/8 at the time, and after having my Sega Mega Drive (Genesis) for so long, the 3d and open puzzling/ combat blew my mind away. Over the years Lara has remained in my heart as the one who gave me the will to play these action adventures.
The Naughties haven't been kind to old Lara...
Enter Nathan Drake. Wise cracking, punch-you-in-the-face treasure hunter. Uncharted: Drakes fortune was a gem of a game that i took a risk buying a PS3 for back in '07. Much hype for the 2nd installment ensued.
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves does attention to detail and refinement like no other game i've played, and it's these touches that enhance the experiance so heavily. It's an absolute joy to see even if your not the one in the drivers seat, be it running from a tank or climbing snowy peaks, lush visuals, fluid controls, exciting gameplay and set pieces/ gameplay twists that you just won't see coming, make this game just so so sweet.
Did i also mention multiplayer??
Growing up with Resident Evil i've come to know two things: Aim for the head and best played with another... if your a wuss! With the insanely good, new genre/gameplay creating Resi 4 still fresh in everyones minds, i had high hopes. I wasn't dissapointed. The best way to experiance Resi 5 is with a mate, either via split screen co-op or online, as you punch, roundhouse, stab, shoot and 'splode <s>zombies</s> infected dudes ...
So the plots of Resi have never been anything more than epic campy' badguys and good VS evil, with Resi 5 being no exception. Just sit back and enjoy the hilarity of ownage.
Savage. Absolutley Savage.
'Nuff said.
Never been a huge fan of comic books, (at least western comics) so i was sceptical going in to what was being praised as a big leap in superhero games. I was glad that i had done no research on Batman prior to release as i was treated to one of the most fluid and well paced games i've ever played. Combat was fresh, brutal and empowering - who doesn't want to play the worlds best detective?
Simple, mesmerizing and beautiful... If a little to heavyhanded in its "WE HATE MAN" themes.
I don't think i've played a game where so many people say "Just one more go". Easy to play, tough to master, brilliance that'll make you wince and laugh everytime.
