Top 10 Games of 2009
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XDAO AWESOME
on January 7, 2010These lists pop-up every year, and they never get old. Everybody loves to see who picks what, to see who will pick their favorite game so they can agree, or to comment ripping the writer apart telling them their opinion is wrong. With that said, this list isn’t going to incorporate all systems. We have a predominantly Xbox 360 readership at this point in time (which will be getting bigger and expanding!), so this list is going to tackle the top 10 Xbox 360 and Multi-platform games of 2009.
.10) Skate 2
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No longer do you need to actually enjoy skateboarding to be a fan of it. The Tony Hawk games really did explode onto the scene, selling incredibly well, and even earning “Game of the Year” wins in the early 2000’s. With the original Skate, EA did a great job at evolving the genre. Taking it outside of the unrealistic space that Tony Hawk succeeded in, they managed to create something that had a rough learning curve, but greater authenticity. It felt great to pull off hard tricks, and you actually felt like you were accomplishing something. Uploading videos was a huge feature too. It allowed you to set up some crazy stunts (or crashes) and upload them online for everyone to see. Skate 2 really did up the ante. The games aren’t too much different, but the polish put into Skate 2 is great. The missions are fun, everything in the game world looks and plays better, and they made it even more rewarding than the first. EA managed to to single-handedly destroy the Tony Hawk franchise (while is wasn’t killing itself) and has become the new king of the playground, so to speak..
.09) Resident Evil 5
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Many would call Resident Evil 5 a disappointment. Forcing the players to run around with an AI partner when you didn’t have a friend available was an awful idea. Capcom does deserve credit for making the game a good amount of fun in co-op, though. The single player was paced well, and hardcore Resident Evil fans appreciated the story and fan-service that was put in. It was lacking in the horror department, and the controls may not have evolved with the style over time, but you can’t deny that beyond the flaws, there is a good game here. Throw in the Mercenaries game mode, and there’s a lot to enjoy..
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.08) BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger
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BlazBlue kind of came out of nowhere, and released at a perfect time of the year to draw some attention. Having practically no competition, it was able to make its mark on the fighting genre, and did an excellent job for a first entry in a series. Releasing with a limited number of characters allowed Arc System Works to make them all extremely unique and balanced. The game also launched with a near flawless online mode, with close to zero lag at all times, which is remarkable. If it makes Street Fighter IV fans feel any better, you can replace Blaz with your personal choice here… but it may not be the better game.
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.07) Dragon Age: Origins
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The game I hate to love and love to hate. In reality, though, Dragon Age: Origins is a great game… even if it isn’t a very pretty or original one. Many of the concepts are taken from other Bioware RPG’s, and the setting is fairly dull and sometimes boring. However, the gameplay mechanics are good enough to make up for any lack of effort elsewhere, and make Dragon Age one of the more addicting titles to come out in recent memory. The story is solid, and the characters within the game world are tolerable at some times and a joy to kill at others. If you like dungeon crawling, looting, questing, and creating your own identity for your character, then pick this up. It’s worth it..
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.06) NHL 2010
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It may be a bold claim, but NHL 10 isn’t just a good sports game. It’s one of the best ever, period. Gone are the frustrating and cheap goals, for a balanced and polished game that manages to have a great single player and online game in one. It’s a game that takes practice, takes skill, or even just some extra controllers so you can have a blast. Scoring or getting an assist is always a rewarding feeling, and the added fighting features and board play work very well. Even if you aren’t a fan of hockey, you need to give this game a shot..
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.05) DJ Hero
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DJ Hero earns its spot on this list maybe not for being the best, but the fact that it was the most surprising gives it a large push towards the top. It was considered another cash-in at first; Activision once again sticking it’s greedy hands into the money pool that is the rhythm genre… but wait! A great game was here, one that more people need to give a chance. The rhythm genre has been written off by a lot of people, which is evident by the lower sales of new entries in the Guitar Hero hero and Rock Band series. DJ Hero manages to do what the other series aren’t, though. It took an original idea, bundled it with a new way to play, and made something that should have the same, if not more, appeal. The soundtrack is a home-run, featuring mash-ups of popular songs from many different genres, proving that a ton of effort was put into the project from square one. The controller is intuitive, fun to use, and the game is just straight up fun to play. DJ Hero is one of those games you need to play before you see what it offers, and in the long run hopefully more people will do just that, so it earns its recognition..
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.04) Borderlands
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Borderlands is the perfect example of how a game should be marketed as a new franchise. They had parody videos, showed confidence in their gameplay choices, and even had clever boxart to go with it. The marketing push made Borderlands everything that it is, which is a great game and arguably the “Diablo of the FPS generation”. While that may not be entirely true to some, there is no denying it did a fantastic job of blending the shooting and looting elements together to create a game that felt fresh. It had great gameplay mechanics with the controls to back it up, in a world that was interesting and fun to explore. Not many developers can perfect any of these components, let alone do well with all of them. Gearbox did just that, and it seems they have quite a new hit franchise on their hands..
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.03) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
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Let’s make one thing very clear before the fire starts – Modern Warfare 2 is not as good as the original. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare raised the bar for shooters this generation with a perfectly paced single-player that also pushed the storytelling for war stories forward in a way we hadn’t really seen before. The multiplayer component did just the same, introducing an excellent progression and perk system that kept people buying it, and more importantly, playing it. Modern Warfare 2 may be the most hyped game of all time, and the sales data is right there to prove it. While the multi-player is even more polished this time around (maybe not necessarily better, though) the single-player took a bit of a hit. Sure, it was fun, but it was also short, unrealistic, and far-fetched at the same time. The story seemed to evolve into a blockbuster movie, which for the fun factor, really stood out and added to the experience. In the long run, however, it was a backwards step from the one Call of Duty 4 took forward. Despite this, Modern Warfare 2 is an incredible package. Adding in the Special Ops mode really propelled it forward, and makes it a good argument for Game of the Year. Unfortunately, it just isn’t it..
.02) Batman: Arkham Asylum
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A “Game of the Year” nominee should have certain qualities to give it such a title, and Batman: Arkham Asylum has most of them. First and foremost, it should be fun. It should be followed by surpassing expectations, being greatly polished, and being memorable. Batman: Arkham Asylum has an absolutely excellent story mode, even for those that aren’t huge fans of Batman (like myself). The pacing is great, and every time you might start to get bored, it throws a quick change at you to keep you interested and impressed. Batman’s abilities are used rather well, and the free-flowing battle system incorporated is not only good… but also rewarding and enjoyable to master. The villains have always been one of Batman’s strong points, and Batman: AA doesn’t disappoint. Many of the favorites have been incorporated, and I cannot speak enough about how the voice acting added authenticity to the product, all while immersing the player more. Batman: Arkham Asylum is a game that should be played by anyone who likes video games, not just Batman, and deserves the top spot from anybody throwing it the game’s way..
.01) Assassin’s Creed II
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This is how a sequel should be done. Ubisoft went the extra mile by listening to both fans and critics of the original Assassin’s Creed, and have manged to create a perfect balance for both groups. Gone is the repetitive nature, replaced with a more wide-open map, more interesting objectives, better quest options, and the most important? better ways to assassinate people. The story evolves to keep the player hooked and builds upon the great concept brought to life in the original. Items are fun to collect, new weapons are a joy to use, and the writing/dialogue are leaps and bounds beyond expectations. Assassin’s Creed II is one of the few sequels that manages to fix almost every flaw that was obvious the first time around, all while expanding upon what was originally created. There is never a dull moment to be had, and not only is Assassin’s Creed II the best game of 2009, it may be the best Xbox 360 game we’ve seen so far.
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.So there you have it. XDAO’s list for the Top 10 games of 2009… and if you’re wondering why Left 4 Dead 2 and Halo 3:ODST didn’t make the cut? It’s because expansions were excluded from being eligible, ha!
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