Playing the Games: Game of the Year 2009 - VOTE NOW

[Mat]

Yup, although weirdly, i felt more like a super-hero in Bionic Commando than in any proper super-hero game I've played.

[Portland]

GRR
CODMW2
L4D2
Wii Sports Resort (what Wii Sports should have been first time round)
Civ Rev for phone

Think it's telling that I've not bothered playing any PC games for a long time, then GRR and Call of Duty brought me back.

Someone at work was bleating about the cost of games the other day - I pointed out that for the price of a game, entertainment costs a lot less "per hour" than buying a DVD, going to a gig, footie game etc. I tend to concentrate on title at a time and batter it, and have been Wii and DS specific for years. GRR and CODMW2 have broken that hold.

[Muttley]

Batman: Arkham Asylum has never been on my radar yet it seems to be getting a lot of love in this thread. Is it true? Has someone finally done a superhero licence justice?

YES!

[Tarjei]

I haven't yet played many of the games I assume would be on this list. So please excuse the omission of Uncharted, Batman, New Super Mario Bros., Demon's Souls and Gridrunner Revolution. I think I'll put some money in a new computer in January for that last one alone.

For the ones I have bought,

Machinarium - flawed, beautiful, funny, cute. Game of the year for me.
Bionic Commando - Mat summed it up.
Street Fighter IV - bought two games, one arcade stick, two Saturn pads. All now shelfed, waiting for Super.
Professor Layton 2 - I love the puzzle gameplay in an adventure setting and the great looking visuals. I haven't finished it yet, so I can't comment on the story, but I think the puzzles were a little better in the original.
Trials HD - might be the Live Arcade game I've enjoyed the most since Rearmed.
Gravity Crash - it's been a good PSN year, with Shatter, Trine, Flower, Noby Noby Boy etc. Even though this was just released a few days ago, I'm pretty sure this will stand out as the best of the lot.

Well, the actual game of the year has been Bangai-O for the Dreamcast, but I guess I'm a little late for that party.

[Flabio]

I guess I ought to chip in my own vote...

Street Fighter 4 - It's really just Street Fighter 2 in shiny new clothes, but it plays so well I forgive it. We even had a full on Champions League style tournament on this at work and it's such an accessible game that quite a few people joined in who'd never played a fighting game before in their lives.

inFamous - It's not as good as Crackdown, but for the rail grinding and hover mechanics it deserves a spot in the list.

Shadow Complex - Old school Metroidvania on the 360? Yes please.

Batman: Arkham Asylum - The first decent Batman game in many many years (and also, curiously, another Metroidvania to boot). Makes up for the one I worked on (briefly) that was inflicted on the world a few years ago.

Modern Warfare 2 - Short single player it's true, but it's fun and well worth a replay. And I think I've finally clicked with their style of multiplayer (I think it's the addition of the 'you're shit, so have a bit of a help' death streaks).

Assassins Creed 2 - Just finished this last night, and it really is brilliantly done. Better than the original in every way.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves - The perfect run and gun action title. A true example of how far the PS3 can be pushed if you code to it's strengths (rather than try to make it do the same things the 360 is good at).

GTA4: Episodes from Liberty City - Lost and Damned manages to make you want to use the bikes all the time, and Gay Tony throws in a lot of the more OTT things from San Andreas that people missed. Well worth a pop.

1 vs 100 - incredibly flawed, but something genuinely unique that will hopefully expand into other gameshow styles in 2010.

The Beatles: Rock Band - Put together with real love for the source material, and it shows.

[betamax]

Yup, although weirdly, i felt more like a super-hero in Bionic Commando than in any proper super-hero game I've played.

And the ending was ace.

[Phineasfool]

Forgot to add Assassin's Creed II to my list.

[betamax]

My entries in no particular order of goodness:

1) Dragon Age- Origins:

It's Mass Effect with facimile orcs. Its rich, engaging and takes bloody ages to complete properly. It has a well written story and each new playthrough rewards you a little more (ever bumped into one of your old characters while playing through with a new one? ). Put simply, its a game that took me weeks of OCD mucking about to "complete" uponwhich I immediately started a new character and went again. Its ace and I can fill pages about it. I wont.

2) Batman: Arkham Asylum:

It's difficult to discuss this one without fanboyish gushing, so I'll stick to the facts. Its a good Batman game. A really good one. Roll that concept around your head for a bit. Bats does pretty much what you expect from him in the fighting and detecting stakes and there are few if any bum notes. It'll make you smile grimly as you land the final crushing blows on your enemies after dashing about like a vulcanised Strider Hyru for a solid 90 seconds without pause. Then its back onto the evidence trail. The storyline is a familiar one for batfans, but it requires no knowledge of DC comics to appreciate (actual fans have such comprehensive fanservice you will be forgiven for leaving money on the dresser as you leave). Oh and then there's the challenge mode. A gift that keeps on giving in every sense.

3) Left 4 Dead 2:

I have to be honest, this ran the risk of being left out of the lineup, simply because it's more of the same, with added bugs. It gets in due to my biased love of all things zombie and for one campaign- Hard Rain. The first time I've felt actual dread develop during a level for untold ages. It's a combination of a potentially fruitless search for fuel, combined with evermore blinding rain and darkness, intensifying infected assaults and an unashamdley mental finale...

4) Borderlands:

What can one say about Borderlands? It's FPS Diablo? It's a Cell-Shaded not quite RPG? Nah. I'll just say it's pure, accesable unadulterated quasi-mindless fun. There's a plotline, but it's not really of much concern. Many people complained that there was too much "fetch the stick bury the bone" about the game, but lets be honest, the best response to that is "Did you read the sign on the door when you came in?".

5) Bionic Commando:

I never played the old school Bionic Commando properly. There, it's out in the open and I can breathe again. I never felt it was as good as it was made out to be (and it was my cousin's '64 in was on). Why then did I bother with this update? Because it looked pretty, had an interesting gameplay mechanic and it was cheap. I grabbed it on a whim and it grabbed back. I played it through to the early hours, working out how to get everywhere on my tin tarzan arm, dropping boulders on people and flipping cars about. Then I began to play properly. It has its faults and frustrations, but they fade from your niggle buffer once you get involved in the game fully. Oh, and Super Joe's a total smeghead.

6) Torchlight:

Rumours abound about Diablo 3 being pushed back due to this lurking gem. I hope they are true. I was initially sceptical about Torchlight. I was expecting a D3 primer. A morsel cooked up by "ex" Blizzard employees to whet our appetites for the real game. My foolish assumptions were slapped right out of me pretty sharpish. Torchlight blows its own bassoon and blows it like an arctic gale. It packs so many new and useful features into the genre (a combat pet who does vendor runs for you and can cast spells is only a small part of it) you cant help wondering why none of this was done before. You can't help thinking Diablo 3 might be "inspired" by some of it come it's new release date... P.S. its fifteen quid on the accursed Steam. You'd be a fool or a genuine student to miss it.

7) Streetfighter IV:

It's Streetfighter. It'll make you laugh, cry and grind your teeth. It's Streetfighter. You'll feel your pad-hands ready themselves in the acustomed prematch position as soon as you hear the Capcom sting. It's Streetfighter. If you are new to this world of molecule thin comebacks, cheeky combos, rage dumping and out and out showmanship, welcome- this is Streetfighter! And I'm player one, you fucks.

I almost forgot-

Shadow Complex:

I own or have played every iteration of Castlevania and Metroid. I love them. I love this.

[Al]

This is subject to change as I've got a back log to get through once I emerge from crunch at the end of this week. But thought I'd get a list together now in case I forget later...

• Uncharted 2 (PS3) - just brilliant, only a couple of frustrating moments separate it from perfection
  Canabalt (iPhone/Flash) - simple, epic
  Ghostbusters (360) - flawed, but it invokes its' inspiration so well I'd forgive it anything
  Drop7 (iPhone) - easily my most played game this year thanks to many minutes whiled away on my commute
  Rock Band Unplugged (PSP) - the missing link between Harmonix's old and new stuff, which is perfect as I love both
  Plants vs. Zombies (Mac) - just lovely
  GTA Chinatown Wars (DS) - another retro-fitted missing link, this time between old and new GTA
  Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box (DS) - does nothing new, but does it with effortless charm
  Street Fighter IV (PS3) - invokes how Street Fighter 2 felt back when it was The Daddy (and I'm still crap at it)
  Mini Squadron (iPhone) - I'm biased as it's written by a friend, but this is old school fun at it's finest

Honourable mentions to Shadow Complex, Beatles Rock Band, iPhone Peggle and Scribblenauts. Arkham Asylum and New Super Mario Bros. Wii are next on my play pile so we'll see if they manage to displace anyone else...

[Anders]

Plants vs. Zombies (Mac) - just lovely

Thank God, I thought I was the only one!

[The Captain]

Shadow Complex:
I own or have played every iteration of Castlevania and Metroid. I love them. I love this.

I wish I'd turned off the help marker line, it would have made it a lot more interesting. I always thought they could have subtitled it 'Modern Norfair.' I'll get me coat.

[The Bag]

Persona 4
Uncharted 2
Batman
Assassin's Creed 2
Flower
Dragon Age
Drop 7
Shadow Complex
Modern Warfare 2
GTA 4: Tales from Liberty City

[Darkflame]

You know, this thread has just made me realise; Ive basically been playing no new games this year O_o
All the games I currently been playing, and even my stack of "to play" are mostly from years gone by.
The newest one I'm currently playing is the first Professor Layton game.

[benedictw]

Modern Warfare 2 - Fantastic multiplayer, the single player didn't quite click - a bit too James Bond. Special ops really is special. Multiplayer is even better than MW1 - more refined. I would've liked to see remakes of Bloc and Downpour though.

Borderlands. Diablo meets FPS with a introduction vid just like Rock Band. After seeing the sheer insanity of some of the weapons (shotgun with a sniper scope that sets people on fire?) it just has to be here. This is pure single player crack.

Shadow Complex. Why hasn't the 360 had more metroidalikes? Lots of great fun.

[Mat T]

1) Batman Arkham Asylum
2) Uncharted 2
3) Left 4 Dead 2
4) Footy Manager 2010