Best of 2009

December 31, 2009 in Games, Rants 7 Comments

Genres

Best Puzzle/Strategy

In terms of puzzle and strategy games, I have to say that most of my time playing these types of games was on the iPhone this year.  The iPhone is ideally suited to the genre and many developers are picking up on that.

At the top of my list for the year is Azkend.  This game took a matching tiles concept, made it more interesting by tossing in various new mechanics, and then wrapped it into an intriguing story.

My runner-up in this category goes to Gyromancer. A partnership between Square Enix and Popcap was bound to create something cool.  Still not as amazing as Puzzle Quest, but close.

Best Action/Adventure

This was an interesting choice for me.  I had not played Uncharted 2 at the time of making my decision (for the podcast), and knew that I’d get a load of people bitching because of that.  Luckily, I’m the kind of bastard who could give a rat’s ass.  I’d done my homework, and as I got to say on Episode 15, I stand by every choice I made regarding this absolutely amazing game.

I have been loving every moment of this sequel, and am impressed with the depth of the story, the characters and to top it all off, it is just plain fucking fun.

Runner-up: Batman: Arkham Asylum

Best FPS

Despite an absolutely terrible ending, Borderlands still reigns supreme in this category because of everything else which makes this game a fuckton of fun to play.  Let’s ignore the stylish graphics and kick-ass soundtrack for a moment and consider how well the game plays.  The controls are great, the RPG elements add a lot to the game without taking away from the FPS aspect, and the multiplayer (though hindered by GameSpy) is a lot of fun.

Sure, it’s not without its faults, and we’ve covered those extensively on prior podcast episodes, however I still maintain that it was the best FPS to come out this year… maybe even the last couple years.

Runner-up: Modern Warfare 2

Best RPG

My hardest decision regarding this category was not whether Dragon Age: Origins was the best RPG of 2009, but rather if it was also best RPG of the decade.  There simply was no doubt in my mind that it was the best RPG of the year.  Not only was it the best, however it was so much better than any other competitor that I never had to give it a second thought.

That being said however, the runner-up in this category certainly is no slouch.  When comparing a Ferrari and Honda, there is absolutely no comparison in terms of which is better… however that doesn’t take away from how great Hondas are.  (Why am I using car analogies?)

Anyway… runner-up goes to the little game that could; Torchlight.  If you’re a regular listener to our podcast, you will have heard all three of us waxing poetic over this gem.  It’s a great game and certainly deserving of a runner-up award.

Best MMO

Had you asked me early on in the year for a prediction on who would win this category, I would have been wrong.  Not just a little wrong.  I would have been a embarrassingly wrong. Having played through several MMOs this year however (although admittedly some were only demos), my choice as best MMO is actually Champions Online.

I had to give it a couple tries before the gameplay clicked for me, though once it did, I was hooked and absolutely loved it.

Best Portable Game

There were some interesting portable games this year, however being a huge Grand Theft Auto fan, I definitely have to give the nod to GTA: Chinatown Wars.  This version is fantastic fun that you can take with you wherever you go.

As for a runner-up, I have to give that to The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks.  It takes everything that made Phantom Hourglass great, adds more fun game mechanics and allows us to play with Zelda for the first time.

Best New IP

This was a tough choice, and so I decided to wimp out and award this category to two games; Borderlands and Torchlight.  In their own fashion, they are each absolutely great new IPs and I cannot wait to see more from both.

Runner-up: Brutal Legend

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Aion, Azkend, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Bioshock 2, Borderlands, Brutal Legend, Champions Online, Dragon Age: Origins, GTA: Chinatown Wars, Gyromancer, Left 4 Dead 2, Modern Warfare 2, Prototype, Star Trek Online, Star Wars: The Old Republic, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, Torchlight, Uncharted 2