From worst to first, here's what I thought were the best PS3 games of 2009.
PS: Do not stone me for leading off this article with a picture of ugly-ass MFer Forest Griffin.
10. UFC 2009: UndisputedAn absolute beast of a game, UFC 2009 Undisputed was the most unexpected surprise I had this year. I downloaded the demo, played it, smiled like a fucking idiot, and immediately set my sights on picking this up. I wasn't disappointed, and neither was publisher THQ - this was the surprise smash of the summer in terms of sales, and I'm telling you right now it wasn't (just) because the UFC fanbase is 50% composed of crazy wildin'-out type drunkies who will buy anything - this is a HIGH QUALITY game here folks. Why buy Fight Night when you can have this? We want Undisputed 2010, NOW!
9. Killzone 2
8. Assassin's Creed III'm a bit surprised at myself for including AC2 on this list, considering the deep-seated hatred I have for the first game. Hey, you have to admit, the first AC was a pretty love it or hate it type of game. And you can't say that I didn't give it a fair shot - I bought AC1 at launch (fueled by some Jade Raymond hype), played through the first few towns, absolutely hated it, traded it away, got it back in a "filler" trade, ignored it for the better part of a year, tried it again to maybe get hyped for AC2, hated it even more, and chucked it in disgust to the very bottom of my sizable box of PS3 crap. But Assassin's Creed 2 really is a marked improvement over the first game - the world is livelier, there's a much larger amount of stuff to do, and they came up with a great reward system that makes you want to push forward. It really shows that Patrice Desilets and his team really took the sometimes savage criticism of the first game, sucked it up, and proceeded to work on making this Creed sequel the best damn game they could possibly make. Sure, it wasn't enough to overcome the awesome shit that the other developers came up with, but that French bastard has at least regained my respect. (Disclaimer: As I have yet to get my hands on the PS3 version - I ran out of money - this opinion is based on the Xbox 360 version, which I played all the way through. I still plan to get the PS3 version eventually, though... for cheap.)
7. Dragon Age: OriginsAlthough I got suckered into buying what has to be one of the worst special editions ever made for a game, I'm not bitter - Dragon Age: Origins is still, gameplay-wise, one of the best titles Bioware ever made. The characters are interesting, the plot is filled with some wonderfully epic stuff, and the combat is a simplified version of the Neverwinter Nights engine, adapted for consoles but still retaining the strategic depth. Well, it did have an Achilles heel -- it, errr, looked like crap. But most RPG nerds I've talked to think it's an equitable tradeoff.
6. Street Fighter IVIt speaks volumes of the overall quality of this year's crop of games that the best (IMHO) 2009 entry in one of my all-time favorite genres could only manage overall 6th place. Although it came out much earlier in the year, there is no reason to deny Street Fighter IV its place in the sun. Yes, like the majority of fighting games, it's a rehash, but it's an expertly crafted, gorgeous, and very, very, VERY fun rehash that I'm willing to pay for again next year in the form of Super Street Fighter IV.
5. Batman: Arkham AsylumLength. That's all this game had going against it in terms of Game of the Year contention. Unfortunately, Arkham really was short - maikli masyado for most people. The game was over too quickly for many people to consider more than a rent or a short-term buy (bili, tapos pasa kaagad). You couldn't fault the game based on quality though: It had MetroidVania-style exploration, loads of secrets to find, a great script (and fantastic voice acting), and the most unique combat system I saw all year.
4. BorderlandsI was one of Borderlands' chief boosters before the game saw release (promoting the game every chance I got), and Gearbox Software didn't let me down - Borderlands effectively was, as Gears of War designer Cliff Blesinzki said, "Diablo for the FPS generation". Sure, it had its flaws here and there (such as being buggier than a jar full of cockroaches) but the game was just so fun and well-put-together that it deserved to succeed... and succeed it did, becoming the sleeper hit of the year by a mile. We can only hope that Gearbox's recent trademarking of the name "Borderworlds" means we get a sequel in 2010 (although I doubt it, seeing as they're also developing Aliens: Colonial Marines for Sega. Anyway, a man can dream.
3. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2Two years after the untouchable Modern Warfare 1 dropped we got this shiny, mega-hyped sequel.
So what changed from COD4?
Well, not the story, definitely. The plot STILL doesn't make sense, it's more a series of extremely well put together action sequences that don't really gel.
And while the graphics have improved in spots, it's still running on the same old-ass engine, so it can look a little messy at times.
The multiplayer has a load of cool stuff to unlock, and is as fun as ever, but the structure remains largely the same.
So in a nutshell, the only "new" feature they added was the very entertaining Spec Ops co-op mode, and a whole truckload of minor refinements.
And you know what? The end result was still so motherfucking FUN I had to make it number 3. Thank you, Infinity Ward. Thank you.
2. Demon's SoulsThe first few hours I spent with Demon's Souls weren't what I would call enjoyable. Me and Death? We became best pals. Inadvertently walking off incredibly high spiral staircases, getting burned to death by dragons I had no idea were coming, eaten alive by wolves, getting caught in an unfortunate yet still somewhat hilarious accident involving exploding barrels -- it felt like it was always SOMETHING, goddamnit, and I was beginning to wonder if I was losing my hardcore gamer "edge". I even considered trading Demon's Souls away for something else. Well, I'm glad I reconsidered, because when I started playing again, something just clicked, and I suddenly "got it". At first I cursed at Demon's Souls for killing me so indiscriminately -- then I realized that it was simply trying to teach me the correct way to play. This is some truly masterful work by From Software, and the best game they ever made (seriously, I didn't think they would ever top Otogi 2 for the original Xbox). Sequel please!
1. Uncharted 2: Among ThievesConsidering that Naughty Dog is one of my favorite developers of all time (I'm still waiting on that REAL Jak and Daxter sequel, guys), and that Uncharted: Drake's Fortune still has a very special place in my heart, it's no surprise that I really, REALLY wanted to play this. Unsurprisingly, ND came through. But what I didn't expect was just how great U2AT would turn out - I've been burned by excessive hype before, but U2AT deserved every bit of praise that came its way. Amazingly cinematic, with the same disarming panache and light-hearted wit that made the first game so great, Uncharted 2 was a shining reminder of exactly why, despite being twenty-fucking-six years old, I still love gaming so much.
That's pretty much a wrap, folks, unless you count...
EFR's Honorable Mentions
a.k.a.
The Best of the Losers
Ratchet And Clank Future: A Crack In Time - A pretty good game, but didn't wow me enough to make me pick it up. I played through it at a friend's house and don't plan to pick it up again until it becomes really, really dirt cheap (for collection/Trophy purposes).
God of War Collection - Disqualified because neither GoW game really came out in 2009. Would have made it in if that wasn't the case.
Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition - See God of War Collection.
Band Hero - I love this game but I can't in good conscience put a glorified track pack/Guitar Hero reskin on my 2009 best-of list. It feels... dirty, somehow.
inFamous - Because some fucker will send me another angry email if I dont include this on here. Seriously dude, it wasn't the BEST GAME EVER, so get over it.
so... Fuck inFamous! Muhahahaha! X-D
-fin-
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