admeister
DJ Hero
For someone who's never been into music games, this was a revelation. The controller, the mixes, the difficulty level, they were all perfect and kept me playing for weeks. No game kept me coming back for more than this little gem (Persona 4 was a 2008 title for me). DJ Hero appealed to me so much more than Guitar Hero ever did, as I never liked the idea of having to hold such a large controller in order to play. The gameplay in Guitar Hero came down to simply pressing buttons, while DJ Hero diversified by making the buttons no more important than the scratching and crossfader. Great stuff.
arbok
Demon's Souls
Beware of the next foe ahead. Treading carefully with your shield up, you equip yourself with your rapier and edge slowly round the corner. Then out of nowhere you're attacked by a fireball, but you're skilled enough to handle this with ease. You know in a split second that your shield is no good, you roll sideways to avoid the fireball, equip your silver catalyst and blast him with your own soul arrow. In Demon's Souls it’s all about the experience, the experience of what it would really be like to be battling against total evil, unrelenting enemies with no apologies in killing you. Shouldn't all games be like this? How did we get comfortable with the fact that we could all eventually defeat an enemy by standing there absorbing hits like a bullet sponge. But its not an unfair game, Demon's Souls allows human players to leave messages on the ground for others to warn them of the imminent danger, bloodstains remain to show you how others died in the same spot and if it all becomes too hard you can team up with people online for some co-op. Demon's Souls takes the conventional video game rulebook and throws it away, readdressing what really defines an experience of real accomplishment and real reward. For the gamers that have taken the challenge and risen above it, Demon's Souls completely nails this aspect and is justifiably lauded.
Good luck!
Azza
Left 4 Dead 2 (Uncut)
A very good sequel. The amount of new weapons, scenarios and strategies, as well as the cleaner versus mode and the madly enjoyable scavenge mode, really add to the new experience and the subsequent atmosphere of ZOMFG WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE (which is absent in the gimped Aussie version). 'Tis all good though, because there is a Cricket bat in it, as well as other awesome melee weapons. There's a lot to love, especially when yours truly is a fan of the zombie lore, with nods to Dawn of the Dead, amongst others. I'll admit, it isn’t the best game around... but if we're talking favourite game, then this certainly takes the cake.
Bronze
Flower
Through a combination of talent, code, and suspected witchcraft, thatgamecompany somehow managed to distil pure joy into videogame form. With an understated, introspective storyline interactively woven by imprisoned potplants, it's a genuine breath of fresh air in a year packed with sequels and 'me too' cookie-cutter games. With an emphasis on freedom, innovative controls that highlight the best aspects of the Sixaxis, and a soaring, interactive musical score, Flower is more than just a pretty screensaver; it's a visceral sensory overload, and my favourite game of 2009.
Gaming doesn't always have to be about Space Marines.
Gooberman
The Maw
The most endearing character of the year to me is a round purple blob. It speaks volumes for the vision driving this fun little platformer, which ranks as one of the best presented games I've ever played. Everything in the game world is given just the right amounts of cute and menace, and everything reacts to your involvement in a way that's sure to put a smile on your face. There's not a single line of dialogue in the entire game, but the camaraderie you feel between the character you play, Frank, and the titular purple blob is up there with Butch and Sundance. Except Sundance never wanted to eat the world. Maybe it's more like Sid and Nancy, but I digress. The Maw is one of those rare games that is truly good for all ages.
iChris08
FIFA 10
I vote this my Game of The Year because it's just an all-round good game. I have many friends who have never played a sports video game but they picked up the controls with ease and loved the game. FIFA 10 also has great gameplay with many licensed teams to keep gamers interested and happy to play as their real life heroes. I also was very impressed with the loading on FIFA 10, where instead of watching a bleak black screen while waiting for your match to load, you could have a little kick around with a player of your choice in the "Arena". Finally, what really put the icing on the cake in this game was the online/Xbox Live side of the game. Matches are (mostly) lag free and the different online game types that are available to play are just amazing, from playing a League amongst all of your friends to playing with a team of 9 other players in a 10 player Pro Club Championship.
Pro Evo, you are in trouble.
JackSlack
Brutal Legend
For all its faults, Brutal Legend is an absolute joy of tone and visual imagination, expertly creating a sense of head banging glory in all its battles. Coupled to this is an unfairly maligned RTS system that had some quite clever innovations for the console controls. This is a game that will in the long run look better than it does right now.
Kyle Clarthy
Tales of Vesperia
Tales of Vesperia is one of those RPGs that may not have the most unique story, but it becomes a must have for RPG fans due to a combination of lovable characters that you can't help but feel some emotional pull towards, a fun, action packed battle system, great exploration, heaps of sidequests and a replay value that's through the roof. You will definitely get your money's worth out of this one.
Proof that it's sometimes better late than never.
Scrav
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4
A PS2 RPG featuring a complex plot set in rural Japan. There is something to be said about an RPG that successfully manages to focus a major part of the game in the modern world with a "modern day" focus on character growth. This is a game that will keep you guessing plot wise right up until near the end in a 'murder mystery' style storyline, while trying to balance high school, a social life and family at the same time.
shinhawk
Ar Tonelico II: Melody of Metafalica
This RPG was definitely the best one I played this year despite the somewhat botched US localisation. The gameplay is top-notch for today's RPGs. It takes traditional elements and adds new twists to them. Battles were always active as players have to time button pressing to defend against enemies otherwise they'd lose within a heartbeat. It’s not like other RPGs where players sit and wait for enemies to do all their attacks and then take their next turn. In addition, the story and character development is just awesome. This was one of the few games where I thought there were several heart-warming moments that moved me. I've only gone through one path in the game, so I can only imagine how much more there can be.
Some real gems can be found where you least expect them.
Sin Ogaris
Splosion Man
There is something wickedly enjoyable about being a living, breathing explosion. It carries all the markings of the perfect platformer, intricate level design, lots of collectibles and targets to reach, and a unique hook that puts it outside of the norm when compared to others in the genre. Oh, and the dialog from Splosion Man is absolutely hilarious.
THEMAN
Plants vs Zombies
This is one of the most compelling, fun, addictive and simple 'lawn defence' games you can get for the PC. Popcap made the really addictive Peggle games and this, in my opinion, is a lot more fun. The visuals are also charming and the game has a lot of humour. The games uses different genesis of plants: ice watermelons, pea shooters, corn putters, sunflowers, garlic, fire chilli, to fend off zombies in amusing forms - preppy college football zombies, gardening zombies, pole vaulting zombies and my favourite zombie type, the thriller zombie. RIP MJ. Varying challenges, puzzle mode, zen garden, and the game even has an end boss, Plants vs Zombies has it all.
Well, that can't be good...
Vervain
The Beatles: Rock Band
Now being a huge fan of the band, this game was always going to either make it or break it, for me. Never did I imagine just how much I would end up loving what Harmonix did. From the stylised, cartoony, yet still perfectly recognisable graphical style, to the expertly handled engineering of the audio and the behind the scenes audio, the game was perfect to a fan like me. If someone had told me a few years ago that I would love a music game this much I would have laughed in their faces. Now it is Harmonix doing the laughing instead.
XtremeXfactor
UFC 2009 Undisputed
After several false starts over the years, MMA has a fantastic video game representation in the form of UFC 2009 Undisputed. On the surface it appears to be like any run of the mill fighting game, while the game can be played in a traditional 'button mashing' sense, there is a reward for learning all of the ins and outs of the game in the form of more enjoyment. Anything can happen in the real life UFC, and the same rings true with the video game. A result can come at any time, often when you least expect it.
Take us out, boys.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, takes care of 2009. We look forward to seeing you all in the New Year!
).
Buy PVZ its very fun! I spent 50+ hours on it.
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