I play quite a few video games (Xbox360 and PS3, I don't have a Wii anymore, I might get one though) so I thought I would offer my thoughts on the best video games I played during the last year. Now, some of these games may be from 2008, but they were ne

First off, let me list out all the games I can remember playing in 2009:
Trials HD (360)
Shadow Complex (360)
'Splosion Man (360)
Little Big Planet (PS3)
Resistance Fall of Man (PS3)
Ristance 2 (PS3)
Killzone 2 (PS2)
Batman Arkham Asylum (PS3)
Gears of War 2 (360)
Burnout Paradise (360)
Halo Wars (360)
Halo 3 (360)
Halo 3: ODST (360)
Grand Theft Auto 4 (360)
Rock Band (360)
Rock Band 2 (360)
Crackdown (360)
Borderlands (360)
Modern Warfare 2 (360)
Civilization Revolution (360)
Mass Effect (360)
Overlord (360)
Madden NFL 10 (360)
Left 4 Dead (360)
Command & Conquer 3: Red Alert (360)
Warhammer Battlemarch (360)
Star Ocean: The Last Hope (360)
Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3)
Infamous (PS3)
Warhawk (PS3)
Torchlight (PC)
Flower (PS3)
Prototype (PS3)


Ok, so I am probably missing a few that I bought used, played, then sold back (most likely ps3 games since I pulled up my xbox play history to check the list). So let me break down a few categories, and then list out my nominees then the winner.

Best Shooter
My nominees for this category are: Modern Warfare 2, Halo 3, and Killzone2, and Borderlands. Each offers something different than the others, from realistic weapons and gameplay, to a simple but complex multiplyer experience, to just pure fun and enjoyment. But really, in my mind, there is one on true winner. If you want a game you can just pick and play, which involves running (or walking) around and killing things with guns, well Borderlands wins. Its art style may seem a bit weird at first, but you get use to it. The writing is quite quirky and amusing, the loot droops (guns, lots of guns) are a total joy, and its multiplayer is quite fun. Many have never played this, and I really suggest giving it a try. Find a few friends to play it with you, cause that adds a total new dimension to the game.

Best Non-Shooter
Ok, this includes all the games are aren't meant to just be about the shooting and the killing (though they will include such actions). So we have games which have dialogue, plot, all that stuff that so many shooters are missing. The Nominees are: Little Big Planet, Uncharted 2, and Batman Arkham Asylum. Each of these games is vastly different than the others, but each is also a superb game. The best non-shooter award goes to: Batman Arkham Asylum. After so many years of really bad comic/movie inspired games, this one finally gets it right. The story is interesting, the characters are very well done, the voice work is top notch. Its a fun game and something everyone should play.

Best Downloadable Game
This could be an Xbox Live game, a PC game, or a PS3 game which is purchased then downloaded to your system. I really only have two nominees for this award: Torchlight and Flower. Shadow Complex, 'Splosion Man, Trials HD are all good games, but none of them are the best. As I write this, I am waffling back and forth on my decision, so I will just go ahead with my first though: Torchlight. Flower is something unlike so many other games, its intriguing, but totally strange (you are the wind). But Torchlight, well everyone loves dungeon looting. Many will say its a Diablo clone, and it might be, but for the price $20 (was $10 over the weekend at steam) it offers hours upon hours of play. To me, its a game where I can play for 30 mins to an hour and stop. Then come back a few days later and play, and the enjoyment is never lost.

Best Multiplayer Game
Just trying to decide on the nominee's for this category was hard, so the list is longer then the others. My nominee's are: Modern Warfare 2, Left 4 Dead, Halo 3/ODST, Borderlands, and Uncharted 2. Again I am left with the issue of how do you pick the best when each of these games does it so good, but so differently. Modern Warfare 2 has a slick system, everyone plays Halo, Borderlands is a riot, and Uncharted 2 has such variation in its maps compared to the others. Best Multiplayer game is: Modern Warfare 2. The matchmaking system is great (though odd at times), the system for updating your character is awesome (setup 5 preset weapon load outs), the deathstreak and killstreak bonuses are fun (though I hate, hate, the nuclear bomb option). All this takes a game with great gameplay, and makes the multiplayer better than just about anything else out there.

Best New Game Property
I played many games which are new game "Properties", but only a couple made the list. The nominee's are: Borderlands, Infamous, Torchlight. Again, I have three totally different awesome games (I hate myself for starting this post right now). The game which I think really impacted the gaming world the most, Infamous, is the winner. Sure the game had some quirky issues with grabbing onto supports/buildings, and sure the morality system was way to cut and dry for many people. But the game is basically the best superhero game until Batman came out. The ability to grow your powers, and sandbox style of the game, the variety of ways to get around and attack people. All this combined to make a totally awesome game.

Best Story/Dialogue
In my mind, what sets apart the best games isn't the graphics, or the type of game it is, it is whether there is a plot that makes me want to play it, and characters that make me want to help/defeat. So many games totally forget this and it truly hurts there games. The nominees are: Uncharted 2, Batman Arkham Asylum, and Infamous. The winner is: Uncharted 2. This is really a movie hiding in a video game. The dialogue, plot, characters, voice acting, onscreen chemistry, all of that are so far ahead of any other game its amazing. The developer took the time to make this game, and it shows.

Best Game
The final category, which is also the hardest category to pick. My nominees are: Torchlight, Borderlands, Modern Warfare 2, and Uncharted 2. Part of me really wants to say Torchlight or Borderlands, but in reality there is only one game that truly was the Best game of 2009, Uncharted 2. Sure I could gush (more) on the game (or you could read my review), but I will not. To me this game did everything right, and nothing was even close.

I really need to get around to writing my reviews of Torchlight and Borderlands, which I wanted to do before I published this, but since I had this all done, I went ahead. Look for those reviews, and more, to show up soon.

tRuMaN