11 Game of the Year 2009 nominees
2009 has been a good year for gaming. Despite the controversy surrounding the PC version of Modern Warfare 2, as well as delays of games which would have been sure contenders for game of the year such as Bioshock 2 and StarCraft II, gamers have had a lot to be grateful for over the past 11 months.
We have narrowed down our 11 contenders for game of the year:
Modern Warfare 2
Infinity Ward’s military themed first person shooter enjoyed the most successful video game launch of all time, and both console versions have earned a 94/10 rating on Metacritic. PC gamers are still upset that the game was spoiled a bit by the lack of dedicated servers, but there is still no denying that it is a strong GOTY candidate.
Borderlands
Borderlands will undoubtedly be remembered by many as 2009’s most promising new IP. The game surprised many when it launched in October, winning the hearts of dungeon crawler and shooter fans alike.
Uncharted 2
Naughty Dog’s PS3 exclusive is officially the highest rated game of 2009, earning a Metacritic score of 96/100.
Batman: Arkham Asylum
The first game to make the journey from comic book to video game with true class, Batman: Arkham Asylum enjoys an impressive Metacritic score of 91/100.
inFamous
One of 4 PS3 exclusive candidates, inFamous was another excellent new IP born in 2009. Averaging 85/100 on Metacritic, inFamous is easily one of MyGaming’s most memorable titles of 2009.
Killzone 2
Killzone 2 was the most anticipated game of early 2009. It averages 91/100 on Metacritic.
Demon’s Souls
Demon’s Souls was another surprise hit in 2009. Coming from nowhere, this game impressed reviewers and gamers alike, earning a Metacritic score of 89/100.
Forza 3
One of two Xbox 360 exclusives to make our list, this racing simulator has been praised for offering unparalleled levels of depth as well as excellent production values. It retains a Metacritic score of 92/100.
Assassin’s Creed 2
This recently released action adventure title seems dead set on outclassing its predecessor, and is sitting on an early Metacritic score of 91/100.
Left 4 Dead 2
This Microsoft exclusive maintains a healthy 90/100 Metacritic score, and seems destined to surpass the accolades earned by its predecessor.
Dragon Age: Origins
Bioware’s fantasy themed RPG has been hailed as the spiritual successor to the Baldur’s Gate series, and is arguably the best RPG of 2009. Dragon Age: Origins maintains a Metacritic rating of 91/100.
Apart from these eleven titles, 2009 was littered with a number of additional classics. Games such as Anno 1404 and Dawn of War II gave PC gamer a reason to celebrate, while Trials HD, Flower and Plants vs. Zombies –among others- proved that you don’t need a multimillion dollar budget to put a great game together.
All in all, 2009 was a very good year for gamers, a fact which makes choosing a single GOTY a difficult decision.
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Comments (11 posted): Comments (11 posted):
Subscribe to comments feedKillzone2 was VANILLA at BEST. Gameplay was dated and the storyline/characters completely forgettable. Visually it's a technical masterpiece, but then again, so is CRYSIS.
MW2 is good but MP suffers slighly because of the decision by IW.
Batman was awesome and definitely up there as one of my highest.
But it is so hard to choose. :)
I can understand its a tough pick for people who aren't exactly fans of the CRPG genre however. I play games in all genres though and Dragon very much stood out from the crowd.
MW2 is ****. Dragon Age is only fun on PC. Batman is great though, but multiplatform... so I don't know. Demon's Souls is the biggest surprise of 2009 but a little too hard. Forza is a copy/paste of Gran Turismo so I'll just wait for the real driving simulator. inFAMOUS gets boring at times but still fun. Left 4 Dead 2 is the same game as the first but with updated graphics and some new weapons, so don't deserve to be on that list. Killzone 2 is graphically amazing but a little empty for storyline and characters, gameplay is great.
What a bad year for 360... seriously. PS3 has mature a lot since 2006.
I see nothing but Uncharted 2... just my opinion. But even though it wasn't THAT much innovative, it did everything good, and that's the point. Even if you don't agree with it, you will have to deal with it: Uncharted 2 will be crowned Game of the Year by almost every single game site. The rest will take Modern Warfare 2... even if it is pure ****.
My own GOTYs? MW2 and Borderlands. Batman rocked too, and Overlord 2 has been very sadly underrated. Assassin's Creed 2 has also surprised me immensely, with one of the most intriguing and genuinely compelling narratives I've ever come across in a game. Quite superb, really.
I'm still waiting to play Left 4 Dead 2, though. :(