InsaneBear

Feature: InsaneBear’s 2009 Game of the Year

Another year has come and gone, and despite more delays than I can ever remember in one year, 2009 still saw more great games than I could possibly get around to playing. 2009 also saw me jumping into the whole game-writing thing for the first time (well, sort of). Consequently, this is InsaneBear’s first GOTY feature, and we’re going to try to keep it relatively simple. Maybe next year I’ll throw in some quirky awards meant to recognize specific games, but for now, we’ll just be sticking to the GOTY model. Without further ado…

2009′s 2008 Game of the Year – Well, maybe I’ll throw in one non-traditional award here considering IB wasn’t around for 2008′s games. And yes, I’m totally stealing this award from Giant Bomb, but I just think it’s a good idea to look back and see how time has changed our thoughts on the games we’ve played. In the case of 2008, I would have named Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots GOTY then, and I’m still giving it the honor today. Just think how rare a game like that is. How often does one of the most talented developers in the industry pretty much get free reign to spend as much as he wants on whatever he wants? Hopefully it happens again real soon, because MGS4 is an epically cinematic experience that lovingly caters to its hardcore fans with a story that somehow manages to wrap up 20 years of Metal Gear madness. Plus, you play as an old man, damn it!

The Candidates…

Assassin’s Creed II – Double. Hidden. Blades. That essentially sums up Assassin’s Creed II, a game that takes everything its predecessor did and does it better. From mission design to graphics to narrative to killing dudes, this game improves on every aspect of the polarizing ACI and has earned the right to put nicer adjectives in front of its name. The combat’s satisfyingly brutal, Ezio’s one of the most likable characters I’ve encountered in a while, and the puzzle-platforming of the Assassin’s Tombs is the sort of gaming-zen that will stroke our nostalgic hearts a few years from now. Assassin’s Creed II has got me chomping at the bit for Ubisoft’s third installment in the action-parkour series, so that must mean it did something right.

Batman: Arkham Asylum – Without a doubt, Batman: Arkham Asylum is the definitive super-hero experience in video games. No game before or since has put the player in the shoes of a super-hero quite so well. Maybe that’s because no super-hero game has ever crafted such an authentic and immersive world, full of appropriately goonish henchmen, diabolical villains, and clever collectables that pay homage to the series’ more obscure characters. Then there’s the pure badassery of utilizing all of the Batman’s gadgets and stealthy talents to dismantle a room full of terrified thugs. I don’t think any other game this year is paced quite as perfectly as Arkham Asylum and the story is top-notch. Arkham Asylum makes you feel like the Dark Knight.

Battlefield 1943 – I think it really says something that a $15 downloadable game can compete with full-fledged retail products for this award, but the fact is, 2009 was a banner year for downloadable games. BF1943 may be “just a WWII shooter,” but it’s a dang good one. The shooting feels fantastic and the classes are balanced. The maps are fun too. But what really stands out about this game is just how fun the vehicle element makes the battlefield. The terror you feel as a tank rolls over the trees to your side and opens up fire is unparalleled in most modern shooters and is only countered by the joy of allied planes dropping bombs on said tank from above. This bite-sized FPS is just as fun as the heavy-hitting blockbusters out there, period.

Borderlands – Oh, Borderlands, you steal my heart. Sporting one of the most striking visual styles of 2009, this first-person-looter has an addictive quality that few games this year can match. The shooting actually manages to feel good while weaving enough RPG elements into the game-play to make things feel different. The never-ending parade of new weapons keeps you coming back for more and really encourages experimentation with different guns. And then there’s the incredibly fun special abilities of each character class. Mix this all in with fun mission design and four-player co-op…oh man, I want to go play some Borderlands.

Dragon Age: Origins – The age of dragons has begun and I hope BioWare keeps it going strong for years to come. Dragon Age creates a believable world full of racism, religious tensions, cut-throat politics, and age-old prejudices that are all dealt with in mature and meaningful ways. The core-quests are truly memorable, the boss fights are rewarding, and almost all of the NPC party-members are interesting in one way or another. But the thing that stands out most to me is that for once, I was actually role-playing in a WRPG. BioWare made the very wise decision to do away with the arbitrary and judgmental morality meter, instead opting for individual party-members’ approval. This design allowed me to actually get into character and play without worrying about achievements or morally specific powers/talents. Oh, and there’s that whole origin stories thing were there are multiple beginnings and endings to the game. I’ve put more time into this title than any other game of 2009.

Halo 3: ODST – Like Halo? Me too. Like suspenseful stories that manipulate chronological order for more dramatic effect? Me too. Like Nathan Fillion? Yeah, me too. Put those three things together and you’ve got yourself a little game called Halo 3: ODST. This latest entry in the always superb Halo series takes the intense combat of previous titles in the franchise and transplants it into a moody and atmospheric world driven by an innovative mission structure that has you playing flashbacks of other characters memories while trying to piece your own story together. The game’s more personal, band-of-brothers sort of narrative also manages to provide some nice background for the Master Chief’s epic quest. Then there’s the extremely fun Firefight mode, which sees a group of players co-operating together to fend off hordes of deadly enemies.

inFAMOUS – I have to throw out the disclaimer here that I haven’t actually played this game and that I’m basing this assessment off of Ryan’s review, but from everything I’ve heard, inFAMOUS absolutely deserves to be on this list. This is a game that shines where it counts most–the game-play. Tight controls allow for fluid motion and precise combat that make getting from one mission to the next a joy. The magical properties of electricity allow you to grind along electrical wires, glide through the sky, and leap from building to building in a way that changes the definition of parkour gaming. You can also upgrade your powers depending on whether you want Cole to be a destructive bad ass or a disciplined paragon, so morality actually has game-play ramifications here. This is a game that just flows well and keeps the fun coming.

Modern Warfare 2 – No FPS on the market has shooting that feels as right as Modern Warfare 2 does. It strikes the perfect balance between arcade and tactical and then forces you to constantly apply those shooting skills to a plethora of finely-balanced weapons in a non-stop roller-coaster ride of a campaign. And of course there’s the infinitely replayable multiplayer mode, which has even more perks and equipment augmentations this time around. The multiplayer is something that’s so finely tuned that you’re forced to constantly be evolving and changing up your strategies, and it’s a blast the entire time. There’s always a counter for your play-style and class set-up, which is the way competitive multiplayer should be designed. But even more fun than all those online frag-fests is the Spec-Ops mode, a collection of 23 challenging missions specifically designed for a tag-team approach. These missions feature excellent game-play variety and are extremely rewarding. This is a game that’s hard to pull yourself away from.

Street Fighter IV – The fact that a fighting game is on my Game of the Year list in the year 2009 is astounding, but that just speaks to the awesome quality of Capcom’s revival of the premier fighting franchise. This game hits all the right notes, looking fresh enough to avoid the “rehash” label while feeling familiar enough to jump into after years of not playing Street Fighter. It’s accessible enough to draw in casual players but somehow has enough depth to satisfy hardcore world-champion players. Every character is balanced and fun to play as, new or old. Most importantly though, Street Fighter IV revives the killer instinct of one-on-one competition in a deceptively simple arena, both online and in the traditional local setting. Capcom’s fighter is just plain fun.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves – What a thrill ride! Set-peice for set-piece, Uncharted 2 can compete with any game put out in 2009. There’s a nice variety of shooting, puzzling, and platforming, and everything looks absolutely amazing along the way. Nathan Drake’s second outing is most certainly one of, if not the best looking game ever made, due in no small part to the sublime motion-capture and animation. The voice acting’s even better though, and it heavily contributes to Nate and friends being some of the most believable, relatable, and flat-out likable characters ever to grace the land of video games. Nolan North deserves just as much credit for Uncharted 2‘s success as the developers at Naughty Dog, because it’s the Indiana Jones-ish personality that he brings to the character that makes this game so endearing. Definitely one of the funniest games of the year. Oh, and then there’s a robust multiplayer mode and a separate co-op campaign, complete with top-notch cinematics.

Honorable Mentions (Or more accurately, games that should be in the running but never found their way into my disc tray)…

Demon’s Souls – It won GameSpot’s GOTY and it’s innovative use of community co-operation sounds very appealing to me.

Forza Motorsport 3 – The undisputed cream of the racing crop. This series’ ability to offer enough depth to satisfy simulation freaks whilst maintaining the accessibility to bring in casual racers is astonishing.

Killzone 2 – Ryan tells me it’s terrible, but he’s never played a single match of multiplayer, which is this game’s main appeal. The progressive, class-based online mode sounds like something with more depth than most shooters today.

Left 4 Dead 2 – It’s Left 4 Dead, but improved in every way. Plus, I hear that Valve somehow managed to create a cast that’s just as memorable as the first game’s.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii – Remember when you and your brother would sit in front of the TV taking turns with Super Mario Bros. 3? Well, this is pretty much that, but with co-op, so you don’t have to take turns.

Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time – This is the sort of game your inner 12-year-old would make if it had the chance. I mean, come on! You can use a belching fish as a weapon! This game is the epitome of fun.

Red Faction: Guerrilla – It takes all the destructive goodness of the old Red Faction games and ups the ante, throwing it into a third-person perspective in the process. I’ve heard a lot of good things about this game from a lot of different people, and when sledge-hammers can be used as weapons, I’m inclined to listen.

Shadow Complex – This won Giant Bomb’s Xbox 360 GOTY, which is pretty impressive considering it’s a $15 downloadable title. But is it really that surprising for a flawless face-lift of the classic “metroidvania” style games to be so popular? I know I want to find out what all the fuss is about.

Silent Hill: Shattered Memories – The deeply personal and subtly creepy narrative of this game honestly made Brad Shoemaker wake up in the middle of the night screaming out loud. Enough said.

Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War II – I’ve heard this game described as a western take on the small-scale strategy of games like Final Fantasy Tactics. Whatever the case, Dawn of War II is unlike any other western RTS on the market and many players prefer the personal nature and progression inherent in the micro-unit style of war.

Runner-up – Modern Warfare 2

2009 Game of the Year – Dragon Age: Origins

So there you have it. Keep in mind that these are all based on my personal thoughts and aren’t meant to be an unbiased, authoritative voice on the matter. I’d love to hear everybody else’s choices in the comments. And if you have any special awards, like best biceps or something, please share!

Author: Cody

Tags: assassin's creed ii, batman arkham asylum, battlefield 1943, borderlands, dragon age: origins, goty, halo 3: odst, infamous, insanebear, modern warfare 2, street fighter iv, uncharted 2: among thieves