It's that time of year again where "top" lists are common and we're not immune to this. Think of these lists as a summary of the best (or worst depending on the list) of the entire year, in a nice easy-to-understand format.

Last year we handed out our first GOTY Unicorn to Metal Gear Solid 4. It was a difficult choice picking between Fallout 3 and MGS4 but Snake won out in the end. In retrospect, I'd probably go the opposite direction and give the award to Fallout 3 after re-examining the game and living with it more. The best test I can think of for a game is that you pick it up again even if you've finished it. I haven't touched MGS4 in over a year - I can't say the same for Fallout 3 and that's not just for the DLC.

So, with that said, I'll be changing things up this year a bit to try and focus on the importance of replay value because it is important. A good story is one thing and can be fulfilling but being able to jump back into a game, multi-player or single player is where the real value is and where good games shine. Also, instead of just laying out the winner this year, I'll provide a list of what I believe are the top 5 games of 2009.



You'll recognize these games because they were heavy-hitters, big games with big budgets and a lot of hype. I don't have anything against indy games, but fact is these games garnered so much attention because they were just that good. There is of course one notable game not on the list - Modern Warfare 2. MW2 is a good game, it just didn't bring anything new to the table and has been fraught with technical issues from day 1. In terms of stickiness, it fails my test. What's also notable about the top 5 is that four are sequels and two are PS3 exclusives.

Let's get started shall we.



#5 - Left 4 Dead 2 - L4D2 comes in at number five in our list. While the game is derivative of the first L4D (as all sequels are by their nature) it's a blast to play. The new game modes added a lot of variation to the game and the swampy locations helped add to the eerie realistic feel of the game. While I'd love to see more of a story evolve out of the game, as a co-op shooter it is unparalleled at the moment.



#4 - Assassin's Crred 2 - Assassin's Creed 2 is such a bigger game in scope and capabilities from the first Assassin's that you might even think of AC1 as a demo. Ezio actually has a fleshed out story and more capabilities than Altair and the plot has more of a foundation to build on top of this time around. The smart inclusion of historical figures worked out well and added a much needed texture to the game that made the end of the game that much more of surprise. Sure it was hinted at but did anyone expect that little twist at the end?





#3 - Batman Arkham Asylum - Batman's latest game was an epiphany, a comic book game that doesn't suck; more than that, it was actually a great game. A perfectly dialed in game engine combined with amazing voice acting and a cohesive plot made the game a must-have for 2009. While the challenge modes were hit-or-miss, the game as a whole was a very enjoyable experience that even playing through it again to find the achievement/trophy criteria was fun.



# 2 - Killzone 2 - Ah Killzone 2, the game that most of the gaming press seems to have forgotten about. This is my most played game of the year and it's on a lot of gamers list for that too. It was easily the most over-hyped game to come out this year, even more so than MW2. If you were to figure in all the years and teases surrounding the game you might score this lower but the fact is the game just works. This is the best shooter of the year with integrated clan features. Moreover, this game provided the best squad support and featured balanced classes with an honest-to-goodness medic class that actually worked. Why more games don't offer a BF2-like medic (now KZ2-like medic) is beyond me. The one issue I have with KZ2 is the single player portion is on the weaker side with regards to it's story.



#1 - Uncharted 2 - Here it is, the best game of the year, number one on the list and grabbing the coveted GOTY Unicorn. Uncharted 2 was hands-down the best gaming experience of my life. I realize that's a strong statement to make but I cannot recall having that much fun playing a game before. This is what people mean when they say "it's like playing a movie." The plot is worthy of a movie and makes the last Indiana Jones movie seem even more juvenile than before (if that's even possible - interdimensional beings wtf.) I laughed, I cringed, I cursed and I was on the verge of tears - a full range of emotions you're just not going to get from 99% of games right now.

In addition to the incredible plot, the game's engine was flawless and produced some of the most beautiful textures and scenes that you've ever seen. The game isn't photo-realistic, it's more pseudo-realistic and the end result is incredible. Not only was it a joy to look at, the environment was fun to play in. There were plenty of obstacles, cover, climbing, things blowing up and items to interact with. The gun-play was also very well developed with plenty of guns and ammo to go round and an integrated cover system that worked better than Gears of War's.

The game also has a multiplayer component that was well done but even without that, this game would still be a monumental feat in gaming. It will be hard to do better than this but it's not like Uncharted 1 was a bad game that needed a lot of improvement.

So, for 2009, the ALT+F4 Game of the Year Unicorn goes to Uncharted 2, congrats.



To be sure there were many good games released in 2009, but there can only be five that were the best. I can't wait to see how the 2010 games play because there are quite a number of monster games on the way. My list of must-haves for 2010 is long but BFBC2, God of War 3 and Splinter Cell Conviction.

Editors note: The choice of using a unicorn as an award is an attempt to poke fun at the fancy graphics of trophies and Stanley Cups used by some sites. It might as well be a crocodile but memories of unicorn stickers from our youth won out in the end. Besides, a unicorn could just as easily be a bad-ass like a croc - don't mess with a magical horse wearing a big horn on his head.

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