Related Sections: Lists
The ten best games of 2009. So far.
The first half of the year is gone. That means it's time to make a list! How is 2009 shaping up so far? I'd say pretty well, since I had originally intended to make a list of the five best games so far. No such luck.
After the jump are the ten best games of the half-finished year.
This apparently tanked. And I'm a little glad. Rockstar could use some humility. It's too bad they had to learn it from what is arguably the best-written and most carefully designed Grand Theft Auto yet. It's surprising what you have to do when you can't just do fancy next-gen graphics.
A textbook example of how great games can come from simple ideas.
All the personality and gameplay of the series, but without the home-centric locked-in-a-box limitations. The Sims busts out into a wider world and finally breathes.
Could this be the ballsiest and most elegant real time strategy games since, well, Total Annihilation?
What it would be like if you were god and you danced with the little people who worshipped you while leading them into a war of territorial conquest.
This undead variation on Geometry Wars is far smarter than you'd expect from something which such a whimsical title. We've been shooting zombies in the head for so long that it never occurred to us that a flaming zombie can actually be a valuable resource!
When videogames grow up and hold their own next to Pixar's movies, this is what they'll look like.
Coarse, vulgar, cheesy, shlocky, carefully amateurish, base, and lurid. Also smartly written, sharply acted, and graced with a soundtrack that's leaps and bounds better than any game soundtrack I've ever heard. No lightgun game has any business being this good.
As silly as the single-player campaign is, I can't get enough of this meticulously strategic horror action game with its clumsy setting, wacky Japanese biohazarous take on zombie-hood, and Western-esque gun porn weapon leveling. Plus, the multiplayer is unlike anything else you can play. Since when did Residents Evil have legs these long?
This isn't just a sci-fi game with great guns, great settings, great gameplay variety, and great multiplayer support. Its unique destruction system is a way of building a world and then letting the player tear it down. Red Faction: Guerrilla is a revolution that will color every game you play from here on out. It's the best thing I've played this year.
By LH at 11:44 AM ON 07/02/09
Tom,
I would like to thank you for mentioning possibly the greatest all time strategy game...Total Annihilation, I know starcraft fanboys will hate me but whatever...Total Annihilation was years ahead of the competition if only Cavedog had not folded. I would love to see a port of T.A. for the iphone
By Joshua at 11:47 AM ON 07/02/09
0. Demon's Souls
-1. Street Fighter IV
There have been a lot of really great games so far this year.
By baxterpunch at 11:56 AM ON 07/02/09
I had a hard time with Chinatown Wars, and eventually returned it. I think it was the stripped down music... for some reason it just spotlighted all the compromises they had to make. But isn't it supposed to be ported to PSP? May be the perfect solution for me.
Agreed on Red Faction, it hit the same pleasure centers of my brain that Far Cry 2 did. The observation, the planning, the execution, something goes wrong, and shit gets crazy. I finally escape knowing I was *this* close to biting it. Love that game.
By Anonymous at 12:02 PM ON 07/02/09
LH - Cavedog didn't fold for a long while after TA. In fact, they released TA: Kingdoms, which sported some amazing History Channel style RTS between-level cutscenes, second only to Myth's journal entries in the section of my heart occupied by RTS cutscenes. A number of the members of the creative team have also come together to make Supreme Commander and (shocker) Demigod since then. Still, an amazing game/series of games, I have to agree.
Also, I have to admit I'm a little surprised that Dawn of War II and The Path didn't make the list. Those are two games that still have my brain in their feverish grip. But to each their own.
By OmegaChervil at 12:04 PM ON 07/02/09
Woop. Sorry about the anonymous. That was me. I'm Anonymous. Direct your flames accordingly.
By J_Ore at 12:29 PM ON 07/02/09
Tom, what about The Path? You gave it some high praise when it released. Would you consider it less of a game, or perhaps its experimental nature kept it out of a more "game-y" list?
By Michael at 12:39 PM ON 07/02/09
"All the personality and gameplay of the series, but none of the home-centric locked-in-a-box gameplay. "
Sentence fail. So it has "all the... gameplay of the series", but, at the same time, none of the "home-centric locked-in-a-box gameplay"? Sure about that sentence Tom?
How about "All the personality and addictive aspects of the series, but strips off the drudgery of the home-centric locked-in-a-box gameplay."
Need a new part-time copy editor?
By baxterpunch at 1:21 PM ON 07/02/09
Michael - I hope you never read Kotaku. You might explode.
By timewarrior at 1:30 PM ON 07/02/09
For me, Bionic Commando has been the highlight of my year (that is until the new mario game for Wii comes out). The game got crappy and undeserved reviews IMHO and has been one of the most intense, invigorating and satisfying game experiences I've had in recent history. Once you unlock all the moves and master that bionic arm, you are the BIONIC COMMANDO!!!! If you haven't already tried it, at the very least RENT IT!!! You will love it!
By UncleSmoothie at 1:31 PM ON 07/02/09
To say nothing of IGN.
By Sithinious at 1:41 PM ON 07/02/09
Sorry, say what you will, but I feel Prototype should be on the list. I haven't had that much fun with a PC game in a long while.
And TA Kingdoms rocks!
Also, I hope that your end-of-the year list is able to include Brutal Legend in the #1 spot. I so want that game to be pheonominal...
By bahimiron at 2:53 PM ON 07/02/09
I love the hell out of Prototype and had an assload of fun with it and even argued with Tom about its merits. But damn, no, it doesn't belong within 50 feet of a Top Ten list unless that list is the Top Ten games with the most missed opportunities or a list of the Top Ten games with the most jarring disconnect between cut scenes and gameplay.
By Bojeeva at 2:57 PM ON 07/02/09
What about UFC? Not only does it look and sound great but it manages to capture the sport perfectly. That and Fight Night Round 4 have to be among the best games so far this year. And I agree with Red Faction too.
Other than that though, I think it's been a bit of a disappointing year all round and there doesn't seem to be too much to look forward too other than the usual sequels and updates (Fifa, Modern Warfare, GTA DLC etc)
http://megabits-of-gaming.blogspot.com/2009/06/few-great-games-are-on-horizon.html
By Cubit at 4:48 PM ON 07/02/09
@Bojeeva Didn't you know? Tom doesn't play football games like UFC.
By salarac at 5:55 PM ON 07/02/09
I don't think I've ever heard TA called elegant before. It's about as elegant as getting run over by a tank. Also as brutal and messy and massive and awe-inspiring.
On topic: Based on the rest of the series Empire: Total War deserves a slot on there, but I'm not even going to bother trying it until there are 6 months of patches out.
By Jarmo at 6:12 PM ON 07/02/09
Tom, your list is sorely missing Blood Bowl.
By Xalseqsn at 8:42 PM ON 07/02/09
Personally I think inFamous belongs here. Prototype is an unpolished rated-R version of the brilliantly executed inFamous.
By SamusMaXximus at 9:59 PM ON 07/02/09
Yay, I love to see Total Annihilation get some recognition. I still have a copy with the Core Contingency expansion sitting next to my pc here actually. I still love it.
By Chris at 10:17 PM ON 07/02/09
Glad to see a shout out to Total Annihilation Tom, from side comments you've dropped over the years I felt that you didn't hold it with much regard. I always felt it was the best game in the RTS genre. Agree on Red Faction, what a game, shooting buildings and seeing nothing happen is going to ruin part of the experience in other games from here on out.
By Equis at 12:56 AM ON 07/03/09
The lack of Plants vs Zombies distresses me.
By Hunty at 6:03 AM ON 07/03/09
I can see at least 4 or 5 games in the comments that are strong contenders for a top 10 list, and none of those in the list itself are weak in my view. Plus we've not even hit the usual November/Holiday frenzy yet. Great year for games.
By Mihos at 9:27 AM ON 07/03/09
I would agree with Red Faction...
By Steve at 9:56 AM ON 07/04/09
Decent list... I stopped playing InFamous after about an hour, Prototype and Bionic Commando were rubbish, and the UFC game is a bit niche... So this is a fairly solid list. Kind of sad, because none of the games here were something I was looking forward to (nice in a "pleasant surprise" sort of way, I guess...), so it kind of looks bad on the year in games.
By GTRrocker at 4:55 PM ON 07/09/09
Where is Infamous and Killzone 2?
By SilasJasar at 2:35 AM ON 07/15/09
I don't quite agree with red faction nor your listing of prototype in the more recent disapointment list. Red Faction did indeed have lots of interesting and initally fun game mechanics but became redundant after a few hours of playing. Prototype I don't think should be on either list, it may not be perfect but what open world game is (besides my insane love for games by bethesda) It hit its target and what it was going for, nothing more nothing less.
By joe m at 10:03 AM ON 07/15/09
Thanks for the tip on Chinatown Wars, Tom. While I did eventually like GTA IV quite a bit it really took itself very seriously, lacking the kind of blatant inanity of prior games -- Vice City in particular. Chinatown marks a great return to improbable dialogue, humor and interesting stylus minigames for flavor. Is it too much to hope for some sort of port over to the IV engine? I suppose it might lose some of its charm in the translation.
joe m:
Thanks for the tip on Chinatown Wars, Tom. While I did eventually like GTA IV quite a bit it really took itself ver...More »