We played a good few games in 2009, so after patiently waiting for the year to end we’ve decided to share our favorite games from ol’ ‘09. These are really personal choices and should be taken as such, it’s not necessarily a “Best of” collection because to call something the objective best is just silly. So take ‘em as you will; these were the games we loved, our “Games of the Year.”
Chad, Reviewer/Indie Games Columnist:
“I should probably stick to what I know, and that’s not great big, AAA, blockbuster, smash hit video games. I almost exclusively play indie and art games which leads me to the following recommendations. These were two of my favorite games of the last year, and I think easily accessible to anyone looking for a great experience.
‘Flower’ was a favorite for me, and probably the best game I’ve played this year, hands down. Guiding petals as the wind and using surprisingly good tilt controls for PS3 is incredibly relaxing and fun. Then there is a real story to follow, one without words, that managed to force me through a lot of different emotions. ‘Flower’ was exciting, it was heartbreaking and scary, it was beautiful to the point I could feel my eyes begin to water with joy by the end. It’s a fantastic example of what games can do if you just strip away a lot of needless exposition, and use the mechanics to tell the story.
Actually, speaking of ‘mechanics telling the story,’ my other pick was the browser/iPhone insta-classic ‘Canabalt’ in which there is no story, except RUN! That’s right, I had no idea what I was running from, who I was, what kind of distopic future I was in, or who was chasing me. If you’re unaware, ‘Canabalt’ is a 2D rooftop platforming gaming with no beginning or end, the goal is to keep running while avoid falling off the roofs or running into an obstacles, and it uses only one button to play (jump). It’s great fun, extremely addicting, and definitely one of the best games of 2009. ‘Canabalt’ is a free browser game, but is even better for cheap on the iPhone.”
Rob, Reviewer:
“I think 2009 has been one of the most successful years in terms of gaming quality that we’ve seen for quite a long time. Developers seem to be returning to the core values of respecting gameplay and immersion along with a valuable story over rap music and flash dancing. That said, the industry leaves much room for recovery in this department, but I feel that it’s finally back on the right track. The reason that I say this is because of the fact that I honestly cannot find one game to definitively rule them all this past year… The selection has been THAT good. Gay Tony, Arkham Asylum, Modern Warfare 2, these games and a few others are all works of modern art created by masters of their medium. From their story, to visual appeal, to the complete and utter immersion factor that is so hard to achieve, all of the games I’ve mentioned above excel in each. However, you didn’t come here to read a lengthy indecision, god damn it you need someone to point to that will justify and re-affirm your personal pick for GoTY. With that, I will make a decision. My game of the year award goes to Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony.
The Grand Theft Auto series has always been a landmark set of titles in the gaming industry. Rockstar Games has taken it in so many directions that it could make your head spin, but what Gay Tony seems to offer that not many other titles have is this: maturity. I was impressed with the standard gameplay, visuals, soundtrack yadda yadda yadda; But what really stood out to me about this title that wasn’t mentioned in my review was the way that Rockstar handled their humor. We’re no longer seeing the standard suite of racist, sexual, and political jokes that peppered the last few games, the series is evolving with it’s audience into, dare I say, an intelligent game. I feel that is personified in both Tony and Luis’ character. These people are intelligent, they are classy, and they are a-stereotypical. CJ, Tommy Vercetti, Smoke, Ryder, even characters from vanilla IV are all easily categorized into some sort of cookie-cutter cliche. And so it is for the sheer willingness of Rockstar to make a dynamic franchise that is maturing with it’s players that makes it stand out from the rest. Hopefully the trend continues in 2010.”
