The Games of 2009 – Part Two (Xbox 360/PS3)

We have rested, and deliberated, and now our celebration of the best games of 2009 continues. Today, we tackle the hulking powerhouses of the console industry – the Xbox 360 and PS3.

This was an interesting year for these consoles, and unlike 2008, there were very many platform-exclusive titles. In the current economy, console-makers can’t seem to offer big enough incentives for a publisher to justify only releasing a game for one platform. Thus, most of this year’s biggest games – Assassin’s Creed 2, Arkham Asylum, Street Fighter IV, Modern Warfare 2, etc – made it out on both systems.

Of course, there were a number of incredible exclusives on both platforms this year, with games like Shadow Complex on the 360 and Uncharted 2 on the PS3.

Want to know which games were our favorites? Read on, then tell us about your picks in the comments.

[Jody Anthony - Assassin's Creed 2]

Best for me this year has to be Assassin’s Creed II. Actually it might be my favorite game of the year across all platforms. I was one of the people that loved Assassin’s Creed I (repetitiveness and all), so I guess it’s not a shock that I loved the sequel. Assassin’s Creed II took everything about the first game and improved upon it. While it still has some technical issues (the free running can cause you to go the wrong way some times, for example) the quality of the game from story to graphics to (most of the) gameplay really outshines any issues the game may have. I just wish there were more beat-up events, and less race events. I am terrible at those.

I can’t wait to see where Ubisoft takes the series next.

[Edgar Doiron - Shadow Complex]

If I were to pick out a single game out of all of those released in 2009 that gave me the best impression, it would be Shadow Complex. This game brought back so many classic mechanics from past favorites like Metroid and Castlevania. Chair added depth to the gameplay while still keeping the classic sidescroller feel.

This really has to be my favorite game of 2009, and as a download under 20$, it’s a great value for your money. Fans of Metroid, Castlevania or any other side-scrolling exploration title, make sure to add this one to your digital library.

[Nick Luckett - Street Fighter IV]

While not my favorite game of the year, Street Fighter IV was the most important game (Xbox or otherwise) for me this year. In fact, it’s probably the most important game for me in the last 3 years. It got me back into gaming.

Due to life and my job I have been out of the gaming scene for a good three years. And then came SFIV. First I was flooded with nostalgic memories. Then I was smitten with the flashy art direction. Then I went to a cool Street Fighter art show. Then I played the game with an arcade pad. Then I bought the game, an arcade pad and played the crap out of the game. For a few weeks anyway.

The game is a great example of how to update a franchise for the new generation. How to keep the soul of the franchise intact, but boil it down to what gamers want today and also improve on the formula. Minus Rufus, everything is SFIV was done to perfection. I can’t wait for the update to play with even more awesome fighters.

[Gregory Gay - Uncharted 2]

There are two big trends in gaming today that bug me. The first is the ten-hour game. Sure, some experiences should only last a short time, and sure, you should never stretch a game beyond its natural length. We still have been seeing single-player games clocking in at shorter and shorter lengths. I’ve never been much of a multiplayer gamer, so I feel sort of ripped off when I finish off a $60 game in the same night that I tore the plastic off of it. The second trend – games that try to be movies. As the graphic-processing power of our consoles improves, it’s only natural that games try to replicate the cinema experience. The problem here is that we’ve seen more games where the game is simply a vehicle to get you to the next cutscene. Every report that I read about Final Fantasy XIII makes me cringe – literally walking in straight lines to get to cutscenes that last more than ten minutes each.

Alright, so my problem isn’t necessarily with either of these trends, it’s with the implementation. Regardless – one has to wonder why I have fallen so head-over-heals in love with Uncharted 2. This is a game that lasts perhaps ten hours, and it is just about as non-linear as they come. Shouldn’t I hate it with a firey passion? Instead, it has become my favorite game of the year – not just for the PS3, but for every platform.

Uncharted 2 succeeds because the developers actually understand what they are trying to do. Every single moment of that game has been meticulously planned and massaged into what can only be called an experience.

I was about to call Uncharted 2 the Indiana Jones of games, but it’s really the Doc Savage. It’s a grand adventure in the pulp tradition – a goofy adrenaline-pumped tour of strange, unexplored lands. It’s a journey, fraught with peril and mysticism, where you can go from shooting at mercenaries to blue-skinned supermen without skipping a beat. This is a tale where the villain is a villain, and you need no motivation for stopping him beyond the fact that it’s the right thing to do. Uncharted 2 weaves a tale that isn’t compelling because it’s literature, but is compelling because it is fun, beautiful, and so damn charming.

Most games that try to be “cinematic” get the first two steps right. They have breath-taking graphics (or at least good art direction), and good voice-acting. The fatal flaw is that they fail to make a game, instead using the cutscenes to convey the excitement. Uncharted works because so much of the action happens in-character. You are constantly moving, jumping across chasms, and trying to outrun collapsing ruins. Drake can’t just wander into the fray, he must dive into cover and hold his breath until he can catch an enemy off-guard. The developers at Naughty Dog truly understand how pacing should work. When discussing the recent cel-shaded Prince of Persia with the rest of the staff, I complained that it fell apart the moment that you had to stop to collect the “light seeds.” Uncharted never has this problem – you never stop moving. The momentum is never broken as you dash from set piece to set piece. It doesn’t matter that the game is linear, because it is a game.

Uncharted 2 may “only” be a ten-hour game, but it contains some of the best hours that I have ever had with a video game.