Batman: Arkham Asylum (August 2009)
A lot was expected of Rocksteady’s Batman: Arkham Asylum, given the fact that it was releasing around the same time as The Dark Knight and was like a supplement to the movie. When the game was released, it left us all astounded. Arkham Asylum is an awesome game, and there is no other word for it. Not only it captures the spirit and feel of a Batman movie/comic/anime perfectly, it also provides for a wonderful gameplay engine. We hope to see the same, if not better, stuff in Arkham City that we saw in Asylum.
Left 4 Dead (November 2008)
Having a tense atmosphere that perfectly repliates a zombie hollywood blockbuster, a perfectly designed campaign, awesome co-op and possibly one of the best multiplayer modes Valve has given us, Left 4 Dead is, quite honestly, one of the best zombie shooting games any gamer can ever even hope to come across. Why? Because it is addictive as hell, and it’s developed by Valve. Enough said.
Gears of War 2 (November 2008)
Gears of War is probably one of this generation’s most revolutionary and most memorable franchises. Many people complaint that Gears of War 2 was not half as good as the original Gears of War, despite the higher production values and the higher epic and badass feel to it. Still, there’s no denying that Gears 2 is one hell of a game, and deserves all the success it ever got. Featuring a fast-paced thrilling single player campaign that is as fun to play through with a friend, a really addictive multiplayer mode and a more story-oriented approach than its predecessor, Gears of War 2 deserves a place in this list for sure.
Grand Theft Auto IV (April 2008)
Grand Theft Auto IV received perfect sores all over the board, and while people often bash it saying that it deviated from the freedom that we saw in past GTA games, and call it overhyped and disappointing, the fact that GTAIV is extremely polished, cinematic, fun and addictive cannot be overlooked even by the biggest haters of the games. Yes, it does not offer half the amount of freedom as say, San Andreas did, but GTA IV is, after all, the most polished and refined game in the series.
Fallout 3 (October 2008)
Elder Scrolls IV and Fallout 3, Bathesda’s two masterpieces that have defined how WRPGs should be. It is sad that Bathesda’s follow-up to the game, Fallout: New Vegas couldn’t quite live up to the standards. While people often criticize Fallout 3 for its bugs and glitches, other things like the VATS system and the overly addictive gameplay make it one hell of a game, one that simply cannot be missed by any gamer, and will always be remembered as time wears on.
