10. Killzone 2 Playstation 3 (Sony Computer Entertainment America/Guerrilla Games)
Playstation 3 exclusive titles came out swinging in 2009 with the February release of Killzone 2. It proved the system could push graphics like we hadn’t seen on consoles and layer an engaging game on top of it. Two more Playstation 3 exclusives appear on this list that did it better, but Killzone 2 was the first to prove it was possible. Killzone 2′s campaign was an intense, visceral take on a FPS, sci-fi future war. Anyone who got to the battle before the final boss knows what I’m talking about. The fight up the staircase to enter the palace was unrelenting, yet insanely fun. However, it was the multiplayer that kept me coming back for more in Killzone 2. I played about once a week for months. I even downloaded all the map packs and fought tirelessly to rank up in one of the best multiplayer games on a console, period.
9. Left 4 Dead 2 Xbox 360/PC (Valve)
Left 4 Dead was my favorite game of 2008, so what is the sequel doing way down here? It’s not nearly as fun as the first game. When making a sequel, a developer tends to take what worked in the first game and then throw in more stuff. Left 4 Dead 2 is full of stuff. There is stuff everywhere. New infected, new weapons, new survivors, new modes, new AI Director, new, more, new, stuff, until the whole thing just falls apart. What saved it? Your friends. Playing with 3-7 friends is still one of the most satisfying co op experiences currently available. Even when you’re frustrated and you think all hope is lost, your friends can help you pull through to the end, and that makes it fun.
8. Halo 3: ODST Xbox 360 (Microsoft Game Studios/Bungie)
Halo 3: ODST is the only game on this list that suffered in its position due to my friends. My friends can’t stand this game; therefore, I never got to play a lot of Firefight, which I found exciting and more engaging than Gears of War 2′s Horde mode. It means I didn’t get to play much multiplayer on the new maps. I did get to play the single player campaign more than once, with some interested parties, as well as on my own, but again, it left a bad taste in most of their mouths. I can tell you this, Halo 3: ODST is my favorite campaign of the five Halo games. A Halo game should follow a certain formula at this point, and ODST takes the formula and attempts to rework it and make it exciting again. I think it succeeds quite well. Throw in Firefight and the complete Halo 3 multiplayer experience, and this is one of the best games of 2009, I just wish my friends had played it with me.
7. Shadow Complex Xbox Live Arcade (Epic Games/Chair Entertainment)
I don’t mean to spoil the surprise, but this is the only downloadable game in my entire Top 10. I had quite a few last year with Braid making it to number two; so what happened? Did Xbox Live Arcade and Playstation Network games get worse? Well no, actually, they got better. Games like Flower and Plants Vs. Zombies were all really close to making my Top 10. Don’t even get me started on iPhone games. I could, and maybe should, do a Top 10 downloaded games of 2009, but that’s not why we’re here. We’re here because Shadow Complex was the 7th best game I played in 2009, and it just goes to show you the love and care that developers are starting to put into these titles. Shadow Complex is a loving tribute to games like Castlevania and Metroid, updated for current consoles. The fact that someone hadn’t thought of this before is mind-boggling. While the game has a paper-thin story that wraps up with a lame plot twist, the game itself is fantastic. The Xbox 360′s controller is used perfectly to control each weapon and new upgrade you acquire. Puzzle solving is challenging but not brain melting, and you never feel like you are going to get stuck. You always feel like you will figure out the answer, and when you do, it’s very satisfying. The game is so near perfect that I’m not sure I want to see clones of it, let alone a sequel. I just want it to exist perfectly on my hard drive forever.
6. Dead Space Extraction Wii (EA/Visceral Games)
The prequel to one of my favorite games of last year, Dead Space Extraction, is the only Wii exclusive title on my list. It’s hands down the best Wii game I played this year (sorry, Super Mario) and certainly my favorite Wii game. The Conduit was supposed to bring first person shooters to the Wii, but, unfortunately, it failed in almost every regard. When Dead Space Extraction was announced, it was called a “guided first person experience,” which brought many scoffs and dirty looks from the community. In the end, it makes for an incredible game. Dead Space Extraction feels like the Wii was built around it, not the other way around. From the ingenious use of the Wiimote speaker to play back audio files found in the game, to the tilting of the controller to use a weapons alt-fire mode, Extraction just feels solid from beginning to end. Extraction works best, because you aren’t in control of your character’s forward progress. The deliberate pace ramps up the tension, making the game at times scarier than its predecessor. The graphics are also outstanding “for the Wii” as it’s one of the better looking games on the system by far. Wrap this all up with a story that is not only well voice-acted and animated brilliantly but, also, expands the universe of Dead Space by leaps and bounds, and you have one of the best games of the year.