I know this is very late. Apologies, I'm trying to get back on the blogging train.
10 - Apollo Justice:Ace Attorney
No, it's not a notable evolution on the previous games. But the Ace Attorney series has always delivered great gameplay and terrific soap opera storylines, and this is no exception. And it is a Phoenix Wright game no matter what the title says, the trademark everything-and-the-kitchen-sink plotline returning and delving back into the storyline of our favourite spiky haired practitioner of the law. As a franchise evolution, this needs serious work for its next instalment, but even without a major step onwards this is still one of the best interactive yarns you'll see this year.
9 - Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Yes, it's just a glorified fan game, but what fans and what a game. Takes the anarchic sumo of Smash Bros. past and cranks up the insanity factor, which may or may not suit your taste. Regardless, with an expanded roster, better level design and a raft of gameplay tweaks, including the new final smash attacks made this an outrageous, fast and heady experience. The much touted singleplayer story mode was a letdown, and online play was totally broken, but a keen eye for detail and a great sense of free-for-all fun keeps this in here.
8 - Devil May Cry 4
This is one of the most stupid games ever released, an anachronistic throwback to a bygone age. Fortunately, it knows this. Instead, it chooses to put its efforts into its super slick graphics and a balanced and highly entertaining combat system. The guns 'n' swords action is more balletic than ever before, new character Nero brings the action to the masses, while Dante provides depth and difficulty that the hardcore crave. Combined with some striking level design and dialogue so horrifying it's hilarious, it produces a game which is no masterpiece, but is a fantastically enjoyable old school romp.
7 - Rock Band 2
The sequel gets the nod here, but really this is an endorsement for the whole rock band experience, regardless of platform or guise. Harmonix took everything that made Guitar Hero so great and slipped it into a slicker, more grown up shell. Adding in a superb song selection and friendly interface made the entire experience that much better, and there's still no better game to be played at a party.
6 - Burnout Paradise
I'm no big fan of driving games, but Criterion's latest is impossible to resist. A huge, shiny mass of twisted metal and nitrous oxide, this is by far the best of the open-world racers, blending a hugley impressive city full of backstreets, junctions and improbable jumps with Burnout's trademark smash and crash racing. Seamless online integration completed an excellent package, and generous downloadable content expanded the appeal and rightfully kept the game in the public eye.
5- No More Heroes
This could go 5 places either way and it would still polarise opinion. There'll always be those who say that the abundant technical errors, grainy graphics and poorly realised open world break the immersion, and the repeated and repititive jobs and missions are simply no fun. They'd probably be right. There are also those who would proclaim that the outstanding characters, super sharp dialogue and irrepressible sense of style are enough to carry the game. They're also right, since this is a game of deep flaws which you choose to ignore. And if you can, there's a funny and clever experience like no other in here. For better or worse, Suda51 at the height of his powers.
4 - Braid
The arguments that it is pretentious, that it is over-wordy and that it is deliberately and frustratingly impenetrable all hold true. But it is so unlike anything else, and holds your attention and your interest far beyond its much talked about ending. Beautiful and mechanically clever and deep, it deserves its much heralded status as the gem in a year of superb downloadable titles.
3 - Gears of War 2
I loathed the first GOW, so the fact that this ended up this high is a testament to its high quality. Taking the stop-and-pop gameplay of the original, every single aspect is then scaled up to produce a gargantuan epic the scale of which has barely ever been seen in videogames. Like the world's most expensive B-movie, giant worms, risible dialogue and some sledgehammer storytelling combine with endless spectacle to produce a rollercoaster ride of a game. As far as third-person shooters go, this is the biggest, dumbest and best of them all.
2 - Prince of Persia
In any other year this would have won. A game of endless polish and innovation, its revamped parkour makes it flow like no other platformer, while the new combat system suits well, neatly splitting the two parts of the game. The much vaunted 'no death' mechanic slots in so well you'll wonder why it isn't in every game, and the plot reboot produces a pair of very different and but very likeable new protagonists, while the plot they're dropped into is clever and ambitious. Add to that the fact that it's possibly the most beautiful videogame ever made, its fantastic environments and painterly backdrops creating a world of unparalleled visual glory, and you have a game that will go down as an instant classic. The best game of the year. Almost.
1 - Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Some would argue this isn't even a game. They're wrong. But they may have a point in the sense that it isn't the game parts of this experience that make it so special. The revamped combat, the enhanced weapon loadout, the revamped controls, the repositioned camera, these all help, and they bump the purely game parts of it up to a very high standard indeed. But really, it's the chance to immerse yourself in Kojima's world one last time, to see his beloved cast end their adventure together. Long, pretentious and unwieldy, it is also a game of deep sorrow, a sad and tired game almost unique amongst all the games ever made. Supplemented by astonishing production values, including amazing graphics, superb voices and outstanding music, this is less of a game, more of an experience. And as experiences go, it is unmatched.
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