Best video games of the year: Analysis
1. Borderlands (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC) In a year jam-packed with awesome sequels, new intellectual property “Borderlands” surprised everyone. Coming out the same week as mega-blockbuster “Uncharted 2,” “Borderlands” was supposed to be dead on arrival. But its solid gunplay, stellar graphical flair, addictive loot-gathering with up to three friends and hilarious attitude charmed every gamer who gave it a chance and is MOVE’s 2009 game of the year. 2. New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii) Taking classic 2-D Mario game play and turning it on its head with its four-player co-op, “New Super Mario Bros. Wii” easily wins as best Wii game of the year. This is a game everyone can – and should – pick up and enjoy. 3. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3) With some of the best – if not the best – visuals on Sony’s black box, “Uncharted 2” pushed the envelope of what a game could look like. One of the best single-player campaigns in recent memory complemented by surprisingly amazing multi-player modes, “Uncharted 2” is the game to get if you’re rocking a PlayStation 3. 4. Assassin’s Creed II (360, PS3) Developer Ubisoft took all the complaints about the polarizing original and fixed every single one of them. And they didn’t stop there. “Assassin’s Creed II” gives players a cornucopia of freedom and choice throughout its massive open world and story. Don’t let it pass you by. 5. Resident Evil 5 (360, PS3) Building upon “Resident Evil 4’s” innovation, “RE5” throws a co-op partner into the familiar zombie-killing mix. While losing a bit of its “scare factor,” “RE5” more than makes up for it with a thrilling, well-paced romp through Africa. Make sure to bring a buddy though, as the ally AI is painfully inconsistent.
