Games of the decade/2009

Ah yes, the noughties. Weren't they great for gaming? Well they were for me cos I was a kid/teenager for most of it so had nothing better to do. I started the decade with a Gameboy Colour, a PSX, N64 and a Sega Megadrive (which looking back on is vaguely disturbing considering I've been playing Mortal Kombat since the age of about 8) and I end it with an Xbox 360, by way of the Xbox, Gamecube and PS2. A brilliant decade for gaming, in my opinion.

2009, though, was a bit shit. There were a couple of sparkling releases but a couple of titles I was really looking forward to were delayed from a Q4 release due to the inevitable exodus caused by the massive spectre of Modern Warfare 2. Although a brilliant game, I would have preferred to wait for it than for say, Bioshock 2, Bayonetta and Mass Effect 2, although the next couple of months are gonna be awesome because of these titles. Thank god for those generous aged grandparents with more money than sense.

Anyway, top 10 of 2009:

1. Batman: Arkham Asylum (Rocksteady/Eidos)

Was sceptical at first but the demo convinced me to buy. Having slightly lower expectations, this game gradually grew and grew on me. The mechanics are intuitive, the combat was surprisingly simple yet deep, and the graphics were pretty pretty pretty good. But the standout element for me was the manner in which I was drawn into the gameworld, similar to playing Bioshock or Dead Space. Plus, you get to be Batman, which was just fucking cool.

2. Modern Warfare 2 (Infinity Ward/Activision)

I too had no massive expectations for this, sure I expected something good but I was surprised at the thoughtful nature of the changes from the first installment. Lack of co-op was a massive flaw of the original, and the Spec Ops included here was a great addition. The storyline, while at times descending into sub-James Bond territory hooked me in (the apocalyptic thing gets me every time), despite being short and a little easy, even on veteran. Although I'm more of a Halo kinda guy when it comes to multiplayer, the depth offered here is incredible, and it's a hell of a lot of fun. A brilliant package of a game.

3. Fifa 10 (EA)
I was PES until 2009 but it will be hard for Konami to top this anytime soon without a huge overhaul. I really enjoyed FIFA09 too but there was something slightly off about it. As my friend said to me once, it was a bit 'blergh'. In 10 though the action feels smooth and intuitive (despite occasional slowdown online, but that's not a huge problem), the new Be a Pro took up hours of my time and it all feels perfectly natural and organic. EA have created a brilliant physics engine, and the football just happens. In PES you can always feel the machinery grinding away in the background, and it feels sluggish and contrived next to FIFA10.

(I can't be bothered to say anything about the rest)

4. Halo 3: ODST
5. Left4Dead2
6. Prototype
7. Halo Wars
8. Assassin's Creed 2
9. Resident Evil 5
10. The Chronicles Of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena/Escape from Butcher Bay

Top 10 of the decade:

1. Final Fantasy IX
2. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2
3. Halo: Combat Evolved
4. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
5. Fallout 3
6. Bioshock
7. Smash Bros Melee
8. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
9. Braid
10. Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory