The Game of the Year Awards have been compiled in this list from the least amount of awards to the greatest. In case of a tie, the one with the more prestigious awards, ie. the more major ones, will take precedent.
The list of the rules can be found on the "About" page.
10. Borderlands
-1 Game of the Year Awards
| GamesPoint |
"I feel sorry for him... Now check his wallet!" |
Think of what would happen if you married Call of Duty 4 and Fallout 3. Then this would be their baby. Borderlands is an extremely fun-to-play role-playing shooter, driven by powerful RPG elements, shooter mechanics, and an awesome loot system. What's more, Borderlands allows players more say on how they want to play the game, by adding in a weapon generator that allows for the creation of over one million different weapons! While critics lamented the weak story and weak AI, everyone praised the game's amazing fun factor and things to do. With all that considered, Borderlands rightfully opens this list off at a solid 10th place.
9. Left 4 Dead 2
-1 Game of the Year Awards
Wired
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"Getting this far wasn't easy. But this sure did help!" |
After last year's surprising original, which even took 7th place in the 2008 awards, Valve further shocked everyone when they announced the sequel was already coming a year after the original. While fans originally were taken aback by this, it turns out the sequel was better than anyone expected. Left 4 Dead 2 returns to a new a group of 4 in New Orleans, following them as they battle their way to safety from the atrocious hordes of zombies. Critics strongly praised the new weapons and the inclusion of melee weapons. The new Special Infected zombies also added new depths to the gameplay, and the more detailed and well-designed plot and environments also drew strong acclaim. But the greatest thing about L4D2 is its replayability value, and its much more improved campaign than the original. Sadly however, it was true that Left 4 Dead 2 was still not a gigantic leap for the franchise as many fans were concerned about. Critics lamented the fact that L4D2 was everthing the original should've been and noting more. Still, when all is said and done, L4D2 amazing fun-factor and replayability shoots it up to this 9th place.
8. Killzone 2
-1 Game of the Year Awards
Gamereactor (Swedish)
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"I take it humans aren't very popular on Helghan?" |
The original Killzone was a big disaster for Sony. Touted to be a "Halo-killer", Killzone was promising to deliver an unparalled FPS experience. Unfortunately, when it was released, the game was heavily criticized for its broken controls and gameplay. When Killzone 2 was announced, the whole world expected another similar failure. Then the infamous E3 2005 trailer was shown, and everyone was just blown away by the game's visuals and gameplay. Gamers eagerly awaited to find out if Killzone 2 could truly make up for the original's failure. Well the answer is a resounding yes, Killzone 2 is one heck of a game. What is without a doubt the greatest looking FPS of all time, not to mention one of the most intense and challenging, critics were extremely pleased with the jaw-dropping visuals, the fun-to-shoot weapons, the gritty intensity, and the extremely immersive multiplayer. Unforunately, Killzone 2's story was weakly presented, and many critics took fault with the forgettable characters and weak dialogue. Nevertheless, Killzone 2's fun campaign, and enourmously addictive multiplayer, alongside Gamereactor's prestigious GotY, earn it this incredible 8th place.
7. Street Fighter IV
-2 Game of the Year Awards
The iconic Street Fighter series returns to land another crushing knockout to its competition, earning itself an amazing 7th place. Acclaimed for its wonderful fighting mechanics and satisfying learning curve, Street Fighter IV truly is one one the deepest fighting games of all time. Critics loved the way the game pulls people in and gives them so many moves and abilities to use, and even went on to call it one of the most addicting games of the year. Unfortunately, SFIV's weak cutscenes and plot presentation, along with the disappointing climax battle marred what would have other wise been an exceptional fighting experience. But all that aside, SFIV easily crushes the competition to reach this outstanding 7th place.
6. Demon's Souls
-4 Game of the Year Awards
At the powerful 6th position is Demon's Souls, the PS3-exclusive hardcore RPG that took everyone by surprise. Demon's Souls is not like any other RPG this generation. The defining characteristic of Demon's Souls is its extremely challenging difficulty, designed to show players no mercy and brutalize them with grotesquely powerful enemies and cleverly hidden traps. But the reason why gamers love this tear-inducing difficulty is the intelligently designed gameplay progression and development, which make even the smallest victories in the game reward you with a gigantic felling of triumph. Coupled with the revolutionary online and co-op mechanics, even the juggernaut Gamespot was floored by Demon's Souls, and went on to award it its extremely prestigious GotY. Although many criticized the poor voice acting and the fact that Demon's Souls difficulty is not for everyone, what Demon's Souls did have, however, easily earned it this amazing 6th place of the games of 2009.
5. Assassin's Creed II
-12 Game of the Year Awards
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"Peek-a-boo..." |
Just like the original Killzone, the original Assassin's Creed failed to deliver on the promises it made. And just like Killzone 2, Assassin's Creed II more than makes up for the original's failure. Meet Ezio Auditore, the newest addition to the deadly assassins. On a quest to avenge the death of his father and brothers, Ezio travels throughout Renaissance Italy assassinating the figures who helped in the murder of his father. But with each person he kills, he starts to uncover a conspiracy for larger than he expected. Critics immediately fell in love with the game's beautifully designed environments and brutal, yet satisfying kill animations. What really made this game special, however, was the seer amount of improvements over the original, including the ability to own your own village, and invest into it and watch it mature. While the amazing and gripping storyline attracted many, it was not without its faults. Many questioned the twist at the end, and lamented on how certain parts of the game still felt repetitive like the original. Critics also noted the poor quality of the faces of the characters, and their jerky animations. Nevertheless, Assassin's Creed II manages to create an extremely immersive experience, that captivated innumerous critics, and earns itself this powerful 5th place.
4. Dragon Age: Origins
-18 Game of the Year Awards
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"Who needs magic when you have your own bodyguard?" |
Bioware returns after 2007's 7th place Mass Effect with not just another well-desgined RPG, but possibly the best RPG of 2009. Strongly praised for its amazing voice-acting and stellar story-telling, Dragon Age: Origins easily rivals other great RPGs like Mass Effect and Fallout 3 on the sense of immersion created. Critics also praised the rich story and fun quests, taking pleasure in the well-crafted story centering around saving the fictional land of Ferelden from hordes of demons. The development and twists in the story were also heavily lauded, and many critics threw immense praise on the character presentation in the game. These things easily make Dragon Age an incredibly enjoyable and immersive experience. But not without its faults however, many critcized the underwhelming and weak graphics and frequent glitches. The console versions of the game, especially the Xbox 360 version, were noted to not preform on the same level as the PC version, with critics citing a reduction in the visual quality and a further occurence rate of glitches in the console versions. Nevertheless, Dragon Age: Origins presents an immersive and thoroughly enoyable experience that many will be playing for years to come, and one that earns Dragon Age: Origins this incredible 4rd place amonst the games of 2009.
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