2009: The Year in Video Games!

[Jack T. Chance]

So, now that 2010 is well under way, I felt like taking a look back at the video games of 2009.

I didn't play enough of 2009's games to be able to give an opinion on most of the major releases, but I will share my thoughts in a couple areas...

Best "Hybrid" Game (Combining 2 or more video game genres in 1 game): Borderlands for the Xbox 360 and PC, the first Role Playing Shooter I've ever played, and one of the best games of the year! It's also INSANELY addictive! I just can't stop playing it!

Most Annoying Enemies in a Video Game: This one's a tough call. Really, I should say ALL of the enemies in Borderlands, because most of them just do... not... know... when... to... DIE! And they respawn/repopulate WAY too soon! There's nothing worse than backtracking in an area to get away from a tough opponent, only to find yourself face-to-face with a bunch of enemies you JUST killed 5 minutes earlier!

But I feel like narrowing my choice down to just one particular type of enemy, so my choice is... THE FRAKKIN' SPIDERANTS! Most Annoying Video Game Enemies EVER! Not only do they not know when to die, they're complete and total jackasses about it! It takes WAY too much damage to take them down, and just when you think you've FINALLY cleared all of them out of an area, ANOTHER group busts up out of the ground around you! GRRRR!!!!

And a special Dishonorable Mention to the game's Raiders. They're nearly as bad as the frakkin' Spiderants! But at least they're slightly easier to kill.

Worst Single-Player Campaign in a Video Game (Due to it Being Too Short): Section 8. I was anxiously awaiting this game for MONTHS before it came out! A First-Person Shooter that was the closest thing we'll ever get to a game based on Robert A. Heinlein's classic SF novel Starship Troopers? I HAD to have it the first day it came out! Too bad I had beaten all 8 missions in the Single-Player Campaign by the second day.

I'll expand my thoughts as I make the time to pull myself away from Borderlands long enough to try some of 2009's other big releases. In the meantime, I'll just sit back and read your thoughts on the video games of '09.

[MaggieTheCat]

Hmm, well, I can't think of everything that I've played that came out in 09, but here's a couple that stick out in my mind:

Super Mario Bros. Wii: Great multi-player game. Hilarious and fun, most of the time, unless you have someone deliberately trying to throw you in a pit! (and even that can be hilarious and fun, too.)

Dragon Age: Origins: Good RPG. I loved it for the first few weeks, but after my husband got ahead of me in his game, I just started watching him. A friend of ours is insisting on playing through the game multiple times using a different origin each time, but I didn't think it was THAT good.

Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes: Probably the best "indie" game of the year. It was relatively unheard of and it was the developer's first game that was actually released in a box. A good strategy game, I was pleasantly surprised by it.

Dragon Quest 5 (for DS): Best remake. Loved 4, can't wait for 6 (and 9, for that matter.)

Final Fantasy IV: The After Years: Best sequel. Okay, it's kinda campy, but the original FFIV is my. favorite. game. ever. So I have to give it props just for being the sequel. Sadly, I haven't beaten it yet (seriously, what the hell, I need to get back to this game.)

Zelda: Spirit Tracks: Oops. Haven't played it yet.

That's about all the big ones my husband and I could think of. We play a lot of RPGs, can you tell?

Edit to add:

Most Anticipated Game That's Been Delayed The Longest: CAVE STORY. Seriously, Nicalis, WHAT THE HELL? We were supposed to have this sometime in 2008 for WiiWare and it's STILL delayed. And they don't update their website anymore. I am losing faith!

[Spiffy McMoron]

Edit to add:

Most Anticipated Game That's Been Delayed The Longest: CAVE STORY. Seriously, Nicalis, WHAT THE HELL? We were supposed to have this sometime in 2008 for WiiWare and it's STILL delayed. And they don't update their website anymore. I am losing faith!

I would counter that with Gran Turismo 5. They've been working on it since 2005, with the release date still TBA. They did release Gran Turismo 5: Prologue in April of 2008, so I'm not sure what the delay is.

[Megg]

The only games I play are MMO's. There was only one worth playing in 2009, Fallen Earth, but I am hopeful for 2010!

[Salted Grump]

Game most likely to make you pitch your controller through your TV: Demon's Souls for PS3.

Short version; This game is HARD. Long Version; This Game Punishes your mistakes in a way where you realize too late just how completely screwed you are, and if you have a massive pile of souls (aka; exp points/money) then you'd best be careful as sin getting back to where you died, because if you die a second time, wave goodbye to several hours worth of killing enemies that are ALL challenges.

Game most likely to make you bust out laughing in the Intro: Borderlands. (XB360, PS3, PC)

'This is not a Planet of Peace and Love!' or, for those with the first DLC pack; 'You're adopted.'

Game most likely to make you enjoy parkour; Assassin's Creed 2 (XB360, PS3, PC)

You parkour over much of Florentine Italy and stab naughty people in the face. What's not to like? Also, Machiavelli is an assassin, and you can hire 'courtesans' to distract people for you.

Game most likely to make you scream 'What the Fuck?'; The Void (PC)

This is the game equivalent of getting a kick square in the lower back to launch you into the deep and murky part of the pool. The game plays well, looks beautiful, but the story will leave you grasping at straws, and the beings you encounter are either monstrous abominations or beautiful women clad in little more than wisps of energy and colour.

The fun part is finding out what is going on, before you either die or find out you've goofed up horribly, and have ended up with nothing but a dead-end.

Game most likely to make you chortle like a maniac: Company of Heroes: Tales of Valour (PC)

Run Amerikaner! Controlling a modified Tiger tank rampaging through a British and American Armoured Column has never been so deliciously fun, especially with the addition of a Direct-control feature so your mouse chooses where the gun faces, and when to shoot, instead of letting the AI do it for you.

Enemies most likely to be forever on your hate list: The Giant Crab Worms in Borderlands, because the damn things are bullet sponges and hit hard, and Anything with a ranged attack in Demon's Souls, Also; the Jailers in World 3, part 1; Guided stun missile attack followed by melee that Kills your ass dead no matter how much health you have left.

Most Retardedly Overhyped game that played like fanwank: Modern Warfare 2.

Come on. I can tolerate the remake of Red Dawn in video-game format, even if someone forgot that you only say 'Oscar-Mike' that often to Piss off your Superior Officers, but the entire TF141 Storyline felt like someone plugged in a horribad fanfic that hit all the usual drivel for a war plot. Plus everyone knows that Double Shotgun Dudes are EVIL.

Most Desired game(s) of 2010: Bioshock 2, Aliens Vs Predator, Dead Space 2, Guild Wars 2, And a remake of Crimson Skies, please. (Yeah, like I'd ever get the last one)

[Gravekeeper]

I loved The Void. Beautiful game. Really farks with you and makes you think. There aren't any silly hints or plot exposition either. You're on your own trying to figure out where you are, what the hell is going on and what you can possibly do to change any of it. The only thing the game tells you for sure is that you're dead. >.>

Had to go grab myself the soundtrack to that one.

The Prayers of Colours are still unsettling, and they made sure to cram them all onto the soundtrack.

[RayvenQ]

Game most likely to make you chortle like a maniac: Company of Heroes: Tales of Valour (PC)

Run Amerikaner! Controlling a modified Tiger tank rampaging through a British and American Armoured Column has never been so deliciously fun, especially with the addition of a Direct-control feature so your mouse chooses where the gun faces, and when to shoot, instead of letting the AI do it for you.

I prefer men of war, as the tank round simulation is much better, line up a shot right and Iit'll go through one or more things, line it up wrong, bounce.

Plus it's the 3rd in a series of games which have always allowed you to direct control anything, not just shooting but movement as well. and unlike most WW2 RTS games or even most RTS games, fuel and ammunition is a factor within the game.

[gremcint]

What no mention of Batman Arkham ASylum?

[Salted Grump]

That's because everyone knows that Arkham Asylum is a must-buy game, even if Batman's right bicep is around 33% larger than his left.

[Jack T. Chance]

Enemies most likely to be forever on your hate list: The Giant Crab Worms SPIDERANTS in Borderlands, because the damn things are bullet sponges and hit hard

CFT: Corrected For Truth!

Speaking only for myself, playing as a Hunter, the Crab Worms are fairly easy to take down. Just go for head shots like with most other enemies. My preference is to shoot them in the face with a powerful weapon that does either fire or corrosive damage, such as my oh-so-lovely Legendary shotgun, the Pestilent Crux!

The Spiderants, on the other hand, fit your description perfectly. Head shots are a lot less effective on them because their heads are heavily armored, hence them being "bullet sponges". And on the 2nd playthrough, they're even WORSE, with stupidly large swarms of them coming at you and respawning just a couple minutes after you kill them all! I swear, it's enough to make you feel like you've been sent to the planet Klendathu on a suicide mission, especially since you don't have a suit of Mobile Infantry Marauder powered armor to protect you!

Most Retardedly Overhyped game that played like fanwank: Modern Warfare 2.

BWA HA HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Too true! Also, I do NOT understand the appeal of a game where the enemies constantly kill you in, like, 5 seconds flat.

Most Desired game(s) of 2010: Bioshock 2, Aliens Vs Predator, Dead Space 2, Guild Wars 2, And a remake of Crimson Skies, please. (Yeah, like I'd ever get the last one)

Ooh, good idea!

My Most Desired Game of 2010: Battlefield: Bad Company 2 for Xbox 360 and this time on the PC, as well! Can you say "God Mode Enabled"? I knew you could!

[Broomjockey]

Enemies most likely to be forever on your hate list: The Giant Crab Worms in Borderlands, because the damn things are bullet sponges and hit hard,

That's a joke, right? You hit them in the eye twice and they're dead. If your accuracy sucks, use a shotgun, and a couple of the pellets will STILL hit them in the weak point and kill them quickly. Hell, I dealt 9999 damage to them.

CFT: Corrected For Truth!

That's annoying.

[Salted Grump]

It's wierd; I never had problems with the spiderants; 5-7 bullets from a generic SMG would stun them, letting you lay into their soft, squishy abdomens and kill them in 2-3 more rounds. But the damn Crab Worms for some wierd reason, I never managed to hit them in their one weak spot. Even point-blank with a shotgun. I usually went right to a Vladof RPG-50 or so and chunkified them just to save ammo and frustration.

As for fun guns, I'll stick with my Maliwan Pestilent Defiler with a 3.5X scope, thanks.

One shot will drop level 39 enemies, either on impact, or from the acid effect. (it has 438 attack power, but only holds 2 rounds)

Most Impressive Boss that turned out to be a Pushover: Toss-up between the Rakk Hive or the Great Destroyer in Borderlands.

Most impressive Setpiece that would never happen in real life: The semi-interactive cutscene in Modern Warfare 2 right before the mission 'Whiskey Hotel'. Physics Does NOT Work that Way!

[Jack T. Chance]

That's annoying.

You're annoying!

It's weird; I never had problems with the spiderants; 5-7 bullets from a generic SMG would stun them, letting you lay into their soft, squishy abdomens and kill them in 2-3 more rounds. But the damn Crab Worms for some weird reason, I never managed to hit them in their one weak spot. Even point-blank with a shotgun. I usually went right to a Vladof RPG-50 or so and chunkified them just to save ammo and frustration.

Weird. Some of the tougher ones might have taken slightly longer to kill, but they were never anywhere NEAR as tough for me as the Spiderants. On the first playthrough, the damned multi-legged, armored freaks could at least be managed reasonably well by taking them on while driving a Catch-A-Ride buggy with a rocket launcher, and either blowing them to kingdom come, or running their arachnid asses over! But on the second playthrough, the tougher spiderants and raiders destroy vehicles MUCH too easily. It's rather annoying.

BTW, which version are you playing? PC? Xbox 360?

As for fun guns, I'll stick with my Maliwan Pestilent Defiler with a 3.5X scope, thanks.

One shot will drop level 39 enemies, either on impact, or from the acid effect. (it has 438 attack power, but only holds 2 rounds)

Ooh, sounds nifty! I'll have to double-check then post the stats of the Pestilent Crux. On the first playthrough, it completely dominated my enemies, spanking them so soundly that it made them my bitches! On the second playthrough, it's not quite as powerful, so I'm hoping to find an upgraded version that will once again restore my supremacy on the battlefields of Pandora!

Most Impressive Boss that turned out to be a Pushover: Toss-up between the Rakk Hive or the Great Destroyer in Borderlands.

Gotta disagree. The Destroyer was a bigger pain in the ass than I thought it would be. But I didn't die too many times, 'cuz I read the strategy guide, and thus knew the "safe spots" on the battlefield where you can take cover from most of its attacks! It just took too much ammo to bring it down, that's all. I was firing powerful rockets right into its eye, and the thing's health meter would barely budge! So it took AWHILE to finally kill it.

[Salted Grump]

PS3, thank you.

As for The Destroyer, well, My Defiler was averaging around 5500 damage per bullet, plus acid effect. Then I swapped to my SMG and bullethosed 55 bullets at 1100 damage per mag until I ran out of ammo. Didn't even lose shield integrity. I was.... disappointed.

As for the Defiler's Stats;

Maliwan Pestilent Defiler

Level requirement: 35

Damage 489
Accuracy: 91.7
Fire rate 1.0
Magazine Capacity: 2
Corrosive Effect x4

Highly Effective vs. Armor
Chance to Corrode enemies
Give Sick
3.7x weapon zoom

As you can see from the stat block; Hilariously overpowered, Plus, with the Quicksilver and High Velocity skillboosts, I get +25% reload speed, +20% damage, and +100% bullet velocity, so I don't have to lead a target nearly as much.

(FYI, Give Sick = 100% acid Splash and increased Acid damage. I one-shot level 35 Badass Crimson Lance Soldiers with this thing.)

Now, Doctor Ned, he's just Hilariously fun.

Anyhow, what's next on the game Lists?

[Jack T. Chance]

PS3, thank you.

As for The Destroyer, well, My Defiler was averaging around 5500 damage per bullet, plus acid effect. Then I swapped to my SMG and bullethosed 55 bullets at 1100 damage per mag until I ran out of ammo. Didn't even lose shield integrity. I was.... disappointed.

Now, Doctor Ned, he's just Hilariously fun.

Anyhow, what's next on the game Lists?

Here's the stats for mine... No longer the best weapon I have, but the first Legendary weapon I got, and a personal fave...

Maliwan ZPR10 PESTILENT CRUX

Level Requirement: 21

Damage 54 (x7)
Accuracy 61.1
Fire Rate 1.9
Magazine Capacity 5
Corrosive Damage x 4

Highly effective vs Armor
Chance to Corrode enemies
Bring out your Dead
4.0x Weapon Zoom

So, yeah, better on the first playthrough than the second. But I reckon it's only a matter of time before I find a suitable, more powerful replacement! ^_^