Top 9 Games of 2009

Gaming in 2009 was great for me. There were a lot of "improvements" in my life as a gamer. First, I've forgone buying hard copies of games and finally went digital using Steam. It made buying games more convenient for me and also introduced me to indie gaming. Second, I finally found MMORPG love with Warhammer Online, which also introduced me to a bunch of exemplary folks at Gaiscioch (my guild). Lastly, Dragon Age: Origins was released and I had tons of PC games (I bought 25 games last year) to play with.

So, without further ado, my top 9 games of 2009:

1. Dragon Age: Origins 9.5
BioWare opened a decade with an epic RPG, Baldur's Gate II, back in 2000, and closed it with another, Dragon Age: Origins, in 2009. I've waited for this game for 5 years, impatiently. But after I played it, I understood why it took so long. Everything about this game is grand, from its G.R.R. Martin-inspired storyline to its enjoyable tactical combat.


2. Batman: Arkham Asylum 9.2 [Review]
This game took me in by surprise. Since it's a comic-to-game -and since games in this genre suck really hard- I never really thought much about Arkham Asylum. But I was in awe after I tried its demo. The art direction, the free-flowing combat, the story and the voice acting in this game is just top notch. It's definitely the best superhero game I've played.


3. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II 9.0 [Review]
One thing I don't like about real-time strategy games is setting up bases. It just slows the game down, in my opinion. But Dawn of War II removed the base building feature and puts the player right into the action, making the game fast and fun. Playing the game's campaign, which is more like a tactical RPG rather than a RTS, is also a satisfying experience.


4. Empire: Total War 8.8
I was actually disappointed with Empire. I was looking forward to its new naval combat but I found it to be slow and boring. Yet it still ranks as my #4 game on my list. That's because every feature that made all of the Total War games enjoyable are still here. Except all those features are magnified in Empire, especially its huge map that now includes the Americas.


5. Borderlands 8.7
Borderlands is a splice between an action RPG and a shooter. All the critters in its map respawns and drops random loot like an action RPG. But, unlike action RPGs, it doesn't have a mindless combat because it's also a shooter, which requires twitch skills to fend off enemies. In addition, the cell-shaded graphics also looks neat. This hybrid of a game is just gold.


6. Torchlight 8.7
Torchlight is another surprise for me this year. Like Arkham Asylum, I also found this game while looking for a demo to play with. The next thing I know, I had a hard time putting it down. This game is pretty much like Diablo. Although it has a pretty nice, cartoony graphics and some new knick-knacks, like the achievements, that makes it a refreshing dungeon crawler.


7. Plants Vs. Zombies 8.6
I only play tower defense games at my office, in order to pass time, nothing more. But that was before I played Plants Vs. Zombies. Unlike other tower defense games Plants Vs. Zombies has an X factor that makes it very addicting. So, if you still can, do yourself a favor and don't play this game. Because you might lose some sleep, weight, or friends from playing it.


8. Risen 8.5
This game has a lot of flaws, there's not doubt about that. But the atmosphere in Risen is wondrously immersive. You can easily lose yourself in this game, exploring its huge map that is dense with vegetation and filled with lurking dangers, and talking to its inhabitants -pirates, fantatics, thieves and mages- which are well acted and full of character.


9. King's Bounty: Armored Princess 8.4
This game is the sequel of King's Bounty: The Legend (which also landed last place on my top games last year). Besides the addition of a pet dragon, not much have changed in this game since then. Which means it is still a turn-based strategy/RPG hybrid where you can raise an army, explore and plunder the world -and that is a very enjoyable thing to do.


So that's my top 9 games for this year. Compared to previous years, I didn't have any trouble filling my list this year. I didn't even have any Nintendo DS games listed down, which means PC gaming is was in full bloom in 2009. Yeah, we still have some multi-platformed games. But there were a lot of indie games and RTS that were only exclusive to us PC gamers. Hopefully, next year will be the same.

My other Top 9 of 2009:
Top 9 Films of 2009
Top 9 Music of 2009
Top 9 Books of 2009

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