Although i’m a teensy bit late, a list is always interesting to read. These are the top 10, in my opinion, console games of 2009. (Anything released on Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS and PSP)

10.

Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time found its way onto our list as it shows a big improvement and detailed differences from its previous installment in 2008, Quest for Booty and Tools of Destruction. A Crack in Time exhibits surprisingly fun gameplay along with an interesting story line and also features new moves and possibilities for an open-world exploration type of interaction. The game definitely shows new innovation to the Ratchet and Clank series, though it has the ability to keep the traditional game formula, a perfect way to make its way onto our list.

9.

Batman: Arkham Asylum definitely fits into our ninth place with it’s action-packed, stealth-requiring adventure. After the Batman series made an extremely epic return with their Dark Knight in 2008, a proper video game should be a requirement, and it was. Arkham Asylum received dangerously high praise from critics, holding the Guinness World Record for Most Critically Acclaimed Superhero Game Ever, receiving an average of 91.67 from game reviewers. The game is played in third-person perspective, enhancing Batman’s uncountable moves used to kill villains, but the reason behind the game’s great success is because the game isn’t only about killing, Batman uses “detective mode” to discover moods and stats about his enemies, and uses mainly stealth to get as close to his enemies as possible. This certain type of gameplay gives the player enough suspense to earn it ninth place in the Top Ten Console Games of 2009.

8.

In eighth place, we have Street Fighter 4 with its street-style traditional fighting. When Street Fighter first debuted in 1999 for arcades, there were lineups for the finger-smashing game of the year. Now, the 4th edition of the arcade game is back, with additional characters and  endless combos of punches, kicks and strikes. The settings of the game are rendered in 3D, but gameplay remains in traditional 2D plane, although the camera angle moves at time of dramatic effect, thus giving the game better graphics than any other arcade fighting game. This game is also very highly acclaimed by critics, receiving a 94 from Metacritic for its Playstation 3 version, and 93 for its Xbox 360. The game has also won numerous awards including “Reader’s Choice”, “Best Production” and “Best Graphics”, earning itself eighth place in our list.

7.

Rarely, do racing games make it to top lists of the year, only because shooters and adventure games are just that much more exciting. This racing game is different, solely because it’s not a game. It’s reality on your television and controller, unless a game could race through your veins while at top speed, and force your heart out of your throat when you stop. From the details of damaging your vehicle to the endless possibilities of customization, Forza Motorsport 3 is one the most realistic and interesting games ever released. Again, this game is highly praised by critics, with IGN calling it ‘One of the best racing games to ever be produced’, and even though i’m a huge fan of its strong competition series, Gran Turismo, I find it highly impossible to disagree.

6.

Having won numerous ‘Best Handheld’ game awards, we had to put it into this list, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars has one of the most addictive and in-depth story line ever to be released onto a handheld game. So far, games for the Nintendo DS have been, lack of better term, childish, very similar to the first year of the Wii. Although this game has a bird’s eye view and doesn’t have amazingly detailed graphics, its gameplay is extremely fun. This is no doubt the best game for Nintendo DS so far, and definitely deserved all those ‘Best Handheld Game’ awards, placing it sixth in our Top Ten list.

5.

The Killzone series, made exclusively for the Playstation, gives gamers another reason to choose Playstation over Xbox, a highly debatable point. Killzone 2 is our fifth place because it continues the tradition created by the first installment, action, thrill and intensity. The first-person shooter is more than just regular warfare, or killing aliens; it features fantastical worlds of fictional extreme characters with a suspense filled storyline. Speaking of storyline, the plot is extremely detailed to the point that it’s possible to create a movie, because right when you’re about to get comfortable, something completely unexpected happens, making it impossible for the player to put the controller down.

4.

Assassin’s Creed 2, known as the most “adventurous” game of 2009, must have its place on our list. AC2 continues its well known series with a perfect mix of action and adventure, a better form of “open-world” exploration and a more wide variety of missions than the first installment. The game however isn’t best known for its never-ending plot, but better known for its extreme detail to weaponry, characters and fights. This second game of the series features new ways to surprise your enemy and to use classic stealth more than just pure strength. One of the most widespread critically acclaimed games of 2009, receiving a Metacritic score of 91, Assassin’s Creed 2 deserves its prestigious spot on our top ten list.

3.

One of the most convincing reasons to change over to Playstation, balancing out Xbox’s Forza and Halo, Demon’s Souls tops anybody’s list, especially for just Playstation. It features never-before seen style of gameplay, where you are constantly playing in another soul, retrieving information for the real body. One of the most interesting and innovative features of Demon’s Souls that make it so outstanding is the level of interaction with other players online, even when you play alone. While in single player campaign, you will see white transparent ghosts, which are actually other players online, playing their own campaign. Also, a brand new feature, giving a level of teamwork never before seen in any game, is something called bloodstains. While you’re walking around trying to complete missions, there will be scattered bloodstains on the ground, which are actually where other players online, playing the same campaign, have died, and you can walk onto the bloodstain, and ‘activate’ it, which will allow you to see the last few seconds of that players life, so you can see how they died. This serves as a warning system, automatically given out to notify other players of how you died, to prevent them from making the same mistake. The features of online interaction are countless, meaning you’re never actually playing by yourself. Nobody has ever integrated such features onto single player campaigns, giving Demon’s Souls innovation that will definitely be adapted by future gamemakers. The amount of fantasy, action, adventure, innovation, suspense, thrill, horror and intensity given to this game definitely makes it worth its spot on this list.

2.

Known as the most epic and successful media release ever, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was one of the best selling and most critically acclaimed video games of 2009, selling over 4.7 million copies in under 24 hours. It’s campaign, although terribly short, has the most epic and jaw-dropping moments in any video game i’ve ever played. The reason behind the game’s success isn’t only because of the compelling campaign, its actually more because of the unparalleled depth of the multiplayer. A total of 70 levels and 10 prestiges, countless challenges, fully customizable callsigns containing emblems and titles, fully customizable kill streaks are just part of the reason Modern Warfare 2 has one of the best multiplayer sections ever. Though its place on this list is highly debatable, personally, i think Modern Warfare 2 legitimately deserves 2nd on our top ten list.

1.

The year of 2009 included some pretty badass stuff, with the release of the top grossing movie of all time and the death of the king of pop, but when it comes to games, there can be only one at the top. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves fits at the top of our list for countless reasons, but to list a few; this multiple time ‘Game of the Year’  winner has one of the most attention to detail, explosive, deep and visually stunning campaigns ever to be released onto a video game. The story line in this game has left a milestone in the history of video games, with countless magazines and reviews giving it a PERFECT score, if not even better. Critics calling it more than just ‘Game of the Year’, but one of the greatest games of all time. Receiving so many awards, the only con i can list for this game is that it has an ending. With graphics next to reality and countless ways to finish the campaign, its story seems like it was taken directly from a movie. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, in my opinion, deserves more than just the Game of the Year or Stunning Graphics, it is, by far, the best game for Playstation 3, deserving it’s prestigious placing on our Top Ten list.