Dynamite

Game of the year Awards 2009 pt.2 - For the Win, runner ups & honourable mentions, disappointments and year in review.

The Top 5 of 2009 stand at;

5. Infamous
4. Uncharted 2
3. Halo 3:ODST
2. Call of Duty:MW2

And my Number 1 Game of the year is...

1. Assassins Creed 2

The Assassins Creed 2, not only was this game my most hyped for this year, my game of E3 but it is now my Game of 2009. Ubisoft have created a masterpiece, it is an example of a stunning success. No game this year could amount to the awesome that this game holds. I was a fan of Assassins Creed 1 it was good and came in 4th place in my GOTY 2007, there were some major flaws in this game though such as repetitiveness, glitches and having an underwhelming feel to the story and gameplay. For Assassins Creed 2 I found no problems, Ubisoft put in so much effort in assassinating each problem head on creating a really enjoyable game.

One of the Best things about this game is the setting in Europe, Italy. This is the best possible setting they could do, not only am I part Italian and can understand it which is big help in the games dialogue, but if you have been following my blogs you would know that I went to Europe this year and to Italy in the exact same cities as the ones in the games which are Florence, Tuscany, Venice and Rome. You could say that this added more of a hype to the game which is true.

I mean in Florence me and my father walked up the Florence Palazzo Vecchio and now in the game to climb up and eagle jump off it is just amazing bringing back so many memories from my trip, same with walking across saint marks harbour in the game, just remembering it was full of people and market stalls including lots of gypsy's. It’s quite awesome just seeing locations you remember being there and seeing them recreated for the 14th Century in the game.

The Story is great picking up where the first left off, The Story is so much more fleshed out than the first and bringing it up a notch. It follows Desmond as he continues his confusing ride alongside the Assassins vs. the Templar’s. Desmond is taken to join the assassins but first he must get back in the animus(a machine to network the memories of one’s ancestors) to get a memory of a ancestor in Italy while getting his skills and knowledge of being an assassin and Overall uncover the conspiracy hiding the truth about a magical artifact know as the piece of Eden. This is where we get introduced to "Ezio Auditore de Firenze" a ancestor of Desmond and experience his quest for revenge and his turn to follow the Assassins Creed. Ezio is so likeable and lifelike and in which you actually care for him and how he develops in the story not like in the original game where Altair had no background story, he was just a random badass which you couldn't really have feelings for him as you don't even know what he has been through like Ezio. The Story is overall amazing, I don't want to ruin anything so I won’t say anymore though at the end it does get confusing but epic.


Ubisoft paced the game perfectly, the first few missions of the game is like learning to be an assassin basically a tutorial which matches to the story. The characters you encounter are realistic and likeable and actually have an Italian accent not like the first game where all you hear are Americans. The characters you encounter are great, and the Italian women "mama mia" they are perfect. In the game you encounter Leonardo de Vinchi which is one of the best ideas and characters to have in this game, Ubisoft are genius for including him in the story, he is likeable and ties in with the story so well. Missions range from a stealth kill of a high public figure to equipping your sword and distracting guards so that you can rescue allies in jailThe gameplay is exceptional fixing it up from the first one and adding new mechanics and weapons such as double assassinations and the ability to disarm opponents. Killing someone is as satisfying as ever with that amazing sound when your hidden blade comes in contact with you prey. Escaping I found is much easier than the first, you can hide in much more places now but the AI is actually smarter looking in haystacks and splitting up. You can buy, customize and collect so much stuff. Seriously there is so much to do in Italy from collect feathers to upgrading your villa.

There are many cameos and eagle motifs making it a very deep and enthralling game. I had and still am having so much fun with this game, it has perfected the problems from the first game, Respected and honoured my heritage and made my year a very enjoyable one. I can’t wait to see more of this franchise, In the meantime I'll still be following the creed...





Runner-ups for Top 5

1. Batman Arkham Asylum - Perfect Batman game, everything I wanted in a Batman game is included in this game.

2. Forza Motorsports 3 - In my gaming life only 3 racing games have stood out and helped me to like racing games, Gran Turismo 2, Need for Speed Underground 2 and this game, This is a very high honour!

3. Killzone 2 - This was one crazy FPS for the PS3, was a fun game for the ps3 and played some good hours of online for it.


Disappointments

1. Halo Wars - Yes I'm serious, I wouldn't of played this if it wasn’t for Halo even though it didn’t even feel like Halo, It was soooo boring and this is from me, a Halo lover. The RTS gameplay was buggy and Tedious, you can’t even zoom up on your units for god’s sake.

2. Borderlands - *puts shield up*, It feels like I'm the only one who can’t get into this game, the graphics are terrible, the gameplay is average and the story is "Meh".

3. Left4Dead 2 - This is an obvious one if you’re Australian.

Year in Review for Games.


Overall Console Report Card

• Microsoft Xbox 360 - rating: A-
• Sony Playstation 3 - rating: A
• Nintendo Wii - rating: C
  
• PC - rating: B
• Nintendo DS - rating: D
  
• Sony PSP - rating: C
  
• Apple Iphone - rating: D

This Concludes my Game of the year awards for 2009, I hope you enjoyed the awards and I hope you gained some more insight on my taste in games. I look forward to 2010 and be sure to catch the next GOTY awards 2010, same dynam3 time, same dynam3 channel...

I may do a MOTY, be sure to catch the next blogs I do for this year...If I do, Oh and congratulations to everyone who guessed Assassins Creed 2 for my GOTY.

2009 has been a great year for the gaming world, It takes a great big effort to efficiently produce successful games for the gaming market. Here are my 5 games represented as highlights this year who have been successful in making my year a fun filled, action packed year to remember.

Game of the year awards 2009 - Top 5.

5. Infamous

This game was one electrifying title to come out this year, I had alot of hype built for this game from the 2007 E3 and I honestly felt it delivered. This game had mixed reactions around the public. I did notice that my real life friends hated this game though my peers on the Internet thought it rocked, interesting!

I had both prototype and infamous and I believe infamous is the superior game. The story for infamous is great about Cole MacGrath a normal civilian delivering a package which blows up right in front of him and destroying Empire city and after giving him extraordinary abilities including giving him the power to manipulate electricity. Cole must take back the city from gangs and criminals to bring Justice or Havoc to the city once more, infamous brings a very engrossing story but The gameplay is where infamous truly shines, being able to control lighting from the force of your hands is amazing. One of my favourite gameplay mechanics is superpowers and to add free movement and an open world makes it a recipe for fun. Infamous feels like a interactive comic especially displayed from the art cutscenes and also the ability to choose your justice or corrupt path, this explores the trials and tribulations of a superhero which I hold dearly in my Hero ideal. You truly feel like a god on this game from zapping petty thieves to raining lighting from the sky you name it.

Infamous is a very successful game in my eyes. Powerful moral choices combined with a great combat system which overall helps unravel the shocking conspiracy at the end of infamous. Superheros don’t only translate well to movies but video games as well.

Review Score: GS-9.0/ME-8.5

4. Uncharted 2: Among thieves

What can I say but PS3's highlight title of the year, Uncharted 2 has blasted its way to my top 5 this year. I remember playing the first Uncharted and wanting more, Uncharted 2 left me speechless, it’s exhilarating, suspenseful and intense campaign rocked. Naughty dog knows truly how to make a campaign, what I love about this game is how they paced the story making you emotionally attached to the setting and characters, for example in the first few moments Nathan is hanging from a crashed train over a mountain cliff with a gunshot wound to the chest bleeding rapidly. I was biting my nails with a passion in the opening. They balanced the cutscenes and gameplay perfectly giving you "OH-SNAP" moments at every twist and turn.

Nathan Drake is the main protagonist of the story and is a cross between James Bond and Indiana Jones. The story is somewhat overwhelming travelling to location to location in search of an answer and few riches. Naughty dog presented realistic characters with new and old characters coming back to manipulate the story and meld it to become an unforgettable experience. Nathan is as likable as ever with his witty remarks and Drakes luck still traps him in peril (I call it "Drakes Fortune")

The gameplay is still very satisfying, perfecting the first games formula and adding new weapons and techniques and a few more puzzles this time around. Oh and the graphics are unbelievable, the detail is so impressive the movements and combat of Drakes model look so impressive making it a realistic 3rd Person shooter minus the superhuman Stuff. .They even added multiplayer which is good but not as amazing as the campaign.

Among thieves put in effort and it has shown they put this game to thrilling depths of awesome to make it a very successful game which I wasn't bored of for a second. I hope to see the best treasure hunter again in more adventures in the future.

Review Score: GS-9.5/ME-9.0

3. Halo 3:ODST

Thankyou Bungie, thankyou for making another masterpiece, increasing depth of the Halo Mythology. Since combat evolved I’ve been a loyal fan of Halo, it is one of the best gaming franchises ever and now that ODST has dropped in it proves that bungie is still going strong. And that statement that Halo is being "milked" is complete bullshit, I hate that term so much.

Halo 3:ODST was a pleasure playing, it’s set between the events of Halo 2 and 3 and tells the story and trials of a group of Orbital drop shock troopers. ODST's are elite soldiers trained to fight at first contact, provide backup and undertake special operations against the aliens known as the covenant. Playing an ODST is as good as a Spartan, I still remember thinking how awesome ODST's were through the Halo trilogy and now playing one is just so surreal.

The first mission "prepare to drop" is now one of the most memorable moments in my gaming history, you saw the Helljumpers drop in Halo 1, 2, 3 and now you experience it, feet first into hell. How bungie makes a story is inspiring with the great dialogue and switching the main protagonist roles by implementing a flashback segway. The gameplay is legendary same as Halo 3 obviously but adding new weapons and perks which is all I need in a fresh halo game. I admit the campaign was pretty short but action packed and should be played again on legendary difficulty, and what a better thing to do after the game but play the new firefight(Horde) mode which is a fabulous new addition to this franchise. Now to mention the musical score, all the Halo games have had a fantastic soundtrack, it emphasises the story making a more emotional effect and adding more of a motivation feeling when in combat.

All of these aspects have put this game as my number 3 this year, you should see my aspects on Halo 3, and it would be two pages. I would like to now salute the creators and I really look forward to Halo: Reach, I'll be feet first into Reach.

Review Score: GS-9.0/ME-9.0

2. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

If Modern warfare revolutionized the shooting genre then Modern warfare 2 has perfected it. The creators have done a marvellous job of simulating modern warfare through the eyes of American and British soldiers. Call of duty has taken the public by storm, excusing some minor flaws MW2 is a perfect experience with Campaign, multiplayer and extras being as fabulous as ever.

The story overall gives you a pump on killing terrorists, and who wouldn't with the kick ass arsenal you get to win the war. Not many shooters can match up, I had and I still am having so much fun playing this game. Even though the campaign is short it is action packed like ODST, The story presents a new violent ultranationalist terrorist threat against the world and also some very controversial aspects like the brutal killing of innocent civilians and the Russian invasion of the United States. The story included dramatic moments and brought back old friends from the original As you complete the story you gain access to new locations around the world making the story a bit overwhelming but picking the gameplay to counter that.

The gameplay is by far the best aspect of this game, giving you a range of new Assault rifles, machine pistols and Predator missiles at your disposal with a much smoother first person gun mechanic. Each mission had something different coming whether it’s a Sniper covert op, Vehicle massacre or a foot manhunt, this is what I love about the Call of duty franchise. The game brings back co-operative play which we gamers have had a drought of these days, it has an awesome mode call spec-ops with mini missions and snippets of the campaign to have some good fun with friends or solo, lots and lots of fun in this mode. Then there’s the multiplayer which is just so awesome, it is leagues ahead of the first when comparing. The levelling up system is perfect and still has that awesome guitar solo when you level plus the callsigns and emblems which is such a minor but exceptional idea for multiplayer. Seriously if you do not have this game you are either crazy, a girl, Micheal Atkitson, broke or a pirate...pick one!

On a serious note, if Bungie can make a story, infinity ward can make a game. Stay Frosty!

Review Score: GS-9.0/ME-9.5

1. To be Continued...Next Blog

Stay tuned for next blog with...Number 1 game of the year this year, disappointments, MOTY and year in review.