Matt Allard’s Top Ten Games from 2009

1. Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 – PS3 – Xbox360 – PC
Massively hyped and unlike many other over hyped games, COD:MW2 managed to live up to expectation. Single player campaign is intense but short, Multiplayer is as addictive as ever and now there is a new co-op mode to boot.



2. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves – PS3
The highest rated exclusive this year has to be U2:AT. Great script, visuals, acrobatics and gunplay, makes for an excellent single player experience. Now add in the fact that there’s a great multiplayer keeps U2:AT just off the top spot.



3. Batman: Arkham Asylum – PS3 – Xbox360 – PC
If this top ten was based on the single campaign alone, Batman would be top. Finally there is a dark and fantastically realised superhero game, Batman actually plays like Batman, stealthily with loads of gadgets but still double hard in a fistfight, Just a shame there’s no online play.



4. Street Fighter lV – PS3 – Xbox360 – PC
For those old enough to remember the good old days of the SNES this will throw you straight back in to the early 90’s, but with enough tweaks and changes to make it feel fresh and new. For those born nearer to the 90’s this will be a fantastic new beat-em-up experience.



5. Age of Empires: Mythologies – Nintendo DS
Not one of the big releases for 2009 but definitely one of the best. The AOE team know how to make a solid turn based strategy game. Mythologies add to the mix with Norse, Egyptian and Greek mythologies, to create an extremely deep and long lasting experience.



6. Valkyria Chronicles – PS3
Another little known title and another strategy game, I’m not a big fan of strategy games but this is another game that really stood out in 2009. Anime style visuals with a great combination of real time/turn based strategy, with long lasting appeal.



7. Dragon Age: Origins – PS3 – Xbox360 – PC
When was the last time you felt really drawn into a video game world? DA:O sucks you in and keeps you there. A hugely ambitious Role-playing game that on the whole works very well.



8. Resident Evil 5 – PS3 – Xbox 360 – PC
So it’s not Resident Evil as we know it, but RE5 took the improvements from RE4 and made an all out action game. Great polish with good replay value. The online modes are a good first time effort as well.



9. Little Big Planet – PSP
It’s amazing to think that Sackboy is a year old already, when released on the PS3 it arrived to much critical acclaim, it is truly a unique platforming experience. Unfortunately it did not come with much commercial success. LBP for the PSP is just as good as the PS3 version but I don’t think its sales are going to do much to help the failing PSP



10. Fifa 10 – PS3 – Xbox360 – PC – DS – PSP
Fifa dominated the football genre, that is until Pro evolution soccer came on the scene, Pro Evo became the critics choice for football games. Fifa 10 has really stepped up this year and not only caught up with Pro Evo but also far surpassed it. Maybe we’re going back to Fifa dominated world.