Sony Playstation 3
Killzone 2
Smoke? Don't talk about smoke. You don't know what smoke is. At least not until you have played Killzone 2, the highly anticipated, highly hyped futuristic shooter for the PS3. Killzone 2 is not a Halo-killer it was touted to be, nor does it need to be. Jaw-dropping graphics set the scene for fun-filled action that will make each new kill feel more satisfying than the last. Combine that with an engaging class-based multiplayer system and you have got a game that finds itself into the top five Playstation 3 games for 2009.
Resources
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
With Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, the Modern Warfare series may well become the best selling First Person Shooter series ever. The game takes everything that made the campaign of the first game great and then improves upon it. Modern Warfare thrives on serving the player "oh shit!" moments and creates one of the most memorable gaming experiences in gaming history. And when you are done, you take the game online and find it to be even more customizable than its already magnificent predecessor. A slapdash sequel this is not, the bar for modern shooters has been raised very high indeed.
Resources
Assassin's Creed II
Playing Assassins Creed II, the feeling that there hasn't been a game such as this before will slowly but surely creep up on you. The first game, while unique in concept, pales in comparison to the triumph that the sequel is. Taking place during the Italian Renaissance, the game is a beautiful example that we don’t have to play the same science fiction, fantasy, or urban combat games over and over again. The cities of Assassins Creed II seem alive and have a knack for making you feel that you are a part of it. The game constantly rewards you by teaching you new skills, granting you new weapons and showing you a new character or piece of the puzzle that is The Truth. We lost ourselves in this world Ubisoft has created, and some of us wished they did not have to leave.
Resources
Batman: Arkham Asylum
It is rare when a comic book game is true to its source material. It is even rarer when the game ends up being good or even excellent. The graphics and character design are top notch. The combat feels like you are actually Batman and knocking out bad guys left, right and center. The voice work and story s phenomenal and sees the return of actors from Batman: The Animated Series. Mark Hamill turns in an amazing performance as the Joker, admirably capturing the Jokers insanity. Batman: Arkham Asylum isn’t just the best Batman game of all time, it is the best comic book based game ever, period.
Resources
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Beautiful graphics, engaging cinemats, engrossing gameplay. Many great things have been said about Uncharted 2: Among Thieves since its release. Drake and the peeps at Naughty Dog took everything that worked before and made it better. Not only that, they implemented a great new multiplayer system that is able to pull off scalable environments well. The great diversity in levels is only outmatched by the intensity of the gameplay and Drake's dry sense of humor. Running along a moving train while dodging rockets and machine gun fire from a helicopter and fighting off baddies gets a whole new dimension when Drake is flinging around sarcastic jokes.
Resources
Runners-Up
inFAMOUS
Key ingredients: a great storyline, an open world environment, strong dialogue and a main character to rival Marvel's heroes. Fun!
Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time
Ratchet & Clank's fun and crazy adventures will suck you in and won't let go until you are finished the game. Guys? Where's that restart button?
Borderlands
Gearbox Software's new Role Playing Shooter is packed to the brim with loot, foes and - above all - pure and unadulterated fun.
Demon's Souls
A dark and uniquely designed world awaits but it's not for the faint of heart. Be prepared to fight some very tough battles.