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Sunday, December 21, 2008

Top 10 Games of 2008


10. Wii Fit (Wii)

Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo

Wii Fit casts aside certain gaming conventions to offer an experience that actually made you think a little about your health. When was the last time you could connect those dots in the gaming realm?

Part of what makes Wii Fit so appealing is that it doesn't dictate the pace — you do


9. Dead Space (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)

Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: EA Redwood Shores

If horror becomes a genre of sorts in video games, then Dead Space will be among its true catalysts. This game has all the makings of some of the best in sci-fi mixed in with all the trappings of suspense and horror.


8. Valkyria Chronicles (PS3)

Publisher: Sega
Developer: Sega


Valkyria Chronicles is an eye-opening experience based largely on its gorgeous visuals that resemble animated paintings. Sega wrapped that up with a great story and a really nice music score to present what is one of the best Action RPGs in some time.

7. Fable II (Xbox 360)

Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Developer: Lionhead Studios

This one was highly anticipated and with good reason. Fable II pits you in many situations that will feed into your inner self. You just might discover how selfish you are, or how big your heart truly is. This isn't to say that art imitates life in real terms, but in an abstract way, there is a correlation.

And a lot of this comes out of one of the simplest aspects of the game — your dog. The way you treat him is very indicative of what kind of hero you will choose to become.


6. Spore (PC)

Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Maxis

Spore comes across as a science exhibit that details the evolution of life for a living organism. Creator Will Wright likely intended for the game to have that kind of background feeling, but in reality, the final product is a unique view of how some of us came to be where we are today.


5. Gears of War 2 (Xbox 360)

Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Developer: Epic Games

Next to Halo, Gears of War 2 pretty much proves that it is the next flagship franchise of the Xbox 360. Packing in all the elements that made the first one so great, Epic Games managed to up the ante and create a stylized game that is so immensely entertaining from start to finish. And that's not even including all the havoc of online multiplayer.


4. Fallout 3 (Xbox 360, PS3 and PC)

Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Developer: Bethesda Game Studios

Make no mistake, Fallout 3 is a brilliant video game. It's rare to see something like this produced — a game that tells a compelling story through the decisions that you make when interacting with people.

Fallout 3 is kind of a giant narrative about man's tendencies to survival and self-destruction. Indeed, the eerie emptiness of the Washington, D.C. in this game felt real, displaying the apocalyptic scene with awe-inspiring graphics.


3. Grand Theft Auto IV (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

Publisher: Rockstar Games
Developer: Rockstar North

Niko Bellic is the tragic figure of this game. He stands out a lot more than the other characters in the GTA games because he actually is a decent guy that can't seem to shake some old habits when things get out of hand. GTA IV is a classic "deal with the devil" game where a man's heart and soul is basically parted with in a transaction for money, power and respect.


2. LittleBigPlanet (PS3)

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Media Molecule

It's nice to see a game blow people away through sheer imagination rather than bombastic explosions and surreal graphics. LittleBigPlanet is a spectacular game for the simple reason that it's almost impossible not to like it. Platformer games are widely known by a large portion of the video game demographic, and LittleBigPlanet takes all that and puts the creativity in your hands.

It's a game that makes you think, like solving a problem through a solution of your own making.

Simply put, if you own a PS3, you would do yourself a big favour getting this game.


1. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3)

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

Publisher: Konami
Developer: Kojima Productions

This game is very much a movie in and of itself, where certain scenes play out in front of you in cutscenes, while others are left up to you to perform. It's the beauty of what Hideo Kojima and his staff created here — an interactive movie that never fails to disappoint from start to finish.

It's a visual masterpiece in so many ways, and one that any non-gamer can gaze at and appreciate.


*PCWorld.ca

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