Awards! Who doesn't love them? Other than the losers, no one, that's who.
Now that the video game mania of E3 2009 is safely in the rear view mirror, we can look back on it with a clearer -- or at least quieter -- perspective and properly dole out some goodies to our favorite games from the show. Rather than break it down into platforms or genres or colors or political affiliations or something, we've decided to go with the old-fashioned, tried-and-true system of picking ten awesome things and patting them on the collective back. Hey, at least it's safer than the Tony Awards.
And with that, in no particular order (we swear), we proudly present the ten winners of Yahoo! Games: Best of E3 2009:
1. Mass Effect 2 (Electronic Arts)
The sequel to smash hit RPG Mass Effect is a real stunner. Picking up where the last game left off, it will first answer the question of whether or not series hero Commander Shepard is still alive (spoiler -- he is). Then, it will blow your mind with amazing graphics, new tweaks to the game's revolutionary conversation system, vastly improved combat and a challenge so steep the game's own designers aren't sure you will survive it. Sign us up. [ETA: Dec 2009]
2. Brutal Legend (Electronic Arts)
You know those incredibly over-the-top heavy metal album covers from the '70s and '80s? Game maker Tim Schafer certainly does, and they're the inspiration behind this hysterical action-adventure game. Starring funnyman (and noted musician) Jack Black as a roadie hell-bent on leading a metal uprising in a demonic wasteland, it also features the likes of Judas Priest's Rob Halford, Motorhead's Lemmy and the king of darkness himself, metal daddy Ozzy Osbourne. Simply guaranteed to rock. [ETA: Oct 13, 2009]
3. Splinter Cell: Conviction (Ubisoft)
With his game running into some trouble at the shop, secret-ops legend Sam Fisher has had a tough couple of years. Lucky for him, Ubisoft threw him a big coming out party by unveiling the newly rebuilt Splinter Cell: Conviction, and it looks fantastic. While he's still plenty sneaky, this new Fisher is more Bourne than Bond, utilizing a wealth of harsh new moves to help him survive as a rogue agent. Other innovations, including a brilliant way of building mission objectives into the environment, make this spy an absolute killer. [ETA: Oct 20, 2009]
4. Modern Warfare 2 (Activision)
We could go on and on about how Call of Duty: Modern Warfare easily ranks among the best shooters of all-time. But that would distract you from the sequel, which blew away E3 show goers with fancier graphics, smoother gameplay and breathtaking shooting sequences. Barring some sort of month-long, international electrical blackout, we'll be playing the heck out of it this holiday season, and so will you. [ETA: Nov 10, 2009]
5. Scribblenauts (Warner Brothers Interactive)
Consider yourself a wordsmith? Then scribble "Fall 2009" on your calendar, because that's when this charming sleeper of a DS puzzle game hits stores. The premise is simple: help Maxwell collect stars by summoning items, which is done by literally writing words on the screen with the stylus. Need to reach a high branch? Write "ladder" and poof, a ladder appears. So far, few have been able to stump the game's astoundingly robust vocabulary, which already recognizes random words like "narwhal" (a horned whale) and "night vision goggles." We cannot "wait." [ETA: Sep 15, 2009]
6. Fight Night: Round 4 (EA)
When people think of EA Sports, they immediately think of football. Soon, however, they'll think of boxing, because Fight Night: Round 4 looks dead set on re-inventing the sport. Featuring a wealth of the sport's greatest fighters, it takes pugilism to the next level with graphics so stunningly realistic, you will occasionally feel bad for beating up your friends. Best of all, it's due out in a few short weeks. [ETA: Jun 23, 2009]
7. The Beatles: Rock Band (MTV Games)
What do you get when you cross one of the world's most beloved bands with one of the world's most beloved music games? An easy win for MTV Games, that's what. But rather than just sit back and let the strength of 45 classic Beatles tunes carry this one to the million-seller mark, the developers decided to toss in a gaming first by letting three singers belt out harmonies together. Singing along with mom? Now that's a revolution. [ETA: Sep 9, 2009]
8. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Sony)
Pretty as a picture but grittier than ever, Nathan Drake's next adventure looks to rewrite the action game formula by pumping typical running and gunning sequences with more adrenaline than a Jason Statham double-feature. New moves and abilities let Nathan perform all sorts of death-defying stunts, but perhaps the game's coolest trick is its inclusion of both competitive and co-operative multiplayer. A real treasure. [ETA: Oct 1, 2009]
9. New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Nintendo)
You grew up with it, now grow old with it. New Super Mario Bros. for the Wii is more than just a brand new mushroom-munching, side-scrolling romp through Mario land -- it's built from the ground up to support four players simultaneously. Work together to finish each level, or sabotage one another for bragging rights. Either way, it's a slice of nostalgic gaming heaven. [ETA: Nov 2, 2009]
10. Just Cause 2 (Eidos)
Forget, for a minute, that the first Just Cause game was, well, forgettable. Got that? Good. Now get over to the jaw-dropping gameplay trailer for this sequel and tell us you're not impressed, because we were. Base jumping? Hanging out of helicopters? Tying enemies to gas tank rockets? Okay, okay, we'll play it. [ETA: Sep 2009]
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Posted: 15 Jun 2009
