3. Red Faction: Guerilla - If you enjoy smashing things, breaking bodies and just generally causing mayhem in the pursuit of freedom, then this game is for you. While severely under-appreciated, I hate to say it, but this is a game that is meant to be played for the sake of enjoying it. If you go into it looking for a challenge, you will only end up frustrated and disappointed. Perhaps one of the finer games of the year and a strong installment into the series despite the hiccup that was Red Faction 2, it is one of the few games I can think of that I would rather just set the difficulty to casual and head on in smashing. While the overall narrative was sufficient to drive the player forward, it never felt convoluted in anyway as far as gameplay was concerned. But the underlying point is that Guerilla was one of the few games of 2009 that people could really just sit back and play without any real need to drive forward like in Dragon Age or Borderlands. The game was about screwing around and in my memory, that’s what was always the most fun about many games.
2. Defense Grid: The Awakening - Tower defense isn’t the biggest genre on Xbox Live nor is it the biggest one out there as far as video games are concerned as a whole. But, if there is one title that set it apart for users on the 360 this year, it was Defense Grid. From the slick interface to the well crafted levels along with some very exceptional narrative, this was perhaps one of the best games I was able to play on Xbox Live this year. Originally released on the PC, it garnered a relative cult following, but the problem therein is that PC and consoles are not created equal for one reason or another. At first afraid that the controls would be clunky and unresponsive, I was stand-offish about the title. Since I had to beat it for the sake of writing a review though, I sat down and within a level or so; I was helpless to the awesome I was witnessing. It all seamlessly flowed perfectly together in what I would want from a game on Xbox Live. But sadly, when I asked others about it and checked my friend on the leaderboard in the game, no one else had even touched it. I say check out the demo; you won’t regret the obvious quality the title has to offer.
1. Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard - What more underrated game this year than a title that makes fun of video games? Taking a very humorous stance over just about anything gamers have ever seen in a game, this is one that shouldn’t be missed. It isn’t perfect, but very much like Monty Python, it makes the satirical points where necessary and if you have a sense of humor, Matt Hazard will make you laugh out loud at least once. Overall rewarding in the gameplay, it was fun to see so much blatant humor impressed into a game, because it was a fun reminder as to why I first started playing video games in the first place and still enjoy them to this day. From bad guys that’ll easily remind you of characters from your favorite titles like Metal Gear or Final Fantasy, the game pulls few punches in the wit it thrusts upon the player. To add one final amazing note, Neil Patrick Harris voices the villain. I don’t know if that’ll sell you on it, but it certainly sold me. If you get a chance, check this title out and remember that games aren’t meant to be taken half as seriously as they usually are.
