The Christmas Mega-Blog 2009! Part Two - 2009 In Review

Bully, or Canis Canem Edit as it's better known here in the UK, saved me from a gaming drought shortly after the death of my first Xbox 360 way back in February.I was looking for something to help me pass the time in the absence of my 360, while I was waiting to leap back into Fallout 3. What I got was probably the best story-driven sandbox game on the PlayStation 2. Bully had everything - great characters, a tight, funny script, and the gameplay to back it all up. The sheer level of focus that went into the game's design blew my mind, and provided me with hours of fun simply experimenting with the gameworld. If you're looking for a full account of my opinion of the game, be sure to check out this blog.

I picked up Dead Space over my easter break, and played through it over the course of about a fortnight in April. With its great combat focused on strategic dismemberment and peerless audio design, Dead Space is without a doubt the most polished game I played this year and a testament to the way video games should be developed. One of the things that really made Dead Space awesome for me, though, is the fact that I shared the experience with my girlfriend. A big fan of horror movies, she loved every scary second, and so did I. For a more detailed round-up of my thoughts on Dead Space, you can turn to this blog.

I'm a long-time fan of the Metal Gear franchise, but I don't own a PlayStation 3. Thankfully, one of my flatmates from last year agreed to a console swap, letting me play Metal Gear Solid 4 for the first time. I loved the updated gameplay mechanics, all of which seemed to just feel right. While it allowed the player to take a run-and-gun approach if desired, the new control scheme didn't hinder my stealthy playthrough at all. The game also looked and sounded amazing, and really showed off the capabilities of the PS3. More than anything, though, it was the plot that left me feeling most satisfied at the game's close. If you want to know more about my experience with Snake's final outing, you might like to read this blog.

A friend of mine bought me BioShock as a birthday present, and I got around to playing it in May. After initially being underwhelmed, I persevered and found the game really picked up after the first hour or so. The storyline was riveting, and kept me on the edge of my seat right up to the game's final boss (probably its weakest point, in my eyes). I wasn't too struck on the gunplay, but the plasmids ensured that the combat remained thoroughly entertaining. I was also blown away by the graphics, particularly the water effects. While I didn't devote any specific blog to covering BioShock, I did write about it briefly as part of this blog.

After going almost a year without picking up a JRPG, it was recommended that I try Final Fantasy V. All my previous attempts to get into the game had failed on account of the game's rather awful opening act, but I decided to give it another try anyway. I'm glad I did, because Final Fantasy V offered up some of the series' best characters, funniest moments, and most compelling gameplay mechanics. The Job System in particular is well worth praising, offering up a myriad of possibilities for customisation that I spent hours tinkering with. For a full write-up of my thoughts on Final Fantasy V, check out this blog.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is the game that made me fall in love with video games. I wasted countless hours playing it in my youth, but never actually made it past the game's difficult final boss battle. One afternoon, inspired by the efforts of a fellow Giant Bomber, I picked up the 360 port of the game and vowed to do what I'd never managed to do as a kid - finish Sonic the Hedgehog 2. It took a few hours, several continues and a can of Relentless, but eventually Robotnik caved and I finally got to see the set of credits that I never thought I would. What's even more amazing is how well the game holds up, even after all these years. While Sonic 2 didn't warrant its own blog, I did write about it briefly at the bottom of this blog.

If 2008 was the year that I discovered Valve, then 2009 could perhaps best be described as the year I discovered Bethesda. As well as pouring significant amounts of time into Oblivion and Fallout 3, I also devoted an unhealthy chunk of my time (probably around 120 hours, all told) to Morrowind over my summer holiday. I loved every second of the game, particularly the freedom it offered and the way it did so in such an unpatronising manner. It was difficult, it was immersive, and it was a lot of fun. I still have the two expansions to play through, and will probably visit those at some point in 2010. For a more thorough look at Morrowind, be sure to check out this blog. 

In another instance of returning to games from my childhood, 2009 saw me pick up the first two Oddworld games for the first time in several years. I played through both over the space of about a week and fell in love with them all over again. The games are undeniably charming, although it's a lot harder to actually put your finger on the reason for that. Maybe it's the wicked sense of humour, maybe it's the extremely well-designed puzzles, or maybe it's just the feel of Oddworld as you traipse through its distinctive landscapes. Whatever it was, I had a blast with both games, but I picked Exoddus for this list because it felt like the more polished of the two. More info on my time in Oddworld can be found in this blog.

I had two very different experiences with Fallout 3 this year. The first, back at the start of the year, was one of complete awe and wonder. The second, occurring after a prolonged stint with Morrowind, left me much more aware of what I was doing, but also left me feeling a little more critical of the game in general. One thing didn't change over that time period, though - my belief that it was a great game. I also picked up all the DLC packs for my second playthrough, and found that they all really added to the experience. For a complete breakdown of my opinion of Fallout 3 and all the DLC packs, you can head over to this blog.

One of the last games that I reached the end of in 2009 was Mistwalker's Lost Odyssey. I fell in love with it almost instantly, heaping praise on the game's amazing aesthetics and addictive combat mechanics. The game felt an awful lot like Final Fantasy X, unsurprising considering it's the brainchild of Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, but it never felt like that was a bad thing. The game's protagonist, Kaim, was also a welcome addition, serving as a really interesting take on the whole 'amnesiac protagonist' concept that's been done to death by JRPGs over the years. If you'd like to know more about my time with Lost Odyssey, be sure to check out this blog.