What I’m planning on doing over the next few days is running through the Best of the Year, according to yours truly. About ten years ago I used to type up a Year in Review for some friends that largely accomplished the same thing, but I stopped soon thereafter. Since opining about stuff here is what I do, though, I figure it’d be a good thing to revive. I can see this easily encompassing Movies, TV, possibly Music (if I can remember enough to write about, podcasts are really what get listened to on my iPod the most), Books, Comics, and so-on. Actually, that’s a pretty tall order. Maybe three or four of those. 😉 In any event, we’ll start with video games.
I actually wound up snagging way more games this year than I expected to (or should have, really). About seven years ago, I typed up a short list of the games I’d bought that year since I’d bought/received three new systems (GameCube, PS2, and Dreamcast if you’re curious) and seriously raided bargain bins. I was interested in seeing how many games I ultimately wound up with. That year it was 21– and since I had a handy text file ready to keep track of them, I kept it updated. Over the next couple of years, I averaged between 20 and 30 games a year. This is simply to give you context, because in 2008, the final tally has wound up being 62 games.
Yes, 62.
I must stress that I did a lot of bargain bin raiding this year and also tracked down some really old games from the NES/SNES era, so it probably didn’t cost me quite as much as it sounds. Nevertheless, 62 games in 2008. (I’m comfortable accepting that as the final tally now, with two whole days left in the year, because I’m so awash in games I couldn’t take one more on the pile.)
So, let’s get the big guy out of the way first.
Game of the Year
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (Playstation 3)
I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again, MGS4 was a masterpiece. I’ve always enjoyed MGS gameplay, but MGS4 took it and really perfected it. Totally open environments, multiple paths to take, causing you to spend time just trying the various ways to get from point A to point B. Intuitive aiming and firing, the octocamo to cut down on the time spent revising your camo for each new environment… I literally ate this game up. That alone surprised me, because (as you might imagine from the sheer volume of games) I typically start a game, then set it aside to come back to later. The days of starting a game and playing it through to completion in one stretch is rare, but MGS4 was that game. Add the story on top of that, which tied together loose threads from all the previous games and put them into a coherent (to me, anyway) narrative. By the time you get to the final boss fight, so stripped down next to the rest of the game but so fitting, you’re on the edge of your seat. The game drives home the sense of this being Snake’s final blaze of glory, the last task he has on this earth before riding off into the sunset, and he literally goes to the point of exhaustion. And the fourth act, featuring the return to Shadow Moses, took me right back to playing the first game and conjured up so many memories– exactly what Kojima intended, I’m sure. This series has also succeeded in making Big Boss one of the truly great video game characters– and tragic ones, at that– of all time. On all points, MGS4 delivered and no gaming experience from 2008 came close. That’s why it’s the Game of the Year.
For system-specific runners-up, follow the link below.
Nintendo Wii
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Brawl was the game many of us on the Wii were waiting for. Its predecessor, Melee, was darn near perfect and this follow-up was long overdue (2001 to 2008– seriously?). Once it was here, it was a game that pretty much delivered. The same great characters, great new ones, and more Nintendo nostalgia than you can shake a stick at– not to mention the ability to have Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog go head to head, as you always knew they should. 😉 Despite all this, though, Brawl loses out on GotY status because of a few interface issues I had with it. First, it’s a dense game. I mean, really dense. Navigating through the proper modes is one thing, but add in a more convoluted trophy system than in Melee, then throw stickers into the mix… I just wasn’t able to enjoy trophy collecting as much in Brawl as I did in Melee. The system should have concentrated on letting me remember all those games, not worry about how the system works (I think the pinball shooter thing is the most disappointing aspect of the game, I’d prefer the good ol’ dispenser). Second, control schemes were a bit of a pain. Forget the Wiimote only set up, terrible. The Classic controller, likewise, is no good (which was really disappointing). The Wiimote/nunchuk set-up is decent, if not perfect. Which leaves us with the only real alternative, the GameCube controller. Thank heavens they left it in there. But even then, a minor tweak here and there in the old set-up has my reflexes doing one thing and the character doing another. Overcoming that was a bother. That said, Brawl is still a ton of fun and– wow, that opening. Some of the best FMV work to ever come out of Nintendo.
Honorable Mentions:
Mario Kart Wii, Boom Blox, Animal Crossing: City Folk (because it’s just fun), Wii Fit
Xbox 360
Lost Odyssey
As much as I’m a fan of the genre, RPGs have had a real hard time sucking me in lately. I think I just get tired of having to constantly relearn new systems, ability learning, and whatnot. Plus, there’s a marked shift towards action-oriented games, leaving those of us used to the old 16- and 32-bit style of gameplay out of luck. So, imagine my surprise when I found an RPG that managed to capture my interest and time and on the Xbox 360 no less. But with big names like Sakaguchi and Uematsu involved, is it any wonder? Character designs aside (Kaim’s head bugs me– he needs to wash his hair), this game plays and feels like a Final Fantasy, enough so that I can consider it an unofficial Final Fantasy XI to fill in that nasty hole in my collection left by the MMO-only entry. But I digress. 😉 Lost Odyssey is an all around great RPG, with a battle system that keeps you involved by matching ring-triggers, while also adding considerable depth through text-only (with beautiful Uematsu-musical accompaniment) stories about the immortal lead character’s past. It’s a vibrant world that can easily eat up many hours and I’m often shocked by how much time the clock shows I’ve played. Despite the 360 being more of an action machine, LO takes the crown for the year.
Honorable Mentions:
Rock Band 2, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, Lego Batman
Playstation Portable
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
The Compilation of Final Fantasy VII hasn’t exactly been getting a stellar track record. While I enjoyed Advent Children for what it was, Dirge of Cerberus left something to be desired. Nevertheless, I optimistically dove into Crisis Core– and found myself playing it more and more, anxious not only for the glimpses of the FF7 characters I knew and loved, but for its own story, as well. Beneath the action RPG veneer that Square’s best known for these days, this really is an RPG in their classic tradition and one that manages to flesh out the foundation of one of their great games and leave the whole more than it was before, not less. The story is made all the more tragic knowing what’s in store for the character at the end, but you want to get there anyway. Great to play in small doses or longer stretches, it’s a perfect portable game.
Nintendo DS
Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen
This one was a tough category, as there were a lot of great games to choose from– even some I’ve barely had enough time to play (see previous post). Nevertheless, I give the ultimate nod to DQ4 because more than any other DS game this year, I’ve found myself playing it– and playing it– and playing it. Sometimes to no real point or purpose, just fighting monster after monster, leveling up and getting enough money for the latest equipment. As someone who hates leveling up, that’s astounding to me, but something I find myself doing in Dragon Quest games. It’s simple, basic gameplay (well, sure, since it’s a remake of an old NES game) that remains incredibly satisfying. Other games may be on the edge, trying new things, but DQ4 is solid, through and through. I can’t wait for DQs 5, 6 and 9 next year.
Honorable Mentions:
The World Ends With You, Chrono Trigger DS, Sonic Chronicles: Dark Brotherhood
And that concludes the Video Game portion of our show. I’ve elected not to pick something else for the Playstation 3 because I only really have three other games to choose from and none of them are close to MGS4, so I’d just as soon not bother. There may be a part deux tomorrow, I can’t decide if I want to roll in some further thoughts as part of the Year in Review series or just make a separate post. We’ll see.
Agree? Disagree?