Reflecting back on 2009, we found that it was a really great year for gaming. Not only did we see the return of beloved franchises and a resurgence in classic gameplay styles, but some games we originally hadn’t been following or maybe just didn’t hear much about ended up being amazing.

So take a look at our biggest surprises of 2009 and let us know in the comments what yours were.

Red Faction: Guerrilla (Xbox 360, PS3) [Full Review]

The Red Faction series was on the verge of irrelevance. The first two games were fun but I don’t think anyone really expected a third game in the series. Guerrilla released with little fanfare but those that did play it were greeted with some of the most awesomely destructive weapons in gaming. The main game was a blast but the multiplayer destruction contests, where you compete to blow up as much stuff as possible, are where we spent the majority of our time.

Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers (Wii)
[Full Review]

People expect certain things from the Final Fantasy name. Crystal Bearers turned most peoples’ expectations on their head. A semi-open world, action/adventure title where you never level up? A hero whose hair obeys the laws of gravity? A mission in the main story that forces you to chase a bunch of monks around a monastery “Benny Hill style” as you yank their hoods off to find somebody in disguise? Crystal Bearers delivers all these things in a package only those with an open mind will appreciate.

Batman: Arkham Asylum (Xbox 360, PS3, PC) [Full Review]

Every Batman game that had come before had sucked harder than the Dyson DC24 with ball technology. It was an unwritten rule that Batman video games were supposed to suck. So when Arkham came out not only did it break the unwritten rule about not sucking, it had the gall to be exquisitely amazing. Combining the atmosphere of a Bioshock with the Metroidvania style and coating all of it with the best stealth this side of Sam Fisher, Batman shattered everyone’s expectations.

inFamous (PS3) [Full Review]

Given the developers pedigree, I should have expected great things but this one crept up on just about everyone. The idea of an electric super hero sounded a little cheesy and Prototype (which was releasing around the same time, looked like it was going to be amazing. Not only did inFamous blow Prototype out of the water with tighter controls, superior graphics, and electricity grenades, it managed to worm its way into the discussions for game of the year.

Borderlands (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

This is one of those games that after hearing the premise, I had no interest in. An FPS that uses a Diablo style loot system? The promises of hundreds of unique, randomly generated guns? I was very skeptical that anyone could make a coherent gaming experience out of that idea. The shooter/RPG hybrid genre has picked up speed, but still has a ways to go. I was very happy to see after just a couple hours spent with Borderlands that the leveling and loot systems worked so well with the FPS elements. Both added to the other in fun and interesting ways. Borderlands manages to be a high energy experience that is even better when played with friends.

Lego Rock Band (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii)

The pairing of two titans can often result in this. So when Lego Rock Band was announced the resulting scoffs reverberated around the internet. But what seemed like a desperate money grab actually ended up being a fun and entertaining music game. Besides it has freaking Ghostbusters.

Excitebots Trick Racing (Wii) [Full Review]

When it was revealed that Monster Games was working on a new Wii title, everybody’s first thought was Excite Truck 2. When we found out how secretive they were being (even dimming their monitors when the water delivery came), people started to suspect a new F-Zero. I think the last thing anybody expected was a racing game in which you control a bunch of robotic animals as they try to make sandwiches, catch fish, and score soccer goals while fighting for first place. Surprisingly, Excitebots Trick Racing is exactly that.

Dragon Age: Origins (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

While Bioware’s science fiction games have had my full attention since KOTOR, their fantasy stuff has never really appealed to me. On the surface, Dragon Age: Origins looked very generic to me. From the drab, Lord of the Rings inspired fantasy world, to the character designs. Going in, my hype level was zero. What I found was that it was a highly addictive experience that combines interesting characters and a story with plenty of hook with an interesting strategic battle system.

Tales of Monkey Island (PC, Wii) [Full Review of Episode 1]

Some games of yesteryear are thought to be dead and gone. Even if they did somehow bring them back, would they still be relevant, or would a new developer ruin your beloved franchise? Long time adventure game fans were blown away when they heard that LucasArts had teamed up with Telltale Games to bring back Monkey Island. Telltale had proved they had the chops to successfully revive a franchise when Sam and Max went episodic. It was a match made in heaven and the results were as fantastic as we had hoped.

The Metroid: Other M Trailer at E3 (Wii)

With the Metroid Prime series coming to an end in 2007, we no longer knew what to expect for the Metroid franchise or when to expect it. With virtually no foreshadowing, the Metroid: Other M trailer dropped at E3 revealing the game was being developed by Team Ninja. If anybody predicted that developer would ever work on a Metroid game, they probably worked for Nintendo, Team Ninja, or are a psychic. The trailer managed to seemingly show lots of gameplay while at the same time leaving us all clueless as to what kind of game it really is. The only sure thing is that it is a game I must play.

Tags: 2009 year in review, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Borderlands, Dragon Age Origins, Excite Bots Trick Racing, Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers, inFamous, Lego: Rock Band, Metroid: Other M, Red Faction: Guerrilla, Tales of Monkey Island

This entry was posted on Friday, January 8th, 2010 at 5:00 am and is filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.