Top 10 Games of 2008 (Nick Edition) Part I

So we are preparing to record our 2008 award show this coming weekend so in preparation, we are posting our top 10 games of 2008.

10.) Left 4 Dead- It's almost impossible to think of 2008 without immediately thinking of Left 4 Dead. So many of this year's craziest gaming moments involved narrowly surviving a zombie onslaught (also dubbed "Zombie Bukkake") or pooling together to save a team mate from near death. While the game may have suffered from a content shortage, the content that was there was incredibly solid and unlike anything else offered this year. Just the kind of quality we have all come to expect from Valve. I can't wait to see what 2009 will bring to the world of Left 4 Dead.

9.) Tomb Raider Underworld- What started as my biggest concern this year turned out to provide some of the most satisfying game play all year in addition to being an impressive return to form for a dying franchise. Lara Croft returns in a game that was more centered around solving intelligent puzzles and classic exploration that helped inspire some of the industry's most beloved 3D games. While the game was far from perfect, it demonstrated that Tomb Raider is still a viable franchise with tons of potential. It's too bad that we may still not see another Tomb Raider.

8.) No More Heroes- While I may tend to side with Brad and his feelings towards the Wii, there is no denying that the system certainly exists as a relevant gaming console. No More Heroes was by far one of the most stylish games I have played all year. What it lacked in graphical prowess, was made up for it by it's excellent art style and satisfying boss fights. While I probably didn't play a single game this year that frustrated me more, the challenge made it into one of the most satisfying games I finished. I must also mention that I was right there with Travis Touchdown. I felt his pain. I felt the unwavering need to kill every last assassin that was thrown at me. Failure was not an option. I had to get that damn girl! It was a long and unforgiving battle but I came out on top.... Kinda. If you have a Wii... play this game.

7.) Siren: New Translation- I like fucked up shit. This game has that in spades. No horror game I have every played has creeped me out quite like Siren. While the original Siren for the PS2 may have slipped under the radar for most people. The PS3 remake, "Siren: New Translation" (known as Siren: Blood Curse in America), is difficult to ignore with it's impressive visuals and terrifying scenarios. By giving players the ability to "sight-jack" enemies, players could determine the location of enemies and time their movements carefully. This didn't help make the game less tense but instead made scenarios some of the most intense and nerve-wracking game play I have experienced in a game to date. The ultra realistic graphics and lighting went hand in hand with some excellent sound design to create an amazing presentation that really demonstrated the power of the playstation 3.

6.) Devil May Cry 4- Capcom once again proves that they can make one hell of an action game. While the game play itself didn't make a dramatic leap the way Resident Evil 4 did, the game doesn't suffer in the least. The core combat mechanics remain as fun as ever and the choice to include a new hero in place of Dante was a welcome change for the series. Of course, the choice to keep Dante as a central character made the transition easier to swallow and made the final stretch of the game poetic and very satisfying. The game as a whole also cut down on the ridiculous difficulty that made Devil May Cry 3 so frustrating and made this new sequel more accessible. The standard, over the top story remained intact and in full effect to provide an emotionally charged roller-coaster of a game. In this case, an abundance of change was not necessary and I can't wait for an update on the future of DMC.

That concludes the first half of my Top 10 games of 2008 post so expect the second half in a couple of days before our 2008 Retrospective podcast.

-Nick