Yesterday, when I was talking about Back to the Future -The Game I mentioned the fantastic Ghostbusters – The Video Game. When I said it yesterday I thought, “Wow. When are they going to make a sequel?” Today I find out that they already have. Set to be released as a DLC this April on Xbox Live and the Playstation Network is Ghostbusters – Sanctum of Slime. An all new adventure being developed by Wanako.

Unlike the last iteration, this will not have the voice acting of the original cast members, nor do you get to play as them. Seen as a passing of the proton stick you (and up to 4 players locally or online) play as a nameless Ghostbuster. This shouldn’t be that far of a stretch considering you played as a new rookie in the last game. The other noticeable difference is the change from the third person to an overhead perspective. The last bit of info that’s available so far, is that you can final drive an ECTO, but not the ECTO-1. Here you’ll be able to drive the ECTO-4WD and as seen above there is a heavy emphasis on teamwork.

I’m excited to see this franchise continue on even if just in videogame form, but when is the third movie coming out?!

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Finally! The world has come to its senses. If you were ever a child, especially one of the eighties, fans of time travel, Michael J. Fox or even deloreans then its time to get really excited. Telltale games have just released the teaser trailer for their upcoming episodic Back to the Future game.
No game play is shown in the teaser, but there is some insight into the story. Doc is in trouble, both in the present and in some other undisclosed time. From the trailer it seems like it’s still the old west, but really who knows? Then like out of one of my childhood dreams the delorean flashes back into existence. I have some questions about that, but Ill get to them later. For now check out the video below.

Back to the Future The Video Game

Like I was saying, it seems weird that the delorean is back. Everyone remembers the moment when the locomotive tears through it like a hot samurai sword through butter at the end of the last film,(Not that a samurai sword would need to be hot to accomplish this, but whatever.) so I’m really interested in seeing how Telltale will make any kind of sense of this. Probably some kind of time swapping awesome ridiculousness that would otherwise only been seen in a Doctor Who episode. I also wonder why Doc’s estate is up for foreclosure when I thought that his he or his family had owned it for years?
There’s also the curious absence of the Xbox and Wii logos at the end of the trailer. I even checked out Telltale’s website, but there’s no mention of them. Okay, Wii I can understand (Sorry Nintendo), but Xbox Live. I’m pretty sure there are thousands of Xbox owners that would like to get their hands on a digital version of the delorean or a real one for that matter. Not to worry though considering that it’ll be released for PC I can only assume that the Live version will arrive soon after.
Personally I’ve had an imaginary count down that I’ve actually never really had for this game, but I knew it was coming. I felt it back when our favorite media companies started scavenging through our collective childhoods for re-marketable material. Not that that was a bad thing we did get some awesomeness out of it, like the first transformers movie and Ghostbusters video game. Back to the Future: The Game seems to be set on the same track, if it captures even a fraction of what the original films were like I think it’ll be a huge hit. So far it seems that way and we’ll be able to get our hands on the first of the five chapters later on this month.

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The game play in this installment of the series seems gimmicky with a few basic RPG elements, a turn base battle system; and instead of leveling up your characters through the crystrarium to enhance them similar to Final Fantasy X, and you can also upgrade weapons and equipment similar to Final Fantasy VIII. The battles are no longer random enemy encounters happen when you come into the view of the enemy.Summonings are still in the game and can be commanded to attack similar to Final Fantasy VIII but now can transform into vehicles and assist in battle.  After playing 20 plus hours of beautiful movie quality cut scenes the game does start to get interesting, but starts to lose its shine due to  linear progressing before breaking to watch a beautiful story sequence.

The story takes place in Cocoon a utopian sky city that has had a long period of peace and prosperity due to its benevolent protectors the fal’Ce. With the discovery of a hostile fal’Ce from Pulse the lower world is awaken from it’s slumber, peace on Cocoon comes to an end. The fal’Ce curses humans making them l’Ce giving them magical abilities but forced to carry out their focus or be turned into crystals, a fate far worse than death. Players control a misfit group of I’Ce out to save a world that fears them and out to change their destiny. Unlike previous games this Final Fantasy focuses more on the character’s humanity than the esoteric creating a story you can grow feelings for the characters.

Battles in Final Fantasy XIII are about picking actions from the menu like previous versions but in this installment you only have control of one character while the computer controls the rest of your party. The new features do slightly raise the complexity, reducing an enemy’s hit points isn’t enough to defeat them; you have to fill up a separate gauge to “stagger” your enemy making them vulnerable to stronger attacks. Your also able to assign certain roles to characters, medic lets you heal, ravager lets you use attack based magic, and synergist lets you strengthen your party with support based magic, your also able to switch roles in battle using the paradigm shift to change your strategy during battles

While the new changes made to the series are always expected I was kind of disappointed in the execution with the linear game play, aside from the compelling story, beautiful CG movies , and entrapping story it feels like this experiment in the  series was a failure in delivering the ground breaking game play we have come to expect of the series.

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Like most action games combat is a key factor and if you ever played God of War you will do fine in Dante’s Inferno, your primary weapon is a scythe you also wield a cross for your ranged attacks to keep a good distance from you and your foes. Many elements similar to God of War are found throughout the game like the timed attacks and collection of souls, also your finishing moves give you the option of judging enemies by either punishing them or absolving their sins. Collecting souls gives you the opportunity to customize Dante and relics let you receive additional boost as well give bonuses such as increased damage, regenerative health and magic.

This game is targeted towards a mature audience with the levels based around the sins in the divine comedy. Dante’s Inferno pushes the mature rating to the envelope with plenty of nudity and shock value. All of the nine circle of hell are very nicely textured and graphic mixed in with beautiful CG movies for dramatic plot points and animated sequences. As well as pretty solid down loadable content with the dark forest and the trails of St.Lucia with new enemies and online co-op online play .

Overall the story and level designs are impressive me and the game play is very easy to get use to, it’s a great game once you get past over the God of war similarities Dante’s Inferno is a good game and the down loadable content  gives the game a very high replay value. And with the down loadable content with the prequel level the dark forest you get new relics , enemies , and puzzles, while the trails of St. Lucia offers co-op playing letting you play with a friend and create and edit levels you can play or let others play and rate. While not all that much original in game play Dante’s Inferno does stand on it’s own with the down loadable content and replay value.

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The first evidence of this was in their booth at PAX East. Collections of indie studios sat clumped around the expo hall. Rockstar Games stood next door, showing off the highly anticipated Red Dead Redemption to an endless line of salivating fans. But, towering over all of it, was the 20-foot tall structure that made up the 2K booth, and the banners for the three titles they were showing off within.

The first demonstration was for the new downloadable content in Bioshock 2. This, alas, I could not touch, because I have not finished the game yet and do not want to spoil the story for myself. The second demonstration was a hands-off showing of Civilization V, a game it seems will do wonders for the realm of turn-based strategy. Jon Huie has already published an article with his impressions on Civ V, and if you have not checked that out yet, I suggest you do.

The third demonstration is the one I got a close look at. This is the sequel to the highly acclaimed 2002 release, Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven. 2K has lived up to the reputation of the original title and then went far beyond. Mafia II is shaping up to be a well polished title that is fun to play, beautiful to look at, and easy to become immersed in.

The player takes on the role of Vito, an impoverished Italian-American who is looking to change his lot in life. He and his friend Joe become involved in…well…some “legitimate” business enterprises, and as one thing leads to another they get drawn deeper and deeper into the sub-world of organized crime. As time goes on, they begin to see that the glamor and prestige is really just a facade for something much uglier.

The gameplay itself runs very smoothly. When you take control of Vito, you find yourself operating a familiar 2-stick, 3rd-person control scheme. Vito moves where you want him to move, and the camera is easily adjustable. Hints appear at the bottom of the screen to help new players get used to the controls. Before you know it, the tutorial segment is over, and you find yourself in the middle of a turf war that forces you to sink or swim. You learn to fire a tommy gun, throw molotov cocktails, and work cooperatively with your brothers-in-arms to make the bad guys an offer they can’t refuse.

Mafia II boasts an excellent “cover system,” that allows the player to duck and dive behind obstacles to get quick cover during a gunfight. This system is both innovative and intuitive. Vito always jumps in the direction you want him to go, and always gets behind some kind of solid mass quickly. Aiming from behind a wall is a cinch, performed with only one button and done without sacrificing cover. This system, and the solid aiming and firing controls, makes combat a blast. It’s fun, and not too easy.

Everything in the world is interactive, too. Wooden panels are destructible, as the player learns in an early segment involving a bar and some machine gun fire. You can shoot weak materials like wood apart, and use molotov cocktails to set them on fire. Vehicles are a little tougher, but if you manage to get a spark into a gas tank, you’d better stand back.

The graphics…well, look at the trailers. All the cinematics are done using the actual game engine, so the crispness you see on any release video is exactly what you’re looking at throughout the entire game. You can see the pores and freckles on the characters’ faces. You can see splinters of wood chipping off under gunfire. I thought I saw a hangnail splitting from Vito’s trigger finger, but that was just some fuzz on the screen. Nevertheless, if he had a hangnail, I guarantee I would have seen it.

I also need to mention the sound. First off, the effects do wonders for actually immersing you in the world. You feel much more like a part of the mafia if you believe the clack of your Italian wing-tip on the cobblestone street is accurate. The sounds are realistic and the gunfire is loud. Secondly, the accents are dead on. The characters sound as though they are actually from the time period, which I raved about for Assassin’s Creed II and will continue to do for Mafia II. Taking the time to find and fund skilled voice actors is important, and they have done that here. Finally, when you hop into a car (GTA syle, mind you), the radio turns immediately to authentic music from the 1940′s. This is 100% necessary for cruising, especially since, in this game, the police are out to make sure you are actually abiding by the rules of the road. Personally I don’t mind. As long as Hank Williams stays out of my car’s stereo system, we’re good.

Speaking of authentic though, I got to talking with 2K’s PR department about some of the goodies in this game (children, cover your eyes). It seems 2K struck a deal with Playboy, a well-known adult magazine that was very popular and influential in the 1940′s. They struck a deal that allowed them to publish some classic Playboy covers in game, as they appeared on the original magazines. These covers can be found throughout the game as easter eggs, and naturally you’ll want to keep an eye out for them as you play through. I asked if the classic Marilyn Monroe cover would be present, but the 2K reps were not sure. Considering Monroe did the magazine in 1953, a little on the tail end of the Mafia II time period, I’d wager not. I’ve included it here, though, just in case. Don’t want to disappoint!

Overall, Mafia II is shaping up to be a smash hit for 2010. It will not have many of the console problems that its predecessor faced, it will provide diverse and entertaining gameplay, and a deep story that will have you chipping away at it until the very end. On top of all this, 2K is working at this in tandem with Civilization V, and Spec Ops: The Line, both of which are tantalizing as well. This is a good year for 2K Studios, and let’s hope for more of them to come. A good year for 2K means a very good year for us.

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This game was developed by Quantic Dream, who developed ‘Indigo Prophecy’ (or ‘Fahrenheit’ in other regions). It follows four characters, than seemingly unrelated, converge into one story. Without spoiling the story, the game centers on ‘The Origami Killer’, a psychopath who has a penchant for drowning 10 year old boys in rain water and leaving their bodies posed with an origami figure. Each character is seeking this deranged maniac for different reasons, but it is clear from the get go that it will take great personal sacrifice. Normally in a game like this, it would not bother me to take any path to see what the outcome will be, but Heavy adds a level of intensity by clearly stating that any of the main characters can make a decision that will affect the outcome, but there are no do-overs. If you die or make the wrong decision, that’s it but the game will continue.

This is probably of the focal points that makes this game a must for adventure fans. The story is completely streamlined, and very engrossing. It takes elements from mystery and horror films like Saw, Seven (these being the most obvious of inspirations), the Cell, and even Blade Runner. Then it blends them into a interactive hard boiled thriller with a hint of science fiction, introduced with the ARI glasses that one of the characters uses. This is definitely the strong point of the game, which is rare for a videogame. Each main character is determined to seek their answers, but also damaged; The father who isn’t sure of his mental health, the reporter with insomnia, the FBI agent with a drug addiction, or a private investigator desperately trying to patch it all together. Each story is engrossing in it’s own way and ultimately no two players will reach the same outcome or experience the same unless they do every thing identical to the other. That’s how much time and effort were put into the story.

Still, with the great story and character development aside, the game does have it faults. The controls are developed to try bind a physical connection to the visual, to draw the player in more. While sometimes controls are purposely awkward to convey the nature of the game, they are also very wonky when they are not supposed to be. Sometimes they are perfect though, so it’s very hit and miss. They game itself is mostly comprised of Quick Time Events, but definitely more involved than some other games on the market. Also, Heavy Rain can be a beautifully detailed game at times, then it can be downright ugly. The facial modeling and animating at times can be downright scarily realistic, but then the voice actors can be downright wooden and unconvincing. Still, with all these faults, it doesn’t detract too much from the overall experience.

That’s what this game is, an experience. It will draw emotions from you, some of them uncomfortable and tense. My own wife tried to play this game but, once the story took off, she found it unbearable to play. Well, that and the control scheme.

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2K Games announced today that Mafia® II will be available in North America on August 24, 2010 and internationally on August 27, 2010 for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and Windows PC. Mafia II is currently in development by 2K Czech, the same creative team behind the award-winning, genre-defining Mafia®, which captivated millions of gamers around the world.

Through a compelling narrative, Mafia II transports gamers into the dark and unforgiving world of the Mafia. The fiction is embellished by a sophisticated, era-evoking atmosphere that meticulously replicates the clothing, cars, music and advertising of 1940’s and 1950’s Americana. Players will easily become immersed in the game’s cinematic Hollywood-style experience with strong, believable characters in a living, breathing metropolis. By fusing high-octane gunplay with white-knuckle driving and an engaging narrative, Mafia II looks to be the industry’s most compelling Mafia title to date.

Born the son of a poor immigrant, Vito is a beaten down Italian-American who is trying to escape the life of poverty that consumed his childhood. Vito, along with his lifelong friend, Joe, will descend into the world of organized crime. Looking to escape the life of hardship that his father led, Vito dreams about becoming a “made man,” and together with Joe, will work to prove themselves to the Mafia as they try to make their names on the streets. However, the two quickly realize that life as a wise guy isn’t quite as glamorous as it seems.

Additionally, Mafia II will be playable by the public for the first time at the Penny Arcade Expo East.

We at AmpedGaming are slated to take a look at Mafia II at PAX East this weekend. We’ll provide some first-hand details and opinions as soon as we’ve gotten the chance to see the title for ourselves. For now though, just breathe deep. Gotta love the smell of tommy guns in the morning…

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As was mentioned here, we’ll be at PAX East this weekend and will more than likely be doing a podcast with Matt and I being in the same room, hopefully getting Arsen in via Skype and possibly bringing on a couple of guests. So stay tuned for that and a slew of articles going up over the next few days.

As always, be sure to review us on iTunes and email us at podcast@ampedgaming.com!

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inFAMOUS
The only game that wasn’t a sequel in my top three was Sucker Punch’s first Playstation 3 offering this generation, inFAMOUS. The Sly Cooper developer’s first foray into the open world style of gameplay turned out to be a higly enjoyable one. I hadn’t previously played a game where you could be an absolute prick and it leading to the game actually being easier than being a hero. If you’ve listened to any of our podcasts, you would know how much that kind of thing appeals to me. On top of that, the super-powers, the ease of which Cole scaled buildings, and the interestingly ridiculous plot helped make this the first game I’ve given a 5/5 to in my short span as a reviewer. It’s also one of the only games in quite some time (probably since Chrono Trigger) that I’ve actually played through a second time, definitely earning it’s spot in my top three of 2009.

Assassin’s Creed 2
While the first Assassin’s Creed disappointed me with repetitive missions and side jobs that only served as a way for me to get more achievements, Assassin’s Creed 2 remedied these problems for me. By removing the investigation sequences before assassinations and adding a currency system to upgrade armor, weapons and your town, Ubisoft has alleviated the main issues I had with the games predecessor. The monetary rewards gave me more of a reason to do random side missions this time around, where before they just seemed to exist for achievement purposes. Some annoyances with the way Enzio so easily leaps in the wrong direction during timed missions almost kept this game out of my list, but this problem was easily overshadowed by the time I finished the story.

Uncharted 2
Naughty Dog’s epic sequel to Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune had me in awe from beginning to end. It’s cinematic presentation that could only be made possible by the well-chosen camera angles and the characters were brought to life by some of the best voice acting in a video game that I’ve heard in a while. These things combined with plenty of moments that had me saying my favorite four letter words in ways other than the usual expressions of anger (even though the impossible amount of bullets the enemies could take before dying would have my roommates say otherwise), brings Uncharted 2 to the top of my list.

Arsen Nazaryan

UFC 2009 Undisputed
While the rest of my list took some thinking to do, THQ’s first attempt at an MMA title blew me away. Sure, the game had its issues and glitches with the overabundance of load screens and the meager online play which didn’t give you an option of what level opponents you wanted to fight but the bottom line is: they proved that an MMA title can be ridiculously successful. So much so that EA changed their mind about MMA not being a sport and decided to add EA Sports MMA to its long list of sports franchises. Undisputed proved to be one of the most enjoyable games of 2009 and I clocked in at least 20 hours before letting the game go (mostly due to the complex ground system that took me quite a bit to get used to). I still play it from time to time and with 84 fighters there’s much to do. This is a well deserved success for an excellent representation of the martial arts world. Now, please make it twice as good in 2010.

Borderlands
I know, I know, it’s not the freshest of concepts. There’s almost nothing you can say that is original about Borderlands: shooter RPGs have been around since Mass Effect and BioShock and those titles had more feel and content than Borderlands (better stories, of course). Despite this, however, at least Borderlands offers some of the BEST co-op gunplay an RPG or shooter could offer. Quests are extremely fun to do, but they’re ten times as fun with friends. Add in the mind-numbing amount of guns and statistics you have to track and you have got yourself one incredible title. Borderlands may have been created from a recipe of success, but it’s intriguing art style and hours of fun make it a top choice on my list. Gearbox is a very promising group of individuals and I can’t wait to see what they come up with next. Oh yeah, did I mention the DLC packs they’ve been putting out to support the game? Strong, consistent, and satisfying gameplay will always win.

Assassin’s Creed 2
The hardest thing for me to do was to choose between Assassin’s Creed 2 and Uncharted 2. You see, Uncharted 2 wasn’t necessarily a revolutionary game in terms of gameplay and content, but it told its story very well and engaged the player on a different level than other games that came before it. And with its multiplayer and co-op, the game’s personality and content made it an easy pick. On the other hand, Assassin’s Creed 2 has a crapload of stuff to do. Instead of simply shooting, the gameplay felt different and refined. The battle system and exploration were enticing and gallivanting across the rooftops of the different cities of Italy proved to be a much more successful creation in my eyes. Sure, AC2 capitalizes on the successes of its predecessor and extinguishes its failures but Uncharted 2 does the same. The difference between the two? Assassin’s Creed 2 was a story that involved a lot of depth and its towns and areas were built magnificently. While Uncharted 2 is only millimeters away, Assassin’s Creed 2 will have to be one of the best titles of 2009 and bless Ubisoft for making such a damn good game.

Jene Wallace (sweatyapple)

Uncharted 2
I liked the first Uncharted, but the second one is possibly one of my top games of all time. It’s better written and voice acted than a lot movies out there. The ease of controls makes climbing around second nature. While there’s nothing particularly new or ground breaking about it, for me, games are all about having fun and I had a blast. The visuals were breathtaking. Good balance of fighting and puzzle solving.

inFAMOUS
I hadn’t heard anything about this game when I bought it, so it came as a real surprise when I ended up loving it. Who thought the power of electricity could be so cool? The storyline was okay, but I loved the comic style interludes and gameplay was awesome. There was a nice variety of villains to defeat and powers to choose from. Traveling around was convenient, what with rail grinding and electricity-flying, which was important considering the scale of the world. The ability to choose if you were good or evil is always a favorite of mine.

Batman Arkham Asylum
My review pretty much said it all, but just to reiterate: the concept of not killing for the entire game is pretty unique, considering how much damage is being dealt. It really sells Batman as a character. This was also the first game I’ve ever enjoyed being in stealth mode. All the gadgets were well done and I enjoyed the free flowing combo fighting. The character designs were awesome. It offered some puzzle solving, but didn’t force it on you if you felt like skipping it. The game got a little repetitive for me, but overall I definitely enjoy it.

Matt Shafeek

Plants Vs. Zombies
Anyone who may have dismissed this game because of its casual appearance  (or based on its publisher and devloper, PopCap) is missing out on one of the most addictive, strategic, and just plain fun games of the year. PvZ takes a decidedly fresh take on the tower defense genre and makes it simple and accessible for anyone, while having an incredibly deep level of customization and variety. That’s to say nothing of the games style and charm, which it oozes. I loved every minute I played this game, and believe me when I say I put a LOT of time into it. The only flaw in this game is that you eventually run out of things to do after about say, 50 hours of playing time. Not too shabby for a $20 game!

Assassin’s Creed 2
Well how about that. They should put a picture of this game in the dictionary under the word “refined.” They took everything good from AC1, improved upon it, took out everything bad, added some great side quests including building up your city, new actual worthwhile collectibles, and a fantastic story that kept me interested the entire time! The first Assassin’s Creed set up the framework for a great franchise, and the sequel really fleshed it out. While it starts off a bit slow, the game most certainly rewards you for your patience. And hoo-boy what an ending! (Spoiler alert, I haven’t actually seen the ending yet) A solid recommendation for any gamer.

Batman: Arkham Asylum
Since I was a child, I’ve wanted to be Batman. Actually, that’s not entirely true. It was Superman until 1989. But once that first movie came out, I realized how much more I wanted to be Batman, and I never looked back. Capturing the feel and the essence of being Batman was a challenge that many game developers have tried and failed at…until now. Arkham Asylum nails everything I love about being Batman (the gadgets, the stealth/badassery, inspiring fear, the great villains/world), and combines it with everything I love in a great video game (compelling narrative, visceral combat, a world to explore, lots of side-quests and challenges to master). The script from Paul Dini and the voice work from Conory, Hammill et al were just icing on the cake. A true joy and I honestly cannot wait for the sequel to see what they do next.

Honorable Mentions:

Resident Evil 5 (which was on the list until just a few days ago!), super fun but unfortunately not as much of a leap as AC2, and Shadow Complex, which was also incredibly fun from beginning to end, but just didn’t quite make the cut.

Frank Hunter

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
With a story that redefines the word “epic” and an ongoing multiplayer mode with endless challenges and various game types, Modern Warfare 2 would have climbed the pile of First Person Shooters to sit at the top even without all the hype. It follows a predecessor that blew the genre away a few years back, and continued to do the same into 2009. Modern Warfare 2 improved on the first installment in almost every way, offering customizable rewards and killstreaks, clan support, more weapons, sticky grenades, you name it. Covert Ops mode also provides a very enjoyable cooperative experience for two friends gaming in the same room, the way it used to be done. I only wish Activision would allow for split screen cooperative play online, but even with this flaw Modern Warfare 2 is an addictive and enjoyable game experience.

Assassin’s Creed 2
Going into this game, I had my suspicions about being an assassin in Renaissance Italy. It seemed a strange choice of setting, but as soon as the game got going, my doubts were gone. The scenery is very accurately recreated and stunningly beautiful. All the characters, those drawn from true history and those not, are rich and very deep. The voice acting is beyond good, using the Italian language and true accents. Nothing sounds fake. And, the game’s biggest selling point, is that it has improved upon the original in almost every way. It’s almost as though Ubisoft built Assassin’s Creed to be a springboard so that they could launch into this sequel full force. There are countless side quests and contracts, rewards and puzzles and incentives. There’s a hidden true story about what’s really going on in the world of Assassin’s Creed, and unearthing all that would just be the tip of the iceberg among the fabulous story that was crafted for this game. This is an RPG in an action game’s clothes, and it is worth every penny if you are not the multiplayer type. Hours of material, smooth gameplay, and the well-crafted story easily make this a game of the year.

Batman: Arkham Asylum
As an old fan of the stealth action genre (oh no! the truck has started to move!), the prospect of sneaking around as the caped crusader was intriguing to me indeed. He is, after all, the ultimate ninja, but with superhero games getting the shoddy treatment they traditionally get, it became a matter of whether or not Eidos could break the mold. And they did. Arkham Asylum is not only a successful stealth action game, one which gives you the feeling of immense power while in the dark, but has provided what is arguably the first very good superhero game. The graphic design gives Arkham a very unique look, while at the same time holding onto some bit of nostalgia by bringing on the voice cast from the old Batman cartoon series. For a character that is constantly jumping and swinging from rafters, Batman is very easy to control, and has a slew of moves and gadgets that are used seamlessly. Though combat is a little simplistic, it flows so nicely and has enough variety that it’s fun to watch. My only problem is that I would have enjoyed a few more unique boss fights (most seemed like just fighting a slew of normal minions at once) but that’s small beans when it comes to everything that Arkham Asylum is and the success it has seen in an area that has never really seen it before.

And there you have it. According to us, it seems like the majority of the best games of last year came at the end. Thanks to Modern Warfare 2, however, things could be changing, with 2010 looking front-loaded with great games. Now all we need is for the summer time to be flooded with more top tier titles and we’ll get to be broke all year round.  I can’t wait.

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