Eurogamer's Top 50 Games of 2008: 10-1

By Eurogamer staff Published 30 December, 2008

We've already fled the country. All of them.

Here we are then, the final instalment in our Top 50 Games of 2008. It's worth reiterating once again that the list is not intended as a definitive rundown of the 50 best games of the year, but instead reflects votes cast by our staff and contributors based on the games they have played and enjoyed. Here's what you missed:

10. World of Goo

2D Boy / PC, WiiWare

Jim Rossignol: World of Goo made me gasp. There were proper reactions of delight and surprise stirring my cold, dead fun glands. Christ, I don't just want to be seen as one of those need-to-be-hip blogo-critics who big-up indie game for the sake of sticking it to the man, but I can't help arguing this up as game of the year and a kind of statement about the state of game development. As brilliant as World of Goo is when looked at in isolation, the context of its existence is all the more thrilling: it is just two guys, with a bit of help from a third guy, and it's nevertheless better than two thirds of the commercial releases in 2008. This should make the big boys feel ashamed: the fact that they aren't ably beating the no-money bedroom code-monkeys is laughable. World of Goo is a startling piece of game design that sits on the same kind of axis as Portal: puzzle games were our past, and they are our future

Kieron Gillen: Anyone-with-a-heart's game of the year, which proves exactly how many cold-breasted undead writers Eurogamer hires. Put simply, the best character-lead puzzle game since Lemmings. Maybe ever. What I find endlessly charming about it is how physical the game is. The puzzles are less trying to find an actual narrow solution, and more manipulating this mass of stuff. This gives the game a genuine organic flavour. Add to that world-class art design and music, real personality, ridiculous quality control and indie-chic, and this is as good a game that's come out this decade. Looking up the list, there's games which I can totally understand people voting higher - but when we write those all-time lists of best-games-ever, they're going to fade as their charms are surpassed by their sequels. World of Goo is going to be part of the canon. I also suspect it'd have come several places higher if the Wii release had come earlier in the year.

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Alec Meer: I often wish this hadn't been preceded by Tower of Goo, because so many people presume that game's one trick is all this has. World of Goo is the maximalist puzzle game, thinking up a dazzling number of glorious twists upon the core concept of object-stacking, and better yet setting it within perhaps the most loveable, beautiful and - amazingly - moving game worlds of the year. Man, it's so hard to be funny about games you love. Erm. Knickers?

John Walker: Halfway through the voting process, Tom told me that World of Goo was wavering between first and second place. From its 10th place finish you can conclude that the people who took the longest to get their votes in are the stupidest. And the ugliest. I take back what I wrote under Professor Layton. Definitely the game of the year. Definitely the only sensible contender for number one. A thing of such utter joy and wonderfulness like I've never known. Sadly I imagine its late arrival to Wii in Europe has meant the PC-phobes didn't play this yet, and thus it has been robbed of its rightful number one place. Saw off the bit of your monitor with this line on it, and glue it onto the bottom so it's in the position it deserves.

Tom Bramwell: I've played it, and it's not my game of the year. It's not even my favourite PC game of the year - that's Trials 2. But it is extraordinarily good for all the reasons these guys have listed, and no less special for years spent tinkering with Bridge Builder, Armadillo Run, Elefunk and other games built on similar premises.

9. Guitar Hero World Tour

Activision / RedOctane / Neversoft / PS3, Xbox 360, PS2, Wii

John Walker: Okay, here's my plan. We subdivide gaming. Proper games go over here. And plastic toy karaoke games go over there. On that fire.

Kristan Reed: Having officially gone off Guitar Hero for a couple of years, this brought me back to the series with renewed passion. With stuff like "Love Spreads" on it, it's officially my dream music game.

Johnny Minkley: The one-handed lead riff in the chorus of "Some Might Say" on Hard (curiously not replicated on Expert) is peerless in its cock-rock posturing potential.

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Rob Fahey: Better instruments than Rock Band 2, but the shine has been taken off a bit by having to return faulty drum-kits and jury-rig squeaking guitar strum bars. Music games live or die by their song list, though, and round my way, Guitar Hero World Tour died very quickly.

Keza MacDonald: No word of a lie, Guitar Hero World Tour is my favourite videogame. Ever. It was Harmonix that got here first, that opened up the rhythm-action genre to its true potential with Guitar Hero and Rock Band, putting the power of making music into the hands of gamers without the talent or opportunity to do it for real. Rhythm-action games give non-musicians a glimpse at the joy of playing music, and Harmonix games harnessed that better than any Japanese developer had yet managed, making it social and personal rather than reaction-time posturing in the arcades. Then along game World Tour, which gives us the chance to turn our pretend instrument skills into real music with the recording studio, and does the Band Game better than anyone else. This game shows me so much love. I've spent almost as long with the avatar creator and the music studio as I have with the career. I've said it before and I'll say it again: there's something so incredible about Guitar Hero's transformation from beat-matching game into full-on, recording-capable band studio, something that really speaks about the magic of videogames in general; how they can educate, stimulate and transcend themselves in the hands of enthusiastic players to become something that we'd never have dreamed of just a few years prior.

Kieron Gillen: My girlfriend is going to kill me if I try to keep another set of drums in our flat.

Tom Bramwell: For me, Rock Band 2's the better software, but only by a bit. Guitar Hero's got better instruments, and by a mile. It's worth owning both games though - whichever you buy first, the solus disc of the other is better value than the same money spent on DLC - but you only need one set of plastic instruments, and for now it's these.

8. Gears of War 2

Microsoft / Epic / Xbox 360

John Walker: Apparently this is better than World of Goo. I hate you, world. So bloody much.

Alec Meer: BEER BIRDS FOOTBALL BEER BIRDS FOOTBALL BEER BIRDS FOOTBALL. At least GoW2 gave blockheads something new for their limited conversational repertoire.

Keza MacDonald: HUUUUURRRRRRRGGGGHHH. [Flexes]

Kieron Gillen: World of Goo is awesome. Everyone should buy it.

Rich Leadbetter: It is what it is: the videogame equivalent to a Jerry Bruckheimer blockbuster movie - ultra-slick, uber-cheesy and utterly irresistible. I wasn't so keen on the original, but this is hugely improved in virtually every respect. Love it.

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Kristan Reed: Gears is always miles better as a co-op game, and the sequel is no different. Sadly, my co-op partner in crime hates macho shooters with an irrational passion, so I'm left with a dilemma: play through it solo and grumble about it, or wait for Tom to recharge his enthusiasm and sing "So Macho" over the headset once again?

Tom Bramwell: Ignore the snobbery. There is so much in here to praise. Take the weapons, because after the first Gears, the only ones I wanted to take with me were the Lancer and either the Longshot or the Torque Bow. Getting me to put those down was as singular an achievement as anything else in shooters this year. Or take the level designs. The variety of layouts, gameplay conditions (the bomb in the dark, the mutant breakout, razor hail) and one-shot cover gimmicks (Rockworm, switchable shields, etc.) put every other cover-based shooter made since the first Gears to shame, rifling through the rest of the genre and looting the best, then doing it better. Or take the one-off levels, especially the fight through the worm. Or take any of the many minor diversions (sniping at patrols springs to mind) that keep you guessing. Or take the brilliantly insane dialogue. And I don't even care about the multiplayer especially, co-op excepted. Admittedly, you could, and should also take out rather a lot as well: the opening hospital section, the Skorge fight, pretty much anything involving a Brumak or a vehicle, and that bit with Dom and his wife. But for all its flaws, this is a phenomenal achievement, the best thing Epic's ever done, and makes Gears of War - one of the most brutally absurd shooters ever - look guarded and unadventurous. I agree that too many games these days are about shooting monsters in the face, but we should always have one, and I vote that Cliff Bleszinski gets to make it. Hold your head high, Mr. B.

7. Left 4 Dead

Valve / PC, Xbox 360

Kristan Reed: If Capcom wasn't so doggedly determined to stay true to clunky convention, it could have developed those awful Resident Evil Outbreak spin-offs into something more like Left 4 Dead by now - and instead it's been beaten to the punch by Valve and the ex-Turtle Rock crew. This is survival horror in the purest sense, but with the massive added bonus of being able to experience it with your friends. I've always wanted a game like this and didn't even realise it.

Oli Welsh: E3 destroyed my last scraps of tolerance for creature-feature shooters this year. Fallout 3, Gears 2, Resistance 2, Dead Space, Rage, even the inevitably mighty Resi 5 and more merged into a single apocalyptic corridor full of gurning, veiny mutants being shotgunned in the face, and I couldn't muster the will or interest to play anything of the sort, even if it might be a classic. The best thing I can say about Left 4 Dead, then, is that it somehow fought its way through this brown morass into my heart, despite its totally generic presentation. This was partly because it's a superb piece of co-op design, partly because it's so damned quick, and partly because, unlike every other monster-mash in recent memory, it's actually quite scary.

Simon Parkin: It is, in almost every way that matters, the perfect zombie game, one whose effectiveness derives from tight, sensible boundaries rather than sprawling ambition. The four-mission, four-stage framework inspires repeat play and warm familiarity, the experience changing through shifts to AI patterns rather than raw geography. The limited number of weapons and inputs and the small roster of enemy types have allowed Valve to perfect a few ideas rather than half-deliver on many, a wise decision when you begin to understand the precise balance that underpins the experience. Played with three friends it is an exhilarating experience that rewards co-operation over showboating heroics. In this way it works against Xbox Live's characteristic culture of individualism, encouraging teamwork and communication in exchange for survival. It's all the more rewarding for it.

Rob Fahey: After a year of wondering what would replace COD4 as our multiplayer game of choice, Left 4 Dead might just be that game. Fast, visceral and capable of pulling out genuinely heart-stopping moments no matter how well you know the levels, it's a great game whose longevity totally belies its limited amount of content.

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Christian Donlan: Great game, I'm sure, but the fact that you can see team-mates through objects meant I spent a lot of time walking into walls. Just me?

Jim Rossignol: Survivors or Zombies. Continuous controlled panic, or sustained intentional griefing. It's a game of two halves, and they're both covered in the hot fluid of excellence. Mmm, that was an unsavory metaphor, but it's appropriate: you are exploding dead people and it couldn't be more entertaining.

John Walker: Finally the co-op game I want to play. The online-only game that I have an interest in. Such exquisite design and so brilliantly gruesome, with the proper terror of a horror movie. And the Witch. Oh goodness me, the Witch. It's just pure entertainment, coupled with the smartness that made Portal so dramatically great. While Portal's story was up front and unavoidable, L4D's is getting a bit under-recognised, and it makes me a bit sad when people say it doesn't have any. Read the walls, and listen to what the characters are saying. There's a lot going on in there. And of course, more importantly, it's a game that lets you tell your own stories, loudly in the pub later that day.

Kieron Gillen: Gauntlet meets Doom, basically. Which, basically, means it's amazing. It's perhaps telling that the co-op shooter which had the most courage in its convictions - that is, basically just becoming a co-op game - proved to be the most appealing. And then there's the inspired Versus mode, which shows that an asymmetrical combat game can be as accessible to anyone who fancies a go as John Walker's mum's genitalia. Bonus points for being one of the funniest games of the year too. In fact, almost as good as World of Goo.

Alec Meer: Probably the best zombie game of all time, though I worry slightly that I'm not still playing it. It's realised its deadhead-slaying essence expertly, but I suspect it's going to live or die on extra content in a way that no multiplayer FPS ever have before. What I love it for most, oddly, is what it's given to the gaming lexicon. Vomiting people at Christmas parties are labelled boomers, unsmiling photos of skinny long-haired girls are tagged 'don't startle the witch...' on Facebook. Valve are masters of creating gaming catchphrases, as we saw with Portal last year.

Dan Whitehead: I love Valve and I love horror, so it was always a safe bet that I'd love Left 4 Dead. What surprised me was how much I loved it. So much, in fact, that it's my favourite game of 2008. On the most basic level, it's just a phenomenally well-designed shooter, as you'd expect. It also makes zombies really f***ing scary again, something I thought was pretty much impossible after years of Resident Evil's shambling obstacles-on-legs. But mostly I fell in love with Left 4 Dead because of the story factor. As Kieron shrewdly noted, this is a game with no story but the one you make up each time you play. It is, perhaps, the way that gaming can finally extricate itself from aping Hollywood stories and forcing players to play along. Left 4 Dead gives you a fixed path and a broad scenario, then mixes all the pieces up and allows the player to inject the human drama, in a completely organic manner. It's absolutely brilliant, and unquestionably one of those games that I will never, ever trade in.

6. Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2

Activision / Bizarre Creations / Xbox Live Arcade

Rich Leadbetter: The most fun I've had with a videogame in ages, ergo my pick as game of the year. Nigh-on perfect gameplay, plenty of variety, a genius-level multiplier system, best leaderboards ever, superb audio, wonderful 1080p visuals... I honestly can't find fault with this game whatsoever. 'Kudos' (groan) to Bizarre for making score attack games relevant again.

Dan Whitehead: It's quite exciting that I could probably have filled my top ten entirely with downloadable games this year. It may just be a delivery system, but there's something very liberating about removing boxed copies and physical distribution from the equation. Downloadable games have become simpler, more streamlined and more interesting than most of their physical cousins, and Geometry Wars 2 is the perfect example. In theory it could have been made on the Atari 2600, yet it's as thrilling and modern as anything else on this list. It also made me hate everyone on my Friends List for being better at it than me.

Oli Welsh: The only game that matches Mirror's Edge in the sensory-feedback stakes in 2008, and that's no surprise. But my favourite thing about it was the ever-present score in the top-right corner, effectively giving a structureless game human levels, taunting you into clawing your way up your leaderboard of friends. Framing your sister for murder can't match that for motivation.

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Christian Donlan: One of the few games on this list I'll probably still be playing in ten years, barring getting hit by a bus. Good as it is - and it's pretty amazing - the really striking thing about Geometry Wars 2 is how much of the experience is down to the community and the leaderboards. Take Live away, and the game wouldn't be half as good.

Simon Parkin: The six modes shepherd you around the game in a cyclical way so that you never grow tired of the mechanics: each mode emphasises a different mechanical nuance, trains a different muscle and, like a balanced work-out, improvement in one area has benefits across the whole. The game's true genius though, the reason we all kept playing for well over a month (a long time in videogames, especially small ones), lies in the leaderboards. To have your closest rival friend's score on the play screen at all times, like it's the only thing that matters because it is the only thing that matters, gave me thumb fatigue.

Kieron Gillen: Seriously, you have no idea how good World of Goo is.

Tom Bramwell: Or Gears of War 2, apparently, you goo-humping monsters. As for Geometry Wars 2, it's eaten more of my time than anything else on Xbox Live Arcade this year, and continues to do so - largely thanks to Christian's ridiculous Pacifism score of 125,000,000, which I can barely type let alone attain. The six-chambered fun gun of modes is enough to sustain it for hours of peaks and troughs, too. Easily my favourite XBLA game since Pac-Man Championship Edition and, curiously enough, for similar reasons.

5. Braid

Jonathan Blow / Xbox Live Arcade

Tom Bramwell: I've been having a friendly argument with a pal about this. He maintains that every room is a mechanism with only one key, and turning it didn't make him feel clever or skilful, that there's no grace and style to any of the solutions, and that he finished it "largely because I wanted confirmation that J Blow was a self-obsessed [twit]". I was surprised, because while I can see all of his points, my experience was very different. I enjoyed deciphering the mixture of visual information and gameplay conditions to turn most of Braid's lonely keys, and knew I was going to finish it when I realised I had the tools to solve any puzzle in the game the first time I encountered it. The music's lovely, too, and rewarding players with jigsaw pieces for an actual puzzle was worth a smile, even if it was probably another layer of indulgent metaphor.

Kristan Reed: When people of a certain vintage go all misty-eyed about games from the 80s and early 90s, it's because they really don't make them like they used to. Except now they do, thanks to the marvels of cheap digital distribution and studios willing to take a chance on wistful 2D games with an ethereal atmosphere and cunning level design. Games like Braid, LBP, echochrome, N+ and LostWinds sate that retro desire that always burns away without having to be disappointed once the rose-tinted specs come off.

Kieron Gillen: Before Braid came out, I found myself talking to a developer friend late at night. We'd both got hold of the pre-release version of Braid, and we'd both had the same experience. We sat down and had a quick play and thought... actually, yes, this is clearly very good, but I'm going to have to come back when I can give it my full attention. Compared to most games - and most action games, especially - it's not one you can just have a little fiddle. Braid demands your full brain. And if you give yourself over to Braid, it will reward you. It's the game which provoked the most pretentious purple prose of the year. And the strangest thing about all those references which were thrown up - they were all true. Braid contained all those elements. It's rare that a game just as precious and pretentious as the writers who chart games appears. I'm even surprised it's not higher.

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Simon Parkin: It's a game that can be played just once and then never played again till it's been forgotten. In this way it recalls LucasArts's best Adventures, games that could be ruined with a peek at a guidebook, whose wonder and thrill derives from the release of pent up infuriation at the moment you solve an irksome riddle for yourself. The puzzles are ingenious, even beautiful in their construction. The way the time travel idea is developed over the course of the game demonstrates a growth of ideas that games many times its length never manage. The writing that garnishes the experience, while florid and ambitious, has mostly been criticised because it is different. Naysayers be damned, this is an exemplary indie-game, created by two lovely men, and this fruit of their hard work and dedication offers cause célèbre more than any other release in 2008.

Alec Meer: One of far too many games I lost my saves for when some rotter broke into my house and made off with my consoles a little while ago. This means I'm yet to see the elements of it that people are most raving about, but I'm planning to sit down with it again for a bittersweet Boxing Day.

Dan Whitehead: I'm almost afraid to pontificate any further on this bite-sized masterpiece, lest more people call me pretentious and make me run home crying, philosophy texts ostentatiously tucked under my arm, my beret set at a disdainful angle. Such philistinery does nothing to take the shine off this absolutely great game, however. Braid works as a superb platform-puzzler. It works as a cunning twist on ages-old gameplay conventions. And it works as an example of how it's possible to use gameplay as more than just a hollow distraction, to inject ideas and thoughts and abstractions into the button-pressing. At a time when the bull-necked thugs of Gears of War and their hilarious marital woes are heralded as compelling examples of more adult storytelling, truly ambitious artistic projects like Braid are made even more rewarding.

John Walker: STILL WAITING FOR THE PC VERSION.

Rob Fahey: Probably the most overtly clever game I've ever played. We call lots of games "clever", but this one practically turns up at your door with horn-rimmed glasses, a PhD from Cambridge and a condescending attitude tinged with pity. If it wasn't also so damned lovely, you'd flick spitballs at the back of its bloody clever head.

4. Fable II

Microsoft / Lionhead / Xbox 360

Johnny Minkley: I was saving this as my big 'Christmas game', since I've only managed to squeeze in a few hours so far. And then I went to Lionhead to interview Molyneux with Christian Donlan and was swept away in the spoiler avalanche that was their Fable love-in. I'm just going to have to drink myself amnesiac.

John Walker: I hate dogs. Can they make a version where you have a pet cat?

Kristan Reed: A little too accessible for its own good, but the addition of co-op play clinches it for me. Well done Lionhead for actually managing to deliver on the hype.

Christian Donlan: Lionhead chose to preview this in very discrete chunks which didn't seem to be that obviously connected, so I went into Fable II thinking that the bits and pieces I'd seen might not come together particularly gracefully. Crikey. People say it's short and get annoyed when it breaks all the rules, but in terms of not just creating brilliant content, but ensuring that a majority of players will actually get to see most of it, this leaves other games looking a little stupid.

Keza MacDonald: COR BLIMEY, LIL' SPARRA, A TEN? LAWKS!

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Kieron Gillen: World of Goo is just amazing.

Tom Bramwell: "They're using a giant worm!"

Dan Whitehead: Fable II thoroughly deserves top marks. At least, it does in principle. So many of the ideas at play here are so brilliant and obvious that you wonder why games haven't latched onto them earlier. The fact that experience is a more valuable commodity than health in a genre driven by quicksaves and healing potions, for example. Yet the game never quite gets the balance right, making it far too easy to build up massive reserves of gold and XP. For every step forward, Fable II takes two sideways. It's also glitchy and buggy and only starts to get interesting once you reach the end of the main story. I'm happy to call it one of my favourites of the year, but my affection is ultimately based on empathy for what it attempts rather than inspiration from what it actually does.

Simon Parkin: The technical issues with the game are infuriating, not because they spoil the experience but because they dominated conversation about it, conversation that would be better spent discussing its triumphs rather than its shortfalls. The choices may be limited, the interactions simplistic, but buy into this world and its systems and you'll leave a richer person, and not only in terms of virtual real estate.

Tom Bramwell: Sometimes I'm in the mood for games that want to smack my head in. Sometimes I want games that let me smack their heads in. Sometimes I want to smack my friends. I don't have to be in any sort of mood to play Fable II, and it actually cures me when I'm in a bad one. Molyneux's debt is repaid.

3. Grand Theft Auto IV

Rockstar Games / Rockstar North / PC, PS3, Xbox 360

Kristan Reed: I love it and hate it in equal measure. Love the ambition, the script, the music, the ambience and the scope, but hate some of the heinous checkpointing and nagging social aspect. One day a GTA game will emerge that doesn't needlessly demand you drive halfway across an enormous map to start a mission, and then I will be a happy camper.

Oli Welsh: I had to do live television because of this game, which was the single most terrifying experience of my life. I wore an orange jumper, repeated myself, and died in the middle of a sentence. Since then, I haven't been able to play it.

Jim Rossignol: Rockstar takes the piss. While the rest of game development struggles to make their voice actors say their lines correctly, and can't quite fulfill their visions of grandeur, Rockstar creates a game with acting on par with HBO's finest, and conjures the illusion of a modern living city that is more convincing that anything else in the galaxy of games. I mean just look at it: they made being an Eastern European immigrant thug in New York seem appealing! Not just appealing, but funny, compelling, even desirable. Magic is at work here. Or amazing, well-funded game design. One of the two.

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Simon Parkin: It was the game that everybody started but, reportedly, few finished, if Microsoft's drop-off rate stats are to be taken at face value. This dash to experience Liberty City, to see the world and to be able to pass judgment on it quickly and urgently meant that most voices commenting on the game, from the highest critic down to the lowliest forumite, were often shallow at best. Now, months later, time has mellowed the extremist views, drawing players towards a moderate consensus that this is, in most ways, an extraordinary gameworld, one that houses, in some ways, an extraordinary game.

Rob Fahey: I watched my flatmate play this for weeks without ever having the slightest compunction to pick up the controller myself. I know it's beautiful, accomplished, mature and superbly polished, and I'm very happy that it exists and that it is those things - but it just looks staid and po-faced to me. I nod in appreciation and move on, rather than actually wanting to jump in and play.

Keza MacDonald: I have never enjoyed a Grand Theft Auto game before. Presented with an open world in which I can do anything I want, the last thing on my mind is driving cars and shooting men. Frivolous violence doesn't do anything for me, nor does crude humour. Then, along came Grand Theft Auto IV, and I couldn't do anything but play it for weeks. It's amazingly well made, detailed and broad in scope, yes, and great fun, but it's GTA IV's hidden intelligence that got through to me. It has dark humour and sharp wit that shine through the cheap laughs and over-the-top situations. Niko is believable, and so is his world. For every moment of pointless violence that made me wince, there were six or seven missions in which I felt genuinely involved. The final portion of the game, especially, had me as emotionally involved as any game has. Certainly not what I'd expected from a GTA game. This is something I'd show to anyone who doesn't believe in the potential of videogames. It's a staggering technological achievement.

Kieron Gillen: From a PC perspective, the questionable performance throws a long shadow over this particular triumph from Rockstar. But otherwise... well, it does manage a scale which no other game this year really managed to compete against. It was living proof of what an enormous development budget could allow in terms of creating a place to live and play. Nevertheless, there's a nagging sense - a little like last year's Assassin's Creed - which makes you wonder what a developer more interested in creating that stimulatory environment would have done with it all. They create a city which, ultimately, doesn't really act like a city in any significant way. Something nags, y'know?

Ellie Gibson: It's no Diner Dash.

Dan Whitehead: While I think there's a contrary element to a lot of the criticisms thrown at GTA IV - and the series as a whole - it's hard to deny that there wasn't much that felt new or fresh here. The attempts at crafting a less adolescent story also stumbled slightly, by making it hard to reconcile the sympathetic character of Niko with the bloodshed of the game itself. And yet the whole is still a triumph, of sorts. Even though most of the missions are simply "drive here, shoot them, drive back" the framework still resonates because of the excellent character work and dialogue. One of my most memorable missions simply involved driving a car to a location, but it was made thrilling and important because I was also transporting the corpse of a fairly major character. I'm not sure where they can go for GTA V, but I'm hoping Rockstar leaves crime alone for a while and tells different stories using this amazingly versatile world creator they now have.

Alec Meer: Breaking down GTA to its fundaments and rebuilding them, rather than taking the San Andreas route of simply adding feature-creep to what was already there, was the right choice. I'm not entirely convinced it shook itself up enough to deserve all the breathless accolades, but it's certainly made a case for characterisation, dialogue, detail and animation that the likes of Bethesda should be paying close attention to.

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John Walker: I'm still trying to figure out why this is not only the first GTA game I've been able to stomach playing, but also a game I completely adored. Even going back to play the original top-down GTA, I found myself recoiling against the violence and hate at its core. (And please let me stress, I'm in no way condemning this.) Even Vice City's cartoony world made me feel unpleasant when I played it. But GTA IV was compelling. And I think I know what it might be. Sympathy. In no way can I sympathise with anyone from previous GTA games - surely the person I'm playing is the character I should be shooting at, the one I should be trying to stop? But Niko Bellic was different. I couldn't identify or empathise with him, but I could feel sympathy for him. The horrors he had faced had dehumanised him, explaining his sociopathic nature, while also offering the sense that there could be redemption for him, and there was hope in relationships. That's what made the double-cross so much worse, and sends Bellic deeper into his depravity. I don't know whether Rockstar are going soft, or whether this was a happy accident, but they finally made the GTA game for me.

Tom Bramwell: When we did our Editor's panel thing at the Eurogamer Expo, one of our excellent readers followed me out and asked me to justify giving this 10/10, because he'd emptied it so quickly. I knew what he meant. As I said to him though, the reason it's so quickly exhausted is that you stampede through it, bingeing on it, until it's done: the story missions, the radio interludes, the comedy clubs, the Assassin's Creed stuff, the Gone in 60 Seconds stuff, the stunts, the pigeons. It's all gone in about 30 hours or less. You spent 30 hours playing it. I did it twice, as it goes. My game of the year, narrowly from Trials 2, Braid and Gears of War 2. Rockstar spent more money on this than anyone has spent on a game in history, and didn't just make San Andreas 2. Do you honestly not want to see what they do with the proceeds?

2. Fallout 3

Bethesda Softworks / PC, PS3, Xbox 360

John Walker: I'd love to tell you what I think of this, but I can't play it for more than ten minutes without it crashing to the desktop. Or permanently freezing in VATS mode. Or having an actor so awful I have to gouge my ears out with a pair of scissors. I hear it's great, and it seems to have been voted awfully high. I wish I could have a go.

Kristan Reed: Game of the decade for me, without a shadow of a doubt. No game has ever had me playing 14 hours straight every day for a solid week and left me breathlessly wanting more. As I keep explaining to anyone who'll listen, it's not a game that grabs you immediately. There's so much to see and do, that it only gets better and better the deeper you delve into it, with so much love lavished on every part of the game world. Somehow Bethesda managed to craft a game which satisfied most of my wants: the plot, characters, exploration, tense atmosphere and degree of choice made it an inspiring (survival horror-esque) adventure game, the wonderful VATS system and the array of enemies made it an intense shooter, the ingenious Perks system satisfied my obsessive RPG leanings, while the hacking game even made it an absorbing puzzle at times. With a quite spectacular game engine and meticulously crafted living, breathing game world satisfying the graphics whore in me, it almost never let me down. Now, if only Bethesda could only animate the NPCs with a little more conviction we'd all be happy. Games as ambitious and well-realised as Fallout 3 come along a few times a generation. An absolute masterpiece.

Simon Parkin: If Oblivion was the kind of on horseback adventure that could only have grown out of a pastoral, pre-industrialised civilisation, then Fallout 3 is the kind that could only have come from the other end of humanity's technological trajectory. This post-nuclear fallout world is beautiful in its ruin, the shoots of life sprouting from the rubble of a collapsed American dream. The systems that Washington clothes are barely a step on from those found in Oblivion, and the story shuffles along to an uninspired conclusion. The game's wonder then lies in its details and verisimilitude: the bottle-cap economy, the clicking radioactive rivers, the abandoned gas stations and supermarkets, the open air cinemas and broke-backed flyovers. Fallout 3 is a revelation, one that we hope will never be realized in our world, but one, which we cannot help but revisit nonetheless.

'Eurogamer's Top 50 Games of 2008: 10-1' Screenshot 10

Jim Rossignol: I did pretty much start killing anyone in Fallout who tried to treat me like an RPG protagonist. "Fetch X from Y? DIEDIEDIE!" After beating the first quest-dispenser to death with my fists and still making progress, I realised this game might be for me after all. After I'd decapitated some dogs and slept under a bridge I understood that my violent hobo fantasies had no better outlet. Thanks, Bethesda.

Alec Meer: Enjoyed this a whole lot more second time around, when I stayed away from the shonky core quest and focused on unchecked exploration of the endless wasteland. It's a shame the production values are so woeful and that it defaults to vaguely unsatisfying combat too much of the time, but that we get a vast, fascinating world to explore that isn't either yet more high fantasy glades'n'caves or gritty, hooker-filled urbanscapes is something we should all be celebrating. I can't help but feel Bethesda made some unbelievable cock-ups with it, but at the same time they've created an incredible structure for modders to run wild with. I can't wait to see what Fallout 3 PC has been made into in about six months.

Dan Whitehead: I've only just started into this monstrous epic, but it's already clear that Bethesda hasn't lost its knack for constructing clever tesseracts of overlapping mini-adventures in such a way that you feel like you're the first person to stumble across a side quest, secret location or curious little story. It's a shame that many of the technical gripes from Oblivion remain unaddressed, and I could do without being so crudely herded around the city by impassable piles of rubble, but there's no denying this is a big juicy steak dinner of a game.

1. LittleBigPlanet

Sony / Media Molecule / PS3

Johnny Minkley: I have nothing useful to add that hasn't been said elsewhere, so I'll simply say: if you haven't already, check out the astonishing user-created Ico level. The future's bright for this one.

Dan Whitehead: I'm honestly quite surprised to find LBP at the top of the heap. Few games made me grind my teeth more in 2008. It looks lovely and is bursting with charm and clever ideas, and has Stephen Fry's rich mahogany narration, but...it's just not very good at being a platform game. Is that just me? The floaty ambience, unpredictable environments and crude checkpoint system all made it a bit of a chore to get through, as far as I'm concerned. Platforming requires precision, and that's something that LittleBigPlanet just doesn't have. It's as woolly as its star.

Simon Parkin: Oli pointed out in his review that, despite LittleBigPlanet's many triumphs, it was nothing like as perfect a platformer as Nintendo's Super Nintendo classic, Yoshi's Island. Of course, believers argue that it's so much more than a mere platform game, that it is in fact, a platform in and of itself, a tool for users to realise the inventions of their imagination. But, as a tool, surely its work is best demonstrated by the game Media Molecule created using it? If that's the case, then the question becomes: can the game's users transcend its inventors' creativity to turn a great game into a classic one? Limitless potential is of no use until it is somehow realised and, while the YouTube videos of fantastic contraptions inspire "how on earth did they..." gasps of wonder, for me, this is a game still only pregnant with potential. That the responsibility for the game's greatness rests on us and not on the developer is unusual, and for that reason the endless plaudits make me uneasy. Whatever the end result, this is a game I've thought about more than I've played, and, as they say, actions speak louder than words.

'Eurogamer's Top 50 Games of 2008: 10-1' Screenshot 11

Tom Bramwell: The reason it's top - for the benefit of those who haven't read about how this list works - is that it was high up in the vast majority of top-ten lists submitted by staff and contributors. It only topped a few of them, but the number of people who write for Eurogamer that chose to play it and subsequently loved it was higher than any other game. In that sense it's a worthy winner. I almost feel guilty that it wasn't on my list at all, but it leaves me completely cold: the platforming is overburdened with self-conscious presentation its imprecise controls and frustrating checkpoints fail to justify, and the editor was too slow and complicated for my pathetic brain to bother with. I've nothing but admiration for what it represents, and - as Johnny notes in his comment about the Ico level - what it's inspired. But I've nothing else, such as a soul.

Ellie Gibson: A deserving winner, for the Stephen Fry voiceover alone.

Tom Bramwell: Well, okay, I love Stephen Fry also.

Kristan Reed: Pretty much everyone I've spoken to seems to agree that LBP makes for a fairly boring single-player experience, but becomes absolutely mesmerising in co-op with the right player. There are so many cute touches, so many fiendishly designed levels and an art style to die for. It's no surprise to see this end up at the top. It's not beyond criticism, though. The online lag is ruinous most of the time, and the added inertia on the jump mechanic makes it needlessly fiddly when the going gets tough. I'll never bother with level creation, but I'm so glad it's there. Seeing what people have come up with is a brilliant way to keep me coming back for more - as is the brilliantly replayable nature of the level design.

Christian Donlan: Make crabs out of floral-print material, wedge in some dynamite, wire it to a trigger: voila! Exploding floral-print crabs. After that discovery, the single-player levels were pretty much dead to me.

Jim Rossignol: I've only had a scarce few hours with this game, but it has completely captured my imagination. I think it's the fact that it feels so solid, so tactile, is at the centre of its appeal - you're rapidly convinced of the grasping and manipulating stuff in the game world. And it's just too cute.

Keza MacDonald: This, played co-op with the right person, is the most fun I've had with a game all year. The first time I played it I ended up spontaneously hugging the person next to me out of sheer joy. It's such an infectiously lovely game; just looking at Sackboy's gurning face makes me happy. It shows us to be the creative, joyful souls that we gamers are, not expressionless grey people shooting men in the face.

Kieron Gillen: I can't help but wonder - if a game's based around user-generated content, and the fact you're on a console means that you can't actually let gamers generate their content without half of it being deleted because it infringes some copyright or another... isn't that just a fundamentally flawed concept? And World of Goo totally gives you awesome levels without having to worry about someone else doing it for you.

John Walker: All I've read about this is that the platforming is rubbish, and you have to make your own if you want to play a decent level. And World of Goo is at number ten. No. That's not okay. Last year's number one game was Portal. Just to remind you.

'Eurogamer's Top 50 Games of 2008: 10-1' Screenshot 12

Rob Purchese: LittleBigPlanet lets one dress up. I was a zebra for a while. Then a skeleton. Then in a female bathing outfit. And to my surprise these costumes were replicated in the game!

Rob Fahey: I'm surprised that this is number one, but also quite happy. It's not a gamer's game, and the creative end of it is sufficiently complex that most people will probably never get into it - but these things aren't failures. LittleBigPlanet sets out to give people fun, social experiences, to make them laugh and challenge them to work together, and for those few whose creative talents are great enough, it gives them a wonderful toolset. It's a resounding success on all of those levels. It's not my personal favourite game of 2008, but it's certainly the most interesting - and on that basis alone, I'm happy to see it top this chart.

Oli Welsh: God knows why Sony thought an experimental 2D platformer would save the PlayStation 3. It didn't. It did, however, save 2D platformers, which in the long run is probably just as important. It's such a happy little riot, especially in the fantastic four-player co-op. And how nice to have an inherently social game that's neither about discussing character builds on forums, teabagging your rivals, or making an exhibition of yourself with a novelty controller when drunk; a game where other people are just part of the landscape. The editor does too much and tries too hard, but you don't need to use it yourself to feel the benefit. You just need to press play and run and jump. For joy.

Picture of Eurogamer.

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Comments (347) 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Widge #1 3 years ago

    Fuck me that is a total massive surprise!

  • quantumsheep #2 3 years ago

    RUN FOR THE HILLS!!!!

  • Telepathic.Geometry #3 3 years ago

    Really? I'd say that it's pretty predictable, in that actually is a pretty solid 9/10 at least kinda game with a lot of appeal to all sorts of gamers. Whereas some of the others are perhaps better games for a smaller gaming audience. /shrugs

  • JediMasterMalik #4 3 years ago

    Totally deserved it, it's an excellent game, been too preoccupied with the pre-made levels and community levels to even touch the creation, and I still love it. It's pretty much the only game (other than singstar) my sister ever wants to play, so it's hit a cord with her. (she's 10)

  • mcmonkeyplc #5 3 years ago

    Fair game gov. I haven't played LBP yet and the games I love are in about the right places. Except Fallout 3 is top and Gears of War 2 is 40 :)

  • DFawkes #6 3 years ago

    I think Widge summed it up, disn't see that coming at all. Deserves it, but didn't thinki it'd be #1.

  • smelly #7 3 years ago

    IMHO:

    World of goo deserves to be there..

    But braid, gta4 & Left 4 dead are all incredibly mediocre.


    LBP I've played at a mates house.. still dont get the appeal...

  • creepylizard #8 3 years ago

    never played lbp but fallouts great so thats lovely....

  • letmelive #9 3 years ago

    ........*sniff*......no The World Ends With You in the entire top 50.........I think i'm gonna cry!!:(

  • menage #10 3 years ago

    Is world of Goo really that good?

    Honest list I guess.

    @smelly

    Braid is fucking brilliant.
    Edited by 1 at 30/12/08 @ 18:16

  • spudsbuckley #11 3 years ago

    I really thought Braid would be at #1.

    No Dead Space in the top 50 though. Condemned 2 must have taken its spot ;)

  • caligari #12 3 years ago

    Dead Space was a load of clunky rubbish.

    It was a soulless Resident Evil clone.

  • Razz #13 3 years ago

    LBP... nice shame Everboys Golf wasn't up there.
    Edited by 1 at 30/12/08 @ 18:36

  • michaelius #14 3 years ago

    I'm already preparing wood and gasoline for you guys.

    All in nice canvas engine painted canisters with big VC letters on them.

  • TRUTH #15 3 years ago

    Couldn't get into LBP myself

  • gohda #16 3 years ago

    Wowowowoowowwowoowwowowowooqoqoqoqowowowo!!!!!!!1111

  • Gazza_UK #17 3 years ago

    wohahahahaaaaa

  • superjag86 #18 3 years ago

    I thought it might go to Oblivion with Guns (TM) but that was a nice surprise! :)

  • Widge #19 3 years ago

    BUT no Valkyria Chronicles? Was Dan the only one at EG who played it? :(

  • KingOfMyCastle #20 3 years ago

    SHUDDER... No Valkyria Chronicles? As you don't have an embassy I'm going to burn some of Keiron's comics.

  • Burkey123 #21 3 years ago

    Yes! LBP at no. 1! Its a great game and some of the community levels are fantastic! Well deserved in my opinion.

    Is World of Goo that good?

  • Tomo #22 3 years ago

    Well, I'm glad it wasn't Fallout 3 that won this. Pretty solid Top 10 I'd say give or take a bit of shuffling about. Nice work EG.

  • TheBiGW #23 3 years ago

    And I still don't get LBP, even after it getting number 1 spot here and at Edge. I guess I'm just too old for that sh..

  • Yossarian #24 3 years ago

    Worst. #2. Ever.

    Seriously, Fallout 3 is the Emperor's New Entire Fucking Wardrobe.

  • Salato #25 3 years ago

    Not a bad list, but no Valkyria Chronicles anywhere on the list? For shame EG.

  • Widge #26 3 years ago

    No, Fallout 3 is great, and I wanted it to be terrible so I could moan about Bethesda some more but I couldn't deny it was fantastic.

  • BremXJones #27 3 years ago

    KingOfMyCastle: "I'm going to burn some of Keiron's comics."

    Eeek!

    KG

  • Tetsuo_Shima #28 3 years ago

    GTAIV and Fable 2. It saddens me to say that I couldn't source much enjoyment out of either of those two. Fable 2 was probably on the better side of mediocre, at least combat was good fun at times and the story had its moments. GTAIV disappointed me greatly, though, because of its lack of story, focus and interest in general.

  • BOFH_UK #29 3 years ago

    GH:WT above Rock Band 2? Sorry, totally disagree with that one, Rock Band is clearly the better game IMO - far more fun in a local multiplayer session, better track listing, better note charting, better career mode, FAR better 'feel' of being in a band and, most importantly, a VAST number of tracks available as DLC. Reading through the comments I can't help feeling it's been placed where it is because of the instruments which is a shame. Oh well, to each their own I guess.

    As for the rest, can't argue with any of the top ten really. The exact order is, of course, open for debate but that's going to vary from person to person anyway so the heck with it. I'd love to pick up Left 4 Dead but it's just too expensive on the 360 at the moment for the amount of content it provides. One surprise though, does this mean that Dead Space didn't make the top 50? That IS odd considering the feedback it's been getting all over the place. I wonder if it's one of those games that people like but not enough to quite make it into their top ten lists?

  • imamazed #30 3 years ago

    Braid was the standout game for me, by far. Then GTA.

    But a list compiled by myself wouldn't really be accruate, as I have no access to a PS3 and hate RPGs :D

  • Yossarian #31 3 years ago

    You know the way Kieron Gillen wanted to write a scathing MGS4 review? WELL I WANT TO WRITE A FALLOUT 3 ONE.

    This #2 is an offence to reason, justice, and the Fallout license.

  • Fleisch #32 3 years ago

    Can't believe Left4Dead was only number 7....its perfect.... but still, top ten is good going I guess..

    now to go buy world of goo!

  • rawburger #33 3 years ago

    So, a PS3 win this year then...

    Seriously, a good list, and well done to LBP .
    Edited by 1 at 30/12/08 @ 18:34

  • paulf #34 3 years ago

    hurray for LBP - are they gonna sneakily change the review score to a 10 now?

  • Yossarian #35 3 years ago

    And yes, Left 4 Dead should be higher. I'd put it #1, but I understand that it's not for everyone.

    But really, though, Fallout 3 is a crashing disappointment in all but a few respects.

  • BremXJones #36 3 years ago

    BOFH_UK: "I wonder if it's one of those games that people like but not enough to quite make it into their top ten lists?"

    I suspect it's this, though I admit I didn't play it.

    KG

  • jetsetdemo #37 3 years ago

    How tastes differ, i am lapping up Fallout 3 and i could not stand GTA IV, that really was the Emperor's New Wardrobe and all his staff to boot!

    As for LBP at number 1, i dont like it, and i also find it complex in design mode. I have two under ten's who i have to prize away from the thing every day and who seem to have no issues designing vast complex levels in Co-Op mode!

    Mmm maybe i am getting old?

  • Widge #38 3 years ago

    I like GTA4, even if for it being one of those rare games that didn't assume we are all 14 years old in fully grown bodies.

  • david78 #39 3 years ago

    GHWT over RB2 WTFOMGBBQ!!!!!!!!!
    Seriously, WTF?

  • Yossarian #40 3 years ago

    "I'd love to pick up Left 4 Dead but it's just too expensive on the 360 at the moment for the amount of content it provides."

    If I see this line of reasoning or a variation on it one more time I'm going to scream. I have played Left 4 Dead more than any other retail game this year, including 'epic' RPGs like Fable II, Fallout 3, and the FPS odyssey that is Far Cry 2.

  • MyWifeNowDave #41 3 years ago

    It's not mentioned in the article but Crysis Warhead is in the 0th position.

  • Phily50 #42 3 years ago

    Fair enough.

    GTA shouldn't be that high though.

  • drumbaby #43 3 years ago

    Probably the least random list out of all of them. Weirdness...

  • dom6918 #44 3 years ago

    NO FIFA???!??? You what...thats harsh..EA actually have made the best sports game ever..and its not in the top 50!?

  • Yossarian #45 3 years ago

    Did I miss Ninja Gaiden II as well? Are there no Eurogamer staff/contributors who are good at games?

  • fatbb #46 3 years ago

    LBP is my personal nr 1 as well for the sole reason the missus and me had hours of fun with LBP multiplayer. Still, not a game without faults - I just wish the controls were a bit more precise.

  • Darkflight #47 3 years ago

    No Sins of a Solar Empire anywhere, for shame.

  • David_W #48 3 years ago

    I haven't played much Valkyria yet, but surely it deserves a spot somewhere among the 50.

    IMO among the top 1/4.

  • makeamazing #49 3 years ago

    Yay for LBP... I really didnt think i would like it as much as i do, but its fantastic. Single player is alot of fun, if you give it alittle time and effort :)

    My three kids (under 11) are loving the level editor and have made some really funny things happen on screen.

    Fallout 3, this is a game that you need to play in small bites and it begins to grab you in such a way that you end up playing it for hours. I can see why some people might not think it was all that, but loving it.

    Not too bothered about the rest of the top 10, not played Braid or World of Goo, but I think its a shame Wipeout wasnt in the top 10 as that is a stellar game.

    Anyway overall a pretty good top 10.

  • byron_hinson #50 3 years ago

    Was LOTRO Mines of Moria in there at all - cause it was just as good an add-on as WoW!!

  • DUFFKING #51 3 years ago

    Good to see NG2 didn't make it :p

    Strange IMO to put GHWT above Rock Band as the actual game side of things, Rock Band has a far better selection of songs, a better engine, and since a lot of Harmonix are musicians, the songs in the game actually wind up being fun to play a lot of the time too.

  • dominalien #52 3 years ago

    Maybe more people will buy LBP now that it's EG's no. 1. Who knows, it might even save the PS3 one day.

    Too bad I don't have time to play any next-gen games. Still going through Silmeria and just started with Persona 3 FES today. It is F*****G awesome!

    Oh, and in case someone doesn't know that yet: the PS2 rules! As long as you don't try to connect it to a hi-def display, of course.
    Edited by 1 at 30/12/08 @ 19:04

  • Pinewood_Groves #53 3 years ago

    Eurogamer, you're wrong!

    :p

  • MrMarbles #54 3 years ago

    Exchange Guitar Hero with Dead Space and all is right with the world.

    I can only presume that reviewers perceive games in an entirely different way to consumers. Maybe Guitar Hero is fun when played with the right Activision PR people, drinking the right Activision PR beer at the right free Activision PR party.

  • bad09 #55 3 years ago

    I knew it would be either Braid or LBP at the top.

    Strange top 50 EG but it's your choices I suppose. No Dead Space or SSF2THDR in the entire top 50 is a EPIC failure of EG staff though. Bow you heads in shame...

    Anyway it's been fun.

  • Benno #56 3 years ago

    Littlebigplanet isn't the best game released this year :)

  • anamenos #57 3 years ago

    Eurogamer, where is FIFA09???????????????

  • lucky_jim #58 3 years ago

    The World Ends With You is the glaring omission for me. Haven't played LBP so I can't really comment, but I can't say I'm surprised- EG made Psychonauts (deservedly IMO) their GOTY a couple of years back, so there's obviously a lot of love for quirky platformers in EG Towers.

  • Tetragammatron #59 3 years ago

    "One day a GTA game will emerge that doesn't needlessly demand you drive halfway across an enormous map to start a mission, and then I will be a happy camper."

    Errr, and yet you praised Far Cry's world/solid gameplay? Given that driving in GTA IV is actually enjoyable and easy, what with radio stations and you know, roads, rather than dirt tracks, getting there isn't - "Drive 5 metres, *clang* into a small piece of scrub, *get killed by someone you meet randomly on the road* *restart*". That said, it's a good bit higher than Far Cry but still a bit silly if you don't like an aspect that's done a lot better.

    Oh and I did get a larf out of Tom's "Ignore the snobbery" comment, given that the site (staff & users) are all a horrible bunch of elitists.

  • dom6918 #60 3 years ago

    YES WHERE IS FIFA 09!!

  • doriangray #61 3 years ago

    Hey Kieron, I read your comic Phonogram. Was it coincidence that the main character looked a fair bit like you...and was a massive dick? Heh.

    It was cool, i loved the concept. But remember comics are visual as well, please use less words next time. It hurt my head. ¬_¬

  • imamazed #62 3 years ago

    "One day a GTA game will emerge that doesn't needlessly demand you drive halfway across an enormous map to start a mission, and then I will be a happy camper."

    Errr, and yet you praised Far Cry's world/solid gameplay? Given that driving in GTA IV is actually enjoyable and easy, what with radio stations and you know, roads, rather than dirt tracks, getting there isn't - "Drive 5 metres, *clang* into a small piece of scrub, *get killed by someone you meet randomly on the road* *restart*". That said, it's a good bit higher than Far Cry but still a bit silly if you don't like an aspect that's done a lot better.

    Oh and I did get a larf out of Tom's "Ignore the snobbery" comment, given that the site (staff & users) are all a horrible bunch of elitists."
    ------------------------------------------------------------ --------------

    Furthermore, you can just get cab rides to your missions in GTA4 then skip them! No need to drive halfway across the map everytime.

    Too much GTA hate imo.

  • doriangray #63 3 years ago

    Tetragammatron - driving in GTA4 enjoyable and easy?! What game were you playing? The driving was horrible, in an attempt to make it "realistic" it become infuriating and no fun, cars sliding all over the place and any hopes of going at a decent speed and sliding around corners disappeared as apparantly it was "improved" to have the cars skid about and crash into buildings rather than smoothly skid around corners.

    Oh but then the suspension/gravity is still ott cartoon level with cars easily flipping over. So which is it rockstar, realism or fun gameplay? Because you can't seem to do both or decide between which one you're doing.

  • old_man #64 3 years ago

    Little big planet was/is ambitious, it’s slick in execution, but I found it frustrating to play with glitch ridden scenery, and the 2d/3d thing not working smoothly and just being dam annoying. After a week I could not take any more of its faults and traded it in. I admire the concept and ambition, but it’s so not the best game of the year, not even in the top 10 surely.

  • TOOTR #65 3 years ago

    Fallout 3 has completely and utterly gripped my missus. She has moved on from grimacing in disgust at the VATS slow-mo gore-athon to yelping with delight when she separates a Deathclaws head from its body. This.....I am sure...can not be a good thing......

    From reading reviews I told her not to focus on the main quests (she hasn't) but to head off exploring (she has....and she's not coming back soon - I'm going to finally get another xbox).

    Watching over her shoulder I can see/hear its faults but really they are minor compared to the sheer scope of adventure in there.

    When I can kick her off my GOTY has to be L4D and most addictive game is GeomW2 which as the list states is fully alive when your mates have just beaten your score...again...

    Is world of goo coming out on XBLA? Maybe it is time to leave the couch and hunch over a pc again.

  • butler` #66 3 years ago

    Pretty shit year outside of WOTLK, let's face it.

  • AceRadd #67 3 years ago

    Still don't get what people don't like about the platforming in LBP, I've had no problem with it. Picked it up fine straight away from the Beta, but I've been playing mostly platformers my whole life.

    Noticed a few people elsewhere whining that jump height isn't consistent, but it depends how long you press the X button for. Pretty sure variable jump heights like that have been a platforming staple for years /:


    Also, agreeing with everyone who said The World Ends With You should have been in here somewhere.
    Edited by 2 at 30/12/08 @ 23:09

  • DrKuK #68 3 years ago

    I think the readers poll was a far more agreeable top 50. I suppose that's the difference between the gaming public and gaming journo's/critics. LBP was an interesting choice for the top spot as after playing the beta i've given this a miss, maybe the cutscenes just were'nt long enough for me.

    Putting GHWT above Rockband is astonishing to be frank, with the exception of the instruments Rockband is by far the better game, i havnet touched GHWT since buying RB2 a few weeks later. it was another top 50 from Eurogamer a few years ago that first got me into the Guitar hero series.

    The absence of dead space in the top 50 is also rather surpirising, if nothing else that game had the best use of 5.1 surround sound of any game this year.

    For all those still pissed off about MGS4 scoring so scandalously low, despite being so highly rated in the readers poll check out Giantbomb.com , theyve given the game best graphics award and best ps3 game award (deservedly so IMO).

  • gogobaka #69 3 years ago

    Just downloaded World of Goo, don't see what all the fuss is about.

  • coomber #70 3 years ago

    I hope the massively over-hyped LBP's No.1 spot will convince everyone that EG does not only have love for obscure Japanese puzzle games in a bid to be elitist lol.

    No Dead Space anywhere, or did I miss it? Mind you, the EG review was the only one I have seen that was worse than their Fable II love-in...

  • Nemesis #71 3 years ago

    LBP is a place to visit in 6 months or so; until then I'll mess around with stuff dropping in from PSN and Live. Braid and Geometry Wars II were the highlights for one, Wipeout HD, Pixeljunk Eden/Monsters and [finally] Riff for the other.

    From retail, Burnout Paradise and GTAIV are still getting regular playtime; and Fallout 3 and Saints Row II in the 20 quid region were too tempting to ignore.

    I've really enjoyed the downloadable games this year; even if I had to look to YouTube for a couple of the Braid puzzles. Sorry!

  • spudsbuckley #72 3 years ago

    'Just downloaded World of Goo, don't see what all the fuss is about'

    Indie game.

  • Rash' #73 3 years ago

    I originally thought Fable 2 would be the shock no.1, but this is a shock in itself. Don't really get EG's dumb system; most of them don't really seem that interested in LBP's position and are more concerned with slanging it off. Fools! A deserved victory for Sony's flagship title.

    No love for No More Heroes, The World Ends With You, Valkyria Chronicles or Dead Space. This list is a epic fail and I think the staff on EG would agree with that. Here's hoping next year they rethink the system because no one seems completely gratified.

    Special mention also must go to Super Stardust Portable. A tremendous conversation which regularly has local commuters gawping at the vibriant visuals. The PSP's screen was made for this game.
    Edited by 2 at 30/12/08 @ 19:59

  • MilkYMoO #74 3 years ago

    Fable 2 deserves to be number 1. I mean how could you not love that dog, jaysus I love that dog. I also can't currently understand all the fuss over Littlebigplanet. Braid seemed to play similarly to it but had me addicted within minutes. I suppose I'll give it another chance and hopefully get hooked.

  • Cappy #75 3 years ago

    WHERE IS VALKYRIA CHRONICLES?

    Useless chavs.

  • banjo21 #76 3 years ago

    Nice list - personally I think LBP and GTA 4 are shite - but then I dont get paid for my opinions and now I know why.
    Edited by 1 at 30/12/08 @ 19:49

  • spudsbuckley #77 3 years ago

    'A real shame, but I think it'll be, like SH2, a game who's stature increases over time.'

    That'd be true except for the fact that's it's pretty much been universally lauded already.

  • gypsumfantastic #78 3 years ago

    @gogobaka:

    You have to play the game. Downloading is not normally enough.

    HTH.

  • Chtulie #79 3 years ago

    Is 2008 geometry wars 2's leaderboards really such an improvement on 2006's Trackmania United?
    I mean, that game had friends list leaderboards too. And local, regional, national and international leaderboards.
    And there was also the point system. Get a few more points as a player and help your group/city/region/country beat another group/city/region/country.

  • Max_Powers #80 3 years ago

    LBP did not do anything for me.

    GTA IV is my game of the year. Absolutely fantastic on so many levels.

  • TravisTouchdown #81 3 years ago

    "From when Rayman came out."

    Fuck.

  • coolbritannia #82 3 years ago

    Gotta say EG, no mention og NG2 or Dead Space......you epic failed a bit there. Sure Gaiden would be low 40's, but I think most people assumed Dead Space would be a top 20 at least.

    Still, it's only a list, fair play and all that.

  • FogHeart #83 3 years ago

    Eight of the ten we pretty much knew would be there, with the remaining two spots we were wondering if it'd be Dead Space, Crysis Warhead, FIFA 09, No More Heroes, COD 5, Ninja Gaiden 2, The World Ends With You...etc etc....

    and Geometry Wars - pretty lights and a leaderboard - is at least 44 positions higher than all of the above. Condemned 2 is at least thirty places higher.

    I haven't been this baffled by these guys since I read a review for Communal Crotch Flaying.

  • trousers #84 3 years ago

    Did the makers of Dead Space come round and piss in EG's kettle or something?

  • Killerbee #85 3 years ago

    Can't argue with that. LBP is quite possibly the most fun I've had gaming for ages - I never thought I'd enjoy designing my own levels but even that became a labour of love and distracted me from the rest of my gaming "to play" pile for a good week or so. Awesome stuff.

  • gypsumfantastic #86 3 years ago

    Dead Space was hoisted by its own petard. Said petard, in this case, being one of the most disastrously wrong-headed decisions in game release scheduling ever.

    Nothing personal, Dead Space, but your PR team were ruddy spongs.

  • AgentCool #87 3 years ago

    I personally found GTAIV to be average at best. There's an excellent open-world in there with a decent script to boot but, as a game, it's outdated and repetitive. Fallout 3 is my GOTY but I've been constantly disappointed by what 2008 has had to offer, especially compared to what we got in 2007. Certainly, there have been plenty of top games this year (GoW2, Civ:Rev, Rez HD, FIFA 09, Fable II, SoulCalibur IV), but a lot of the big boys people continually go on about didn't do much for me at all. For example, I've played LBP for ages but find it to be little more than a serviceable platformer with a comprehensive level editor.

  • GamesConnoisseur #88 3 years ago

    Congratulations to LBP for making the EG's choice as no 1, to take nothing away from it, I didnt personally been giving it enough attention as felt my gaming needs were more stated elsewhere. Perhaps I m too cheaply pleased or expecting more pleasures from a certain type of games, but can clearly see why LBP should be rightly applauded.

    Apart from getting the no 1 slot, the rest of the top 10 was mostly taken by X360 and most of these games are indeed worthy to be considered, of course such as LBP did not fully meet my pleasure centres, so would Fable II or Braid be likewise not so appreicated by other gamer. To each his own, we will all come up with different top tens and impossible for EG or any other gaming site to get it 'right' for everyone!!

    World of Goo, I did not considered any of WiiWare since Lost Winds, due to Wii memory fiasco, but was intrigued enough to give it a try and yes seem one of the better title on WiiWare and Indies often get pluses from critics but that the way things work.

  • clean515 #89 3 years ago

    Where the fuck is Valkyria Chronicles ? Nothing under top 10 is even about the same quality as that game, having fallout in the top 10 is a joke.

    Well atleast the sony fanboys are happy again now with LBP in 1#.
    Edited by 1 at 30/12/08 @ 20:15

  • GitSomE_UK #90 3 years ago

    MGS4 number 30, Fallout 3 at 2 .... Madness

    /Kicks table and chairs over

    But I do like LBP

    /Sets furniture straight again

  • Katsumoto #91 3 years ago

    "the rest of the top 10 was mostly taken by X360". Well, just under half. But that's still a lot, obv!

  • HoriZon #92 3 years ago

    L4D is the best game of 2008!!!!

    So stuff you EG!!

    /coat.

  • poxymoron #93 3 years ago

    Er, so when does the real list go up?

  • cawley1 #94 3 years ago

    I love the fact that Braid and LBP are not only rated at #5 and #1, but there are plenty of positive comments in this thread as well!
    2008 - the year the Platformer made it's comeback!

  • Daymare #95 3 years ago

    Dan Whitehead: ...I love horror...

    No, you clearly do not, judging by that blasphemous 7/10 score for Dead Space!

    /shakes mutated tentacle!!!!1!
    Edited by 1 at 30/12/08 @ 20:34

  • spunkymunkey #96 3 years ago

    No Raving Rabbids TV Party?!

    BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!! ?

  • Eighthours #97 3 years ago

    GHWT higher than Rock Band 2! Ha ha ha ha ha! "The better band game!" Ha ha ha ha ha!

    What? You're being serious? Really? For shame. Truly baffling.

  • Soul_man #98 3 years ago

    Same top 3 as for me, just in the reverse order. :)

    And I would probably place World of Goo at number 4. Yes, it really is that good, at least for me. For those who don't 'get' it, try to play through the whole first chapter, at least. I think the tumble-dryer level was the one where I really 'got' it. The final level of the chapter is also great.

  • BOFH_UK #99 3 years ago

    Hmm, a thought has just occured - what's the impact of game release dates on the Top 50?

    Let me explain my thinking on this one - Dead Space is a game that many expected to be in the top 50. However it wasn't released until the end of October and right in the middle of a horribly busy schedule which included GH:WT, RB2, LBP, Farcry 2, GOW2, Left 4 Dead, Fable 2 and Fallout 3. It got a not-great reviews and has been steadily building support on forums the world over as word-of-mouth did its job.

    However, for those folks who work for Eurogamer they've got to get through a huge pile of games for review AND play whatever games take their fancy out of that stack. Some games are gonna get short shift the same way that most of us put certain titles on our 'wait for the sales' list. Now considering that these lists must come in for preparing the articles at least a few days before the Xmas break that probably left a period of, what, two months to work through ALL those games. If I was in their position I'd be looking at games with a heavy multiplayer component and that seems to be reflected in which games made it in from that busy period (or they were major titles ala Fallout 3).

    Another thought - would it be possible to see individual writers rankings for games? No reason other than curiosity really but it'd be interesting at least.

  • jogi #100 3 years ago

    This list is crap. No FIFA 09, no Dead Space and GHWT above RB2. GHWT is a bad game next to RB2, it's ugly and boring.

  • Widge #101 3 years ago

    Looking through the top 50, its a pretty good balance no matter what you own. Even the PS2 gets a look in!

    I think 2008 has been a quality year, there is loads outside of this list that is also worthy of being in anyones collection.

  • makeamazing #102 3 years ago

    The list is the top games they are playing, loving, enjoying... so it is possible that some games will be out of the top 50 or totally missed.

    If you just look at yourself and see what games you have and which ones you might be missing. I think then you will see how easy it is to miss things. Me I havent got WAW, Mirrors Edge, FIFA or Deadspace, though I might get two of them early next year as the prices have gone down.

    Its easy to see why there are some strange choices in the list and why some games are left totally out of the top 50, because its what they are playing and liking etc.

  • Shabtai #103 3 years ago

    Umm..Sins of Solar Empire?

  • Farzlepot #104 3 years ago

    Kudos to LittleBigPlanet. I'd have preferred to have some sort of validation of my own private little list of top games this year by seeing Fallout 3 in the top spot, but I've never played LBP so I can't really comment on its accuracy (besides, I got that validation in the Readers' Top 50, and that means thousands of people agree with me!). Considering some of the titles I've played this year, #2 ain't too shabby at all, and I can't say I'm especially surprised by some of these positions.

    Incidentally, the next time I see anybody in a comments thread crying out in anguish that EG's staff are somehow biased against the PS3, I'm going to open up this article on their PC, take their monitor, and then proceed to merrily smash it over their head. I'd suggest that you all follow a similar practice so that we might finish off the annoying whiners for good!
    Edited by 1 at 30/12/08 @ 20:51

  • makeamazing #105 3 years ago

    Actually Farzlepot it didnt seem that most of the EG staff were that impressed with LBP from reading the write ups, so from that I take it was the general overall good showing from other contributors that probably made it No 1. ;)

  • Farzlepot #106 3 years ago

    "Actually Farzlepot it didnt seem that most of the EG staff were that impressed with LBP from reading the write ups, so from that I take it was the general overall good showing from other contributors that probably made it No 1. ;) "

    I dunno, most of the write-ups seemed full of nauseating quantities of praise to me... then again I did have to leave the computer every now and then to console my weeping copy of Fallout 3, so I might not have been giving it my full attention. :)

    Incidentally I'm absolutely devastated that Alone in the Dark didn't make this list. Propagating fire, people!

  • ol\'dirty\'bus\'stop #107 3 years ago

    The script and the acting are still the worst things about the GTA series. I'm sick of hearing them get praised. HBO quality my arse. They're barely True Movies quality. And if you didn't want to drive you could always just get cabs everywhere. That's what I did. GTAIV still pretty much pissed on everything else I played this year from a reasonable height.
    Edited by 1 at 30/12/08 @ 21:01

  • Rangerwave #108 3 years ago

    Done to appease Sony fanboys after the furore over the obviously bad 9/10 score. I don't understand how you guys can criticise this the way you did and then put it first? I also can't understand why you gave Fable 2 a 10 and then criticised it so much here. Fallout is the only consistant review.

  • wingzerosys #109 3 years ago

    Where the F are Valkyria and Dead Space? DS is one of the (if not) best survival horrors this year, Valkyria is pretty original compared to a lot of these games on the list and imo it's better than Condemmed 2.

    Nice to see LBP become no.1, after playing the MGS pack and using the paintinator, its made the game even more fun and there will be endless hours of fun on it.

    Why shouldn't LBP be no.1? Other than 360 fanboys complaining, it's original compared to a lot of the games on that list and I'd say it's twice-three times longer than any of those too.

    Unless you haven't got broadband or a psn account then the game would seem quite short, but to the one's who have, we can create and share levels, play multiplayer, try out user creators levels and play story mode.

    There's plenty of things to do and you can even customise your sackboy and even download costumes for it like the MGS one's and Street Fighter, new downloadable levels are being added, like the awsome MGS pack which gives you the paintinator.

  • wingzerosys #110 3 years ago

    @Farzlepot.

    AITD didn't deserve to be on that list, if Dead Space didn't, what chance were there for that pos.

  • Kiigan #111 3 years ago

    All good stuff, a well-considered top 10 for 2008 if you ask me.

    What's this Trials 2 thing Tom mentions, is it basically Elastomania?

  • Farzlepot #112 3 years ago

    "@Farzlepot.

    AITD didn't deserve to be on that list, if Dead Space didn't, what chance were there for that pos.    "

    Hey, I put AitD in 5th place on the list I submitted and I'm sticking with it! No matter how much I'd had to drink at the time!

  • spudsbuckley #113 3 years ago

    Yeah AITD was utter crud and shouldn't be in the top anything of anything.

  • dr_faulk #114 3 years ago

    Little BIg Planet?

    Are you serious!?

    *gives up*

  • Kiigan #115 3 years ago

    Hey idiots, these lists represent Eurogamer's opinions, not yours. Make your own list if you want to.

    Personally I probably wouldn't put Braid in my own top 10, but hey. The main titles are all there - Fallout 3, Gears of War 2, World of Goo, GTA IV. Happy days. 2008 was fucking awesome for games.

  • wingzerosys #116 3 years ago

    Damn right and 09 is looking better.

  • ChrisS #117 3 years ago

    Opinions, eh? It's a great list in that it's one of the least 'safe' that I've seen - it doesn't always go for the obvious choices, though I was hoping to see something like World of Goo at number one. But no No More Heroes? No TWEWY? Bah.

    Oh, and cawley1 - I think you'll find that the platformer started its comeback last year with Super Mario Galaxy. (And LBP, for all its merits, isn't a particularly good platformer.)


  • secombe #118 3 years ago

    Reading the text, how did World of Goo not get the top spot? Based purely on the main EG staffers it seems it would have got the #1 spot.

  • Hunam #119 3 years ago

    It's like they spent all their time playing shit games.

    I score this list Alone in the Dark out of Dead Space (4/10)

  • Shrike #120 3 years ago

    Just wanted to say that Tom has earned big kudos from me for his comments on Gears 2. Despite it being not one of my most anticipated games this year, it's the one I probably had the best time with. I tend to play action games with a persistent sense of an imminent, premature conclusion - and most games end about two hours before they feel they should. Gears pushed past that point, got bigger, more entertaining, and then ended when I was ready for it to. It was also the first game in a long time to really impress me technically; the scale of it, at points, felt way beyond anything else I've experienced in this generation of consoles.

    It feels like a game that was made with a lot of love and enthusiasm and skill, and it's ludicrously honed and polished. Which for me makes it hugely entertaining and deserving of its place in the top 10. Yes, it's macho, but it is not stupid. The reactionary snarking that tends to surround this sort of thing is getting as tiresome as the concept of games where you shoot monsters is supposed to be. Gears is a great, vital piece of games design.

  • smelly #121 3 years ago

    @menage :

    "@smelly

    Braid is fucking brilliant. "


    On first play through - i thought so too.. but now looking back.. it was fairly mediocre with too many glitches where things dont quite do what you expect them to do.. and too pompous a story line..

  • Katsumoto #122 3 years ago

    " I don't understand how you guys can criticise this the way you did and then put it first? I also can't understand why you gave Fable 2 a 10 and then criticised it so much here."

    Read the bleedin' editor's blog, or failing that, the first paragraph of this article.
    Edited by 1 at 30/12/08 @ 21:57

  • gamotakon #123 3 years ago

    That's a surprise!!!
    But I'm glad something so different won! Now, I just ought to buy a PS3, a HDTV, and LBP... That's more than 1000euros investment... no wonder why a mass market brilliant game didn't have the commercial success it deserves!

  • cyber_nicco #124 3 years ago

    ROFuckingFL!

  • StooMonster #125 3 years ago

    Meh

  • smelly #126 3 years ago

    "no wonder why a mass market brilliant game didn't have the commercial success it deserves! "

    I thought it was a mess myself.. because it's fysics based sometimes well timed jumps and things dont work thru no fault of your own.. Camera is messed up in multiplayer, etc etc.

    Cant quite put my finger on exactly what i didnt like about it.. we were playing for a solid hour but i never thought i was having fun.

    Disclaimer: Not played in single player though..

    Load times were fucking ridiculous too.

    Before i actually played it - it looked EXACTLY like my type of game.. the perfect thing.. i almost bought a ps3 just to play it.. then i played it and thought "meh - i'll stick with my 360 and wii"

  • spudsbuckley #127 3 years ago

    'But no No More Heroes?'

    I think that even the reviewers who intially spunked themselves over the Japanese quirkiness (sp?) and fact that it was a Suda 51 game eventually realised it was just a really shitty game in retrospect.

    Don't bother to tell me how it's a 'statement' on the current trends in videogame design or whatever pretenious crap was floating around shortly after it's release. It was just utter rubbish that deserves to be forgotten.

  • Law07 #128 3 years ago

    PS3 > 360 this year it seems?
    Edited by 1 at 30/12/08 @ 22:15

  • DDevil #129 3 years ago

    LBP is number 1? Eurogamer's Sony bias is confirmed. There's no way that above-average over-hyped non-game is the best game of the year.

  • El-Dev #130 3 years ago

    LBP at 1! This will spark another 360 price cut.

  • wingzerosys #131 3 years ago

    Wasn't NMH released last year (07)?

    Its funny how things have turned out, instead PS3 fanboys crying, it's the opposite, I say it's about time the PS3 got praised, afterall EG seemed to have been 360 biased.


    I agree, how can MGS 4 be beaten by games such as Singstar, Pure, Tomb Raider:Underworld and whatever other tripe beat it, imo MGS 4, 3, 1, 2.
    Edited by 2 at 30/12/08 @ 22:27

  • dolphan #132 3 years ago

    To the people asking - yes, World of Goo really is that good. It's a sublime piece of pure wondrousness. And I didn't even like Darwinia.

  • paketep #133 3 years ago

    Agree with KG. Gears of War > World of Goo?. In whose dreams?

    And thank god GTA isn't number 1. Just the PC fuck up should kick it out of the top 50.

  • HoriZon #134 3 years ago

    What's Goo like on the Wii, is it just one blurry mess ? as i might get it.

  • botherer #135 3 years ago

    SHARXTREME! Come on, sit down. Honestly, come on, have a nice mug of coffee and a hug.
    Edited by 1 at 31/12/08 @ 01:11

  • madfx #136 3 years ago

    No Dead Space anywhere? Seriously? You guys are a joke.

    I know it's your opinion but your opinions have become more and more outrageous over the last few months. Fable 2 gets a 10, I spent my hard earned cash on that buggy, shallow piece of crap because of you guys, and then a supremely polished and dripping with atmosphere title like Dead Space doesn't even get an 8 and get in a top 50 list? I mean really, please.

    I reiterate you guys are a joke and cannot be trusted for reliable review scores anymore.

  • Eraysor #137 3 years ago

    The reader's top 50 is far better.

  • coolbritannia #138 3 years ago

    Yeah, I thought Fable was pretty shallow as well. It'd get an 8 from me. And the ending is terrible.

  • Tetragammatron #139 3 years ago

    @ doriangray, kudos on the name by the way!

    I know, there's a big divide between people who A) wanted GTA IV to be more realistic and B) those who wanted a more Crazy Taxi-esque arcade experience, but personally I found the balance between fun and realism absolutely perfect. Each car handled exactly as it should. And as such, most of the cars are unutterable shite. But the "good" cars, make journeys a pleasure. I think handbrake turns needing the right balance of acceleration, momentum, braking and of course handbrake is a stroke of genius. Maybe personal taste but you can't honestly say that driving from one end of a warfield to another in FC 2 is better. Never before have I played a game in which getting to the mission was the hard part, the mission itself the easy part.

  • BOFH_UK #140 3 years ago

    @wingzerosys : "Its funny how things have turned out, instead PS3 fanboys crying, it's the opposite,"

    Gotta laugh when you have the misfortune of posting this right after a rant on MGS4...

    But I honestly don't see much fanboy crying here. No accusations of bias and no real whining about LBP as I think most acknowledge it's a good game even if it's not their personal preference. If you want fanboy crying have a look at the 30-21 article comments...

    Besides, 5 out of the top 10 games are exclusive to Xbox (on consoles at least)... ;-)

  • secombe #141 3 years ago

    Seriously,a karaoke games and fitness game better then MGS4? Seriously???

    Did you (or half the people here, it seems) actually read how this list was put together?

    I've no doubt that MGS is a superb game, but if I played World of Goo (for example) and absolutely fell in love with it, and didn't actually get around to playing MGS this year, why would I put MGS above it just so the list 'looked better'?

    I'm pretty sure nearly everybodys top 50 would be missing some absolutely cracking titles.

  • rotmm #142 3 years ago

    @SHARXTREME "my 1st and last coment on this site"

    How sad.

  • Santino #143 3 years ago

    singstar has a far superior gameplay to cutscene ratio though, which instantly makes it a better game, so instead of crying here why don't you go buy some popcorn and sit down and watch some metal gear solid B-movie cheese for the rest of the evening? ;)

  • Katsumoto #144 3 years ago

    So Sharx - in order to justify themselves as journalists they have to... what? Lie about what their favourite games are in order to piss off the fewest people?

  • SniperZoz #145 3 years ago

    LBP deserves praise - but i disagree with EUROGAMER placing it 1st. I'de switch it with Fallout 3 - imo that's fair(er)!

  • Machiavellian #146 3 years ago

    You know whats a Joke is the comments from people complaining why a particular game did not make Eurogamer list. I mean how dumb can you be to not understand that everyone might not have PLAYED the game you enjoyed the most. Hell I loved Dead Space and Ninja Gaiden 2 but I do not base my enjoyment on if Eurogamer staffers have played or even liked the games I like. It really seems so dumb to continue to read the same stupid comments about what place a certain game received or why another certain game did not make the list as if you need Eurogamer staff to validate your decision on the games you like

    Maybe some of you should look at the list as a indicator on what games Eurogamer staff play when they have the TIME. Look at games you probably might not have played and give them a rent or try. I know there are a lot of games in the 50 list that I did not play and I will probably give them the time of day when there are some slow months.

  • Nithron #147 3 years ago

    Not a bad list at all.

    I personally would've placed Mirror's Edge higher, but then I honestly don't understand why everyone complains about that game, it seems bloody fantastic to me.

  • polaris70 #148 3 years ago

    "With a quite spectacular game engine and meticulously crafted living, breathing game world satisfying the graphics whore in me"

    I'm loving Fallout 3 but anyone who says the graphics are good needs a pair of specs. I think it looks like a PS2 game with the poor textures, it looks technically worse than Oblivion. Or maybe it's just the setting that highlights the poor textures? Oblivion's textures were covered with Speedtree, maybe that is the reason :). I was so disappointed when I walked into Megaton, Nevermind though, the gameplay more than makes up for it.

  • denis09 #149 3 years ago

    Having read through the list, the only thing that grates a bit is how EG chose only to let PC fanboys in on the action. How come no Sony, Microsoft or Nintendo fanboys were allowed to utter silly comments :? Seriously guys, there are other platforms, and leaving the keyboards and mice for a gamepad or wiimote every once in a while won't kill you.. Next year I vote for fanboy democracy or beating some more multiplatform sense into those PC-fanboys ;P

  • Machiavellian #150 3 years ago

    On LBP, count me as one of the people who just did not enjoy the game. All the cool user made levels just did not make me want to actually PLAY the levels because the controls are not fun for me. I tried to like LBP. Hell I bought the game the first day it came out but after Playing with my son for about 3 hours, I got bored of the developer levels so I started to download user made levels. There are a lot of clever looking levels but the controls for Sackboy doesn't change and thus my enjoyment of playing those levels putter out to the point that I haven't played the game in over a month.

    I think the problem is the limited ability to do anything interesting with sackboy besides run and jump. The floaty and imprecise nature of the controls was also a turn off for me. There was a lot of frustrating moments doing some of the simplest movements that just did not grab me from the start.

    I am hoping the Metal Gear DLC brings the fun to LBP for me at least I hope some inventive user will take the paint gun and do something really unique and fun.

  • Katsumoto #151 3 years ago

    "How come no Sony, Microsoft or Nintendo fanboys were allowed to utter silly comments "

    Because those fanboys get carte blanche in the comments' threads, so it's only fair the PC gamers get their own back once in a while. Also, it's fairly well documented that leaving kb/m for gamepads will kill you, don't be silly.

  • makeamazing #152 3 years ago

    Seriously,a karaoke games and fitness game better then MGS4? Seriously???

    Actually I would prefer to play Singstar rather than MGS.. you do know everyone has differing opinions on what makes a good or bad game? Also the amount of games released this year (and especially in the last few months) makes it very difficult for anyone to complete/play lots of games. Ive got games Ive purchased from over 12 months ago that I havent completed :(

  • Katsumoto #153 3 years ago

    "I think that metal gear solid is OBJECTIVELY more played,talked-about,more effort invested,recognised,game then SINGSTAR"

    So because more people play it and it's more famous it should rate higher in the chart? That doesn't make sense. It's a list of the EG staff's favourite games of 08, what do sales figures etc. have to do with that?

    "if you think that journalism is expressing opinions by definition"

    No, it's expressing opinions fluently, ably and proficiently. What else can it be? Are you really saying there is some OBJECTIVE way of rating which games are better than others? You can objectively rate them by sales figures, production costs etc, how can you possibly say which game is "better" on a completely objective scale? You can't, and even if you could, that isn't what this list is about, it's a compilation of the staff's favourite games. Added together, as a whole, they preferred Singstar. It's not that much of an atrocity is it?

  • spudsbuckley #154 3 years ago

    'Maybe some of you should look at the list as a indicator on what games Eurogamer staff play when they have the TIME'

    Saints Row 2 made the list and more than half the EG staffers who commented on it hadn't actually played it. This list is pretty much a random pile of shite. I agree with a lot of what's on it but the positioning of some titles and omission of others that just simply should be there is idiotic.

    An example of this is the inclusion of Condemned 2. I liked the game but even i'll admit it wasn't as good as the first and most people who were new to the series would consider it to be crap. If you look at the comments thread for the section of the list it was in you'll see that sentiment is shared by pretty much everyone who played it.

    Now, look at the fact that Condemned 2 made it into the list and Dead Space didn't. Dead Space was a fantastic game. A classic. It's probably going to be the beginning of a successful series. Condemned 2 is probably going to be the end of that series because it just didn't deliver and yet it makes the EG top 50 and Dead Space doesn't.

    Nonsense.

  • Max_Powers #155 3 years ago

    Mirrors Edge deserves to be higher. The game does so much more right than wrong. I feel people are to nitpicky about the less succesful bits.

    Fantastic adrenaline rush, great styling (shit story)

  • Zomoniac #156 3 years ago

    GHWT > RB2??? Have you got some magic press-version of GH that isn't shit? Or is did it become Top 50 best-built peripherals for one place only?

    No FIFA 09 or SC4 makes me cry. As does GTA not coming top, but that's a tad more forgivable.

  • Ryze #157 3 years ago

    I'm really just skipping through the comments section here, and ignoring every RETARD that complains about the order of the list.

    RETARDS!

    Congrats to LBP. Not a system seller for me though - but I haven't played it yet anyway.

    Sony should sell some PS3s by making an Xbox 360 demo of LBP.

    And WipEout HD.

  • botherer #158 3 years ago

    Oh SHARXTREME.

    so,you think putting for example mgs4 lower than singstar in top list for this year is somehow based in reality?

    I'd rather Singstar were sealed in a nuclear bomb and fired into the sun. But that's because I'd have more fun inserting a stinging nettle up my bum than trying to sing out loud in public. I'm sure the game is splendid - my talented and knowledgeable colleagues rate it highly. I've not played MGS4, however. I'm also somewhat hard-pushed to figure out how one could really compare two such drastically different things to the point where it would matter which appeared higher than the other in a list comprised of some people's favourite games.

    Or you want to say that 'eurogamers' views and reviews are NOT journalism,which was my point in the first place:)

    Despite poor old Tom linking to his enormously clear explanation of how it's compiled in every post, it seems you've not read it. It's been made extra clear that this is the compilation of Eurogamer contributors' favourite games of the year.

    (edited for reason)
    Edited by 1 at 31/12/08 @ 01:09

  • Freelancepolice #159 3 years ago

    My only real problem with this list, and it's a biggie, is putting Guitar hero world tour above rock band 2.

    GHWT is complete garbage. It's in your face immature rawwwwwk grates from the moment you boot up and doesn't stop till it's powered down and returned to the box. As soon as I went back to Rock band 2 everything felt right again. Very wrong to misplace the two in that list

  • Ryze #160 3 years ago

    RETARDS!

  • botherer #161 3 years ago

    denis09! EG is run by a cabal of evil pro-console madmen! It's only thanks to the *extraordinary* efforts of Kieron, Jim, Alec and especially me, that there's even a whiff of the poor old PC in the charts! They hate it!

    (None of the above is true, by the way, but I do suspect that Goo would have placed a LOT higher had its Wii release happened earlier, and these controller-fisted whipper-snappers had experienced the joy.)

  • spudsbuckley #162 3 years ago

    'Just tried World Of Goo for an hour on the strength of the opinions expressed, and I have to say it just feels like an internet flash game'

    People love jazzed up Flash games. The majority of acclaimed PSN and XBLA games are basically just better looking versions of Flash games.

    It annoys me greatly that people rave about those rather than stuff like Siren, Warhawk, Wipeout HD and the Wiiware games.

  • Rash' #163 3 years ago

    i'm sorry but on reflection how is this list a credible source of gaming journalism? i mean it's a bunch of guys and gal(s?) amalgamating their personal highlights of the year, who happen to work on a gaming site. what is informative about this self indulgent list? this list isn't "gaming highlights of the year", it's a "here's what we enjoyed, irrespective of our own critical analysis throughout the year". why the fuck should we care about that? the shit has most definitely hit the fan.

  • Katsumoto #164 3 years ago

    If it's not 3D and doesn't feature guns/magic - it's shit, to be fair.

  • Machiavellian #165 3 years ago

    @SHARXTREME
    Please stop because you are making yourself look bad as you go on. Have you ever thought that YOUR opinion is not considered as THE opinion. What does Journalism has to do with what games people want or do play. Some people do not like MGS4, hell I know 10 people with PS3s that have not played the game and have no interest in playing it.

    @spudsbuckley
    Did you even READ how the list is composed. People have stated this a bunch of times but you continue to see comments that show that most either cannot read,did not read, cannot comprehend or just plain stupid. The list doesn't have to mirror your list. Hell it doesn't even have to have any of the games you like. It's simply a list of games that Eurogamer staffers enjoyed or had time to play. Even if half the people did not play Saints Row but the other half had the game at 9 or ten as their best game then do the math.

    The question I have for you spudsbuckley is why you CARE. Why would it even anger you that some people liked games you did not. Is it a ego trip, since you need to state that what other people enjoy is crap while what you like is marvelous.

    So if the list is crap to you then go make your own list, setup a blog and Cheer yourself as the king of all opinions and leave it at that.

  • Katsumoto #166 3 years ago

    "here's what we enjoyed, irrespective of our own critical analysis throughout the year"

    WHAT? So you think these people genuinely approach a game like, for instance, Gears of War 2, and go "hmm, on balance this deserves 9/10 for x, y and z. Shame I hated it". No, they go "hmm, I really loved this game. I'll give it 9/10".

    Critical analysis of a GAME boils down to deciding whether they enjoyed it or not. This is the same for all entertainment media. What can game journalists do except tell people whether they liked a game or not?!

  • TheBrow #167 3 years ago

    Not a bad list really. Would like to have seen Motorstorm, FIFA and maybe Soul Calibur but the lack of Valkyria Chronicles is the only real disappointment really. Ah well, I can feel all the more smug and superior now for being one of the few to appreciate it.

    /is all smug and superior now...

  • 3william56 #168 3 years ago

    LBP wins purely by being the only vid game likely to get you laid. Women are madder for it than karaoke, shoes and bacardi breezers combined.

    Brilliant. Well done Media Molecule, and after all the stuff ups, kudos to Sony for funding and promoting something that original.

  • botherer #169 3 years ago

    It's okay everyone! I made an objective graph that should hopefully clear everything up:

    [link url=http://pool.crea m.org/pics/graph.jpg
    ]http://pool.crea m.org/pics/graph.jpg
    [/link]

    Now we can all get along.

  • coolbritannia #170 3 years ago

    I thought world of goo started as an internet flash game?

  • fluff_the_tiger #171 3 years ago

    nice one botherer!

  • spudsbuckley #172 3 years ago

    'The list doesn't have to mirror your list.'

    I never said it did. I said for the most part the list was ok, it was just illogical in some key points which made it a bit pointless. It ignored obviously fantastic games from this year and included utterly bizzare choices.

    Still though, that fits with EGs further decension into just being Edge.

    We get it. You're too cool for the room and we're all really impressed by the indie dev interviews. Can you go back to be a good website again now please?

    Start by reporting news the day it breaks, not 3-4 days after everyone else. That's worth more than a thousand interviews with Jeff Minter.

  • botherer #173 3 years ago

    EarlBassett - I'm fairly certain I've never professed to not say anything bad about anyone.

    You... you fart-head.

  • denis09 #174 3 years ago

    @botherer: Heh, I sorta like the rounding out of the list with these weird PC games I've never heard of and don't know the incantations and artifact requirements to play so good on you :p The PC has its strengths like any other platform, but fanboys will be fanboys, and I'd rather listen to tips about cool PC games from journalists that don't sound like they're already writing lowly comment-thread-trash in the proper article, hihi :)

  • Physically_Insane #175 3 years ago

    So what has this proved? We know more about games than Eurogamer.

    Readers top 50 > EG's top 50

  • Azazel #176 3 years ago

    Well obv.

  • spudsbuckley #177 3 years ago

    'So what has this proved? We know more about games than Eurogamer.'

    I shows how out of touch EG has become. The readers, actual gamers, not people trying to be trendy and niche, made a much better list which contains a much better selection of games.

    Good going everyone :D

  • Kanjin #178 3 years ago

    I just want to say I hate people who say 'IMO' and even worse 'IMHO' of course it's your sodding opinion, what the hell else gets stated with such annoying bias and condensation.

  • Katsumoto #179 3 years ago

    I'm sure they were definitely trying to be trendy and niche, and definitely not sending Tom a list of their favourite games from 2008. That seems to be the best explanation for their list not mirroring the reader's one. I agree.

  • Rash' #180 3 years ago

    katsumoto, critical analysis isn't as simplistic as "did i enjoy the game". you misunderstand anyway. they've all presented personal lists, which isn't about detailed critical journalism. it's about "here's what i enjoyed playing during the past year". how the fuck is the journalism? it's "here is an average ratio of our fav games". what the fuck is that? who the fuck cares? i mean LBP gets no.1 and the staff proceed to slag off the game and in effect the system that put the game there in the first place, which just gives the impress that not even the staff care. It's like watching that episode of dallas where it all turns out to be a dream. It's like the team just stuck up the middle finger to us all. we spent the whole week waiting for that final list and the team turn round and say "it wouldn't be my no.1". WTF! it's amateur conduct, amateur system and ultimately has been a complete waste of time.

  • Sweetmate #181 3 years ago

    Found LBP hugely disappointing. And Rock Band is miles ahead of anything Neversoft could ever make. Otherwise agree with most of the list.

  • ShakaCarnage #182 3 years ago

    I am rather disappointed. WHY IS TIME TRIALS 2 not at number one brambers? Seriously, I lost three months of the year to that game. It has Xbox Live Arcade written all over it. And if it did, I'd say this:

    "Let me just say something - put it out there... I want to be on you."
    Edited by 1 at 31/12/08 @ 01:05

  • Obiwanshinobi #183 3 years ago

    It's like the team just stuck up the middle finger to us all. we spent the whole week waiting for that final list and the team turn round and say "it wouldn't be my no.1".

    Do you have that whole week stolen from your life? That will teach you spending whole weeks on such activities.
    Edited by 1 at 31/12/08 @ 01:10

  • Nithron #184 3 years ago

    ...Does anybody other than me in the entire world like Mirror's Edge's story? Anyone?

  • Anasui #185 3 years ago

    and the Sony stronghold that is EG forums will have a big party tonight.

    be honest, you didn't want to lose 95% of your community eh?
    Edited by 1 at 31/12/08 @ 01:09

  • Rash' #186 3 years ago

    am i getting advice on how to live my life by someone that parades these forums as Obiwanshinobi???

    honestly get real.
    Edited by 1 at 31/12/08 @ 01:13

  • GitSomE_UK #187 3 years ago

    Well despite all the usual furore over the EG list I'm glad they do it.

    I do find it interesting to see what the EG staff like/dislike and for me there's always a mention of a game that I missed during the year that sparks my interest in taking a look. This year it's Braid and World of Goo that I missed.

    Keep it up EG I'll still be reading next year even if you don't show the love to MGS4 :-)



  • jimboton #188 3 years ago

    Did nobody in EG other than Tom Bramwell bother to play Banjo Nuts and Bolts?

  • Obiwanshinobi #189 3 years ago

    am i getting advice on how to live my life by someone that parades these forums as Obiwanshinobi???

    Not really. Someone who once wrote as follows:

    It's like the team just stuck up the middle finger to us all. we spent the whole week waiting for that final list and the team turn round and say "it wouldn't be my no.1".

    is getting the statement:

    That will teach you spending whole weeks on such activities.

    Observation rather than advice.

    honestly get real.

    Thanks for the advice, but I'm not really into reality.

  • captain-future #190 3 years ago

    Did I miss the truely excellent Yakuza 2 on this top 50 list?

  • FooAtari #191 3 years ago

    Comments threads are so depressing. Shows the poor mental state of most EG readers.

    I always love the claims of bias as well. I thnik it's great how EG are both Sony and MS biased at the same time.

  • tomwhitaker #192 3 years ago

    Let's just second the complete bewilderment at GH:WT over RB2. Sheer lunacy.

    But then again, I don't really get the love for L4D either. Is it only me that feels like you're playing it in some kind of floaty god mode, not a real game? Swamped by tens of zombies clawing at you but able to stay alive for a fair while, shooting at them but not really feeling like you're connecting as they collapse... I think it's too manic for its own good and I don't really feel a thing while I play it other than amusement. Amusement is all fine and well, but it's certainly never got close to scaring me or feeling tense, which I really wish it would.

  • menschenfracht #193 3 years ago

    I think Soulcalibur must have been released in December to get in the list. Top 50 games of 2008? Top 50 games of last three months and countless remakes. Siren and Ookami made my head hurt.

  • coomber #194 3 years ago

    Finally proof that EG are biased towards the ColecoVision!

  • Anxiety #195 3 years ago

    the top 10 is the only thing that made any sense, your 11-50 was total nonsense.

  • Ryze #196 3 years ago

    /...back from GTA online, SSFIITHDR online, Burnout Paradise online, Burnout 3...

    RETARDS!

  • Obiwanshinobi #197 3 years ago

    I think it's too manic for its own good and I don't really feel a thing while I play it other than amusement. Amusement is all fine and well, but it's certainly never got close to scaring me or feeling tense, which I really wish it would.

    Better amusement than pity RE4 delivered. Let's hope RE5 will provide more of regenerators' goodness, as even now I feel sorry for the rest of cannon fodder in RE4.

    Oh yes, seems like the most of EG staff has yet to play Chrono Trigger (being merely a port of a pretty old game didn't prevent Rez from ranking much higher). To think they have no idea how great adventure awaits them...
    Edited by 1 at 31/12/08 @ 02:12

  • roz123 #198 3 years ago

    At first i was really dissapointed with the positioning of Smash Bros Brawl because it is a great game with many a hilarious moment and masses of content. But seeing as its a game that relies on like minded friends and that really hurts your eyes i will let it go, aswell it seems to be the only fighting game on a list that is tending towards innovative games.

    The list also redeemed itself for pointing me out to Trials 2 which i got for £1.50 that brought me right back to the days of digging up little dirt ramps with my mates and playing elastomania which was a classic little game.

    Glad to see L4D and GTA4 up in high positions. Easily 2 of the best games this year, would right a few messages to argue some of the sillier comments people have wrote about GTA4 on this thread but cba.


    It would be a fun little thread if you could post who voted for what just for the reactions.

  • Postumo #199 3 years ago

    Little Big Level Editor first? what a shame...

  • dryden555 #200 3 years ago

    Argh, I used to really enjoy eurogamer's quirky maverick reviews, but its 90% mainstream now and heading toward 100%. Some new reviewers or maybe a new head editor might stop the downturn.

  • dr_faulk #201 3 years ago

    spudsbuckley
    30-Dec-08 22:12:14

    'But no No More Heroes?'

    I think that even the reviewers who intially spunked themselves over the Japanese quirkiness (sp?) and fact that it was a Suda 51 game eventually realised it was just a really shitty game in retrospect.

    Don't bother to tell me how it's a 'statement' on the current trends in videogame design or whatever pretenious crap was floating around shortly after it's release. It was just utter rubbish that deserves to be forgotten.


    Absolutely, ABSOLUTELY incorrect. No More Heroes is a genuinely funny game, with such fresh presentation, and one of the few Wii games to utilise the controller in a new and sensible fashion, that it deserves a place on that Top 100. If you dismiss this game as you have, you simply don't have a soul and don't know how to laugh, you jaded, listless 60-year-old.

  • Nillsens #202 3 years ago

    A platformer with a level editor...

    Coming from someone who owns the game: "No."

  • Sunyavadin #203 3 years ago

    Um guys, you obviously had an editing slipup there, and got World of Goo and LBP's places switched. Anyone feel like fixing that glaring error?
    Edited by 1 at 31/12/08 @ 04:31

  • Kenshin001 #204 3 years ago

    "LittleBigPlanet sets out to give people fun, social experiences, to make them laugh and challenge them to work together, and for those few whose creative talents are great enough, it gives them a wonderful toolset. It's a resounding success on all of those levels."

    Rob Fahey's comment summed it up perfectly.

  • HermitArcader #205 3 years ago

    Post deleted at 09:17:39 22-12-2011

  • ochinembiri #206 3 years ago

    Having read the article on how they come up with the final list I still cant believe that none of the contributors played Fifa 09. Yes it was not ground breaking but this is a game that a lot of gamers not only bought but played a lot online and in offline modes. At least even number 50 would been acceptable. What gaming journalist ranks Singstar higher than Saint Row 2 or MGS4? Bioshock was one of the best games on the xbox and I am told the PS3 version is as good/better, where is it? Yes admittedly its down to personal opinion but this seems more a joke than an opinion. LBP is first but most of the comments by the contributors are generally negative so how did it win. I know my top 10 would be worse than this but there are games I don't like which if I was asked I have to acknowledge that even though I wouldn't play them as much as the other games they are good games e.g. GTA and Fallout. ]The games I played the most this year were Soul Calibur, Midnight Club and most recently L4D and I know they are deeply flawed games that do not deserve to be the game of the year if I was a journalist because they would not appeal to a lot of people and there are better options.

  • shadaik #207 3 years ago

    LBP? Really? Admit it, you took a look in my notes, searching for "game I give the least amount of shit about" and were actually successful.
    Or you just went for "game with the most bullshit PR" which also explains the inclusion of GTA IV.

  • sjmlondon #208 3 years ago

    Left 4 Dead is totally addictive and most engrossing multiplayer this year followed by Battlefield Bad Company which kept me occupied for many long hours in the summer. Burnout Paradise looked superb and played brilliantly once you familiarised yourself with the map and all the bonus free DLC only added to the enjoyment. All the above 3 games required team work and made it is pleasure to play online rather the relentless agressive battle that is Halo or COD online.

    How you can leave Dead Space out of your top 50 when it is at number10 of the users top 50? A great atmospheric FPS.

    How come Geometry Wars 2 and Braid? I've never seen anyone on my friends list playing either of those two. Had a quick look at Braid tonight. Am I missing something? Looks shite and Geometry Wars is just arcade fodder from 20 years ago. Gave me a headache.


  • etcoon #209 3 years ago

    I love EG, but this top sucks...

  • Scimarad #210 3 years ago

    Where the hell was Valkyria?

    I've only just started playing LBP so I'm actually quite inclined to agree with No.1 - And that's not even taking into account the ability to make your own levels:)

  • Daikon #211 3 years ago

    "LittleBigPlanet sets out to give people fun, social experiences, to make them laugh and challenge them to work together, and for those few whose creative talents are great enough, it gives them a wonderful toolset. It's a resounding success on all of those levels."

    Funny, I thought it was a list of the to 50 GAMES of 2008, not top 50 fun, social experiences of 2008.
    LBP might be a very accomplished game construction kit, but for me the GAME of the year was Fallout 3 (despite all the bugs).

  • pha #212 3 years ago

    Top Game of 2008: FallOut 3

    Cause I never played LBP and I never will - since I'm not willing to pay twice the price of my current console to purchase another one just to be able to play their very scarce exclusive games that are worth a try.

    Oh well, good thing I outgrew platforming games about 20 years ago...

  • narcissy #213 3 years ago

    LittleBig-bloody-Planet. You've lost a lot of brownie points for this.

  • Beek4257 #214 3 years ago

    Well fair enough; it's a pretty interesting list.

    For me personally:
    I've never played World of Goo, but they've got me thinking I probably should.
    LBP actually made me feel clumsy. Anyone else get the same feeling? (I totally am in real life, so I guess that figures).
    Fallout 3 is my nr. 1 cause I just can't seem to quit once started.
    And I liked Dead Space a lot. Maybe not top 10, but still.

    And to those people who were bugged in advance by CoD: World at war making the top 10:
    It didn't and I told you so ... Pah!

    Happy Newyear to everyone.
    Edited by 1 at 31/12/08 @ 08:21

  • Pedrolot #215 3 years ago

    Fantastic news for LBP.

  • Beano #216 3 years ago

    Wow... LBP Eurogamer's game of the year.. did NOT see that coming :)

    And for once I agree ... it's my GOTY also. I'm enjoying creating levels much more than "playing" in a traditional sense - incredible piece of software :D

  • Fab4 #217 3 years ago

    I take it all back EG...the fact that you left out the piling dungheap that is CoD:WaW means your kudos levels have went through the roof. Also, I have 4 of the top 5 and enjoyed them all.

  • FTM #218 3 years ago

    but..but......but....its ps3 game?

    everybody on here seems to think EG has a blatant 360 bias..how can this beeeeeeee?!

  • Cheapshot #219 3 years ago

    What is the DEAL with Fallout 3!? I wasted good money on this (literal) trash on the basis of EG's review. The laughable graphics, the soulless, stereotypical and predictable characters - a dire battle system where running up to an enemy and aiming for the head was more than effective for most of the formulaic 10 hours I could be bothered to put into this shite, I guess some people are easily pleased.

    There's also this big song and dance about this "VATS" system which was bettered (by a country mile) 8 years ago by Vagrant Story - THIS gets placed 2nd while the World Ends with You doesn't even get placed!?

    EG and their opinions are bloody pathetic!

  • ryohazuki1983 #220 3 years ago

    Also suprised no Fifa 09.

    It's the best football game ever made! It managed to convert loads of PES fanboys. With 11V11 online as well, it's just brilliant.

    Owell.

    Only just heard about braid, so downloaded it last night, good game, not sure how I missed hearing anything about it including the review!

  • miiiguel #221 3 years ago

    Eurogamer and it's Xbox bias... bah!
    I'm quiting this site, this and that....

    edit: I just checked... it happens that that LBP editor thing is not an xbox game, so it's cool. I like EG again, as a matter a fgact I think they're the greatest and shit!
    Edited by 1 at 31/12/08 @ 10:12

  • Agent_Llama #222 3 years ago

    LBP? Hmmm. I'm sure I'd love the community aspect if PSN didn't constantly kick me out, a problem that many others are still having and Sony has done nowt about. /sigh

  • kinky_mong #223 3 years ago

    I could rant on about this for ages but all I'll say is...

    By no stretch of the imagination is GH: World Tour better than RB2. The ability to make piss poor midi versions of songs does not make up for the awful setlist and sporadic DLC. And I know its a moot point at the moment since we have no idea when the RB2 instruments are being released in Europe but the World Tour instruments are pretty shoddy, especially the drums.

    Left 4 Dead deserves to be MUCH higher as well. It gets nothing but praise in the comments, yet LBP has multiple people saying the basic platforming mechanic in the game is broken and gets to No.1?!

    But I will praise you for keeping that clunky piece of rubbish Dead space out of the top 50. A poor imitation of other much better games.

  • Windypops #224 3 years ago

    Favourite comment so far: "...what the hell else gets stated with such annoying bias and condensation."

    Is anybody else just picking their favourite commenter and then plotting the trajectory of their nervous breakdown through the thread? This is totally what the Eurogamer Top Fifty is all about.

    "I'm never posting on this piece of shit site ever again!!!!"

    "Here I am, twenty minutes later, totally posting on this piece of shit site again!!!!"

    There should be an annual Daily Mail campaign. A Eurogamer staffer should resign, someone else should get suspended for three months and, above all, Lessons Should Be Learnt.

  • monkey500 #225 3 years ago

    hurrah!

    LBP reigns surpreme!

  • mazzl #226 3 years ago

    EG's staff is getting older, you can see clearly this year, they just want puzzle games :p

    don't agree with the top 5. but, who cares...

    happy newyears eve to everybody.

  • Buran #227 3 years ago

    I love all the cryes and complains about MGS 4 and LBP and the fact that, even with the large diference in the scoring in the "top 50 games", the disgusting taste for both in Eurogamer is comparable.

    Let's go. I have a powerful PC, a PS3 and a Xbox 360. My most played games in PS3 this year were Unreal Tournament III -with keyboard & mouse- and Soul Calibur IV. MGS 4 and WipE Out HD are honorable mentions, but concerning gameplay both are inferior to UT3 and SC IV. Unreal Editor -PC but with the chance to adapt the contents to PS3- is > to LBP editor. So, I'm very happy playing in a minoritary fps shooter -which is what UT 3 is today- in console in the mos minoritary way -k & m controls- and playing the best fighting game of the year -SC IV- even taking in consideration that the online in this game is the second worst conceived online in a game ever -in both PS3 and Xbox 360, I have both versions-.

    Aside from this, Fallout 3 -in PC- was dissapointing-, much worse than Oblivion in terms of beauty, gameplay, story and even graphics. My most played game this year was Diablo II LOD with near to 500 hours, that crushes in fun and gameplay all the other titles launched this year. Honorable mentions to Crysis Warhead and his mp Crysis Wars: still tramples above any other game in the technical department and makes that the best titles in the "HD consoles" looks like handheld generation games. And better, the game is fun -but can't competa vs Blizzard ones-. Also WAR was a amazing new addition to the MMORPG, best one sonce WoW.

    Game of the year: WotLK, but to me his gameplay is inferior to D II LOD, which also does not need a monthly fee. Next year will be the year of the PC -Dawn Of War II, Starcraft II, Battlefield 3... - Sorry, I'll buy KZ2 and Tekken 6, but again will be a lose war vs the titles from Relic and Blizzard.

  • thinred #228 3 years ago

    I don't see any glaring omissions in the list, except Dead Space probably (although haven't played it). Of course, the order can be debatable, but it doesn't really matter, does it? Most of the top 8-10 games in this list would be worthy GOTY winners in my book, even if I don't like them all equally.

    As for FIFA 09 and MGS4, well, the first one is the latest iteration on an over-milked franchise. I can see why professional games journalists would be sick of it and tend to overlook it. It just looks pretty much the same, with minor steps back and forward every year. They really shouldn't release a new version every year, it's ridiculous.

    MGS4...I admit I haven't played it. The very thought of 60-minute long (or worse) cutscenes put me off it, and I don't think I'll ever give it a go, except if I find it some day in the bargain bin for €9.99. They say "you either love it or hate it", and I think most people lean towards the second (which is not to say the actually hate it). The fact that it made the top 30 is good enough, no matter what the fanboys may say.

  • Drogul #229 3 years ago

    Oh well, so a 9/10 beats all 10/10 after all. You really should review your scores guys.

  • IneptPercy #230 3 years ago

    LBP number 1... I must go and buy a PS3 right now... It's only £299.99................

    actually scrap that idea...

    Interesting list, as always I don't agree with everything but always gives me ideas.

    World of goo it is then.

  • Erinan #231 3 years ago

    GH:WT higher than RB? Seriously?

    Get a grip, Eurogamer staff, GH sucks balls compared to Rock Band and you're the only website from those I read that considers GH:WT to be the better game.

  • brainbird #232 3 years ago

    9/10

    ... people who post a comment here do not understand how the list was compiled.

  • spudsbuckley #233 3 years ago

    Absolutely, ABSOLUTELY incorrect. No More Heroes is a genuinely funny game, with such fresh presentation, and one of the few Wii games to utilise the controller in a new and sensible fashion, that it deserves a place on that Top 100. If you dismiss this game as you have, you simply don't have a soul and don't know how to laugh, you jaded, listless 60-year-old.

    Look. It was just a crap, poorly designed, repetetive pile of drivel. People intially got all excited because it was a bit quirky but the excitement wore off after about 30 minutes play time when it's glaring flaws are revealed and boredom sets in.

  • ryohazuki1983 #234 3 years ago

    @thinred

    Just because Fifa is released yearly doesn't justify "professional journalists" ignoring the game. Compare Fifa 09 with Fifa 07 for example; I played 07 around relatives house over Xmas, the difference is huge. I then told my brother-in-law about 09, he went out and bought it then couldn't stop playing all night!

  • ChadSexington #235 3 years ago

    John Walker: cunt. "I haven't played LBP, but I think it's rubbish." Er, your opinion's not valid then, is it?

    Kieron Gillen: cunt. Need I say more?

  • Rushy #236 3 years ago

    GHWT above RB2, mental.

    Well done LBP, fantastic game.

  • scott_morris13 #237 3 years ago

    this list made me sigh.

  • spudsbuckley #238 3 years ago

    'Edge have given up on reviewing Pro Evo and Fifa. Maybe EG should do the same.
    (and seeing as EG's reviews always go online on or after release date, I thought they had this year)'

    Suprised they haven't given up already then. EG is just trying to turn into Edge slowly so i guess it's only a matter of time.

    Way to stay relevant by not reviewing two of the biggest games of every year, Edge! Pretentious wankers.

  • Rash' #239 3 years ago

    look, i'm happy football games aren't for you, but they are for millions of people worldwide, so to assume that these games shouldn't be reviewed just because you don't enjoy them is incredibly self-centred and frankly as someone else said, bollocks!

  • LastAngryMan #240 3 years ago

    Not sure why football games seem to be getting dismissed these days. If you look at the sheer number of game modes in FIFA, Be a Pro 10v10 and the fact it contains (arguably) the most realistic football engine to date, then you have a fantastic sandbox experience where anything can happen. All this toss that goes around about games "being a platform", football games have been doing it for years! But then again, if you don't like football in the first place....

  • thinred #241 3 years ago

    ryohazuki1983: "Just because Fifa is released yearly doesn't justify "professional journalists" ignoring the game. Compare Fifa 09 with Fifa 07 for example; I played 07 around relatives house over Xmas, the difference is huge. I then told my brother-in-law about 09, he went out and bought it then couldn't stop playing all night!"

    Fair enough, but what about Fifa 08? If it was pretty much the same as 07, then there was no point releasing it (except cashing in, of course). If it was a highly significant improvement over 07, then it's probably close to 09, so no point in releasing the latter.

    frankblack: Bollocks

    Maybe so. You sound like you know the game and franchise better than me, so I won't argue with you. My point is that these supposedly huge improvements are only evident to people who are very much into the franchise or people who last picked it two or three iterations ago. For the rest of us (most of us, probably), it's same old same old EVERY freaking year.

    If EG was compiling a 2008 top 100 then I'm sure Fifa 09 would be in there, if only for overall quality and production values. As it is, I can see many other games this year deserving more than Fifa 09 to get into the top 50, be it for overall quality, innovation, and so on. But hey, to each his own.

  • LastAngryMan #242 3 years ago

    09 was massivley improved over 08, no doubt. Its possible to tell within about the first 30 seconds of a match, wether you are obsessed with the series or not. The introduction of 10v10 online, and the Clubs support, was another massive step for the series so in this case the difference was huge. Given the EA budget cuts this might not be the case next year of course :p
    Edited by 1 at 31/12/08 @ 11:40

  • tonynibbles #243 3 years ago

    I dont think GTAIV should be in any top ten of the whole year, its the biggest let down of the year.
    "Oh look, a road with no cars on, I'm going to turn around and face the other way. Now I shall immediately turn around again and face the road - WOAH! Where did all those cars come from!?!!?"
    or...
    "I'm going to drive in to this 10ft tall, young birch tree at 200mph (crashes, hurtles player through windscreen on to pavement). How odd, the tree appears to be made out of SOLID TITANIUM."

    Same old game with some not-so-fancy blotchy 'stylised' graphics thrown on top of it, with some lovely attention to detail.
    Cash-cow milking at its best.

    LBP at number one? Whole heartedly agree. If you have not played it, play it.

  • tonynibbles #244 3 years ago

    @Erinan: "GH:WT higher than RB? Seriously? "

    You should play it. Its great!

    Plus, they know how to make a proper guitar, the slide is everything that the original RB guitar wanted to be and they KNOW HOW TO RELEASE A GAME IN EUROPE.

  • Azazel #245 3 years ago

    John Walker: c***.

    Argh my eyes! How can you write such things about JW! Where is your humanity?!

  • FogHeart #246 3 years ago

    I played No More Heroes all the way through three times. I just found the sword combat to be like some kind of delicious amphetamine.

    Maybe EG staff don't change opnions after they're commited to the page - they probably still think RE4 Wii controls are borked, there's no such thing as 'tuck' on Family Ski (EG Epic Fail of the Year!) but equally NMH is undiminished over time.

    I'm not bothered about the arrangement of the titles in the top 10, because if you took a small bunch of us gamers and made us come up with a top 10 the sample space would make an equally scrambled list. I just think bumping up Geometry Wars and More Cock Rock For You to the total exclusion over the individual games we're all astonished not to see anywhere in the top 50 is a bit much.

  • thinred #247 3 years ago

    LastAngryMan: 09 was massivley improved over 08, no doubt. Its possible to tell within about the first 30 seconds of a match, wether you are obsessed with the series or not. The introduction of 10v10 online, and the Clubs support, was another massive step for the series so in this case the difference was huge. Given the EA budget cuts this might not be the case next year of course :p

    See? You guys are already waiting for NEXT year's iteration, even though this year's is amazing by your recknoning. I KNOW I would be sick of ANY of the games I like if they were putting out a new one every year, but that's probably just me ;)

  • ryohazuki1983 #248 3 years ago

    "Fair enough, but what about Fifa 08? If it was pretty much the same as 07, then there was no point releasing it (except cashing in, of course). If it was a highly significant improvement over 07, then it's probably close to 09, so no point in releasing the latter."

    I only played 08 on the Wii, so can't really comment on that as Wii version was dumbed down.

    However I feel 09 is a worthy mention for new features, 10V10 works very well, considering there's 20 human players in one football match with no lag. Consdering the lag on PES is terrible with just two players.

    I do agree that in the past EA have used Fifa just to cash-in. Now a lot of people assume it's still the same.

    Like you say each to their own, i'm probably just biased because I play the game every night! End of the day it's just EGs list no big deal, was just suprised one of the best sport games ever made missed the list.

  • LastAngryMan #249 3 years ago

    Ha! To be fair, I didnt say I couldnt wait for the next one, I was just speculating that come next year I will probably be agreeing with you.

    I guess the difference is I will be playing FIFA on a weekly basis (as I have with Pro Evo in the past) right up until the release date of the next installment. If there was a Half Life episode every year that maintained the expected level of quality then I'd buy that every year too, so I don't think its a critiscm to be looking forward to the next one.
    Edited by 1 at 31/12/08 @ 11:57

  • Erinan #250 3 years ago

    @tonynibbles: You should play it. Its great!

    Hey Tony :] Well, I have it - the missus offered it to me/us when it came out. We played if for a couple of hours, I gave a try to Hotel California and... that's it. Since I received RB2 and exported all the RB1 songs to the HDD, we haven't touched GH:WT once. Each his own, but I really can't stand GH:WT, sorry ;p

    Plus, the RB2 guitar is pretty brilliant and GH:WT's one still looks as toyish as before :/

    /biased RB fanboy

    Edit: ok, too many edits, off to buy new fingers.
    Edited by 3 at 31/12/08 @ 11:57

  • ryohazuki1983 #251 3 years ago

    "Ha! I guess the difference is I will be playing FIFA on a weekly basis (as I have with Pro Evo in the past) right up until the release date of the next installment. If there was a Half Life episode every year that maintained the expected level of quality then I'd buy that every year too, so I don't think its a critiscm to be looking forward to the next one."

    Agree completely, I can see myself playing fifa regularly for the next year or so. It's one of the few games that can hold players for so long.
    Edited by 1 at 31/12/08 @ 12:00

  • Katsumoto #252 3 years ago

    It's so painful seeing how many people have rushed to the final page without EVEN READING THE FIRST PARAGRAPH.

    "zomg EG LBP got 9/10 yet is number 1 - wtf LOL LOL LOL" - oh my god, it's depressing.

  • koji_m #253 3 years ago

    AGAINST!

  • polaris70 #254 3 years ago

    I want to say please, please, please Bethesda for the next Elder Scrolls game try and lease the Assassins Creed engine from Ubi. I was expecting Fallout 3 to look a lot better than Oblivion, technically speaking, but it looks worse. Ubi have the graphics, Bethesda have the gameplay.

  • muzzer77 #255 3 years ago

    This is a win for gaming. The fact that there is no FPS or general shooter at no one gives the gaming world a chance. To see old school platforming with modern touches thrown in winning is a refreshing change.

  • skyman #256 3 years ago

    World of Goo. Nothing else. xD

  • andy06 #257 3 years ago

    "I dont think GTAIV should be in any top ten of the whole year, its the biggest let down of the year.
    "Oh look, a road with no cars on, I'm going to turn around and face the other way. Now I shall immediately turn around again and face the road - WOAH! Where did all those cars come from!?!!?"
    or...
    "I'm going to drive in to this 10ft tall, young birch tree at 200mph (crashes, hurtles player through windscreen on to pavement). How odd, the tree appears to be made out of SOLID TITANIUM."

    Are these seriously the worst criticisms you can level at the game? The first can be annoying though has been present since GTA3, the second is nothing other than a minor foible in the same way that merely grazing a lamp post sends it flying. Unrealistic but does absolutely NOTHING, AT ALL to detract from the quality of the game in virtually every area. Seriously, genuine criticisms I have just instantly thought of could be be a personal dislike of the protagonist; disliking many of the missions; disliking the new, more realistic, car handling; the almost redundant subway and other overground trains; disliking the narrative or even their decision to supplant the offbeat quirkiness of the previous titles for the gritty realism of GTA4. They're genuine criticisms, but Liberty City is beautifully designed sandbox game world and there's just tons of quality in the narrative to make full use of it. It's the most polished of all the GTAs thus far; a stellar achievement. More of the same, please.

    "Same old game with some not-so-fancy blotchy 'stylised' graphics thrown on top of it, with some lovely attention to detail.
    Cash-cow milking at its best."

    Same old game? The clue is in the name, fella: GTA FOUR. Honestly.
    Edited by 3 at 31/12/08 @ 12:45

  • andy06 #258 3 years ago

    I really do need to play LBP, too. Had it for over a month now and only played it the once! With all the accolades I think it deserves more of my attention :)

  • YobRenoops #259 3 years ago

    I'll repeat what a few have said on here around LBP and the platforming elements. Being physics based (mostly, you can still change direction in the air!) it takes quite some getting used to (particularly the z-axis switching). However once you've done that the platforming is as tight and enjoyable as any other game. I think people see it called platformer and expect Mario. This it is not, however its the most fun I've had gaming all year by a long long way. And the level creation is a time-sink bar none.

    As for the lag, yes it can be a problem (if your online with someone not in the EU you stuffed) but does still lead to some entertaining situations. I worry people are getting too cynical for games like this.

    As for no FIFA/Pro Evo, this is the very first year in about 15 I've not bought a Pro Evo or FIFA on release. I just don't care anymore.

  • dllord #260 3 years ago

    No Dead Space!!! EG you bunch of muppets!!

  • CouldntResist #261 3 years ago

    Wow, i've only read a few of the comments here and i have only one thing to say to people like Rash' and SHARXTREME:

    Charles Darwin is coming to get you!!!

    Now the rest of you, go and enjoy yourselves. It's new year's eve!

  • Ryze #262 3 years ago

    Wot? People are still debating and complaining about the order of the list? Regardless of the fact that the order was not specifically selected by any person or panel?

    RETARDS!

    How in the hell would FIFA 09 make the list unless it was in several of the few contributors TOP 10 most enjoyed games of the year.

  • ryohazuki1983 #263 3 years ago

    Maybe a better format for the list would be to have sections, e.g top 5 ( or whatever) platformers, racers, online game, RPG, wiiware/psn/arcade etc?

    Just a thought.

  • ED209 #264 3 years ago

    I'm a bit late with this comment, so it will probably get lost in sands of time:

    I really really enjoyed reading through that list. It was witty and interesting and has helped me get through the last few days at work.

    I don't care what exact numerical order the games ended up in (why anyone would is beyond my superior intellect). But it was interesting to get to read about various games from differing viewpoints.

    I think more reviews should be handled in this manner. Let us read what different people like / dislike about a game. Then that would help us form our own opinion of the games merit, dependant on what is important to us. And in the end isn't that the true meaning of Christmas.

    Thanks Eurogamer staffy-type-folks.

  • ASHBERY76 #265 3 years ago

    There is no way in hell that platform game was better than Fallout3.FU.

  • Tiel #266 3 years ago

    Trials 2 is 1.49 on Steam for a limited time, and it is bleedin' marvellous, so buy it right now. It was mentioned in the no.10 spot.

  • knightmt #267 3 years ago

    Agree with a lot of the comments, the ranking has been pretty bizarre but seems to have picked up most of the significant games, I found the comments for LBP pretty accurate, amazing where it has ended I shall keep trying to understand the appeal?

  • Bangaioh #268 3 years ago

    I agree with what many seem to think about LBP ranking the first position. Not saying it shouldn't be in the top 10 but Fallout 3 really is among the best I've played in many years of continuous gaming, simply stole the scene from anything else released this year.

  • Waffleaber #269 3 years ago

    The other Eurogamer sites have also done these "best game" articles, makes interesting reading seeing how tastes vary across the continent. Personally the Dutch chart is closest to my personal top 10 (they put Layton at 4!) might start reading that using Babelfish or something.

  • Katsumoto #270 3 years ago

    "we shouldn't get worked up by it."

    Well you shouldn't get worked up about it regardless, really. it's. a. list.

  • tonynibbles #271 3 years ago

    @Erinan

    Well, I think playing just *one* song probably isn't a fair trial.

    I've invested money in and played Rock Band through and through and ultimately, I think World Tour is a better game. Well, hardware-wise: I think its hard to contest it: the World Tour guitars and drums are just plain better in their build quality, and I prefer the guitars slide to RBs inner frets, the drums are very very nice. Software-wise its a harder fight, but I think World Tour snips it. Its just more fun than Rock Band.

    Perhaps thats not fair though - I've only played about 7 songs on expert on World Tour and I've hammered RB to death. Still looking forward to playing the create mode on WT.

    But why the hell wouldnt WT be better than RB, they've had more than enough time to play catch up. Rock Band 2 however - I've not played it nor know much about it at all. No doubt I'll pick up a copy to keep my RB purchases, but I'll be playing with my WT guitar, thats for OK.

    Though the whole RB thing is tainted by their initial shoddy European pricing and release dates (especially for PS3 too), and their cack '1st production' guitars which FAIL for anyone playing on expert.

    And you are a RB fanboy, so yes it is unfair :p

    How's Dublin?

    ;)

  • FogHeart #272 3 years ago

    Maybe a better format for the list would be to have sections, e.g top 5 ( or whatever) platformers, racers, online game, RPG, wiiware/psn/arcade etc?

    Just a thought.

    Well you can get this on other game sites. I suppose you can find them broken down by platform then genre if you tried. If you walk into a shop looking for a game from a specific genre, though, you're often going to miss out on the best game you can get for your money.

    Having said that, I do buy games depending on the time I'd invest in it, and whether I'd play with others or not. So...Long Online (eg an MMO), Short Online (eg L4D), with mates (eg FIFA, Boom Blox), Long Solo (Fable II, Fallout 3) or Short Solo (Too many to count here!). I want to balance out these games so I've got one to pick up and play based on my mood.

  • Katsumoto #273 3 years ago

    I'm worked up about the comments, not the list!

  • Diomedes #274 3 years ago

    No MGS4 in the Top Ten uh ?No Wipeout HD uh ?
    There goes your credibility (the little that remains thats it )Eurogamer !

  • ED209 #275 3 years ago

    @ EarlBassett

    They presented it in a countdown manner, as it is an easy format choice collating the individual responses, and countdowns are always fashionable at this time of year.

    What alternative layout would you suggest? An individual list for each contributor, all interconnected through flash gubbins and laser technology?

    Although maybe EG will do that next year in response to the amount of (misplaced) anger this list has generated.

    And then someone will call Keiron Gillen a shit cause his favourite games aren't in exactly the same order as theirs.

  • Cosmopolitan #276 3 years ago

    308th.

  • dryden555 #277 3 years ago

    EG's main editors dont have a bias: they just seem to be pushing out the reviews too quickly and the reviews arent as well written as years past. Some new reviewers are needed please.

  • tonynibbles #278 3 years ago

    @evilfoxhound "I still think that GTA4 is WAY overrated. "

    It is. Hugely.

  • Rev.StuartCampbell #279 3 years ago

    that was my point in the 1st place-'eurogamer' put a disclaimer under the top 50list, why did they bother making that list at all??

    Because they find it funny to piss off brainless idiots like you, I think.

    Especially because you get SO pissed off that you make dozens of posts and generate lots of traffic and advertising revenue for them.

    Sucker!

  • ShinMegami08 #280 3 years ago

    Nooooo... MGS4 should be at least in the top10. Putting it where it is, is just totally unfair. Come on guys, you just want to punish it, I just don't know why.
    Loved MGS4. It was beautiful, clever, challenging, philosophic... Simply one of the best games this decade. And yes: I loved the cut-scenes. It's great to relax after a difficult fight.
    LBP on first place and Fallout3 on second place is fine for me. Fallout is really brilliant.

    But where is Valkyria Chronicle?
    Where is Dead Space?

    Especially Valkyria! Come on!

  • spudsbuckley #281 3 years ago

    'SHOCKING thing is eurogamers editors DIDN'T PLAY MOST OF GAMES on that list,yet they were able to somehow have an opinion about it and even more quantify it by attaching a number to it.'

    That's one of the things that really bothered me about the list, the amount of 'i haven't played it but other people seem to like it so it must be good'-style statements in this list is a bit offputting.

    It's the reason the readers list should be considered to be the 'real' top 50 because it was written by people who have actually made the frankly amazing decision to play a game before considering it to be one of their favourites of 2008.

  • ShinMegami08 #282 3 years ago

    GTA is way overrated.
    Check this site out: http://new s.vgchartz.com/news.php?id=2715. They gave GTA4 a "Biggest disappointment"-award.
    Sorry EG, their list is way better.

  • miiiguel #283 3 years ago

    quoting vgchartz = fail.

  • Ryze #284 3 years ago

    ^ RETARDS! Why write, when it's clear that you can't READ!

  • StooMonster #285 3 years ago

    "Edge have given up on reviewing Pro Evo and Fifa"

    TFFT

    I bought International Soccer on C64, Kick-Off on Amiga, and Madden on MegaDrive before deciding that the best way to play sports is ... in real-life (usually outside) with a ball. Then again I am not a fan of watching other people do sports either, more of a doer than a spectator. Therefore I could care less about "sports" titles on computers and consoles, so never noticed absence of reviews in Edge until someone pointed it out in letters page; I would rather that they continued this policy and didn't waste a penny of my subscription by covering sports games (again?).

    I'm glad that Eurogamer ignore these (populist) products too, I am sure they get plenty of coverage elsewhere.

  • narcissy #286 3 years ago

    @evilfoxhound

    totally agree ¬_¬

  • miiiguel #287 3 years ago

    Sucker; Dick; Retard; Brainless...


    /is depressed...

    on-topic: I too find it way too odd to realise (I already suspected though), that many opinions of professional jornalists (wich come with a rate even, in form of a number) are based without even playing the game.
    Edited by 1 at 31/12/08 @ 16:55

  • miiiguel #288 3 years ago

    Read the observations on LBP's paragraph and you see what I mean. Anyway, LBP is the kinda game everybody loves to say they love, but they don't actually want to play it...

    Anyway, I'm not flaming, and I wish you all a very nice evening.

    See all you next year!

  • Erinan #289 3 years ago

    @tonynibbles

    No, no, I/we played GH:WT more than a couple of hours. The first ten songs (on Expert on the guitar) were incredibly dull, same for the drums ("Beat it" is painfully bland). Audio is poor, graphics are bad and bland.

    The music studio is a really good idea but it's something 99% of the players will ever use. The multiplayer mode is laughable compared to RB (1 and/or 2).

    The open note for the bass is a good idea. But there is a lack of feedback when playing and/or missing notes, something is off. And the UI looks like it was designed by some random guy in an hour.

    Hardware-wise, I just love the RB1 guitar to bits for its look, its feel (inner fret buttons for the win) and the strum bar. But it has flaws. The RB2 guitar is the same one, but better. Fret buttons are all soft and silent, the strum bar is slightly different - giving more feedback and the built-in automatic calibration is an awesome idea for beginners. The RB2 drums are much better as well but I still have to try the GH drums (I'm surrounded by RB players in the office). But I'm pretty sure RB2's drums will kick more ass once I get the three cymbals.

    Dublin is alright, no more, no less. It's hard to top Brighton :)

    Happy new year to you and the missus ;p

  • Ryze #290 3 years ago

    No, it means that everyone complaining and questioning, who hasn't checked how the list is compiled despite it being a running joke that the 'tards would come running and foaming at the mouth due to not checking out how the list is compiled, is a:

    RETARD!

  • Ryze #291 3 years ago

    GO AND READ, RETARDS:

    http://ww w.eurogamer.net/articles/editor...
    Edited by 1 at 31/12/08 @ 18:13

  • Ryze #292 3 years ago

    Several people who are involved in bringing you this lovely site named Eurogamer, submit their favourite 10 games of the year.

    Any games released in the year 2008.

    Based on all of these several lists of 10 games, a list of 50 is created.

    Therefore, no one has control over what's 35, and what's 24, and no one can say what their 38th favourite game of the year is.

    It's quite obvious why games like Soul Calibur 4, Ninja Gaiden and MGS4 aren't high on the list - it's because not enough people who were asked, considered these games to be one of their 10 favourites of the year!

    For example, I've not even played MGS4, and I've only played the demo of SC4 - so if any of the people asked are in the same situation, how can they choose it as one of their top 10?

    That's it! Marmite games and similar sequels are bound to suffer in lists put together in this way. Quality social games will do surprisingly well, perhaps because these guys work together and may have played and enjoyed these games together? Singstar, GH, anyone?

    Then there are the indie gems, which often require word of mouth / luck for the masses to play in large numbers - but these guys are games journalists, who work together! So they'll more likely play these often very original games - and they'll do better than something that they see over and over again year after year, like say... the latest FIFA game!

    RETARDS!
    Edited by 7 at 31/12/08 @ 18:16

  • metalnut #293 3 years ago

    Eurogamer are just about the only people on the planet that think GHWT is a better game than RB. Keza MacDonald hasn't got a clue when it comes to reviewing music games. I've played every GH game & RB1/2 extensively, and GHWT is better than GH3, but worse than even RB1, never mind 2.

    In band mode, GHWT's interface is so appallingly badly laid out, it's almost impossible to see the information you need to. The round 'blobs' are imprecise when you squeeze 3 fretboards on the screen. The vocal bar is oversensitive and difficult to follow. Triggering the drum star power is disruptive and cack-handed at anything above Medium. The simplistic 'ladder' gameplay was superceded when Rock Band 1 came out, and RB2 improves on it, making GHWT look very dull in comparison. DLC in RB pisses all over GHWT. Do I need to go on?

    About the hardware, this is personal preference. So many people say the GHWT drums are better, and yet personally while I find the snare/tom physical pad construction better, the fixed layout makes the drum charts less authentic (only 2 toms instead of 3, no open/closed hi-hat - RB kit deals with this through flexible mapping), and the pedal on the GHWT kit is absolute shite - not enough travel on it, too 'light' and impossible to play in 'heel up' mode because it bounces around too much - you can only really play it heel down which is not how most rock drummers play. My favourite set-up is actually a modded RB kit (steel pedal, neoprene pads).

    Maybe if you play on your own all the time so the interface isn't so screwed up, GHWT is ok. But to say it's a better band game is so much bullshit.

  • Ryze #294 3 years ago

    RETARDS!

    Perhaps you should consider that many of the people asked may not have even played RB2 yet? Or maybe their vote was split across RB & RB2?

    No wonder stats are used to fool teh dumb masses so often. This is hilarious.

  • King_of_Hyrule #295 3 years ago

    I think Trackmania Nations Forever deserved a spot in the top 50, it's massively popular online, it was released in 2008 and rightly got a 9/10 from eurogamer, yet it's nowhere on the list.

  • JHuxley #296 3 years ago

    OK, I'm going to join the 'where the hell is Valkyria Chronicles?' crowd. Shame on Mr. Whitehead and the EG staff. It didn't even get enough votes to beat out Mercs 2? Sad face :(

    Otherwise, ignoring positions, a decent list with lots of good games and a few great ones.

  • spudsbuckley #297 3 years ago

    For fuck sake Ryse, shut up.

    The list is flawed, the way it was compiled is flawed and the order of the games is flawed. It's a list made up by people who apparently haven't played a good chunk of the games on it. The readers top 50 is so much better. It's a list of games that people have actually played extensively and enjoyed.

  • Ryze #298 3 years ago

    ^ RETARD!

  • evilboo #299 3 years ago

    Dead Space should be here. What is this autistic obsession with Eurogamer failing to create a definitive rank order indexed by review scores though? Get over it!

  • Erinan #300 3 years ago

    Ryze is right when talking about statistics, but it's the comments about GH:WT that annoy me, not so much the rank.

    Anyway, time to get ready for tonight!

  • Toonster #301 3 years ago

    Pretty disappointing list overall. I expect better next year, EG.

    World of Goo should have been GOTY (imho) and No More Heroes deserved more love; I would have been happy if it even showed up in the 40s.

  • Ryze #302 3 years ago

    The only way to avoid this situation in the future is to compile the list using a different method, but that'd be no fun at all!

    RETARDS!
    Edited by 1 at 31/12/08 @ 20:19

  • Katsumoto #303 3 years ago

    The best way to avoid this situation is for people who have these bizarre objections to stop reading eurogamer, thus avoiding all this bollocks and letting those of us who enjoy it carry on without being horrified.
    Edited by 1 at 31/12/08 @ 18:23

  • red_shift #304 3 years ago

    OMFG! Where is You're In The Movies?!

  • spudsbuckley #305 3 years ago

    Went to my local Xtravision a short while ago and picked up LBP, Mirrors Edge and FIFA 09.

    Only played LBP so far and i have to say that i am enjoying it but i can see why some people would be frustrated by the controls beacuase they are VERY floaty and a little unresponsive.

    Still good though but if anyone is on the fence about getting it because they're not sure if they'd like it, then you just need to know it's basically just a 2.5D side-scrolling platformer with a (good) level editor, nothing more, nothing less. If you're expecting the second coming then look elsewhere :p

  • spudsbuckley #306 3 years ago

    :D

    Google it. Biggest DVD/game rental chain in Ireland who have seemingly recently decided to price their for-sale games quiet nicely.

    Also, on further inspection LBP is a-fucking-mazing.

  • spazmo #307 3 years ago

    No Valkyria Chronicles in a top 50!!?? Just mind boggling.

  • spudsbuckley #308 3 years ago

    How good is Valkyria Chronicles?

    I played the demo and it didn't do much for me. Just a bad section of the game or something?

  • Ashy #309 3 years ago

    LBP #1?
    what a load of bollocks.

  • Widge #310 3 years ago

    the demo is nowhere near as awesome as the full game.

  • GitSomE_UK #311 3 years ago

    RETARD.... Just thought I'd say it cos everyone else is

    /Wants to be comments trendy

  • jimmyjimbob #312 3 years ago

    After spending the night with RB2 and GH:WT I have to agree with all the other WTF?!?! type comments. GT:WT is pretty laughable compared to RB2, even taking the arguable better instruments into account (still prefer the RB guitar despite it's short comings). So collective slaps for all the EG staff that obviously got some free GH:WT gear for charting it above RB2.

    After a few hours with LBP I don't think it deserves the top spot.... Sure it's nice and all that, but no where near as ground breaking as everyone seems to make out

  • Moonprince #313 3 years ago

    And there was me thinking Valkyria Chronicles might have an outside chance of being in the top5, maybe even 1...

  • Pablo2k5 #314 3 years ago

    I don't normally comment on things like this but... WTF?

    The Eurogamer team have finally disappeared up their own arses. MGS4 and FarCry2 should have been alot higher IMO...

    ...and no sign of Crysis Warhead, Fifa09 or Dead Space???

    LBP, Braid and World of Goo in the top ten???? All very average (simple) platformers that shouldn't be anywhere near the top of a 'Game of the year' list...

    Very disappointed, don't Eurogamer realise that this kinda of crap just puts people off from reading the site at all, I'd sooner trust GameSpot and they are bent as fuck!

  • gorf #315 3 years ago

    No Wii exclusives in the top 10 in either readers or eurogmers top 10. As huge nintendo fan for the last 15 years this does sadden me. I want to disagree with the poles but the thickness of dust that has settled on top of the Wii tells me otherwise. Nintendo said it would continue to courte the hardcore followers but the main issue is releases have been slow and thin on the ground with Wii Kart being the only one worth bothering with this year. My 360 however, has been used almost continously, glad to see cross format Fallout 3 performing well, 85 hours of gaming bliss (and a great soundtrack to boot 'butcher pete' anyone?). Now waiting for those expansion packs.....

    Can anyone suggest something bright and lighthearted to play after fallout 3. started playing dead space straight after not a good idea!

  • spudsbuckley #316 3 years ago

    Yeah, i firmly regret buying my Wii also. I think the only game i got for it this year was No More Heroes and that was just shit.

    It's a videogame console for people who don't like videogames.

  • SexySquirrel #317 3 years ago

    The German Eurogamer list is a lot more accurate, Fifa in the top ten and Dead Space is too...

  • Lemming81 #318 3 years ago

    I'm glad the ex/current PC Gamer writers (Gillen, Rossingnol, Meer, Walker), slagged off Gears of War 2, and rightfully so. No need for the LPB bashing, although first place is pretty insane.

    What an odd top ten.
    Edited by 1 at 01/01/09 @ 13:09

  • MasterNameless #319 3 years ago

    I have to agree with Ryze... so many retards it's depressing. So many people lacking such basic comprehension is absolutely bewildering.

  • amcd28 #320 3 years ago

    @ MasterNameless

    Whatever way EG chose to score games (regardless of whether they actually played them...!) it's 'their' way. If it's flawed or unfair to the masses, it's still the way THEY chose.

    Whilst I fully understand what the other comment-ers on this site are saying, just because they think EG should listen to them it therefore means that:

    a) they're entirely right and b) their opinion counts more than say, yours or mine.

    Still. I'm always right, so I think that next year it should be scored on how many 5 letter words and above are in the game user manuals.

    Argument fixed. You can all go back to drinking now.

  • Podman #321 3 years ago

    Okay the joke is over, we all had a good laugh. Can we now have the real list of the top 50 games of the year please?

  • comedian #322 3 years ago

    I'm sure I misread that, World of Goo was number one right?

    amidoinitright?

  • Collymilad #323 3 years ago

    Hype + User created content = Automatic #1 for bandwagon videogame websites.

    Funny thing is, LPB WOULD be awesome, but it's not much fun making stuff with Hitler standing over your shoulder.
    Edited by 1 at 01/01/09 @ 19:20

  • misterg1970 #324 3 years ago

    I'm amazed how divided the world is on LBP. I looked forward to it from the moment I saw the first demo and bought it on day 1. Yet had I been patient I could have picked it up for less than half price just a few weeks after release. No matter, as I absolutely love it. It's everything I'd hoped for and, if you can afford to put in the time in Create, the most rewarding experience.

  • Sunyavadin #325 3 years ago

    In ANY top 100 games of 2008, World of Goo should be in at least the first 99 slots.


    It's THAT good.


    Anything else in the #1 slot is a lie.

    That is all.

  • Henrik_se #326 3 years ago

    The amount of stupidity in these comments is just.. wow...

    Yes, of course a lot of you think that the Reader's Top 50 was better, because it was basically a list of this year's releases, ordered by their review score, and most people agree with those.

    But if you think about it, most readers on this site that submitted their top 10s didn't play 50 games this year, didn't play all 50 on the Reader's Top 50, or the Eurogamer's Top 50. They played the games they bought, and which games did they buy? Well, the ones that got a good review score of course, the ones their friends recommend, the ones that are popular. So the Reader's Top 50 will, inevitably, rank the games by their popularity.

    But the Eurogamer's Top 50 has a much narrower sample, it's composed of the individual and personal top 10 lists of the Eurogamer contributors. It's not a list of the universally "best" games of 2008, it's a list of the games that these people enjoyed the most. Which games did these people play and like the most? Which games did these people spend most time with, personally, in their spare time, outside of their professional role as a reviewer?

    That is what this list is about, and you RETARDS that complain need to understand the difference.
    Edited by 1 at 02/01/09 @ 12:42

  • moggsy #327 3 years ago

    Well done LBP. It's a genre defining game and British made.

    Shame nobody wanted to buy it...

  • Podman #328 3 years ago

    For all the people that are calling other people retards, what you don't understand is that this list isn't informative in anyway shape or form.

    The reader poll is a lot more accurate and indicative of the actual best games of 2008. This list is just not accurate and shouldn't even have been put up. I don't look at the BBC website for the journalists' personal favourite news stories of the day - I want the news presented to me in the most accurate and non-biased way.

    This list just shows the writer's favourites but for all intent and purposes will forever be look at by people that come here as the best games, when everyone agrees that they aren't. So why are people being called retards when they are trying to point this out? Quite frankly who cares about individual and personal top 10 lists of the Eurogamer contributors? I'm here to be informed of the top 50 games.
    Edited by 1 at 02/01/09 @ 13:52

  • Ryze #329 3 years ago

    I just enjoy the relevance that the word RETARD now has in the Web 2.0 era.

    I never used the word when I was younger, but it's one of those words that just makes me chuckle.

  • Henrik_se #330 3 years ago

    You want the "objective" list of top 50 games? It's here:

    [link url=http://www.eurogamer.net/archive.php?type=rev iew&sort=reversechrono
    ]http://ww w.eurogamer.net/archive.php?typ...[/link]

    (Or, would be, if Eurogamer allowed you to restrict the games by year and then sort by score)

    You could make an article out of that, but, you wouldn't tell anything that all of us didn't already know. I would say that such a list is *less* informative than the actual Eurogamer's Top 50 list, because the latter one at least tells us something new, something we didn't already know, namely the personal preferences of the people contributing to this site.

    This is important, because it tells us more about the reviewers, and we can then use this to see which reviewers we individually share tastes with, and in turn we can use that to know which reviews to trust more than others.

    Reviews are never objective, never have been, never will be. Reading reviews is always about knowing what the reviewer likes. If I share tastes with reviewer A, who gives game X 8/10, but I don't share tastes with reviewer B, who gives game Y 9/10, then I should buy game X, it's more likely to be something that I like than game Y, despite it getting the higher score.

    You should read this Top 50 list the exact same way, find the games that were enjoyed by the people you share tastes with. What the majority thinks is irrelevant, you have to look at personal preferences.

    edit: grammar
    Edited by 1 at 02/01/09 @ 14:13

  • bad09 #331 3 years ago

    "For all the people that are calling other people retards, what you don't understand is that this list isn't informative in anyway shape or form. "

    Podman come on dude!

    While I think this RETARD! thing is a bit, well, retarded you do need to remember this is not an actual review of the best games of 2008. It's EG staffs PERSONAL favourite games of 2008, BIG difference (as the list shows!).

    You may not agree with the choices (personally I think the readers did a better job of it) but at the end of the day it's the games THEY ENJOYED in 2008 (which is why some of the comments from the staff in the 50 say how they haven't even played a certain game in the list etc).





  • Henrik_se #332 3 years ago

    @retibra

    Yes, you can objectively measure the quality of a game, how good the graphics are, how many features it has, how well polished it is and so on, and if we were talking about digital gadgets or kitchen appliances or cars or home electronics, where it matters that you get the most bang for your buck, the best phone-to-pc synchronization, the best microwave power, the best mileage, the most processing power, it makes sense to base your purchase purely on a quality standpoint.

    But we're talking about entertainment, and the most important factor should be if a game is fun or not, it's why we play these games in the first place, remember? And how fun a game is is totally subjective. You can't measure that. You can only say things like "If you like the games I like, if you liked games X and Y, you will probably like this game, game Z". And for that, knowing that tastes of the individual reviewers is very helpful.

    It seems as if you and a lot of others come to this site only to get your own opinions validated or something. And if a game you enjoyed doesn't get a high score or a high place in these lists, your experience is somehow lessened by it? Noone cares what you think. You don't win anything by having your own opinion aligned as closely as possible to the mainstream.

  • rommy667 #333 3 years ago

    LBP 3 no 1 ya GOTTA be kidding come on.............

  • MGSmarioPRO #334 3 years ago

    That list is horrible :o

  • Number1Laing #335 3 years ago

    I don't like how Eurogamer does their top 50 tabulations, it means the smaller type of games end up lower on the list simply because not everyone played them. For example Saints Row 2 - Kristan flat out says he didn't play this, which means its not on his list (it probably would end up there, its great).

    Still, all in all this is not a terrible list but not far off from what you'd see... everywhere. Because of how the votes are tabulated. Which is my point.

  • Danbojones Verified Senior Staff Writer, GamesIndustry.biz #336 3 years ago

    You know, the really hilarious thing is that nobody stops to consider the fact that making a top 50 which EVERYONE AGREES WITH is impossible. There is enough diversity, bickering, unpleasantness and name-calling in this thread to prove that indubitably. So we didn't try. We asked our contributors what they liked then compiled a list. It's what we said we'd do and it's what we did. Take it for what it's intended to be, rather than a confirmation/refutation of the list which you'd have posted. You've already had one of those as an article and another one in the forum, you greedy gits.





    Oh, and happy new year.

  • MZ #337 3 years ago

    Its really saying something when, for me, one of the most truely hardcore of 'hardcore' games this year was an 8-bit platformer called Megaman 9.

    Its a hard game, it takes no prisoners, casual gamers need not apply, it separates the men from the boys, the sheer satisfaction from just beating the game is awesome and a feeling I haven't gotten out of game for many years!

  • stevetuck #338 3 years ago

    WHAT?! no FIFA08? list is wrong... wait... peter moore can F.O.A.D :/ who cares about this guy? he failed with sega, failed with sony and now hes joined the giant enemy crab that is EA and is making epic fails of games

  • TexMurphy01 #339 3 years ago

    Aaah memories. I remember this same article last year where that bell end Richard Leadbetter thought it a good idea to tell everyone what the ending to Mass Effect was. Nice one!

  • konniehuqfan #340 3 years ago

    there are a lot of angry people on this thread!

  • space_ace #341 3 years ago

    world of goo is on the mac, not only pc and wiiware... bias :)

  • spekkeh #342 3 years ago

    Awful shame World of Goo did not end up at the number one spot. Kieron now took Ellie's place as my favorite reviewer though.

  • anomagnus #343 3 years ago

    i love rpgs

    i love fallout 1 and 2

    i love sandbox games

    so why don't i love fallout 3

    number 2 game my arse

  • Linkified #344 3 years ago

    This fails as LBP as a platformer as a broken jump and broken physics Banjo Nuts and bolts is better physics related.

  • djed #345 3 years ago

    I DISAGREE. YOU ARE WRONG.

  • Grayvern #346 3 years ago

    Actually I really liked the presentation of LBP single player and didn't have any real problems with the platforming but then I have no love for traditional platformers.
    Also I find playing on my own, on stuff others have created is really fun, although I cant at the moment because if restrictions on my shared internet.
    I mean to learn the editor when I have the time, basically after my uni exams in may when ill have inordinate time off.

    Agree about Fallout 3.

    And whats wrond with loving gears, to be honest it'd be better not to have a top 50 just a general 20 of the best. Because to be honest a top 50 is basically all the games people remembered most of the rest being total rubbish, shovelware for the wii and dire cash ins on the other consoles.

  • carlitoswagon #347 3 years ago

    Very late comment on an old thread but fuck right off!!! Little Big Planet, fucking sac boy! The best game!??

    Some people have been smoking way too much weed and not paying attention.

    It'll be Poo Man in Wonderland at the top of the list next year! Tossers
    Edited by 1 at 16/06/09 @ 16:45