Eurogamer's Top 50 Games of 2008: 40-31
On we go.
37. WipEout HD
Sony / Sony Liverpool / PlayStation Network
Kristan Reed: Better than Quantum Redshift? Pfffft!
Christian Donlan: A little unnerved that we think this is only three places better than Saints Row 2.
Simon Parkin: Despite the far-future aesthetic, the blemishless sci-fi visual design, and bonnets so clinical you could eat a meal off them, WipEout HD bristles with a weird sort of nostalgia for players of the PlayStation originals. It's a return to form, for sure, but also an extension of everything that made those first games so beguiling. And all for that price! Another game that's unfairly struggled to have its brilliance recognised from behind this host console's waning image.
Rich Leadbetter: Along with Geometry Wars 2, this is one of the best download games of the year. Excellent graphics (if not quite the true 1080p promised), great gameplay, astonishingly good value. I just wish that the later levels weren't locked out to all but the most ultra-skilled WipEout players - the unlock mechanic really could be a little more friendly.
Tom Bramwell: I got lost in this for days, refusing to leave any task until I had the Gold medal. It's my biggest racing obsession since PGR3, which I completely emptied. The visuals are amazingly crisp, and drag you into the screen, and the tracks are littered with clever sequences of corners that allow you to rip seconds out of your lap-times by experimenting. I couldn't believe they put it out for 12 quid - a price restored over the Christmas period to go with the belated demo.
36. Okami Wii
Capcom / Clover Studios / Wii
Kristan Reed: I'm not going to vote for games we've already voted for in previous years, but if I did, this would be in my top three. Absolutely outstanding game - easily the best game on Wii for my money. Buy it, fall in love, die happy.
Oli Welsh: I don't see any reason why this wasn't the best console adventure in the world this year as well.
Keza MacDonald: This is one of the best games of all time. It beats Zelda at its own game, and does so beautifully. Okami is rich and cultural and sumptuous and also a splendid, masterfully made videogame. And the Wii version is the one I prefer.
John Walker: I've watched the intro for this. Then I grew very old and died. I really want to play it, but it's hard now I'm a wizened corpse.
35. Pic Pic
505 Games / Success / DS
Keza MacDonald: Fourteeen out of ten. I've actually been looking for this since I got to Japan, and it doesn't exist anywhere. What are your secrets, Walker?
Kristan Reed: Oh look, it's a Japanese puzzle game. GIVE IT ELEVEN!
John Walker: I love the power of a review. As I said to Tom when I emailed him the copy, "Here's the 1700-word review of that eight-month-old, almost unavailable puzzle game you wanted!" I've completed all 400 'Picture' puzzles on this twice now, and that's just one third of the game. The only other game I think I've ploughed this much time into was Slitherlink. (I'm currently replaying Illust Color Logic to get perfect stars on all games, in case anyone needs something to play next - another 10/10 game without question). It's a wonder I have enough time for sitting around watching TV shows and complaining on the internet.
34. Siren: Blood Curse
Sony / PS3
Tom Bramwell: Oh look, it's a Japanese horror game. GIVE IT ELEVEN!
Kristan Reed: Even dumbing it down for us Western thickos couldn't stop it from being really good and, more importantly, scary as hell. Nowhere near as ambitious as previous Sirens, but the more defined and refined structure made it a ton more playable. Looks gorgeous too, and for the price it's a no-brainer - like the Shibito, in fact.
Rob Fahey: I thought I was going to be an insufferable bore about Blood Curse, and complain about replacing original Japanese characters with annoying Americans. In the end, it didn't matter a jot - it's a fantastic game, and the real stars have always been the hideous, tragi-comic Shibito, not the characters. Easily the best horror game of the generation so far.