Year end lists are like a drug to me. I'm a definite abuser, they give me a full body high and I'm a wreck the months I don't have them to turn to. June represents a life raft to me: the halfway mark. It means you can start making halfway lists, halfway predictions, halfway everythings really. This year I've played maybe 2 games that even deserve to be looked at for top tenage, but I can certainly read the tea leaves (or Metacritic scores), so please, read on for my expert 3 am analysis.

Top Ten Games You'll See On Year End Lists (So Far)

#10: Madworld

Kind of a shot in the dark, but it's stylish, controversial and the best bet for anything involving Wii this year. Also, it was fun, though not quite the ZOMGTOPTEN kind of experience that we look for. Still, stranger things have happened.

#9: Flower

People LOVE this game. It may be downloadable, but people almost feel differently about PSN titles and this one is seriously special (honestly, it's good enough to hold my current #2 slot). Don't be surprised to see this snag more than a few mentions.

#8: Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars

I'm banking on the name here, most definitely, but it was very well recieved. You could even put the Lost and Damned here if it's "ruled" as eligible for a list of full games, though I think Tony and his fabulous adventures will suck the attention off them. Yeah...

#7: The Sims 3

The Sims is loved, the sales are huge and Will Wright is pretty much what passes for a gaming Jesus now. Sounds like a no-brainer to me.

#6: Resident Evil 5

RE4x2? In addition to being a painfully confusing string of numbers and letters, the press was less than gushy over Resident Evil 5, citing that it was "more of the same". My guess is that they wake up to the fact that "more of the same" of Resident Evil 4 is only a fantastic thing.

#5: Red Faction: Guerrilla

The industry tends to latch on to one or two true sleepers and really champion them. Red Faction: Guerrilla is a genius multiplayer game and has a dedicated community (at least for now). I think it'll be represented heavily, at very least on some multiplayer-centric lists. I know a couple here that it will rank highly on for sure.

#4: Halo Wars

Halo. Halo. Halo. Halo. Halo. Halo. Halo. Halo. Halo. Halo. Halo. Halo. Halo. Halo. (Plus I hear it was actually good.)

#3: Infamous

Crackdown with lightning? I'd suggest it's more than that, but the fans would suggest quite a bit more than that. Exclusives always breed rose-colored glasses, and I think this'll only grow over time. Plus, it's just a damn good popcorn-y time, and people will remember that purity. Perhaps not this high, but it's sure to be here.

#2: Street Fighter IV

The new Street Fighter was a big gamble and paid off hugely. The buzz has died down a bit, but it's the only other game that has even close to the raves that the #1 has. I think we'll see a resurgence of love once the journos realize just how many tournaments they've held in office.

#1: Killzone 2

The clear winner of both the critical and fanboy darling awards so far. If you dispute that, well, you're very near blind. This is the easy one, guys, and will most likely not be unseated from the top... three or so.

Written by :

Aaron

 

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edgeofblade

Top Ten Tuesdays: Predicting the 09 Spotlight Jun 17 2009 12:52:23 I only see Killzone 2 and Infamous holding their own until the end of the year. Damn. I guess I have to admit that PS3 is having a pretty bangup year so far. I can't see Halo 3: ODST surviving to fight for the GOTY, being that it's an "expansion". This whole branding, piggybacking on Halo 3 is going to come back to bite them in the ass.

#10802

U2NUMB

Top Ten Tuesdays: Predicting the 09 Spotlight Jun 17 2009 14:07:42 LOLOLLLOLOLOLOOOOLOLOLOLOLOLLLLOOOOLLOLOLOOOOLLLLOOOOLLLLOOOLOLLOLOLLOOLOO

#10805

Aaron

Re: Top Ten Tuesdays: Predicting the 09 Spotlight Jun 17 2009 16:31:44 You think something else will be tops? Or is this just a random act of Killzone bashing?

#10809

CrAzYbRoS

Top Ten Tuesdays: Predicting the 09 Spotlight Jun 17 2009 17:12:44 Red Faction ahead of RE5? Um...I like the game...but I doubt it. Flower, I don't think so...mmaaaaaaaybe a #10 spot. Remove GTA chinatown and insert Lost and Damned. Those are my thoughts.

#10810

Aaron

Re: Top Ten Tuesdays: Predicting the 09 Spotlight Jun 17 2009 18:07:31 Trust me, I would have swapped the GTAs, but Gay Tony is taking the limelight on the packs. Mark m'words. Chinatown stands out because it's on DS. And did you see the critics react to RE5? It was cool at best. I think I may even have it too high...

#10811