GamePro's E3 2009 Awards: The 27 Best Games
- June 11, 2009 12:40 PM PST
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27 BEST GAMES OF E3: We pick our favorite video games shown at E3 2009!
ALSO READ: The Best and Worst of the E3 2009 Keynotes
ALSO READ: E3 News Roundup!
ALSO READ: The best demos and trailers of E3 2009!
GamePro sifts through the monstrously huge lineup of video games shown at this year's E3 and award medals to the 27 best games at the event. We've picked nine titles each for our Gold, Silver and Bronze awards. Read on for the champions of E3!
Modern Warfare 2
PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC
Release Date: November 10, 2009
Infinity Ward's has finally given us a taste of some gameplay for their follow up to 2007's immensely popular FPS Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, and it tastes frigging delicious. Modern Warfare 2's "Cliffhanger" mission was revealed at E3 2009, where you follow Captain MacTavish, scaling icy cliff ledges with dual snow axes, engaging in intense shootouts with enemies in an airport, and even riding down a mountainside on a snowmobile blowing away enemies(a scene that's reminiscent of James Cameron's True Lies). The first Modern Warfare had one of the most explosive single-player campaigns we've ever played, and from the level we played it's clear that come November, Call of Duty fans will get to experience another face-melting campaign.
God Of War III
PlayStation 3
Release Date: March 2010
God Of War III had an amazing showing at E3, with a full 30-minute demo of the game showcasing the beauty and brutality of the upcoming PS3- exclusive slaughter-fest. Starting off in a war-torn Olympia, we hacked the innards of Centaur soldiers, rode and slashed apart harpies, and even ripped off Helios' head. Producer Stig Asmussen promised that their team would continue refining the game until it launches in March 2010, but at this point the game already looks jaw-dropping.
Mass Effect 2
Xbox 360, PC
Release date: Early 2010
The E3 debut of this shady second chapter in the Mass Effect trilogy promises to take Commander Shepard through the seedier side of the galaxy on a suicide mission to save humanity--with his own life on the line. Fans of the original have the opportunity to import their custom save data--where every decision large and small remains consequential--and continue the story using new weapons, powers and an improved dialogue system to stop a new galactic menace. For hitting all the notes that made the original great and then cranking them up to eleven, Mass Effect 2 deserves fan support and the GamePro E3 Gold medal.
Scribblenauts
Nintendo DS
Release date: Fall 2009
Scribblenauts is by far one of the most impressive games we saw at E3. It doesn't have mind-blowing graphics like Final Fantasy XIII or epic gameplay like God of War 3 nor does it have the name recognition of titles like Halo: ODST or Metal Gear Rising. But what makes Scribblenauts a clear-cut gold medalist is its undeniable charm and unique concept. The game's immense dictionary of objects and carefully crafted puzzles combine for a gaming experience unlike any other we've seen. It is a vast understatement to say that the GamePro editors are looking forward to playing it; Warner Bros. reps literally had to pry the game out of Reviews Editor Tae K. Kim's hands during his E3 demo.
Uncharted 2
PS3
Release Date: November 2009
Have you seen the new Uncharted 2: Among Thieves trailer yet? If you watch the visually astonishing "Snow Barrens" trailer and you'll see why GamePro awards Uncharted 2 a gold medal at E3 Expo 2009. In the trailer, the graphics are so damn good you might not be able to tell the difference between real gameplay and the cut scenes. Uncharted 2 multiplayer was also on the show floor for gamers to play. The fast-paced, fluid feel of the single-player campaign translates over to multiplayer nicely, allowing players to quickly climb up building facades, take cover behind blockades, and carry the gold trophy to victory.
BioShock 2
Xbox 360, PS3, PX
Release Date: November 3, 2009
Taking the role of the original Big Daddy in a storyline set 10 years after the original game, BioShock 2 adds a host of gameplay enhancements including dual-wielding of guns and Plasmids, playable flashbacks, and a mysterious new antagonist. But the bigger surprise was the inspired new multiplayer mode, set a full year before the events of the original BioShock, in which teams of Adam-addicted Splicers battle it out. The multiplayer mode allows full player customization with Tonic upgrades and weapon mods, as well as a storyline that is subtly told via a 3D virtual apartment on Rapture. BioShock 2 is filled with clever ideas and looks like a worthy follow-up to 2K Boston's groundbreaking original game. For more exclusive information on BioShock 2, be sure to pick up a copy of GamePro's July 2009 issue, on newsstands now.
DJ Hero
PS3, Xbox 360, Wii
Release Date: 2009
In the freestyle battle that was E3, DJ Hero won bigtime. Not only does the new turntable controller look extremely accessible, having it lying around your apartment probably won't make you look like a complete tool (every other music game peripheral, we're looking at you). The music covers a wide variety of genres, the mash-ups range from pretty cool to mind-blowing, and the game smartly includes guitar and microphone support. The gameplay looks similar enough to Guitar Hero to draw in fans, but once you see it in action, you'll realize this is a new game entirely. in 2009, E3 was once again a huge party, and DJ Hero was the life of the party.
Metroid: Other M
Nintendo Wii
Release Date: 2010
While the Metroid Prime series has been nothing short of stellar since it started, many people still hold the last console 2D iteration of the series-Super Metroid-as the series' high water mark. Metroid: Other M< looks like it may just satisfy both camps, and dare we say it... become the best Metroid ever. It's dark and brooding, which is always welcome from family-friendly Nintendo, and it mixes 2.5 and 3D movement to great effect. Team Ninja is a developer that knows the ins and outs of hardcore mature action games like Ninja Gaiden, so we have great faith that they will serve Metroid well. Seeing this game almost makes up for the complete lack of Kid Icarus.
Star Wars: The Old Republic
PC
Release date: TBA
Developing a Star Wars MMORPG is risky business, but if anyone can pull it off it's the Bioware team. We knew the game was touted as being the first MMORPG to put story first, but new E3 revelations like class-specific storylines and voice support for all dialogue (not to mention a pulse-pounding new trailer) have us reconsidering our lack of faith in the project. Bioware challenged us to reconsider what it means to play a massively multiplayer RPG, and for that Star Wars: The Old Republic deserves Gamepro's E3 Gold Medal. Star Wars fans, this is what Galaxies should have been.
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- Jun 05 2009 at 09:01:13:PM PST
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what about mag ? rachet and clank ? are you missing something ? or just keeping the list short so that nintendo wont feels embarassing for its short list of AAA titles ?
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Stay tuned -- we'll likely be rolling in a few more as we compare our E3 notes. But MGS Rising wouldn't really count, as all they did was announce it. They haven't showed so much as a screenshot of that game, so we couldn't include it.
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Are you kidding? There's no mention of Alan Wake, Halo: ODST, or MGS: Rising, but something like Dead to Rights Retribution makes your list?
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Is Split-Second from the developers of Pure?
If so, I'm so getting that.
And how is SMG2 not in the Gold section?
I mean SRSLY.
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I think it's a sick list. So Halo didn't make it, or Alan Wake, or MGS Rising. I'm surprised by that, but who cares? There is some sick stuff coming out, and I can't wait. Bayonetta reminds me of Shinobi on the PS2. And that was my favorite game of all time. I'll be taking a peak at that.
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