GOONL!NE

2007 was a great year in gaming with Halo 3, Call of Duty 4, Assassins Creed, Super Mario Galaxy, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune and The Orange Box. But 2008 was miles better with Grand Theft Auto IV, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Gears of War 2, Lost Odyssey, Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Burnout Paradise as well as many others.

You cant help but love the great games that have come out this year and while 2009 is gonna be awesome, lets look back on the 20 greatest games for 2008 one last time as we enter 2009.

20 – Prince of Persia (PLAYSTATION 3/Xbox 360) [Ubisoft]

The Prince is back and he’s got a new sidekick with him, Elika.

There is somewhat mixed opinion on the game as it is from reviewers but quite honestly, this game is brillant. Great gameplay, a good story and one of the best art designs in gaming this year without a shadow of a doubt.

The Prince rides once again and he rides to a great game.

19 -  Gran Turismo 5: Prologue (PLAYSTATION 3) [SCE]

If this taster of Gran Turismo 5 is anything, we should be looking forward to Polyphony Digital’s next addition in the series. But for now, this taster does serve well with over 70 cars, 12 tracks, including the reverse layouts and for the first time ever in GT, online.

GT5 maybe a long time away but GT5: P does a fairly good job as a fix for now.

18 – Far Cry 2 (PLAYSTATION 3/Xbox 360) [Ubisoft]

Far Cry 2 is a sequel but only in name. Since the mutant filled first game, everything has changed. You are a merc in Africa choosing between two factions to work with in to get to one thing: kill the Jackal.

Far Cry 2 can get somewhat repeative as our review points out but considering the game is now at £20 – £25 in the sales, you’d be mad if you didnt pick this one up.

17 – Motorstorm: Pacific Rift (PLAYSTATION 3) [Evolution Studios]

The first Motorstorm was great but this just improves on it.

A new location, the addition of monster trucks and an improved online of up to 16 players, up from 12, as well as improved gameplay sees Pacific Rift reign as one of the finest racing games this year.

16 – Mirror’s Edge (PLAYSTATION 3/Xbox 360) [EA DICE]

One of the most innovitive games to come out of the industry, First Person Parkour is here to stay thanks to Faith and Mirror’s Edge.

Frustrating and flawed it may be but it still doesnt take away the fact that it is a fantastic game.

15 – Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Nintendo Wii) [Nintendo]

The Brawl is on with an all star cast of Nintendo’s gaming line-up in the return of Nintendo’s infamous fighting series.

With a line-up which includes Snake from Metal Gear Sold and Sonic the Hedgehog (Ironiclly enough, this is the only game Sonic has appeared in within the past 4 years that is good) alongside Nintendo favourites like Mario, Link, Samus and Pikachu, Brawl is one of many great games for the Wii this year.

14 – Guitar Hero: World Tour (PLAYSTATION 3/Xbox 360/Nintendo Wii) [Activision]

Guitar Hero isn’t Guitar Hero no more.

World Tour now adds in the whole shabang of a mic, bass (with pre-orders) and drums. Plus, with a solid setlist which includes Paramore, Interpol, Oasis, The Smashing Pumpkins and The Beastie Boys, Guitar Hero: World Tour is a very strong game in it’s own right.

13 – WipEout HD (PLAYSTATION 3) [SCE]

If you have a PS3, buy this game. This could have easily been a £40 Blu-Ray game but it’s a full blown £13.99 on the PS Store. And boy, you do get what you pay for. 12 player online, HD Graphics of 1080P and Trophies, WipEout is back and it’s in HD.

12 – Call of Duty: World at War (PLAYSTATION 3/Xbox 360/Nintendo Wii) [Activision]

Modern Warfare 2 may have been the one we all wanted (and MW2 is what we shal get next year) but World at War is still an exceptional game.

I had doubts of the game not being as great as Infinity Ward’s games and while it isnt, Treyarch spectacularly improve from Call of Duty 3 with you taking on the Japanese from an American prospective (with Kiefer Sutherland) and the Nazi’s from a Russian prospective (with Gary Oldman)

The game may borrow off COD4 alot but WaW is still a great game.

11 – Rock Band (PLAYSTATION 3/Xbox 360/Nintendo Wii) [Harmonix Games]

Rock Band 2 maybe out now in Europe for the Xbox 360 but it wasnt until May this year when Europeans finally got their hands on Rock Band 1 for the Xbox 360 with it released evetually in the summer for the PLAYSTATION 3 and Nintendo Wii.

It was the first game which capitalised on the whole band thing with mic, drums and guitar thing. And with an epic setlist including Radiohead, Beastie Boys, David Bowie, Smashing Pumpkins, The Ramones, Queens of the Stone Age and The Hives, this is one hell of a game.

10 – FIFA 09 (PLAYSTATION 3/Xbox 360/Nintendo Wii) [EA Canada]

It’s official: FIFA is back.

After being in a slump for the past couple of years, FIFA is once again king of Football games.  10vs10 Be a Pro online, Online Clubs as well as gameplay improvements see FIFA score into the top 10.

9 – Burnout Paradise (PLAYSTATION 3/Xbox 360) [EA Criterion]

We’re in Paradise… no, seriously.

Criterion has made the best racing game of 2008 in an open world full of Races, Road Rage and many more. Plus, with Criterion’s many updates to the game and their DLC which comes in at the price of £0.00, Burnout Paradise stands head and shoulders above all racers this year.

8 – Resistance 2 (PLAYSTATION 3) [Insomniac Games]

Nathan Hale’s quest to stop the Chimera takes him back to his homeland of the USofA where he will encounter an enemy he’s never faced before… himself.

But as well as Hale’s adventure, you also get a great 8 player co-op campaign and a 60 player online mutliplayer and from all that, you basiclly get 3 games in the 1 package.

It’s simply one of the PS3′s best this year.

7 – Fable II (Xbox 360) [Lionhead Studios]

Fable II is incredible.

Molyneux has finally pulled off a game which he doesnt live up to beyond infinite hype only to turn out to be a dissapointment.

A great story, a diverse world, online co-op and more sees Fable II  take No. 7 on our list.

6 – Fallout 3 (PLAYSTATION 3/Xbox 360)

The dark nature and the gritty future of Washington DC in a nuclear wasteland is something which Fallout 3 pulls out very well.

An amazing story, a large and explorable world of DC and a great cast headed by Liam Neeson sees Fallout 3 being one of the finest of 08.

5 – Grand Theft Auto IV (PLAYSTATION 3/Xbox 360) [Rockstar North]

We all know it was hyped to infinity and beyond, yes it was somewhat a litte dissapointment thanks to the hype and the seriousness the series had taken. However, in it’s own right, Grand Theft Auto IV was a great game.

Niko Bellic’s rags to… even better rags story, as Rockstar put it in the development of the game, is that which is excellent. And his ambition for the American dream will see him do whatever takes to get there, even if it means he has to get his hands dirty.

And with mutliplayer included for the first time in a console version of GTA, GTA IV is an excellent game whcih should be improved even more with the release of The Lost and Damned on the Xbox 360 in February.

Just dont hype the next GTA to beyond infinity.

4 – Gears of War 2 (Xbox 360) [Epic Games]

Marcus Fenix is back to destroy the Locust horde once and for all but he wont be alone with Delta Squad behind him. And Dom Santiago will have his own troubles along the way as he tries to find his missing wife, Maria.

Plus, with 5vs5 online and the fantastic 5 player online co-op mode Horde, Gears of War 2 is the best shooter of 2008.

3 – Valkyria Chronicles (PLAYSTATION 3) [Sega]

It is such the biggest shame in the world right now that this is overlooked because if it wasn’t for our top 2, this would be our game of 2008.

None the less, Valkyria Chronicles is a game which should be picked up by any PS3 owner, we strongly encourage you to get this game.

It has a one of a kind story, a great mix of real time/SRPG gameplay and the best art design in gaming thisy ear.

We honestly cant get enough of VC and you wont neither if you go out and buy it.

GO, GO!

2 – LittleBigPlanet (PLAYSTATION 3) [Media Molecule]

If your a PS3 owner yet you have not even heard of this game, let alone own it, sell your PS3, you dont deserve to own one. Or buy a copy of LBP, then your redeemed.

LittleBigPlanet is a very unique game which isnt based around new DLC or levels being made by Media Molecule, the developer of LBP, it revolves around you, the community of LBP Level Creators.

But with more premium DLC to come from MM, Sony, 3rd parties and free levels from you, the creator, LittleBigPlanet won’t let you go for a very long time.

1 – Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PLAYSTATION 3) [Kojima Productions]

It was no surprise that we were gonna give No. 1 to MGS4 considering that we gave it GOTY status in our awards a couple of weeks back but that doesnt mean anything considering that this game deserves all the praise it gets. It is an absolutely fantastic game and deserves the title which has been over-used alot in games, masterpiece.

MGS4 isn’t just the best game of 2008, it is one of the best, maybe even the best game of all time.

And with Metal Gear Online included in the package, you get a game which is worth £40. If you dont have a PS3 and you want an excuse to get one, this is it.