1 Like What is Demon's Souls doing on this list, let alone at the top of it? When will you people learn that we aren't impressed with you for liking a sub-par game just because it has frustrating game mechanics??
Table of Contents
Game of the Year
Game of the Year
This is it. The game of the year. The absolute best of the best. This is where we unveil the one game that more than any other game this year stirred our imaginations, captured our hearts, and changed the way we think about video games. 2009 was a great year for games, even in light of the financial crisis that saw a number of respected studios shut their doors for good. It certainly was a great year for sequels: Six of our 10 nominees were sequels, proving the staying power of recognizable franchises in an unstable economy.
But sequel or not, it was easy to find a game to fall in love with this year. We delved into the psyche of a famed hero. We leaped and scurried across Venetian rooftops. And we revisited our beloved lombax, who can always be counted on to make us crack a smile. But what makes this year's list so notable is the incredible diversity these games represent. Yet even with so many different kinds of games vying for our attention, one game this year surpassed all our expectations. When we look on 2009, this will be the game we remember most.
Editorial Nominees
Editors' Choice Winner
Click to reveal winner
Readers' Choice Voting
- Winner
- Results
And the winner is…
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
- Publisher: SCEA
- Developer: Naughty Dog
In 1292, after spending nearly 20 years in the court of emperor Kublai Khan, Marco Polo departed China with 14 ships filled with over 600 passengers and crew. Eighteen months later, when Marco Polo arrived at his destination, only one ship remained and only 18 passengers survived. Although Marco Polo described every aspect of his adventures in detail, he never revealed what happened to these lost ships, passengers or treasure on board - even on his deathbed. Drawn in by the potential riches to be found - but most inspired by the intrigue of the historical mystery - Drake embarks on a quest to find the lost fleet. He soon realizes that Marco Polo was hiding a much bigger secret - he had gone on a secret expedition on behalf of the emperor to find the mythical kingdom of Shambhala (otherwise known as Shangri-La) and to recover the legendary Cintamani Stone, the "wish-fulfilling jewel" of Buddhist mythology. The Stone is described by Marco Polo as a massive raw sapphire - if it truly exists, it would be worth billions of dollars today. This discovery sets Drake on a new course following Marco Polo's 700-year-old trail through a diverse range of exotic environments to find out if the lost city of Shambhala, rumored to lie deep in the Himalayas, really exists. This quest also pits him against a new, more formidable adversary who is after the same artifact - a ruthless, rogue paramilitary leader with a private army and a relentless ambition to recover the stone for himself.
| Info | Title | Vote Result Graph | % of Votes | # of Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Forza Motorsport 3 |
2% | 1,955 | |
|
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves |
24% | 20,799 | |
|
Demon's Souls |
4% | 3,674 | |
|
Dragon Age: Origins |
22% | 18,912 | |
|
Batman: Arkham Asylum |
10% | 8,598 | |
|
The Sims 3 |
1% | 1,024 | |
|
Killzone 2 |
2% | 1,667 | |
|
Assassin's Creed II |
12% | 10,184 | |
|
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars |
1% | 674 | |
|
Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time |
1% | 725 | |
|
inFamous |
1% | 712 | |
|
Halo 3: ODST |
1% | 726 | |
|
Left 4 Dead 2 |
2% | 1,429 | |
|
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 |
13% | 11,217 | |
|
New Super Mario Bros. Wii |
2% | 1,655 | |
|
Dead Space Extraction |
0.1% | 123 | |
|
DiRT 2 |
0.4% | 352 | |
|
The Beatles: Rock Band |
0.5% | 406 | |
|
FIFA Soccer 10 |
1% | 633 | |
|
Resident Evil 5 |
1% | 1,100 |
2508 comments
1 Like 
I think there were a lot of games that deserved it, but Demon's Souls was the only one that felt innovative. All of the others sort of built upon other, similar games. Demon's Souls was fresh.
i ams urprised DA didn't win. it had great story GP and replay value. i think not everybody is RPG fun
I really like GameSpot and I admire how they picked Demon's Souls and didn't nominate MW2 :D And I am slightly disappointed that there was no Street Fighter love though . But then again, they picked Ratchet & Clank... automatic win!
My Game of the Year 1: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3) 2: Fallout 3 GOTY (PS3) 3: LittleBigPlanet GOTY (PS3) 4: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (PS3) 5: Street Fighter IV (PS3) 6: Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (DS) 7: Braid (PS3) 8: Batman: Arkham Asylum (PC) 9: Metroid Prime Trilogy (Wii) 10: Forza Motorsport 3 (Xbox 360)
Modern Warfare 2. Maybe too much of these comments, but no, really. That game is going to last the bite of time. But for it not to get even a nomination really makes me lose faith in this website. Ratchet and Clank? What... To IGN. --->
@ Ladiesman17. Do us all a favor and kill yourself. yes those games are ps3 only but only GOD of War 3 has potential of not sucking. if you actually mean xbox 360 only, then mass effect 2 should be on that list. You also skipped number 3. And Starcraft II will probably not come out this year. You know how bad blizzard is with release dates. In other words, you're an idiot.
At first, I was very much against this verdict, since I had played UC2 and Demon's Souls, and thought UC2 was the runaway winner. However, now that I've finished DS in its entirety...I'm actually inclined to change my mind. I don't know what it is, Demon's Souls has stuck with me far longer than UC2, though UC2 is an AMAZING game. I dunno, it's a tough choice, but I at least now fully understand why GS chose DS as the winner. It's not because they want to be different, that's for sure. Otherwise, they wouldn't have chosen MGS4 last year.
Having played both Demons Souls and Uncharted 2, i have to say that Demons Souls did NOT deserve Game of the Year. I am in no way criticizing Demons Souls. The game is fantastic. The problems are however, numerous. This can include online lag (and I'm talking about serious I-was-five-20-feet-away-from-the-guy-and-he-still-backstabed-me-while-I-was-rolling lag.) Even though the online is revolutionary, it still need fine tuning. As I said, lag is a problem, as well as some missing options. Like no in-game chat for example. If you want to tell your phantom pal to wait, you have to message him via the PS button, this takes alot of time and is very annoying. You could say the whole game itself needs fine tuning. The limp bodies getting caught up in your feet destroys the setting, and there are several flaws like safe zones during boss fights. There is also a very small disappointing armor tree. compared to the weapon and magic/miracle tree. Some of the aspects of the game steer away from being challenging and addicting, to just being plain annoying. I'm sure with a little polish and pzaz, From Software could creat a much better Demons Souls, but for now, I have to say it does not deserve Game of the Year. (And yes I voted for Uncharted 2)
I will quote the editors on their pick for GOTY "Surprised? So were we." Should you be surprised something got game of the year. No, you should know that something is game of the year because it is the best. There are several games you could have picked for GOTY and I could have accepted it but Demon Souls... really?!!
Sorry for my mistake in spelling. And thank you for respecting me. But is a simple spelling mistake enough for me to be ignorant.
@ Matoro4Ever I respect your opinion but am still going to call you ignorant because you spelled it "ignorent." Nice to have met you.
The PS3 has almost no good games, I'm just saying. And to tell you, yes, I've played UC 2, and the gameplay was terrible. It's just my opinion. I play MANY games, I'm an addict. But UC was not a good game. I play everything, Shooters, RPGs, Adventure, Platformers, Puzzles. I don't limit myself to just Call of Duty. So right now, you are being the ignorant bastard that just judges me just because I think MW2 should've won.
@ Matoro4Ever So you still don't get it :( . You say Uncharted's "gameplay was terrible". Frankly now I'm starting to question whether you're even a gamer. Have you played it even? Because your extreme comments just make no sense. Even "pure" xbox gamers (just don't like using the term fanboy) or those who don't like action games admit that Uncharted 2 is an amazingly unrivaled gaming experience. And if you don't trust Gamespot just compare UC 2 reviews with those for MW 2 on other sites. It's almost like starring in an interactive action movie like Indiana Jones or something. The story is great, controls are tight, ...and the graphics just leave me speachless. Maybe you don't like watching movies? I'm really sorry but if you decide to limit your gaming horizon to Modern Warfare 2 and its clones simply because you hate ps3 as a system or something retared like that, then I got no respect for you because YOU ARE a definition of an IGNORANT BASTARD. But then I'm sure you'll have lots of fun with all those "lot of games ... that are a hell of a lot better than Uncharted". So by all means bask in your ignorant glory and deny yourself one of the few better gaming experiences of 2009. Hell ps3 is only like $300 bucks now, so if you're somebody who really cares about good gaming then picking up the console just for UC 1 and 2 (while knowing that you'll probably get UC 3 by the end of this console generation), is well worth the entrance price.
Gameplay was terrible, and why do you say I'm an ignorent bastard when you are one yourself. I have an opinion, and mine is that there are a lot of games out there that are a hell of a lot better than Uncharted. I respect the opinion of others, provided that they respect mine. But since all you Uncharted fanboys don't respect other opinions, then why should I?
really, we need more games like uncharted 2.. games with not only great gameplay, but also a good story
Congratulation, for Uncharted 2, SCEA Publishers (Sony), could make a great games, I admit, though it made for the PS3-Only. Microsoft, has a lot of "Great name" producers to make games (Hironobu Sakaguchi "LOST ODYSSEY", Cliff Blezynski "GEARS" & Peter Molyneux "FABLE") Microsoft is not able to compete with the SCEA (SONY). :) we'll see how the 2010 progress whether Sony or Microsoft, or maybe another publisher has the right to hold the title 2010 game of the year: 1. SCEA (Sony) : God Of War 3, MAG, White Knight Chronicle, & Heavy Rain (PS3 Only). 2. Microsoft : Halo Reach, & Fable 3 (X360 Only). 4. Blizzard : StarCraft 2 (PC Only). 5. 2K : Bioshock 2. 6. EA : Mass Effect 2 & Crysis 2. 7. Square Enix : Final Fantasy 13. I choose StarCraft 2 though. :) for GOTY 2010
oh and go uncharted 2 i love the multiplayer and still after beating it for the 20th time (no joke) the single player is still awesome
@ Mator4Ever No, you are completely right :) . You are NOT a simple fanboy. So stop trolling, you IGNORANT BASTARD. To even compare UC 2 with a FPS fragfest like MW 2, is laughable. Or did you just think that Uncharted experience was about shooting at stuff? If it is too boring for you because it "like has a stupid story and characters who talk too much all the time and my 5-minute attention span just can't take it anymore!" then do yourself a favour and stick with Call of Duty games. And do us, grownup gamers, a favour and STFU next time you feel like philosophizing on games too complex for your puny FPS-stunted brain.
1. Not a fanboy 2. Modern Warfare 2 was amazing 3. Uncharted is a piece of s***. What the f*** is the big deal?
awesome work gamespot. i do, i have to agree.... demon souls and uncharted 2 r rlly the best games of 2009... and prbly one of the best ever made... except mgs4 :D
@lightwarrior179: Sorry, I didn't mean it as a fanboyish comment. I was just fighting fire with fire. Maybe I should abstain.
well i own a 360, although i agree with the decisions made about uncharted 2.. its such an awesome game. cant tell about demons souls, hope to play it someday
@ lightwarrior179 Sorry dude!, but you're wrong, I'm open-minded & most importantly I'm not "exclusive games" lover, I like "multi-platform" stuff, good for Crysis 2 out on Consoles, so we can share together & for me, I'm not degrade anyone, as long them (Fanboy) didn't degrade us PC user, for Piracy you can found it, almost everywhere, anywhere, not just on PCs, BUT (again) it can be mostly found, in the Consoles too,,, (mind that) PC Games these days not well-known, I already know that, good for Consoles-gaming this years, because: :) 1. the cost for titles & hardware very affordable for the Consoles. 2. the number of exclusive games they make. 3. easy to use. :) for the publishers they only count numbers, they just go with the flow of "money", while the developers, is very difficult to make a PC games, with different settings from different hardware, they pursued by dead-line, so that's why they make "port" thing! I don't mind playing "port" thing! PCs very dynamic, we're always using 3rd party controller / X360 controller. I don't mind at all.. just like I've said before "I like multi-platform" than "exclusives". I think Sony have spend a lot of money for each exclusive they made, possible future for Sony console, is that, it will not be released again, because it's "not-good business", do you remember the first time the PS3 came out, they didn't sell well, because it was too expensive, now they (Sony) have loss 30$ for each Console they sell, I think Sony, that dug their own grave, not PCs, "PC" will never disappear, just slightly decreased on gaming.
@Ladiesman17 -- Look pal! I too started as a PC gamer and spent most of my gaming life playing some of it's awesome classics some of which you just stated. You are right in saying that many of today's big name console games have got their roots on PC directly or indirectly. I also agree with the fact that PC technology is superior thanks to the constant development in graphic card technology. What I disagree with is you trying to dumb down consoles. You did state some of the games that are better on PC than on consoles , but almost EVERY other game that comes out is very well polished on consoles, but PC either gets a delayed release or a poor port of the console version. That's what PC is relegated to now. Besides a few exclusives (PC has now even lost Crysis which IMO is one of the finest shooters this gen) to the consoles. So what are you bragging all about? Whether or not you or me like it, you have to accept it. PC is the depraved platform. Consoles are the more prosperous ones. Why? Because developers actually EARN something with console versions. On PC, piracy is rampant as hell. And hackers find someway past the copy-protection so it's useless. Why should any developers interested in making a profit invest in a PC-only version when they know that their game is going to sell more pirated versions than the actual retail copies. It's sad but we PC gamers have kinda dug our own grave thanks to this piracy.
@chaoz_golem @hitomo :) @chaoz_golem, "foul-mouthed dude"! are you blind or something, Dragon Age Origins originally game from PC (just like their predecessor Baldur's Gate) only 2% difference "POINT", from Uncharted2. many games you enjoyed these day, originally came from PCs, 1st person shooter genre, Bioware games, L4D (VALVE), GTA series, Fallout series, Elder scrolls, F.E.A.R, Prince Of Persia, D&D RPG rule, Diablo style (many consoles "rip-off" from this game) Halo, Gears of war (Epic studio), Fable (Lionhead) THEY becoming Consoles exclusives now & yet you dissing us PC User, "You should be ashamed". You say the PCs lose everything (especially graphic) than the PS3, are you dumb or something, aww.. come on! the PS3 was released in 2007, it was already too old, (PCs) already have the latest technology..(2010) :) PCs better in every "aspect", you see how GameSpot giving "score": :D Dragon Age Origin = PC (9.5), PS3 (9.0), X360 (8.5) The Last Remnant = PC (8.0) X360 (6.5) PS3 (Cancelled) Blood Bowl = PC (7.0) X360 (5.5) etc. if developers can maximize PC Technology your Consoles gonna "SUCK" to the ground hahaha... I played Modern Warfare 2 & Far Cry 2 both on PC & Consoles {PS3&360}, Consoles version didn't use AA (Anti-Aliasing) & AF (Anisthropic-Filtering) :D & Consoles version disgusting. still using DVDs, stuck in one controller, no updated patch, limey split-screen, limey auto-aim, arcade-ish, "ugly" graphic, blocky, lagging even "choppy" & will be forgotten when the next-gen Consoles come out,,,Companies makes "Exclusives" & treat you like "moronic fanboy",,yet you proud of it :D hilarious, for PC Version, I might be able to play-PC games from 1997 until Present (2010) with good quality setting (with enhanced graphic) Consoles can't do that,, since the last 12 years. you see how PS1 & PS2 thrown away like trash, PS3 will end up like that,, their technology already "LAME" eat that,, hahahaha
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