It's never easy to pick the best of the best, and this year's top three picks proved most excruciating to sort. Honestly, I could have put "MGS4," "Gears" and "GTA4" in any order and would've been just as satisfied with this list.
Keeping the list to only 10 titles also proved a challenge, thus the inclusion of the runners-up.
There are, of course, games I didn't have an opportunity to play that, most likely, would have been contenders. Other best-games compilations have included "Fallout 3," "Dead Space" and "LittleBigPlanet" -- all titles that undoubtedly deserve recognition for their excellence. But even a game enthusiast like myself can only play so many games in a year's time.
So without further ado, behold -- my top picks for 2008:
1. METAL GEAR SOLID 4: GUNS OF THE PATRIOTS
"Metal Gear Solid 4," in its grand finale of the epic saga of Solid Snake, achieves a magnificent maelstrom of incredible visuals, roiling atmosphere, intuitive mechanics, addictive gameplay and cinematics worthy of the big screen. It's self-referential, serious, silly, satisfying and absolutely spectacular. Of all the action franchises, nothing surpasses the audacity and sprawling narrative of "Metal Gear." It's an incredible and unforgettable gaming experience.
2. GEARS OF WAR 2
Everything that was great about the first "Gears of War" re-emerges in "Gears of War 2," either meeting the high standard or surpassing it. The visual presentation is stunning, the battles intense and the mechanics spotless. The "Gears" franchise continues to climb in quality and substance, and, with four levels of difficulty from which to choose, you don't have to be a hard-core Gear-head to enjoy some delicious chainsaw-gun action. And the most telling mark of a great game: As soon as the credits roll, you're immediately salivating for "Gears of War 3."
3. GRAND THEFT AUTO 4
My love of the "GTA" series continues with the sharply funny, satiric and excellently well-crafted "GTA IV," a game so attentively constructed and woven with myriad details that I get indignant when its detractors label it as nothing more than a murder simulation. It's a Pleasure Island of possibilities, where you can be viciously thuggish or an outlaw anti-hero. This new-gen Liberty City has a heartbeat, from its cheeky online news stories and star-studded comedy clubs to its dazzling graphics and gangsta-cappin' mayhem. It's smart, irreverent and utterly addictive.
4. GOD OF WAR: CHAINS OF OLYMPUS
Head-ripping, torso-halving, eyeball-gouging, blood-spilling, neck-slicing -- yes, Kratos re-emerges in glorious god-slaying form in "God of War: Chains of Olympus" on the PSP. And just because this divinely executed title is on the small screen, doesn't mean there is anything less than big about the Greek mythology-infused action adventure. Where most PSP spin-offs are judged by how the game holds up using the portable's limited control scheme, "Chains" stands on its own merits. It's not only a showpiece for the PSP's processing prowess, but also for the developers, who managed to sacrifice none of the brawn and beauty of the title's console predecessors.
5. BURNOUT PARADISE
"Burnout Paradise" lives up to its name, taking the much-acclaimed "Burnout" series and letting it loose in the expansive Paradise City. The whole experience feels so fresh and natural, ditching the sequential chapter-style missions for a explore-and-explode-as-you-go sandbox format. Add to this sheer brilliance "Burnout's" tight driving mechanics that nail weight and physics, the pulse-pounding sense of speed as you barrel down traffic-riddled streets, a multitude of races and events, plus a vigorous helping of online action you can summon in-game, and you've got yourself a satisfying, addictive and gorgeous racing game.
6. FABLE II
It's how you play the game that counts in "Fable II," which lets you play as the purest of paragons, the most fearsome of devils or a shades-of-gray kind of bloke. (And, for a little gender equality, you can play as a man or woman.) In this morality RPG, with a faithful canine companion to follow you down your path to sainthood or ruin, your choices in the game actually make an impact on the world around you, from your appearance to the condition of the towns and the townsfolk's attitudes toward you. The gameplay mechanics are a cinch to master, the graphics look fantastic and the voice-acting is top-notch, but it truly is the freedom to play as naughty or nice as you like that separates this title from the pack. Even though you'll arrive at the same three choices at the end of the game, how you get there makes the game worth playing a second or third time through.
7. LOST ODYSSEY
The old and the new blend beautifully in the traditional role-playing game "Lost Odyssey," a four-disc Xbox 360 epic exquisitely crafted by Hironobu Sakaguchi, creator of the iconic "Final Fantasy" series. RPGs these days are mostly hybrids, and at first, it's hard to believe a game with such gorgeous art direction would utilize a decades-old system of gameplay. But it works, embellished with dazzling particle effects and insanely detailed textures. It would be easy to write off "Lost Odyssey" as a shiny but archaic JRPG, but beneath the stunning effects and new-gen good looks lies a wealth of intricate combat, engaging story and mature themes. It's definitely an odyssey to get lost in.
8. CRISIS CORE: FINAL FANTASY VII
Why play a game starring a doomed hero from a PS1 title more than a decade old⢠Not just for its stunning art direction, packed with gorgeous cinematics and dramatic cutscenes, and the utmost attention paid to character details, but because "Crisis Core" gives "Final Fantasy VII" fans a deeper connection to "FFVII's" story line, fleshing out the tragic lives of Zack, Aerith, Sephiroth and Cloud. Fan service of the highest degree, "Crisis" offers an emotional experience, but delivers some sublime gameplay that packs a wallop on the PSP. The attack actions are rendered with an emphasis on flair, weaving the real-time, command-based combat with special-moves cutscenes and cinematics that are absolutely jaw-dropping.
9. THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU
Square Enix put together quite the edgy game, giving the action-RPG genre a much-needed overhaul of style and substance. The high-quality presentation blends 2-D artwork in a world exceptionally designed to appear 3-D. Once you get past its dazzling good looks, you'll find a combat mechanic unlike any other: pins with offensive and defensive powers. This is one of those rare titles that gets everything right -- mechanics, visuals, a catchy J-pop soundtrack and an engaging story -- plus, there are so many ways to approach the gameplay. It's the slickest, hippest DS title on the market.
10. PATAPON
The fabulously odd, wonderfully whimsical "Patapon" is a refreshing strategy-action game wrapped in a mosaic of mesmerizing rhythm-based gameplay. You don't just give orders to your weird little tribe of eyeball creatures; you sound them off to the beat of a don, don-don, don-don drum. And it's not just the surprisingly in-depth gameplay that makes "Patapon" so captivating. The silhouette-style 2-D graphics are outstanding, and the audio is spot-on, with tribal beats that become increasingly frenzied the more combos you land. To think that something so simple and strange could be so delightful and exceptionally entertaining.
RUNNERS-UP
• "SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI: PERSONA 4": A beautiful amalgam of anime, social sim and RPG drawn from a bubbling plot of mystery, drama and horror, "Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4" adds the flash and panache to the old-school dungeon crawl. The quality and easily 100-hours quantity of "Persona 4" make for an immersive RPG whodunit that requires just as much brain as it does leveled-up brawn. Plus, its captivating, bizarre, often-dark psychological story line avoids the typical plot pitfalls. "Persona 4" meets the series' high standards and continues to put a fresh face on an amazing traditional RPG.
• "TALES OF VESPERIA": "Tales of Vesperia" plays like an RPG and looks like an anime -- and it's all good. The attractive cel-shaded characters transition smoothly from their vibrant 3-D environments to 2-D dialogue clips and animation cutscenes, creating an arresting visual experience. Most importantly, though, the addictive gameplay keeps a lively pace thanks to real-time combat, with an intuitive leveling system. The hardest things for a JRPG to get right -- story and translation -- are spot-on, and even the character archetypes defy their stereotypes as the story develops. Besides its gorgeous looks and smart script, this thoroughly modern RPG plays like a charm, but don't be surprised if hours start disappearing from your day.
• "OKAMI": Rarely can you call a game a work of art, but in "Okami's" case, it is just that. The stunning art direction takes its cue from traditional Japanese art -- imagine exploring a watercolor world brushed to life. The brushstroke controls on the original 2006 PS2 title begged for a Wii release, and it's a perfect fit for the Wiimote. It's not often a game of this caliber comes around, especially twice. This updated go-around in the Shinto-inspired world of demons and gods still holds all the magic and charm it did two years ago.
• "SUPER SMASH BROS. BRAWL": Hope you have friends, 'cause one is, indeed, the loneliest number when dishing out the insanely frenetic 60-frames-per-second hurt in "Super Smash Bros. Brawl." With 35 characters -- and not just from the Nintendo catalog -- you can pit the hard-boiled Solid Snake against froufrou Princess Peach. In its own way, it's like cats and dogs living together: strange yet lovely. The controls are fairly tight, the graphics look amazing and the replay value is tremendous. It might not have all the intense-seriousness of, say, "Mortal Kombat," but it gets everything right that a fighting game should.
Contributors' faves
CLINTON SEVERS
1. "Grand Theft Auto IV"
2. "Gears of War 2"
3. "Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots"
4. "Dead Space"
5. "Burnout Paradise"
SUE & EMMA JONES
1. "Wii Fit"
2. "Boom Blox"
3. "Mario Kart Wii"
4. "Active Life Outdoor Challenge"
5. "Wii Music"
