Top 10 video games of 2009

Assassin’s Creed II: The original Assassin’s Creed was a massive let-down; this Renaissance-based sequel corrects every flaw in its predecessor to create an enthralling, beautifully-realised cracker of a game. (PC , PS3, Xbox 360)

Borderlands: Like Batman, Borderlands’ first-person-shooter gameplay is so finely tuned that it’s near-impossible to put down. Unlike Batman, it has axe-wielding midgets and shotguns that fire rockets. Woo! (PC ,PS3, Xbox 360)

Batman: Arkham Asylum: Nothing in Batman: Arkham Asylum’s combat/stealth/secret-finding gameplay is new, but all of it has been polished to perfection. The most satisfying game we’ve played in a long time. (PC ,PS3, Xbox 360)

Brütal Legend: It might not have been quite the world-beater we hoped for, but heavy-metal action/strategy game Brütal Legend remains the funniest, most charming and imaginative product to be released this year. (PS3, Xbox 360)

Dragon Age: Origins: The biggest, most detailed RPG we’ve seen for years – on a console, at least – Dragon Age is enthralling, surprising and, once you get through the shaky early sections, almost impossible to put down. (PC ,PS3, Xbox 360)

Fallout 3: Trudging across the raider-filled, monster-blighted terrain of Fallout 3’s post-apocalyptic Washington DC is like nothing else we’ve played. The combination of shooting and RPG elements is compelling, too. (PC ,PS3, Xbox 360)

Halo: ODST: After three increasingly tiresome Halo games, ODST gives the franchise a kick in the pants. With a more complicated narrative structure and gameplay, it’s easily the best Halo game since the original. (Xbox 360)

Red Faction: Guerilla: No other game has quite captured the joy of carnage like this one: buildings explode into fragments, pylons tumble and enemies fly through the air like rag dolls. There’s a story, but who cares about that? (PC ,PS3, Xbox 360)

Street Fighter IV: After some very dodgy sequels and spin-offs, Street Fighter IV became the first true successor to the mighty Street Fighter II. Rich 3D graphics don’t distract from the perfectly balanced gameplay. (PC ,PS3, Xbox 360)

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves: From the pant-wetting ‘suspended over a cliff’ intro to the explosive finale, Uncharted 2 does a better job of transferring Bruckheimer-style Hollywood movies to video games than anything that’s come before. (PS3)