It’s always good to be home again. And 2009 was homecoming for a number of franchises with a mammoth line up of sequels. Newer franchises such as Uncharted, Assassin’s Creed and Left4Dead followed up with stellar sequels last year, along with new additions to older franchises such as Call of Duty, Street Fighter and Ratchet & Clank .
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves was the runaway success in the IVG polls for the category, and for a title which blew away gamers all over the world with top of the line presentation, gameplay, graphics and voice acting, it comes as no surprise. Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune had the potential for greatness, but it’s the sequel which not only realised it, but surpassed it and kept going with no signs of letting up.
The fact that Uncharted 2 stood out among some brilliant sequels this year is the authentication of its quality. The other nominees were extremely successful in breathing new life to their respective franchises. Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time is arguably the best game of the series, mixing the tried and tested formula with new gameplay features expertly. Killzone 2 took up the mantle of the yardstick for the FPS genre for many. And while many were skeptical about an early sequel to Left4Dead, the second game vastly improved upon the first and brought enough quality content to the table to silence the critics and justify a retail release. Modern Warfare 2 and Street Fighter 4 were no slouches either, instantly becoming runaway successes, reminding us yet again what it is about these franchises that has stood the test of time.
According to us, it was Assassin’s Creed 2 which moved the series forward the most. The journey from Assassin’s Creed to the sequel was a journey from a mediocre game to a brilliant game in almost every aspect where the original faltered. And for that it is the IVG staff pick for the Best Franchise/Series Title of 2009.
IVG Staff Pick: Assassin’s Creed 2
