My personal GOTY's for 2008:
  • Fallout 3: I was very skeptical at first, but after 1.5 playthroughs (and counting) I must say that this is the best Bethesda game yet. In my opinion, the Fallout world fits the "Bethesda school of game design" much better then the phantasy world of the Elder Scrolls. And gameplay-wise, Fallout is quite a bit more streamlined then Oblivion, keeping the player engaged without giving up too much freedom.
  • Ninja Gaiden 2: Yeah, the game was rushed and there are some obvious flaws, but the combat in NG2 is simply spectacular. I must have played through the game eight or nine times, and I'm currently in the middle of my first Mentor run. I wish there would be hope for some sort of refined "NG2 Black", but with Itagaki's leave from Tecmo chances seem to be void :(
  • Dead Space: This game came out of nowhere for me, and in fact, it's hard to describe, why the game is so great. Dead Space is basically "Doom3, done right", and that's all there needs to be said. It's an old-school corridor shooter with shiny graphics and rock-solid shooting mechanics. And I can't get over the fact that this is an EA game. EA!!!
Live Arcade GOTYs: Castle Crashers, RezHD, BC: Rearmed and Omega Five (hmm, more great games on XBLA then retail this year...).

Here's my XBLA wishlist for 2009: downloadable full games, and more price variety for downloadable games (in my opinion, a game like Mirror's Edge would be better if it wouldn't have to fill the shoes of a full-blown 60.- Euro game).

See ya'all in 2009 :)