- [Narrator] The only thing crazier
than the fact that it's already 2019
is the fact that 2009 was 10 years ago.
From Avatar blowing our minds with its insane 3D visuals,
still waiting on those sequels, Cameron,
to Michael Jackson's death, 2009 was jam packed
with monumental pop culture moments.
And, the year was not only filled
with fantastic movies and TV,
it was also lush with incredible video game experiences
across pretty much every platform.
Seriously, some of these titles will blow your mind
when you find out that they're over a decade old now.
So, today, we're counting them down.
These are the top 10 games that turned 10 in 2019.
But, before we get started,
make sure to like this video and subscribe,
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Number 10, Borderlands.
Holy shit, has it really been 10 years
since the original Borderlands?
Although its sequel was an overall better game,
at least in my opinion, the original Borderlands
was easily one of the best games to come out of 2009.
This unapologetically Mad Max-inspired,
open world action shooter developed by Gearbox Software
was an overnight success back in the day.
In Borderlands, you play as one
of four gun-slinging vault hunters,
who travel to the distant planet of Pandora
in search of a fabled alien vault.
As one of the most badass games in the last decade,
this sci-fi shooter also featured
an insanely unique weapon and loot generating system.
In 2009, it even set a Guinness World Record for having,
let me say this slowly,
17.75 million unique weapons
and pieces of gear, that's insane.
Not to mention some of the best
campaign cooperative multiplayer
we've ever seen in video games.
Sadly, though, after Borderlands 2,
the following releases
just didn't quite live up to the original two games,
but that doesn't mean we're not excited
for any of the future releases.
Number nine, Uncharted 2.
Who could forget one of the biggest games of 2009,
from veteran developers Naughty Dog?
The Uncharted series has been
a beloved PlayStation series
since the original was released all the way back in 2007.
Since then, the games have continued to snowball
an insanely loyal fan base, and for good reason,
because these games just seem to keep hitting the mark.
In Uncharted 2, you, once again, step into the shoes
of the quick-witted, handsome journeyman Nathan Drake.
This action adventure, 3D platformer game
has you unraveling the mysteries
surrounding a legendary Venetian explorer Marco Polo.
When it was released, Uncharted 2
was showered with praise for its amazing set pieces,
in-depth character design, beautiful graphics,
and stellar gameplay mechanics.
It's an all-around best case
when it comes to a sequel for an already loved original.
And, as you are probably aware,
Naughty Dog has continued to raise the bar
with the Uncharted series,
but Uncharted 2 is widely regarded as the best.
Regardless, if you haven't played
any of the Uncharted games, strap in,
because you have hours upon hours
of amazing, action-packed adventure ahead of you.
And, not to mention, Naughty Dog's Last of Us Part II,
is looking to come out in 2019,
which has us giddy with excitement.
Seriously, if Uncharted 2 is any indication
of what Naughty Dog is going to do with The Last of Us 2,
we're hyped, to say the very least.
Number eight, Bayonetta.
This hack and slash action-adventure game
exploded on the scene in 2009
and was adored by fans of the genre.
And, it makes sense, because it was developed
by game designer, director, and Twitter troll Hideki Kamiya,
whose work includes Resident Evil
and the Devil May Cry series.
Bayonetta is set within a fictional city in Europe,
and revolves around a shapeshifting witch named Bayonetta.
This badass protagonist possesses magical attacks
and can use her hair to summon demons to dispatch enemies.
Yeah, her hair.
And, players were actually encouraged to use
as much flair as possible when killing her angelic foes.
I mean, who doesn't love killing with flair?
Every game seriously needs style points.
The game also featured a host of ways to fight,
including melee, long-ranged attacks,
complex combo strings, and an arsenal of weapons.
The game implemented a feature called torture attacks,
in which Bayonetta summons weapons like chainsaws
or iron maidens to deal devastating blows to her enemies.
They were nuts.
Not to mention, the Bayonetta series continues to gain fans,
with recent remasters, including one for Switch last year,
which definitely makes it worth the revisit.
Number seven, Forza Motorsports 3.
So, Forza Horizon 4 came out in 2018,
and it was a near masterpiece when it come to racing games,
but back in 2009, this third installment in the Forza series
elevated the genre in a massive way.
Whether you love the exotic racers or classic muscle cars,
this game had everything a racing fan could have dreamed of.
This near flawless, content-packed game
let racers choose from more than 400 cars
to take for a spin on a ton of real-world tracks.
With its mind-blowing HD graphics and its ability to please
both casual and hardcore racing fans,
this Forza game had it all.
Seriously, this was a 360 game,
and it looked gorgeous even by today's standards.
And, in 2009, Forza 3 was considered quite possibly
the best racing game of all time.
The only thing that may have dethroned Forza 3 since
is, rather fittingly, Horizon 4.
Number six, Dragon Age: Origins.
The Dragon Age franchise kicked off with this title in 2009,
and since then, has released a whole slew of sequels
and extensive DLC.
But, with all that came after, none were quite as remarkable
as the original, Dragon Age: Origins.
BioWare, which is the team behind Mass Effect,
was responsible for this dark fantasy RPG
that is referred to as the spiritual successor
to their wildly popular Baldur's Gate,
and Neverwinter Nights franchises.
Dragon Age: Origins puts the player
in the role of the warrior, mage, or rogue,
from either an Elven, Human, or Dwarven background.
The player is then recruited into an ancient order
known as the Gray Wardens, as is tasked
with taking out the demonic forces called darkspawn.
While still holding true to old-school RPG conventions,
this game still managed to provide
an engaging story and exciting combat.
And, if you played all the games and are hungry for more,
you're in luck, 'cause a fourth installment
is reported to be in production.
Number five, Batman: Askham Asylum.
There has been a slew of Batman games over the years,
both good and bad,
but when it comes to this 2009 release
set in the haunting Arkham Asylum,
this game was not just good, it was fricken mind-blowing.
As the title suggests,
this game is set completely within the walls
of a security facility for the criminally insane,
located within Gotham City.
Playing, of course, as Batman,
you are given free roam of the place,
after hand-delivering the Joker to the asylum.
However, you quickly realize, this was a setup,
when Harley Quinn takes control of the security system
and the Joker escapes into the facility.
With the game's script penned
by award-winning Batman writer Paul Dini,
the game feels right at home with the best of the best
when it comes to the Batman story.
Seriously, this detective-focused game
had everything you could want from a Batman game.
Stunning visuals, an amazing original soundtrack,
complex puzzles, and most notably,
a hard-hitting, exhilarating combat system.
A combat system that has inspired countless other games,
like Shadow of Mordor, Sleeping Dogs, Spider-Man,
and even the Assassins Creed games.
Oh, and not to mention,
voice acting by Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy.
Do I need to say more?
Number four, Assassins Creed 2.
Similar to Uncharted 2, this sequel
had fans beaming with excitement
from the moment it was announced.
And thankfully, also like Uncharted 2,
it did not disappoint.
A product of two intense development years
by the original team, this vast open world adventure
had players stepping into the beloved role of Ezio.
This brilliantly crafted, compelling follow-up
featured incredibly fluid and swift game mechanics,
as well as impeccable level design.
While there have been countless sequels,
Assassins Creed 2 will always hold
a special place in my heart
as one of the best games of the series and of 2009.
Number three, League of Legends.
Today, this game is one of the most played games
in the entire world, so it's kind of crazy to think
about the fact that it came out 10 years ago,
and it's basically the same exact game.
As the biggest multiplayer online battle arena game,
or MOBA for short, in history,
League of Legends was bound to make this list.
The game also went on to become
one of the largest Esports megahits
and continues to dominate
with upwards of tens of millions of dollars
in prize money each year.
Seriously, that's a lot of money for a free game.
The competitive nature of League of Legends
has somehow continued to take the gaming industry by storm,
and there's no sign of it letting up anytime soon.
This is especially thanks
to the incredible developer support
that Riot has given it since its release.
Number two, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.
Okay, this is a big one.
This Call of Duty game
is not only considered the best in the series of 15 games,
it's also considered one of the best games of all time.
And, if you ask me, this sixth, yes sixth, installment
of the Call of Duty franchise, 100% deserves that title.
This pinnacle game of the series
expanded upon the groundwork laid before by its predecessor,
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.
Setting the bar at a whole new level
for AAA first-person shooters,
Modern Warfare 2 had a memorable campaign,
as well as an insanely popular
competitive deathmatch multiplayer experience.
The game also featured
the infamously controversial No Russian mission
that had players take part
in an actual terrorist attack on a civilian airport.
Back in the day, that mission was seriously controversial.
Could you imagine if they did something like that now?
Honorable mentions.
While there were hundreds of games that came out in 2009,
there were definitely more than 10
that were worth mentioning,
so here are a few that we deem honorable.
First up, Skate 2.
The sequel to the successful original,
Skate 2 kept the momentum that Tony Hawk ignited,
and breathed new realistic life into the genre.
It was a must-play for any true skater, Tony Hawk fan,
or just skateboarding fan in general.
Then, before we had Dark Souls,
we had FromSoftware's Demon Souls.
Set in a dark fantasy world,
this action RPG had us
looting and raging our way through 2009.
And lastly, we had a trio of music games with DJ Hero,
Beatles Rock Band, and Guitar Hero 5.
All of those games had us rocking out
through the entire year, back when those were still popular.
Except, well, DJ Hero, 'cause that one was bad.
And, like, lame, super lame.
Number one, Minecraft.
Last on this list,
a game that's basically turned into its own religion.
Seriously, there isn't a store out there
without some type of Minecraft toy or collectible.
It's everywhere.
In 2009, little did we know that this seemingly unassuming,
dorky little web-based indie game
would become one of the biggest franchises of all time.
As of October 2018,
Minecraft had over 91 million people playing monthly.
Let me say that again.
91 million, for a browser game that came out 10 years ago.
That stat alone is reason enough
for this crafting adventure game
to land the top spot on our list.
For real, this game started as PC only
and exploded onto every other platform out there,
including Android and IOS.
You can play this game literally anywhere.
And, it's cross platform.
Not only that, but this game
is also for everyone, at any age.
Minecraft has somehow managed to capture
the imagination of adults and kids alike.
Whether building an insane mansion is your thing,
or if you're an explorer at heart,
the game has something to offer for all types of gamers.
And, unlike League of Legends,
Minecraft has completely evolved over the last 10 years,
and continues to attract new fans
and keep the long-time fan base addicted
with new games modes and things to do.
So, there you have it,
10 games from 2009 that turned 10 in 2018.
Don't you feel old now?
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