40 Games We'll Still Be Playing From 2008: Part 1

Written by GT Staff  on January 05, 2009

Special: What we loved from 2008.

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Gamers have quite a bit to look forward to in 2009 with a ton of highly anticipated releases for every platform and every type of player. But we'll get to that soon. Right now, it's time to look back at all of the titles that made 2008 a great year. Especially since all of the big games of 2009 are still a few weeks away, at least.

So here are the 40 games from 2008 that the staff of Gaming Target chose as title we'll still be playing in 2009 and beyond.

Part 1 Х Part 2 Х Part 3 Х Part 4

Advance Wars: Days of Ruin
Platform: DS
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Intelligent Systems
Release Date: January 21, 2008

"Intelligent Systems largely left the gameplay aspects of the series alone, while introducing a radically different art direction that allowed the story to become more mature. Days of Ruin may be marked as a turning point in the series, and with good reason, as the title could end up being heralded by some players for pushing the series in new directions, or bemoaned by others who enjoyed the plucky war game and its comedic aspects. Obviously, I recommend all fans of the Nintendo Wars series to grab this title, but on top of that I require any turn-based strategy player with a DS to pick up this game, if only to test themselves on the punishing final campaigns." - Patrick Mulhern
Read the Full Review

Braid
Platforms: XBLA
Publisher: Microsoft
Developer: Jonathan Blow
Release Date: August 6, 2008

"Braid's a damn fine game and one of the best I've played on Xbox Live. Jonathan Blow has clearly proven himself as a videogame craftsman. Like Rez and Portal before it, Braid is a game you should own if you're into video games -- period." - Ben Gilbert
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Castle Crashers
Platforms: XBLA
Publisher: The Behemoth
Developer: The Behemoth
Release Date: August 27, 2008

"Castle Crashers is pure light-hearted fun that is accessible to everyone. This is not to say veteran gamers won't enjoy a challenge - in fact, some stages can be pretty tough - but unlike Alien Hominid you won't be beaten over the head at every turn. With tons of stuff to do, amusingly cute artwork, catchy music and online multiplayer, Castle Crashers is a definite must-have addition to your XBLA library." - Troy Matsumiya
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Culdcept Saga
Platform: Xbox 360
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Developer: Omiya Soft
Release Date: February 5, 2008

"Culdcept Saga is a unique entry in the world of RPGs and its mashup of Magic and Monopoly has me completely hooked. If the premise sounds even the slightest bit interesting, you'd do well to seek it out. Hot card-on-card action now in high definition never felt so good." - John Scalzo
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Dead Space
Platforms: PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: EA Redwood Shores
Release Date: October 14, 2008

"Many people doubted Dead Space when they heard EA was making it and there was certainly a lack of hype before its release. "Oh it's just Doom 3," or "Oh, what an Event Horizon clone," ran rampantly on Internet forums. But the bottom line is that Dead Space is not a clone. Dead Space stands alone in the survivor horror genre as the best of this console generation with its chilling and terrifying ambiance on the Ishimura, outstanding combat and a story that keeps players wanting more. Dead Space doesn't re-invent the genre, but it certainly raises the bar for survivor horror titles to come." - Eric House
Read the Full Review