This year has been a bit strange for me because I have played mostly older games or games from a year or two ago. There are even a few contenders for GOTY (Valkyria Chronicles, Banjo Kazooie N&B) I haven't gotten to yet, things that'll hopefully show up on my big 2008 list in late january.

But here goes my GSY list!

1. LittleBigPlanet (PS3)

- With a large margin the most endearing, loveable, ingenious, heartwarming game I have played in absolute yonks. It doesn't quite feel like a game when you fire it up, though, it's more like a world spanning workshop of positive energy and creativity. Moderation controversy aside this game is fundamentally absolutely inspiring proof that mankind is good.

2. Braid (360/XBLA)

- Much like a poem plays on our subconscious understanding of words, Braid weaves together an extraordinary and thought provoking message by playing on familiar game conventions. It's digital prose shaped in a language only we understand.

3. Persona 4 (PS2)

- The most modern feeling jRPG around is on a 9 year old platform. Alternating between social/dating sim and jRPG dungeon crawl of the most polished, fluid and fun kind, whenever you feel like you might be bored it does a 180 and satisfies in a whole different way. The way they converge in the end is where its true brilliance lies, and coupled with the fusing and matching of Personas there's enough to do here until you grow very, very old. It's also the first game where I've gotten so attached to a girl that I'm a bit jealous whenever she spends time with other, completely fictional people.

4. Gears of War 2 (360)

- If there's one sequel I didn't believe would make much effort to improve an already fantastic formula it's this one. It would have been so easy to just make another 8 hours worth of set pieces, populate them with Gears 1 enemies and up the graphics and you'd be fine. Gears 2 however adressed *everything* I thought was a problem in the first game and performed the seemingly impossible task of making me warm to the characters and universe. It'll never be a Halo but it's the next best thing and that's awesome too.


5. Megaman 9 (Wii/WiiWare, also on: 360/XBLA, PS3/PSN)

- In addition to being a balls crunchingly hardcore game that in every way lives up to the creed of 1 through 3, the mere fact that it exists in this shape and form warrants a spot on here.

Runner up:

Grand Theft Auto IV (360, also on: PS3, PC)

I feel a little bad for this one. GTA4 is a staggering accomplishment and easily the most believable and immersive experience one can have on a console right now. Unfortunately, ultimately I didn't have much fun with it at all and spent way more time with its deranged cousin Saints Row 2 - a game that needs to shave and sort its hair out before appearing on lists like these.