Our Top 5 PC Games of 2009
By Tim Hage on Dec 21st, 2009 at 12:01AM

After Spike’s VGAs, we decided it was time to have a sit-down and begin the mental battle to find our top PC games of 2009. So, without further introduction, join us after the break for our Game of the Year countdown as well as some other awards and a cool giveaway!
5th Place – Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II

DoW II was among the few RTS games released this year, but it was still a great addition to the genre. Bringing together squad-based gameplay with its in-depth storyline meant it was doing great things. Not only did it have a great campaign, but the multiplayer could keep you occupied for hours, especially the new Survival mode. With great graphics and great gameplay, Warhammer 40,000 Dawn of War II was more than deserving of 5th place in our countdown.
4th Place – Left 4 Dead 2

If it’s multiplayer you want, it’s multiplayer you get. Taking everything good from L4D1 and making it better, Left 4 Dead 2 was bound to get its name in lights this year. With multiple game modes and a great match-making system, you can have hours of fun. There is never a dull moment in this game. The decapitation system on the zombies only adds to the fantastic engine powering the awesome graphics.
3rd Place – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

While many gamers might be shocked that MW2 garnered anything less than first place in our countdown, Infinity Ward simply shafted the PC community with a lack of dedicated servers and other issues. The game gets bumped to a lower slot. However, thanks to great (if not seemingly recycled) single player and plenty of co-op, it still remains a top-contender for game of the year.
2nd Place – Dragon Age: Origins

Made by legends of the RPG genre, Bioware, only good things were expected from Dragon Age: Origins. The story is so in-depth with hundreds of branching narratives, not to mention the insane influence you personally have on the world around you, there’s never a problem getting immersed in the game. The realistic characters, great graphics, fantastic gameplay and unbeatable storyline are what gives Dragonage: Origins its well deserved place in the top 5.
Game of the Year – Batman: Arkham Asylum

Anyone that hasn’t played Arkham Asylum probably won’t understand this for our game of the year choice, but the simple fact that Rocksteady came from nowhere and blew the gaming public away with this amazing action-adventure game makes it one of the freshest and most playable games of the year. And it doesn’t hurt that the graphics and voice acting were equally impressive. We’re unbelievably excited for the game’s recently announced sequel.
Indie Game of the Year – Machinarium

The indie game community is something we try to stay on top of here at Tech Olive. It’s an industry that brings many strange, ugly and wonderful things to gamers at little to no cost. Our indie game of the year was a very hard choice, but the simplicity, artwork and (dare I say it) cuteness that accompanied Machinarium made it a hard choice to beat. It may not have been the most unique, action-packed or largest indie game of the year, but it’s the one that stuck with us the most.
If you’re still reading, then you’re lucky. In spirit of the holidays and these awards, Tech Olive is indeed holding a giveaway. One lucky winner will be given a copy of our Indie game of the year, Machinarium. All you have to do is leave a comment in this post that mentions your game of the year! You also must have a Steam account in order to receive the game, if you win. We’ll randomly select a winner and contact them via email. You’ll have until Thursday, January 31st, 2009 at 11:59PM EST to get your comment posted.
View all the giveaway rules here.







i would say nfs shift
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I wanna say WoW:WotLK, but that was last year :(
Im gonna agree with you on batman, I only played a little and at low graphics on my crappy laptop. But definitely a great game
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OMG actually, change my vote to DJ Hero….i totally forgot about it
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I think MW2 might get my vote. In my oppinion, there was nothing absolutely amazing this year (granted I haven’t played Arkham Asylum or Dragon Age yet). I played the demo of Dirt 2 and will hopefully be getting that for Christmas, I liked it a lot.
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I hate to say it, but MW2 kinda sucks…
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The Saboteur is my game of the year, although it has a lot of glitches, it offers over 30 hours of gameplay! Great Success!
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Hello! My personal favorite game of the year has to be “MadWorld.” It was a game that contained a very interesting and entertaining storyline along with some brutally violent gameplay that was as hilarious as it was gruesome. The experience was short but it remains one of the most unique and satisfying games I’ve played. It was also a game that utilized the Wii motion controls well, which was a major plus. GO MADWORLD! :)
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Batman definitely deserves to be goty. What an awesome game it was…can’t wait for the sequel. The only con i can think of is the lack of a new game+ feature or something like that.
And as for machinarium as indie game of the year, i really can’t say since i only played the relatively short demo, but at least it seemed quite interesting to me.
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Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 was great! Left 4 Dead 2 was my second favorite but I only played the demo so I dunno about the full version of the game, probably still awesome.
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Mine would be Batman: Arkham Asylum. =]
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