Games of the Decade: Part 2

Street Fighter IV
2009




With popular 3D fighters failing to set the world alight on the next generation of consoles, Capcom’s reboot of the Street Fighter franchise could not have come at a better time. Street Fighter II’s numerous sequels had left many fans jaded, and 3D fighters such as Tekken had hammered nails in its coffin. Many fans had forgotten about Street Fighter before Third Strike was released. Street Fighter IV returned to the classic cast, with a beautiful 3D engine that managed to capture the feel of Street Fighter II, while also adding new characters, deeper fighting, more combo options and flashy finishes. Not only did Capcom reclaim the hearts of old players, they had created the very pinnacle of 2D fighting games.

Further Reading: Review

Elder Scrolls: Oblivion
2006




Oblivion is by no means the first game to feature elves, magic, dungeons, orcs, skeletons and almost every other cliché the fantasy genre can summon, and it certainly wasn’t the last. Bethesda still managed to create a unique world, one which is breathtakingly vast and immersive. Sticking to its RPG roots and offering three main character classes, Oblivion offers hundreds of hours of explorative gameplay and a huge variety of ways to tackle it. Emerging from the sewers to see a world waiting to be explored remains one of my top gaming moments of all time. Oblivion laid the groundwork for Fallout 3′s post-apocalyptic carnage, but the sheer scale of Cyrodil and its inhabitants has never been matched.

Further Reading: Review

Burnout Paradise
2008




Burnout has always been a brash, uncompromising yet notoriously fun racer, and it initially seemed that EA had taken a step back from that with Paradise. The crash mode has been stripped from the game, leaving many fans of the series unhappy. Individual events were a thing of the past, as Burnout borrowed from its polar opposite driving game, Test Drive, to introduce an open world racing environment where time spent exploring can be as rewarding as taking down other racers. And what a genius step that was. Invite some friends to your game and the city bursts into life as high scores are broken and everyone is updated on who set them. Whether finding the fastest route through town, racing from east to west tailgating your friends, or tearing through the city streets setting records for longest drifts, few games can match the buzz Burnout Paradise offers.

Further Reading: Review