The view that video games were recession-proof turned out to be a myth that year, leading to declining sales, shuttered studios and thousands of newly unemployed developers.

Stalled fortunes additionally meant less risk-taking from game publishers, who released plenty of sequels and other titles based on proven formulas. But the news wasn’t all poor — at least for consumers — with Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo all cutting prices on their flagship consoles.

Creatively, Sony and its in-house studios had a spectacular year, releasing three of 2009’s best titles as PlayStation 3 exclusives. And Xbox 360 owners had plenty of first-rate games to keep them busy.

1. “Uncharted 2: Among Thieves” (Sony, for the PlayStation 3): Like an interactive version of a classic Hollywood action movie, that globe-trotting treasure hunt delivers thrills, romance and more hairbreadth escapes than the entire Indiana Jones series.

2. “Assassin’s Creed II” (Ubisoft, for the Xbox 360, PS3): Renaissance Italy is the breathtaking

setting for that intricate tale of conspiracy, murder and revenge. The tantalizing glimpses of a larger, centuries-spanning capability struggle create high hopes for the next chapter.

3. “Dragon Age: Origins” (Electronic Arts, for the Xbox 360, PS3): Developer BioWare takes the elements of Tolkienesque high fantasy and recycles them into a gritty, sophisticated epic with plenty of surprising twists.

4. “Batman: Arkham Asylum” (Eidos, for the Xbox 360, PS3): The Caped Crusader gets trapped in Gotham’s nuthouse, where he has to endure the taunts and traps of The Joker. Cleverly designed challenges compose that the best superhero game yet.

5. “inFamous” (Sony, for the PS3): The second best superhero game that year is the origin story of a guy named Cole who can control electricity. The option to choose within heroism and villainy adds even more playability to an already stirring adventure.

6. “Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in…

Original post by dhiram