Blast’s Games of the Year

4. Assassin’s Creed 2 (Xbox 360, Playstation 3): Taking the grand original and expanding on it in every direction, Assassin’s Creed 2 is the epitome of a sequel done right. It trumps the original in every way without taking away from the groundwork laid by Altair’s fascinating adventures. Moving the location to renaissance Italy enables an amazing juxtaposition of fact and fiction, allowing for a truly enthralling plot and remarkably engaging characters. The game is so filled with things to do and see that getting bored is simply not an issue, and while the free-running and climbing mechanics are still a little sticky at times, the overall gameplay is brilliant. There’s very little that Assassin’s Creed 2 doesn’t get right and it’s proof-positive that even a monster company like Ubisoft is capable of listening to criticism and actually doing something about it. –Jason D’Aprile

Knifing enemies in the throat, all in Ezio's job description.

3. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Playstation 3): Like Ubisoft with Assassin’s Creed 2, Naughty Dog took their formula from the first game, revamped it, added some new twists, and released one of the better sequels in recent memory, one that dwarfs the original in scope, size, ambition and gameplay while still holding on to what made the original so much fun to begin with. The single-player campaign is much longer, but still has the noteworthy pacing of the first. The voice acting, the graphics, the cinematic feel–all of this makes Uncharted special, but the gameplay is still the best part thanks to tight, intuitive controls in both gunplay and the climbing, and a wealth of play styles for attacking your foes. Let’s not forget that there’s multiplayer this time around–sure, you (and I) were apprehensive at first, because forcing multiplayer into single-player experiences tends to have poor results, but Naughty Dog nailed it, creating an addictive monster that may see future support. –Marc Normandin

Nathan Drake, at his finest.