As the year comes to a close I reflect back on the games I enjoyed playing the most in 2009. There were a ton of releases in 2009, some were big names and many really just sprung up out of nowhere. Read on to see what I thought were the ten best games of 2009.

10. Batman: Arkham Asylum

Batman didn't disappoint; the game was beautiful and lots of fun the whole way though. I felt it was a little on the long side and although I enjoyed the game, the combat did become repetitive towards the end. Although repetitive it was incredibly satisfying to punch out dudes again and again. You always felt like a bad-ass, like Batman. Swooping around with your cape and sneaking up on bad guys to take them out silently never stopped being fun.

The voice work was really well done, with actors from the animated series reprising their roles in the game, providing performances that never seemed cheesy and fit well with the Batman mythology. Although the visuals were stunning, I found myself missing it most of the time as I had to use Detective mode to find my way around. It would have been nice if the developers had found a way to guide you throughout the level without having to hide all the hard work they'd done on the visuals. Hopefully it's something that will be addressed in the next game.

9. Trine

This is one of those games that came out of seemingly nowhere to steal away my free time. Developed by indie developer Frozenbyte; Trine is a 2D/3D platform game that has you taking control of one of three characters, able to switch between them at will, or playing co-op on the same machine with up to two friends to control all three at the same time. The game features a number of interesting physics puzzles and one of the most intriguing parts about the game is the way you can use physics to your advantage to kill the hordes of skeletons that come your way. Although the last level was hair ripping frustration the rest of the game was incredible. I played the game with a gamepad, but I've heard from others that it actually controls better with a keyboard and mouse, which is just when you consider it's a platforming game. Beautiful, charming and exciting; Trine should not be missed.

8. The Chronicles of Riddick™ Assault on Dark Athena

This game was released in 2008 on consoles it didn't hit the PC until June of 2009. Escape From Butcher Bay was one of the reasons I owned an original Xbox (the other was Jade Empire) and the game is as amazing today as it was back then. The recreation of the original game is a fantastic inclusion in this game. I loved Dark Athena just as much; Ulaks are probably the best melee weapons in any game ever, and I tried to use them any chance I had. The voice work done by Vin Diesel and Michelle Forbes is fantastic and conveys the universe of Riddick perfectly. A lot of people have stayed away from this game due to the inclusion of Tages DRM in the Steam version, which is a shame; they're missing out on one of the best shooters of the year.

7. Colin McRae DiRT 2

I'm not really a big fan of racing games, and not a fan of racing sims at all, I simply don't own the right hardware (wheel, which would require a desk) for it. But DiRT 2 is a ton of fun. I've begun playing online with friends and my initial impression of the implementation of GFWL for this game was bang-on: It works! I think what was most telling was how I kept saying "just one more race" the other night when I was playing with ubergeek. Just one more race turned into another two hours of racing. And although I never won one of our races online I had a blast the entire time.

6. Ghostbusters: The Videogame

When I told the other writers of this site that I was including Ghostbusters on my top 10 list they were somewhat confused. I remember playing Ghostbusters, and I didn't put it down until I had finished the game - it was that good. I love the Ghostbusters movie, and in nearly every respect this game is a third Ghostbusters movie, with the original cast reprising all of their roles from the movies. The only difference being that you're now a fifth memeber of the Ghostbusters team, what's not to love?! At full price this game is only $30 on Steam, and shouldn't be missed by any Ghostbusters fan. It's a cinematic, tight and well put together experience.

5. Left 4 Dead 2

Left 4 Dead 2 was an obvious addition to the list for me. I absolutely loved Left 4 Dead and the sequel improved upon it in every single way. Every time I play this game I end up laughing my ass off as we all die to a tank, or cheer as we make it through an especially difficult horde. The effects Valve has added, particularly in Hard Rain are just phenomenal. Left 4 Dead 2 has the most impressive visuals of any game I played this year. It wasn't as shiny as other games, but it was always convincing. The gore, the pacing, the action, new modes like realism, everything about this game screams perfection. As with any other Valve game I can't really rate it on any conceivable scale. It just rates a Valve out of Valve.

4. Torchlight

This one came out of nowhere for me. I'm not a fan of Diablo games, and I never latched onto Titan Quest like some of my friends did. The idea of clicking on things to see them die just never grabbed me. But Torchlight is different; it's just dripping with charm. Something about this game just has me hooked, and I can't put my finger on it. There are so many little touches that make it such a joy to play - like being able to send your pet back to town to sell all your loot without having to stop playing. Dungeon Siege did something similar by giving you a pack mule and letting you transmute items into gold - this is just a much better implementation of that feature. I wish there were an auto-loot key like in Dungeon Siege, but that's my only complaint about this otherwise fantastic game. Once I start I can't stop playing. I can't think of a better recommendation than that.

3. Shattered Horizon

Easily the most innovative game I've played this year. Shattered Horizon seems simple on the surface - four levels and one weapon with three attack modes and three grenades that don't do damage but provide concealment or other effects. Yet there is so much hidden complexity and subtlety to this game. The way shadows affect gameplay, meaning you have to be judicious in how you use your jetpack, relying more on inertia to move around the zero-gravity environments. Add on to this the ability to go silent, where your suit functions and sound simulation shut off with the benefit that you'll be much harder to detect, and the hidden complexities of this game really start to shine.

Due to the recent $5 sale of this game there has been a large influx of players, which is a fantastic thing. Shattered Horizon is an amazing game and an easy pick for my top three.

2. ArmA 2

As much as Shattered Horizon is innovative ArmA 2 is the most ambitious game of the year. I haven't played any game that tries to do as much as ArmA 2 does, mostly successfully. Although it was released with a number of large issues it's been patched up to a workable state, and with the incredible ACE 2 mod the game is even better. It can be placed on my list by virtue of being my most played game this year. Given that I've joined a group specifically to play this game with every Saturday evening speaks to the potential locked away in this game. It's not something I'd recommend to anyone, but I've had so much fun with ArmA 2 this year.

1. Tales of Monkey Island

Monkey Island was a no-brainer for my number 1 spot. There is no other game I continuously looked forward to throughout the year. Each month I'd frantically check Steam to see if the latest episode had been uploaded. And each month once it had been uploaded I'd spend the next 3 to 4 hours playing through that episode without stopping. I loved each and every moment of this series of games. I absolutely adored the Tales of Monkey Island and I'm really hoping that Telltale follows up with more of this series in the future.