![]() Protagonist Travis Touchdown had a raucously ambivalent attitude and an unhealthy obsession with anime girls, and he set out on adventures that were entirely self-serving, involving copious amounts of slaughter and blood. But No More Heroes stood out because of how abrasively different and boisterous it was, at least on the surface level. It struck at a high point for Wii software Super Mario Galaxy and Metroid Prime 3 were still fresh in our minds. Killer7 on GameCube was the beginning of a continued fascination with the Goichi Suda (Suda 51) for me, but No More Heroes was the game that sparked that interest and set it aflame. Much larger drivable worlds have sprouted up in the last ten years, but none have managed to replicate the happy and balanced marriage of speed and ruination quite like Burnout Paradise, much to the dismay of fans who long for a successor. And the fact that the online servers are still up-rare for a 10-year-old racing game-is a testament to its following and resiliency. The next quest might even come to you, whether a high-value target happens to drive by or someone challenges you to an online match. The game's density of goals ensures that the moment you tick off a mission box, you're just blocks away from starting another. Burnout Paradise never had to worry about that, especially when your audience expects quarter-mile-long leaps over cliffs and destructive car chases that can stretch halfway around its 26 square-mile map. ![]() Upon firing up Burnout Paradise today, I'm reminded of how its car handling has more in common with Sega arcade games of yore than with more recent racers-titles that are tied to their respective franchise goals of realism and authenticity. Today's racing market-dominated by Need for Speed, Forza, and Codemasters games-skew toward realistic car performance regardless if you prefer arcade or sim controls. In a time when quest-loaded open-world adventures on consoles were about to hit their stride, Burnout Paradise was a rare 40-hour non-RPG that warranted the time and attention of completionists like myself. Vehicular free-roaming games had existed long before 2008, but none had so eloquently blended urban racing with automotive slaughter like Burnout Paradise. And if you want to see the biggest games that turned 10 last year, be sure to check out our feature covering the biggest games that turned 10 in 2007. Here's a selection of games-in order of their respective releases-that made 2008 a year to remember for us. ![]() While some of these games became the stepping-stones for something greater-and others have since fallen into obscurity-the impression they left on us is undeniable, and are worth recognition for their tenth anniversary. ![]() The GameSpot staff is taking a personal look back at some of the more notable games of 2008, and the impact they've had in the ten years since their respective releases. Many of the games in 2008 continued to push the boundaries of gaming, offering experiences that were substantial and memorable in their own right. In addition, there were notable debuts from unexpected gems, like the EA-produced big-budget survival game Dead Space and indie darling Braid, which each proved influential in a variety of ways. It was packed with a wealth of high-profile sequels to some of the biggest franchises, including Grand Theft Auto, Fallout, and Metal Gear Solid. With 2007 raising the bar for what games are capable of, 2008 maintained the momentum that the previous year had, and left us with some fond memories.
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