15 Games Turning Ten in 2019
Resident Evil 5
Giving us the dynamic duo of Chris Redfield and Sheva Alomar, Resident Evil 5 came out early in 2009 on March 13 for North America. Honestly, with Resident Evil 7 having come out not too long ago, you’d think the fifth game had come out a little later than 2009. Regardless, many people surely have memories of co-op fun and shenanigans as they rushed through the street of Africa, a giant wooden deathtrap, and a crazy volcano.
Pokemon Platinum
A mid-year release, Pokemon Platinum hit shelves in North America on May 14. Meant to be a better version of Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, Pokemon Platinum went beyond better and became an iconic game within the Pokemon series. Using the fourth generation of Pokemon, the game’s chief legendary mascot is the imposing Giratina who’s been spruced up since Diamond and Pearl. Since the game came out in 2009, you could now say that it’s a classic within the Pokemon series.
Batman: Arkham Asylum
The start of the Arkham series began with Arkham Asylum back on Aug. 25, 2009. This great game launched the start of an even greater video game series and without it we wouldn’t have the gems Arkham City or Arkham Knight. Kicking and punching crazy baddies as Batman never felt so good especially when you had Batman’s numerous selection of tools at your disposal.
Halo 3: ODST
Halo 3: ODST, a side story set between Halo 2 and Halo 3, found its way to the Xbox 360 on Sept. 22. Running around the dark, eerie, and occupied New Mombasa as the Rookie pieced together what happened to his squad was a refreshing change of pace compared to the other Halo games. Add in the atmospheric ODST soundtrack, the dark setting, and lonesome tone, Halo 3: ODST was a great addition to the Halo family.
Dragon Age: Origins
Bioware’s dabble into the fantasy genre, the first installment in the Dragon Age series arrived on Nov. 3, 2009. Before Hawke and before the Inquisitor, we had the Warden or the Hero of Ferelden. Many of the people that appeared in Dragon Age: Inquisition first showed up in 2009 graphics in Origins. Morrigan and Leliana are only some of the people you can meet in this game and Origins sets the foundation for many of the mechanics that appear in its sequels.
Demon’s Souls
The start of the great Soulsborne series began with Demon’s Souls on Oct. 6, 2009. Playing Demon’s Souls hurt so good and without it, Dark Souls wouldn’t be the brutal series that it is today. Many of the mechanics and items within the Dark Souls series can be traced back to Demon’s Souls and it began the high difficulty that the Dark Souls series is known for. Demon’s Souls is the ancestor of some incredible games and it is surely smiling down upon their success.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 shocked us with the realistic brutality of its No Russian level on Nov. 10, 2009. From introducing us to iconic characters like Makarov and Ghost to startling us with plot twists and betrayals, Modern Warfare 2 remains a notable entry within the Call of Duty franchise. We can only hope that its eventual remaster will come out soon so we can enjoy the game with updated graphics.
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
A continuation of the Uncharted series, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves came out Oct. 13, 2009 back on the good old PlayStation 3. Game of the year from a number of websites and news outlets, Uncharted 2 is another amazing example of a sequel done right. It continues the greatness started by the first Uncharted and led into Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception and Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. Its popularity probably attributed to the PS4 remaster and re-release of the first three Uncharted games into the Nathan Drake Collection.
League of Legends
This popular multiplayer online battle arena game appeared on PC on Oct. 27, 2009. League of Legends has come a long way since its humble beginnings 10 years ago. Tangled with the original Dota and Warcraft III mods, League of Legends sprung up from a few dedicated modders and fans, eventually becoming what it is today. They’re now even dabbling in auto battlers like Autochess with their own version known as Teamfight Tactics.
Borderlands
Players first landed on Pandora on Oct. 20, 2009. There, they were introduced to the iconic and not annoying in the slightest Claptrap who would continue to talk your ear off for the rest of the series. It also introduced us to the O.G. vault hunters that we know and love and followed throughout the entire game. The series continues with the eventual release of Borderlands 3 which will surely have that Borderlands-y feel that we’ve come to know.
For more on news related to the games on this list and on their most recent sequels, have a look at our review of Resident Evil 7, details on Pokemon Sword and Shield, our review of Kingdom Hearts 3, news on Dragon Age 4, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare’s newest trailer.
Resident Evil 5
Pokemon Platinum
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Halo 3: ODST
Dragon Age: Origins
Demon's Souls
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
League of Legends
Borderlands
About the author
Nelia-Sol White
Nelia runs around with a Bachelor's degree in Communications and another Bachelor's in Creative Writing because she's an overachiever. They help her do those word things good. She can do the video games good too. Playing Games Since: 1995, Favorite Genres: RPG, Action, Everything Assassin's Creed