Outside of games produced by the hardware makers themselves, the era of the big exclusive videogame is all but over.
With development budgets at an all-time high, game publishers have found that spreading their biggest, baddest titles across as many platforms as possible is the best way to make back their money.
Consequently, most of the very best games of 2009 appeared on several different game machines. Here are the best multi-platform titles of the year, as decided upon by Wired.com writers.
This 4-player cooperative hybrid takes its cues from games like Fallout and Diablo, blending familiar elements of first-person shooters and role-playing games. Best played with friends, Borderlands has you killing the crazed citizens and gruesome creatures of a cel-shaded, Mad Max-inspired wasteland, in search of a secret alien vault filled with unimaginable treasures.* -- Tracey John*
The world's greatest rock band entered the age of digital distribution in 2009, but not in the way anyone expected: The Beatles had their own videogame before their own .MP3s. The addition of three-part vocal harmonies as a gameplay element helps Beatles: Rock Band stand out from the rest of the genre, and a steady flow of post-release downloadable songs keeps the Fab Four fresh. -- Chris Kohler
Whether you're solving puzzles or skulking around and silently dispatching foes, Arkham Asylum makes you feel like you are the Batman. The Metroid-style nonlinear exploration makes good use of Bruce Wayne's belt full o' gadgets. Masterful voice performances by Mark Hamill and Arleen Sorkin as the Joker and Harley Quinn complete the authenticity. -- Chris Kohler
2009 was the year the Assassin's Creed team redeemed itself. This beautiful journey through Renaissance Italy fixed all the issues of the first game, delivering a better story blended with addictive stealth gameplay. Running across the rooftops of Venice is one of my best gaming memories of the year. Can't stop listening to the soundtrack, either. -- Chris Kohler
Releasing a direct sequel so soon after the original is unusual for Valve, but Left 4 Dead 2 is iteration done right. Boycotters feared the follow-up would be a slapdash rehash of the original cooperative zombie shooter, but Valve proved the doubters wrong by spinning nearly every subtle storytelling beat and clever multiplayer innovation from Left 4 Dead into something fresh and surprising. -- Gus Mastrapa
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