2008 ripped the ring out of the gaming industry with some of my all time favourites making a huge impact. These games (as they say in the classics) are the sh*t… If 2009 is only half as good it’ll still be a great year. So here they are, my next five top 10 gaming moments of 2008:

A fanboys wet dream comes true with Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

I played it on all three platforms, but nothing will beat the pure giddy power trip of wielding the Wiimote as a Lightsaber! The sheer destructiveness of the environment and the way you can hurl people and objects around like ragdolls made me enjoy the carnage like never before. If you’ve not already played Star Wars: Force Unleashed then prepare yourself for stiff arms and the loss of many a night’s sleep.

Fun Level: 9 out of 10 (would give it a 10, but my brother kept kicking my butt in the vs. mode – the little sod!!!)

Thrills, chills and gut busting fun was a big hit (with me) in Dead Space

I read a review that said Dead Space was “Resident Evil meets Event Horizon” and it could not have been more… Well dead on! I can honestly say that even when you add all of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s movies together, you’ll still not get as many decapitations and eviscerations as this bad puppy. But it’s not just the gore factor that makes Dead Space a winner! The chillingly well paced story and amazing game segments meant Dead Space never once became Dead Space in anything but name. Get it, buy it, play it and do it all over again!

Fun Level: 10 out of 10 (this is the game cool nightmares are made of! If the world ended tomorrow I’d be let through the Pearly Gates just for finishing this awesome sucker!!!)

Spore got to grow on me

Will Wright, the game designer who gave us the Sims, decided to up the stakes and really take life by the balls with Spore. I loved the idea of taking a one-celled organism and evolving it over billions of years into a space faring race. I did however have one issue with the game… Why did it have to be so damn cute? I’ve had to spend just as much time fighting my daughters off the computer as playing on the damn thing. Hell, come to think of it I only get to play any games after bedtime since purchasing Spore!

Fun Level: 10 out of 10 (for sheer originality! But 0 out of 10 for making me my daughters number 1 enemy when it comes to computer time…)

In no way was I robbed by Grand Theft Auto IV

I did some time in the army and I’ve spent some time in the worst of urban environments… But nothing prepares you for the hell (and I mean this in the best possible way) that is living in the New York of Grand Theft Auto IV! Nobody could ask for a grittier more mature game than this. It worked like a dream on my PS3 and the fact that the entire game can be played with almost no load screens had me revving my motor and shooting my mouth off for weeks. Mmmm, come to think of it, this could explain why my mates don’t want to drive with me anymore.

Fun Level: 10 out of 10 (if you don’t like violence or you’re a general softie then DON’T BUY THIS GAME! This makes even the most hardcore TV & Movie violence look like Super Mario Brothers in drag)

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 is real time made real good

Take one of the most loved real time strategy games in the world… Add Tim Curry (he of Rocky Horror Picture Show fame), George Taki (Star Trek) and Jenny McCarthy (yum, yum) to a host of Hollywood talent and what do you get? Just one of the campest, rollicking, kickass games ever made is what!!! Forget the one or two new in game features. Forget the brand new military units and tactics on offer. But no matter what, do not forget about the brilliantly funny storyline that is well cast and wickedly over the top. If Hollywood ever wanted to make a good movie out of a game, then this would be it.

Fun Level: 10 out of 10 (if I could only load one game on to my PC for the next 12 months, then this would be it. It’s no Grand Theft Auto, but who cares… Cause you got Dr Frankenfurter on your side!)

PS: For you Philistines who don’t know who Dr Frankenfurter is check out IMDB for god’s sake. And rent the damn movie!