15 Best Months To Be A Gamer (Since 2000)

6. October 2009 €“ Demons, Thieves And Borderlands...

Perhaps the most memorable launch of October 2009 was the PSP Go €“ an idea so flawed that it was shot down immediately. Still, there were plenty of games to enjoy in this month and one exclusive for the PlayStation 3 went onto win many Game of the Year awards.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves was critically acclaimed for its ability to capture the feel and tension of the great action films. With improved physics, graphics and a better cinematic story than the first game, Uncharted 2 blew people away, establishing it as one of the finest series on any platform.

PlayStation 3 owners in North America also received another exciting exclusive to add to their collection this month too €“ Demon's Souls. Renowned for its difficulty, Demon's Souls is a highly rewarding experience with a rich story and lore to fully draw you into its world. It's not for everyone (and follow-up Dark Souls is arguably a better game) but for sheer difficulty, not many games can top Demon's Souls.

The Xbox 360 received a big exclusive of its own with the launch of Forza Motorsport 3. It didn't change a whole lot from the previous instalment; it simply added more tracks, more cars and better multiplayer modes. It was a winning combination though, providing hours and hours of entertainment and making a serious claim as one of the best driving simulation games of all time.

Also this month Borderlands arrived from Gearbox, combining loot-hoarding mechanics seen best in Diablo with first-person shooter gameplay to create a game which is simultaneously rewarding and highly replayable. Tim Schafer's Brutal Legend also landed with its action/RTS hybrid gameplay dripping in heavy metal iconography and style. Sadly, this month also saw the arrival of the Saw game; a horrifyingly bad adaptation which happily fails to completely ruin this month.

Metacritic Roundup: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, 96. Forza Motorsport 3, 92. Demon's Souls, 89. Average: 92.34.