Eurogamer Readers' Top 50 Games of 2009

6. Borderlands

2K, Gearbox / PC, PS3, Xbox 360

What we said: "This should be a favourite game of the year for a huge number of people, since it plugs into gamer impulses at such a fundamental level. We blow things up and collect the goodies. That part, at least, Gearbox has nailed."

Fletche says: "The surprise of the year, highly addictive combination of genres, one of the few games where you can forgive flaws and just concentrate on getting to that next level with the promise of an uber weapon."

Buztafen says: "LOOT! \o/ Plus four-player co-op RPG'ing. What more do you want?"

Syrok says: "Fantastic co-op. Makes Fallout 3 fun!"

Vanmunt says: "Still playing this at the moment, it was a toss-up between a few games for the fifth spot [on my vote list], but I just lose hours in Pandora and I look forward to my next visit. This year's BioShock for me."

5. Assassin's Creed II

Ubisoft Montreal / PS3, Xbox 360

What we said: "Ubisoft Montreal has never been afraid to try new things, but after a few missteps with games like last year's Prince of Persia, perhaps the bravest thing it could have done with Assassin's Creed II was simply to make a classic open-world adventure, filled to the brim with things you want to do and the narrative motivation to continue doing them."

andywilkie35 says: "The original Assassin's Creed was an ambitious game with bundles of potential, but was an ultimately flawed game when released. Ubisoft took the unorthodox approach of listening to gamers' gripes with the first game, fixed them and built on this foundation, giving gamers the game they all wanted and much more."

kl00t says: "Massive game with lots of new features, great mystery story."

bemani says: "Fixes all the flaws of the first game and makes almost everything you have to do a joy. Great voice acting and control (inside the Animus 2.0, mind) and beautiful to look at. A third game set in feudal Japan with forests, grappling hooks, throwing stars, samurais, gorgeous scenery and Desmond jumping into the life of a ninja, please!"

4. Dragon Age: Origins

EA, BioWare / PC, PS3, Xbox 360

What we said: "In its desperation to infuse this setting with maturity - be it of the sober, political kind, or the game's painfully clumsy gore and sex - BioWare has forgotten the key ingredient of any fantasy: the fantastical. Without it, you're still left with a competent, often compelling, impressively detailed and immense RPG, but it's one that casts no spell."

Old_Books says: "Because not even Bethesda Softworks knows how to craft a coherent world like BioWare does. A wonderfully immersive experience."

lucasmax says: "On the PC this is gaming bliss, rock-hard but well-executed and epic in storyline."

mathewjm says: "It's not Baldur's Gate II, but it's still engrossing fun. After you get past some of the rubbish starting quests (Human Noble is particularly terrible) it's awesome."

Empedocles says: "Well-executed engine (fit for purpose), engaging plot, well-written and humorous dialogue, sufficiently rounded core characters to make you actually care about them a little. Huge production values."