The Best Games Of 2008: Ten Years Later

As 2018 comes to a close, let's look back-ten years. Tim Rogers (that's me) counts down the best games of 2008.
As a man once sang, "it was a very good year."

[@FatProfessorOak]

Tim Rogers going on that lovely and hilarious self reflection during Braid. Always too good.

[@LaymensLament]

I greatly appreciate the sincerity he brings in between. Cynicism and irony are entertaining and can be illuminating but If everything is cynical its worth nothing. The reason he's so good is that he's passionate, knowledgable but also a human.

[@edenthekii]

Tim’s mind is a beautiful mess. I could listen to his opinion on anything.

[@ThatShyGuyMatt]

He could do a video on bad herpes outbreaks and I'd enjoy it.

[@mf-h3659]

i like to think that its more than everyone else's mind is ugly tidy

[@MarcosVinicius-fb8kk]

"Shooting a zombie is the vegetarian version of murder" Poetry at its best form.

[@joelman1989]

Marcos Vinicius Souza Oliveira I was just about to write about this! I loved this line. Weirdly profound.

[@Justsomeone99987]

I was about to write this as well. As a vegan, this cracked me up!

[@dorgsan]

Kinda weak point. In many great games you kill mindless enemies. Dark Souls, for example.

[@josephretucci350]

You can make one of these for every year since ~1980, and I will watch every one multiple times.

[@josephretucci350]

Also, Bangai-O Spirits is a miracle.

[@MrIAmHugh]

I can't stop thinking about the line, "For that money, I could probably buy an illegal, dead dolphin at the fish market!"

[@LadyR333]

"Lost Odyssey has more twists and turns than a large bucket of skinny worms." My god you poet.

[@SushantThapaliya]

Man, Rogers deserves his own channel and ten times the views.

[@cable_yours_truly]

すっさんと exactly I would sub in a heartbeat

[@ShredST]

But then he has to live the youtuber life.

[@andrewhickinbottom1051]

He does have his own channel. It's called 'Action button'. There isnt as much stuff on there recently though - all his best recent stuff is for Kotaku

[@badtrinket]

its worth mentioning if you didnt already know, Tims now making his own videos at the channel Action Button!

[@TheAssassin642]

Mission accomplished

[@ERoBB1]

Call Jonathan Blow. That's the real story here. We need to revive this friendship.

[@emulsion_]

I think he's a pretty bad person so tim dodged a bullet

[@Solid--Snake]

​@@emulsion_ could you elaborate on that? i never heard anything about him

[@cole1714]

He’s annoying as hell. It’s something you pick up on by following his output over the years

[@Ghibellino89]

that Braid story was amazing... Thank you Tim for sharing it with us!

[@dr34mv3iL]

Came here to say this

[@ak2112]

Don't mind me... Just going back and rewatching every Time Rogers video I can find.

[@adultbroker1319]

ditto

[@gregstiles]

This is the 4th tim rogers vid I've watched in the last 3 hours, I've been trying to figure out how he does this. His writing is so good and free flowing it makes me question my intelligence.

[@kotaku]

gregstiles perhaps it will excite you to know that for the last week i have been working NONSTOP on this year’s edition of this exact video :-O

[@kotaku]

gregstiles perhaps it will excite you to know that for the last week i have been working NONSTOP on this year’s edition of this exact video :-O

[@gregstiles]

@@kotakucool, at least you've got to work your ass off at it. this makes me feel 20% better. Your wicked good man, keep going thanks.

[@RobbyHuang]

I for one, am glad that both you AND Jonathan Blow exist. He may make amazing games, but no one can make videos and write quite like you do. Happy New Year and thanks for all the great videos!

[@ShaedeReshka]

Lost Odyssey is one of the best JRPGs ever made and one of my favorite games of all time. It's a masterpiece of JRPG storytelling.

[@FrozenToews]

it's that time of year again, the end of it

[@frozenbean]

"You always need your ears on a public toilet" is incredibly sage advice.

[@Orain88]

When I think back to 2008 the first game that springs to mind of personal lasting significance is Dead Space. I think that game aged plenty well and has solidified as a classic. I still play it once a year (hoping one day the series might reanimate). You reminded me that Valkyria Chronicles and Braid came out in 2008, both games I adore.

[@2tTwotw]

Tim did u say "More twists and turns than a fat bucket of skinny worms?" ! DUDE Did u make that up?? wtf thats like genius man what are you?

[@NathansReef]

I got married in 2008. I played a lot of Valkyria Chronicles in 2008. In 2012 I had a son and we named him Welkin. I am sometimes jealous of my son because I like his name so much. He loves telling his friends he is named after a video game character.

[@hansamurai]

That's awesome! I have a son born in 2011 named Shepard. :)

[@BankruptGreek]

how did you convince the wifu about the name?

[@NathansReef]

@@BankruptGreek She is not a gamer but she watched me play much of the game and she liked the name as well. So, it didn't take any convincing :)

[@PaulSoth]

I sometimes do night work at local schools. In one elementary school, there's a kid named Raiden.

[@Lee86THUNDER]

I cant wait to name my kids after videogame characters lol.

[@crowzur6055]

I've been looking for a reason to finally play Lost Odyssey. It's been on my shelf for almost 6 years. I'll do it for you Tim Rogers.

[@johnmack6218]

Tim Rogers, you are a unique human being, the David Lynch of gaming. Thank you for another year of deep and insightful opinions mixed in with pure hilariousness. I'm a doctor training in psychiatry and although I adore my job, it comes with some awful and disheartening stories that tend to stay with me longer than I would like them to. Your work always leaves me in a cheery mood, for that I thank you.

[@rockys201]

I'm a gigantic MGS fan, and I'd been waiting 3 and a half years for the biggest game ever to come out. The level of pure happiness and excitement the day it was released is yet to be topped

[@danstrauss3030]

Dude Bangai-O spirits is a legendary hidden gem. I loved this game. I felt like the only one who understood it’s greatness!

[@zerarch77]

Everyone who plays it feels that way. 100% agreed.

[@Vexiss42]

It's amazing

[@occono3543]

I'm thinking of starting a programming course at 29 after doing a Bachelor in a Humanities course I realized I didn't want to do anything with in the end. So starting at 26 sounds like having your shit together to me.

[@salemite]

You are a true hero and a scholar for reminding me that Bangai-O Spirits exists. It was one of the best robot gaming experiences of my life.

[@zyonhenderson67]

Such a damn great year man. Diverse, Memorable, and awesome soundtracks

[@VenomHernandez]

2008... A simpler time of games and I also started high school that year

[@Jrodgamer1]

Tim Rogers? The man the myth the legend..

[@reed1645]

I was so wonderfully pleased to learn of Tim Rogers' love of Lost Odyssey. Just when final fantasy was starting to lose me it came along and completely blew me away. I'd love to see a hd re release on modern platforms.

[@MrCarzo]

I NEED TO KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT TIM ROGERS LIFE, EITHER IN BOOK OR PODCAST FORM

[@ggqq6012]

D

[@RyanDeLaTorre]

I genuinely had a big smile after seeing Bangai-O Spirits at #1. It’s such a fantastic game and it was definitely my favorite game that year.

[@AceRimmer1272]

Would love to see your 2007 version of this video and hear your extensive thoughts on CoD4 and Bioshock. Keep up the awesome work!

[@Jousoful]

I think the part about Valkyria Chronicles convinced me to buy it on Switch

[@RobotHottdog]

Reporting from 2023 and still waiting for TRUCK HECK

[@mackstertube]

The best video of the best games of 2008 in 2018 watched in 2019 by a big fan of Tim & his work.

[@TiRoSu]

This is a great video. I was interested in Tim Rogers' opinions then, and I'm even more interested in his current opinions of his old opinions.

[@themarkandrus]

Bangai-O Spirits is a brain-worm that I think about every time a game pauses to emphasize massive damage.

[@ericspratling9252]

I remember Tim's blogging countdown of the Best Games Ever. It was quite an experience.

[@crossthreaded6867]

I seriously loved this and am going to try some of these games because in 2008 I didn't have access to the hardware that played some of them. This owns and I'm ready to game in the new year.

[@AleksandreMzhavia]

Man, I need more of Tim's videos. WTF, we need moar!

[@defunctchannel942]

I’ve been trying to describe MGS4 for a while now. I think you nailed it with Stufful.

[@defunctchannel942]

Also I love your writing. You should make more short stories. Or at least make them public. Or don’t. I mean, it’s your stuff man. I’m not your boss.

[@ShinobiPhoenix-YT0]

Hearing Tim Rogers talk about anything reminds me of the exact reason I am so saddened by the break up of the Super Best Friends whereas if I heard the same about another gaming group online (sans the Game Grumps) I wouldn't even be affected. And that is JUST HOW GENUINE AND EARNEST Tim and the SBF and people like that are that makes me want to hear them because they are putting out their actual honest, spiteless, lacking-in-hate, heart on their sleeve thoughts on something that has nothing to do with trying to destroy something or someone or guide someone else's opinion on something or just be contrarian or game the "Influencer" system. It's how they really think and they don't care what YOU think, because it's not about influencing you. Its about "here's what I think, I'm not trying to change you, just attract people based on whether they are interested in what I have to say, if you aren't, peace be onto you". I know that's not actually are not the thoughts of people like Tim Rogers or the SBF, but it's what I feel when I hear them. It's inviting and inclusive without being seductive. It's like seeing the lonely person at the lunch table and you wonder why they are siting alone. Some people reject the perceived reaction and make them into an enemy, some try to approach and feel dejected if they didn't feel they got anything immediately out of the interaction and some sit and and just want to learn about the person and sometimes a friendship forms because you were willing to just let someone be themselves without judgment. Like I feel that Tim isn't sharing these stories to grab your interests or elate a response but because it's genuinely on his mind and he genuinely just felt like letting it out into the world. Some will reject it or be dejected and others will just go "Huh...?" and keep listening, maybe even relate to a similar feeling. I am sad hearing his stories, but it's a good kind of sad, the kind that makes you go "I want to give you a hug" especially because you honestly need a hug for yourself from a kindred spirit too. Anyway *HUGS*

[@haughtygarbage5848]

#4 made me tear up, but not for the reason I expected

[@Jacargon]

Whoa, I know that walk from Ogikubo to Kichijoji really well. I used to work above the Starbucks and damn!

[@mattlocke2279]

My step-brother only shouts his picks from the dankest basements

[@MNicolai]

I've been waiting all year for someone, anyone, to praise Banagi-O Spirits on it's 10th anniversary. You have saved 2018, sir.

[@IBODEGAI]

I’m certain I’m not the only one who is grateful that Tim didn’t study computer science in college. Also, Tim still says “owns” and that OWNS.

[@bryanareynolds]

Actually I'd really like to play more games from Tim, so if going into computer science early had led him to be able to do more of that I would be ok with it.

[@IBODEGAI]

Bryan Reynolds I can accept that.

[@TheKafairy]

I like how you double down on mispronouncing Valkyria Chronicles

[@bowloflentils]

Valkyria Chronicles rocks! I liked VC4, maybe not as much as 1 but it is still a good time in my opinion.

[@Zaswarley]

I checked out that list on your old blog you mentioned and OMG - Panzer Dragoon Zwei is so good. I happened to play it for the first time this year and I feel like I will be friends with that beautiful ugly dragon forever

[@robertbaillargeon3683]

Something about that story about Jonathan Blow was really great and I don't even know what it was yet. Also, I've tried to get into Lost Odyssey three times but I always drop it and I don't know whether I should try again or if it's just not for me.

[@radicalstanza3614]

I liked the concept and the novella parts, but wasn't really feeling it until after the part he mentions here. Not that specific part itself -- that might've been the roughest part of the game to get through, in terms of pace and linearity and all that -- but yeah, disc two and onwards really gripped me and I think it's my favorite game of that console generation now, so you might just need to persevere a bit more than you usually would to get the full payoff.

[@iownu92]

I found that whole backstory about your experience with Braid and Grasshopper very interesting.

[@Zaswarley]

I’ll be playing Videoball with some friends this new year’s eve. God speed Action Button

[@shabberto]

Love GTA4 & MSG4, some sick games on here. What a year 2008 was!

[@mikereativemind7535]

Tim Rogers is my favorite! Always makes me laugh...keep being you Tim

[@shakybeevessouls]

Far Cry 2, I was soooo excited for this game I convinced my mum to give me it before Christmas and adored Guns of the Patriots FN bizarre but class game! I remember the stealthy section through Vienna (or wherever it was), so many standout moments, way less responsibility 10yrs ago....... Ahhhhhh nostalgia :)

[@CandiBookCorner]

Was briefly baffled to stumble on this video and hear such glowing praise for Valkyria Chronicles, since I really disliked my experience with the series… until feeling very validated to hear the fourth game specifically sucks 😅 i assumed I’d hate the first if I hated the fourth, but now I’m actually kind of excited to check it out

[@TheRacePig]

thank you for going to bat for lost odyssey it's going to be forgotten by time and game likers alike, but imo it's a masterpiece

[@penttikoivuniemi2146]

Lost Odyssey is a title I was super interested when it released, read a bunch of reviews repeatedly, and considered buying it several times. I never did. Maybe it will get released on Steam at some point and I'll finally get around to it.

[@mileswales]

dear Tim Rogers, Wasn’t there a way to share custom levels in bangi o spirits using audio that sounded like a dial up modem? you should share some.

[@JPHarringtonJr]

Tim, I like your writing, for real.

[@streetmagik3105]

Hell yeah!! I still play Bangi-O Spirits and Missile Fury. I miss Treasure so much! You've got great taste Tim, but don't let it go to your head buddy.👍

[@alexis3084]

I really loved VC4. Even more than the first one D:

[@suketodara]

Me too, and I've played the first game at least 7 times in the past decade, and still got hooked to VC4 campaign and loved the characters. I wonder what Tim hates about it.

[@alexis3084]

@@suketodara Yeah, the only thing that I did not like was the ost. They use one song for the battles too many times.

[@intigimp]

VC4 is probably my favourite game of the year and, having gone back to VC1, the original doesn't hold up. The story is inane and unfocused, the characters are barely there, the level design is iffy. 4 is vastly better in all regards (literally there is not a single thing it doesn't do better than 1) and I was honestly shocked at how well the story, its themes and characters all came together.

[@alexis3084]

@@intigimp Yes dude, most of the things you said I've written on my Review (unfortunatly it's in portuguese). The addition of squad stories makes Squad E more relatable than 7. I think they did a very nice job in making me feel something for those characters.

[@intigimp]

@@alexis3084 I'd forgotten the VC1 squad doesn't have any personality traits or skills before I started the game. But to be fair, that's something they share with the main cast, so it didn't bother me for long. I still laugh when I think about the guy who is your childhood friend and suggested to be an important character, but who only appears in scenes that are directly relevant to his character arc and then completely disappears from the story for long periods for no reason. EVERYONE in the game is like that but he's the worst example. I like VC1 as a game, but it's inconceivable to me that a real human being could genuinely prefer it to 4 because it's such a straight improvement in every single area

[@PizzaDinosaur]

Tim where's the Android port of Ziggurat I have not played a single damn game on my phone since Ziggurat that has been as good as Ziggurat

[@zerarch77]

Have you played Hoplite?

[@mack4691]

Have you played ridiculous fishing?

[@natsrome]

I cannot believe that QWOP was 10 years ago... How time flies.

[@mymusikrawks]

You just cannot get better content than this haha

[@JulianKable]

I've entered some obscure medium of psychdaledic streams of one-sided counselling sessions paired with verbose discussions of video games. I want more.

[@tobinkaestner]

"Has more twists and turns than a large bucket filled with skinny worms." X"D

[@773soccer]

Lost Odyssey WAS free during Christmas last year, it’s for purchase now

[@TheRealImpertinent]

6.49 plus tax atm

[@Flackon]

Are you going to continue your playthrough stream of lost odyssey?

[@ahmedp800]

Oh man I LOVE Lost Odyssey! Its just a shame it was suffering from so many technical issues, slow downs, lag, painfully long loading times :( that killed the experience for me. I still hope it gets released on PC, though I know that won't happen...

[@Solid--Snake]

i remember being addicted to a bangai-o game in a N64 emulator in my computer when i was a kid. solid stuff.

[@pchtommy7968]

I Like That GTA 4 Won Game Of The Year

[@benvids]

Number 2 and number 1 and number 1 are the only games I’d consider playing again.

[@purvdragon-sensei]

Thanks for the New Year's present. Unless you ARE posting something on the New Years, wooweeee.

[@YouTube82123gw]

TIM YOU ARE BASED AS HELL FOR PRAISING MGS4

[@ambientnoiserock]

We do not deserve Tim Rogers.

[@VVVHHHSSS]

Haha, of course you worked on No More Heroes, you beautiful weirdo. Btw, thanks for studying linguistics, you talk with a buttery smoothness that warms my work-ears and it's therapeutic as heck.

[@derekd1997]

Doing the dishes and had to race to stop this with soapy hands so I didn't get Lost Odyssey spoilers. I've never owned an Xbox but someday I will play this game.

[@mirkwood11]

Novel idea, would love more!

[@gatotsu2501]

Man 2008 was maybe the absolute worst year of my life, though it did point me with much greater intensity towards “gaming” as a means to escape an awful daily reality, so I feel like those emotions cast a weird shadow of nostalgia-plus-disgust over every major piece of media that came out in that year. All these games make me nostalgic, and they all make me a bit miserable and nauseous. (Not JUST because Unreal 3 has aged terribly.) In any event... it was no 2007. But at least now I understand what prompted Tim’s exceptionally scathing review of DEAD SPACE back in the day. Thanks for inspiring this awkward moment of public self-reflection, Tim. This is probably your best video of 2018 tbh

[@SrStakeholder]

I wish more video games characters have natural disadvantages like in farcry 2.

[@ShinobiPhoenix-YT0]

On a different topic, Why is Braid not on Switch by now? I have literally always wanted to play Braid and never did because I essentially had to skip the entire PS3/X360 era and it wasn't on a Nintendo platform at all. I almost feel like it's a conscious choice to not move Braid up at least to PS4/XB1 (though, in the case of Xbox, it should still work on XB1, right?). Yet how many people would discover its magic now if it was on Switch? Given the install base is almost 20 milllion already, I have to assume at least a quarter of that will want Braid since the praises for it are still out there.

[@Mariofan7]

Man I moved to Ogikubo this october. I’m a cool guy too!

[@HopperDragon]

Braid impacted me deeply.

[@rooty]

Oh I lived near Kichijoji in 2008. I think you knew my classmate Rose.

[@NohStar]

so nostalgic for the year of the action button twenty five best games of all time. twas vintage

[@dannyruggles7020]

2008 was a great year for games

[@RonnieBarzel]

I'd never seen the Japanese "Lost Odyssey" box art before. Interesting design for it, compared to the generic "floating heads" cover we got here in the U.S.

[@kotaku]

Channing King fun fact: the japanese sleeve art is printed on traditional japanese calligraphy paper!! it’s kind of incredible. if you’re ever in japan just go to any used bookstore. you can get a like-new copy of lost odyssey for less than ten dollars. then just put some US version discs in there lol

[@PaulSoth]

2008 also had Saints Row 2, which while not as technically proficient as GTAIV, it was a lot more fun. It had just the right amount of silliness, something that the later games in the series would overdose on.

[@Ruko]

I need to replay Lost Odyssey on my Xbox One X, would be nice to skip the disc swapping too.

[@dingo535]

Surprised to see Far Cry 2 on the list, pretty pleased with the list aside from that

[@Jodeadible]

In Canada, we get to complain about game prices as much as we want to since a new game has been $79.99 + tax for the last several years. I don't even remember the last time a AAA game came out that wasn't that price.

[@detroit7633]

Jodeadible in australia its 100 bucks

[@Jodeadible]

@@detroit7633 Feelsbadman, especially since you guys have the ratings board that bans a bunch of Mature-rated games

[@detroit7633]

Jodeadible do we? what games?

[@Jodeadible]

@@detroit7633 The Saints Row series got major flak over there. It was released at a later date than every other country because of it's mature content

[@detroit7633]

Jodeadible lol

[@JamesPery]

I feel like treasure created a game of the year every time they created a game! Maybe I’m wrong but treasure is the shit. Gunstar forever!!!

[@reallyidrathernot.134]

I like Valkyria Chronicles, but strategy wise I just cheesed it by having people run up to enemy soldiers and shoot them at close range.

[@cheezopath]

truck heck!!!

[@rooislangwtf]

I somehow missed that a sequel to The Legend of Kage came out

[@daaknait]

I watched this because Tim Rogers.

[@7omA]

i fucking loved lost odyssey and it's the only reason i want my 360 back

[@akaRicoSanchez]

So.... just because, I found a long list of 2008 games to see what could have been in a best of 2008 list. In alphabetical order, there are games like: Dear Esther, Euro Truck Simulator, Farming Simulator, The Last Remnant, Mirror's Edge, Mount & Blade, Persona 4, Spelunky, Spore, Street Fighter IV, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Wipeout HD, World of Goo.... If I had to make a list myself, I guess I would put oddities like Psyvariar and Siren: Blood Curse, but a game that is on my 2008 list for sure should have been on Tim's is Rhythm Tengoku Gold on DS. It's a 2009 game in the US and Europe though (Rhythm Heaven / Rhythm Paradise).

[@kotaku]

the GBA rhythm tengoku (2006) was WAY better, in my opinion! at any rate, consider Space Invaders Extreme a stand-in for that!

[@akaRicoSanchez]

I can see how one can argue in favor of the purity of the first game against the slight increase in controls depth in Gold (flicks and even shoulder buttons for the rock game), but the subtle storytelling in many of Gold's mini games brings the game to a level that is hard to argue against. Many games are about being part of a team and the pressure of letting your friends down. Suddenly, much more is at stake than in the weird visual jokes that are the staple of the first game. PS: I tried to dig up Hamish Todd's review of The Dazzles for ammunition, but it seems all the Action Button reviews got purged off the internet. That is sad :(

[@seralis316]

Had a weird revelation during the Braid section...I think I'm growing up to be Tim. Graduated from college a few years ago with a ...language... degree and just now, at 26, am starting to learn anything about programming. I've also been mulling around with the idea of getting into writing my own game reviews, so that sounds fun. Always like your stuff Tim, this is great as always.

[@porridgeramen7220]

Hello 29 year old you hope that's going well!!