This week’s Joystiq podcast starts with Assassin’s Creed 2, which Justin immediately declares is his game of the year for 2009.  Ludwig says that it roped him in immediately and he loves the way that gameplay mechanics are wrapped so well around the plot.

In a complete turnaround, Chris and Justin talk about their experiences with Left 4 Dead 2, which were decidedly bad due to the more sparse checkpoints, larger maps, and more devious AI.  They come to the conclusion that the game just isn’t that great because it’s too difficult to be fun.

Modern Warfare 2 gets its obligatory mention, with the guys making fun of the endless twists and clichés during the campaign.  After the news, the podcast is capped off by an appearance of Cheapy D, the founder of Cheap Ass Gamer and host of the CAGcast, who discusses some of the good Black Friday deals on the horizon.

Covered games and topics:  Assassin’s Creed 2, Left 4 Dead 2, Dragon Age: Origins, Modern Warfare 2, Pandemic closes, PSN brand extension, Black Friday Deals by CheapyD

A super big show this week as we welcome both your hostile criticism of our Left 4 Dead 2 review and Cheap Ass Gamer founder CheapyD for an exhaustive discussion of Black Friday deals.

There’s also still a ton to say about Assassin’s Creed 2, Modern Warfare 2 and Dragon Age: Origins. And thanks to resident photochop champ Alan Black who, we’re told, sparkles in the daylight.

Runtime – 1:57:30

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