Last week I shared with you lovely people the list of movies I’m most looking forward to in the coming year. Well, because I’m an equal opportunity kind of dude, this week I’m looking at 2010 game releases. Here are the ones I’m most excited about.
Dark Void (PS3, Xbox 360)
Available 1/19
I remember seeing screenshots from this game many moons ago, and I’m glad it’s finally coming out. Why? Mainly because you get to fly around the Bermuda Triangle on a jetpack icing aliens. There’s also a “vertical cover system” that looks pretty cool.
Mass Effect 2 (Xbox 360)
Available 1/26
I recently wrote about Mass Effect 2 in my 2009 Holiday Games post, so I’m just going to mail this one in with a little cut-and-paste action: “I think Mass Effect was one of the best games of the last few years. I played it through twice, once with Commander Mookie Shepard, and once with Commander Evil Mookie Shepard. I think it’s very cool that your decisions from the first game will be reflected in the sequel, including whether key characters are alive or dead. I like my sci-fi realistic like that.”
Bioshock 2 (PS3, Xbox 360)
Available 2/9
The game that managed to make creepy little girls even creepier is back. The first Bioshock was top-notch, and this one promises to be at least as good. This time, you play as a Big Daddy prototype who reawakens in Rapture 10 years after the original story. It’s an interesting twist that should make the sequel feel fresh but familiar at the same time.
Final Fantasy XIII (PS3, Xbox 360)
Available 3/9
I grew up playing Final Fantasy games, but it’s been a while since I’ve played one. I’m going to start up again with XIII. The graphics look amazing, and the gameplay seems to be a good combination of old and new.
God of War III (PS3)
Available some time in March, supposedly
I am now the proud owner of a bouncing baby PS3, so I’ll finally be able to get into this series properly, rather than just playing it at someone’s house. I’m planning on getting the God of War Collection before the new one comes out. Because I hate having free time.
Heavy Rain (PS3)
Available first quarter of 2010
The promises on this game are big, and I hope it lives up to them. It’s supposed to have an innovative control scheme, immersive plot, unique gameplay, extremely realistic facial expressions, and moral choices that truly affect the outcome. That’s obviously a pretty tall order, but it could be very cool.
Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)
Available some time in 2010
If you stop a minute and really think about the Mario games, you’ll realize just how truly ridiculous they are. These games don’t make any sense whatsoever — they center around plumbers fighting dinosaurs-things, mushroom people, and turtles while collecting bits of stars and gold coins. And yet, they are so thoroughly enjoyable that nobody cares. I feel like Nintendo has tricked us all, somehow. But I’m really looking forward to this game.
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (PS3, Xbox 360)
Available some time in 2010
From the screenshots I’ve seen, it looks like this will be an action title similar to God of War. That’s nice, but what I’m really hoping they do is make it similar to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, the Best Castlevania Game Ever (not up for debate).
