Choosing only five games I’m looking forward to in 2010 is like choosing your favorite Backstreet Boy; it’s damn near impossible. The following are personally what I am foaming at the mouth to play. The new year is still infantile and many more games have yet to be announced, but as it stands, 2010 is shaping up to be a great year for game releases. Perhaps most surprising is the stellar first quarter release schedule which is the most impressive I’ve seen in ages.
1. Mass Effect 2
The original Mass Effect was not a perfect game by any means. It was however, an excellent game with tremendous potential. Mass Effect delivered a mature Sci-fi role playing experience that hasn’t been done this well since Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. It featured an interesting and engaging story which was irreversibly affected by your decisions. Developer Bioware has not turned a deaf ear to the complaints of the gaming public. Expect Mass Effect 2 to be fine-tuned and highly refined. The engine is already built and implemented leaving plenty of time to craft a masterful experience. The best part is that your original game save from the first Mass Effect can be uploaded and the choices made will carry over. This has never been done before to my knowledge and I can’t wait to see it in action.
2. Heavy Rain
This is a game even Marc and I can agree on. Heavy Rain is being developed by Quantic Dream, the same team behind last generation’s sadly overlooked Indigo Prophecy. In-game footage is beginning to surface and the game looks gorgeous. The character models are highly detailed and are capable of expressing complex emotions. The gameplay seems to be more akin to an interactive film than a traditional videogame, but that’s what is so alluring. The concept of what constitutes a game is being pushed and opening doors to even more possibilities. The most exciting and possibly unnerving aspect of the game is that it never ends. Like a film, there is no game over screen with a checkpoint. If your character dies, the story continues. It is unclear exactly how this will work, but the concept is ground-breaking.
3. Final Fantasy XIII
There is scarcely a gamer past or present that is unfamiliar with the Final Fantasy series. For over 20 years, Final Fantasy has been the definitive Japanese RPG. No two games are alike, and each installment features a brand new story with all new characters and gameplay features. What makes Final Fantasy XIII so special? It’s the first in the series to make the leap to the current generation of consoles. Final Fantasy XII was one of the best games on Playstation 2, and given the console’s library, that is truly saying something. Imagine what can be done with a Blu-Ray disc and high-definition graphics. The new fluid and fast-paced battle system in place will most likely bridge the gap between Western and Japanese Role Playing Games even more. I am officially preparing to have no life beginning day one of its release. It is one of very few franchises that has met or surpassed my expectations time after time.
4. God of War III
The E3 2009 God of War III demo initially made available through pre-orders is now available with the purchase of the District 9 Blu-Ray. Luckily for you, District 9 is a fantastic film and one worth purchasing in its own right. The God of War III demo is just the muscle-bound, dual blade-wielding Spartan cherry on top. The demo is not even indicative of the final build and it already looks incredible. The action was absolutely brutal. I thought I’d seen it all when it comes to gaming and even I couldn’t help but cringe every time Kratos delivered a gore-laden killing blow. At its core this is still God of War. The controls and gameplay haven’t changed since the original God of War yet it still felt fresh and exciting. The team at Sony knows what they are doing and this could be the game that helps to level the playing field between Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 in 2010.
5. Spec Ops: The Line
No doubt you are as surprised as I am about Spec Ops: The Line being included in this list. Logically this game shouldn’t be anywhere near a most anticipated list. The developer is unknown and the 3rd person shooter genre has had cover mechanics for years already. One question, have you seen the trailer? This game looks incredible. See our recent "Trailer Madness" update to check it out for yourself. If Rocksteady (a virtually unknown developer at the time) can strike gold with Batman: Arkham Asylum, why can’t the team at Yager crank out a surprise hit? The sand-caked buildings of Dubai are both eerie and breathtaking to behold. The concept is fascinating featuring a modern combat setting with a decision-based system that will affect the story progression. What if Infinity Ward’s Modern Warfare series wasn’t on wheels? Imagine facing tough life or death choices amidst a global conflict. Very little is known about Spec Ops: The Line at the moment, which is undoubtedly what makes it so alluring.
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Glad to see ME2 and Heavy Rain make it into the list.
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