Mid 2010 Mini-Preview
So, we’ve had the glut of holdover games from 2009 mostly been released. Dante’s Inferno, Mass Effect 2, God of War III, Heavy Rain, Final Fantasy XIII, Bioshock 2 and now Splinter Cell: Conviction are all out. Hell, Alan Wake is out in a timeframe that can be described as soon. We know a few of the big games later in the year (Medal of Honor, a new Call of Duty, maybe even Gran Turismo 5 and Little Big Planet 2), and of course many E3 announcements are anticipate, but what are we going to be playing or ignoring during the coming mid-year void. Will we have games like inFamous, Prototype and Red Faction to tide us over?
ALAN WAKE
It’s taken longer to develop than it took to get a black man in the White House without someone calling the cops. Will Remedy’s thriller entertain us more than Max Payne?
LOST PLANET 2: MORE LOSTER
The 3rd-person shooter that bushwacked you and became a mech game is back. Does this one start as a mech game and become an on-foot shooter?
SKATE 3.
So EA/Black Box didn’t go the cool route and call it Skat3. Of course you just know what the 8th installment is going to be called, don’t you. Continuing to use the Flick-It control system, the only time a control system is named after a popular method for disposing of boogers; Skate 3 drives home the final nails in the coffin of the Tony Hawk series almost as fast as Activision. Coming Soon: Tony Hawk:Shred, then Tony Hawk: Please followed by Tony Hawk: Pretty Please.
PRINCE OF PERSIA: FORGOTTEN SANDS OF TIME STORYLINE
Prince of Persia has been reinvented more times than Cher’s ass, so this game of the movie of the game features Jake’s Abs. While Sands of Time was my favourite PoP game, it is the only one I liked. And Jake is no Nolan.
RED DEAD REDEMPTION
An open world sequel to GUN Red Dead Revolver, Rock Star San Diego’s latest has been shrouded in controversies over working conditions and publishers attempting to influence review scores. Is it going to be as much fun as Red Faction or Just Cause 2. Or is it going to be as mundane as GTA IV?
BLUR
Bizzarre Creations first racing game for new owners Activision is likely to give former PGR fans a run for their money. Being Activision, literally giving them a run for their money.
METAL GEAR PEACE WALKER
See Hideo make a PSP game. See Konami flushing money down the toilet in the US and Europe as this title hits pirate websites faster than a casual MGS fan skips a cutscene. “Snake, do you think love can” *Presses Triangle*
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11
It would be hilarious if some kind of reference to Tiger’s personal issues were made. “Tiger’s scored a hole in one” takes on a new meaning
METROID: OTHER M
The other M stands for M&M. MMmmmmmmmmm
APB
Real-Time Worlds’ MMO-esque gangster game, their follow up to Crackdown and one hell of an awesome-sounding project. PC only, but don’t that against this.
QUANTUM THEORY
A Japanese take on Gears of War. Except it’s Japanese and the guy through he throws his partner through the air. So it’s Japanese.
CRACKDOWN 2
YES! CRACKDOWN 2. Cam is looking forward to getting this game for free from some random person and jumping off the roof of a building. I think he intends on recording a podcast via Skype on the way down.
oh and Mafia II, Kane and Lynch 2 (Giant Bomb’s GOTY), Dead Rising 2. In amongst all of this will be Modern Warfare 2 map packs, Halo Reach Beta and hopefully some download only gems.
That should be enough to tide most of us over until Halo Reach, Portal 2 and Gran Turismo turn up from September onwards…
For my sins I can only see myself grabbing Alan Wake, Crackdown 2 and maybe APB with an outside possibility of Red Dead Redemption. How ’bout you?
April 25th, 2010 at 7:00 pm
Super Mario Galaxy 2 might be good, even though some of the levels will be recycled from the first one.
Metroid Other M looks like a joke.
And how about that Mega Man 10, huh? Woo! I’m not being sarcastic; I’d love to see more 8-bit games made with hindsight.
Crackdown 2 looks interesting, but the videos I’ve seen make it look a little more structured than the first game. I hope the freedom isn’t reduced. I’m really enjoying the addictive freeplay stuff of Red Faction Guerilla and The Saboteur; I’d love to see Crackdown 2 continue with it.
April 25th, 2010 at 10:21 pm
Yes, I’m finding it hard to completely discount Just cause 2
April 26th, 2010 at 9:52 pm
I really can’t see myself getting excited about any coming game… I think the last one I was ‘excited’ about was Tribes 2.
However I showed up at the midnight sale of MW2.. so maybe I just don’t know my own mind.
Anyway, I’m really looking forward to Natal. As the father of a small boy I can see how this can be a lot of fun.
I’m also looking forward to the Bayonetta DLC that is coming out in the fall. Apparently they’re resurrecting the Bulletwitch with the Bayonetta engine. I wasn’t a fan of the Bulletwitch gameplay, but I did enjoy the style of the game. I won’t object to blowing a couple hundred microsoft points on it.
April 28th, 2010 at 1:30 pm
I’m sort of obsessing over this:
The $150 Halo Reach Ultimate Fantastic Fandango package comes with exclusive DLC which is usable only in multiplayer.
Assuming you had the money spilling out of your pockets and that your wife wouldn’t: a)kill you, or b) find out about it. Would you pick it up?
What does having this DLC say about you?
1) Richie rich
2) Douche
3) Halo fanboy
4) All of the above
April 28th, 2010 at 9:58 pm
disposable income, likes Halo.
I don’t buy the douche argument.
If you can afford it easily and you want it go for it. Are you really going to pay 150 for DLC?
No. I generally don’t buy anything other than standard editions of games. I’m a Halo Fan, but I don’t have a cat helmet.
April 29th, 2010 at 1:40 pm
Don’t buy the douche argument? Dude, you’re harshing my hate!
The included toys are cute but they’d eventually end up in a box in my basement… and then in a yard sale a decade from now.
April 29th, 2010 at 9:45 pm
lol- Clint was the Halo hater. I love the games but I’m not interested in anything other than making of featurettes.
I got burned with Gears 2- I bought the version with the docos and have yet to watch them
April 30th, 2010 at 1:22 am
So what’re the odds of Bungie actually being able to collect royalties from Activision without a lawsuit?