Anticipated Games of 09.

I thought I’d do some light hearted fun for therapy from my previous endeavour.

Just want to point out some of the games I’m looking forward to this year. Now as with every form of entertainment there are always surprises. Films you have no clue about until they come out and they blow you away (the matrix, sixth sense) It’s pretty hard for games to do that, but not impossible, perhaps it’s a game that’s just under your own personal radar, or one you don’t have high expectations for, until either you try it out or your friends/ media types bug you until you do. Anyway.. Aside from those mystery titles here are a few I’m pawing after at the moment:

Ghostbusters:

I’m so pumped for this one. Written and voiced by the minds behind the films. Brilliant! This game looks better and more pretty each time I see it. Some game play was showed off around GDC this year and it looks great.  Most people don’t know this but there was a pretty good Ghostbusters game out already way back on the genesis. A side scrolling contra esq shooter, where you fought minions, wrangled ghosts, fought bosses, earned money and bought weapons. Everything from that game is back in this one. Mind you the last one was missing a character (Winston just like the other games left him out) and that game got pretty hard near the end. Anyway I’m digressing. This game has everyone in it, it looks great, it’s exactly what I’ve always wanted in a Ghostbusters, or movie licence game. Looks like it will be pretty hard to mess it up from this point, and I’ll be playing it even if it scores 3’s across the board.

Batman Arkham Asylum:

This looks great. It looks as if Rocksteady has put a lot of love into this game. They aren’t pigeon-holed into making a game based on an upcoming movie, and that allows them to be creative with the visual style, story, and game play elements.  They seem to be using their own take on the character, similar to a more modern style. This batman looks as if he kills, which is darker and grittier then we often see. The look of the game is gritty, twisted and dark.  They put their own spin on the characters, and the game play is trying things in concert that haven’t been done before. Playing the mind games with the AI in stealth mode looks great, and from what else I’ve read, the combat works very nicely. It seems this too, if all goes well, will pan out wonderfully, and I am super juiced for it.

The Beatles: Rock Band.   Do I need to say anything? Not much is known about the game, other then it will differ from standard Rock Band formula. I could speculate on and on about what I think is in it, or should be in it. For instance it would be nice to have 3 guitar tracks per song, keyboard/piano tracks, singing in harmony and every single song period.  When it comes down to it in the end, I’d be happy just to get a good quality sound and a natural feeling, fun note-track out from Apple and Harmonix respectively. There is no doubt it will turn out great with Harmonix track record, popularizing the genre with Guitar Hero, Breaking the mould with Rock band, and a near perfect history of fun and respectful note tracks. Rockband tracks just play better than Neversoft’s GH tracks.  Just about a month or 2 ago Harmonix and EA unveiled that the game would indeed be labelled with the Rock Band name. My guess was that Apple wanted to differentiate its product from everything else, but gave into pressure. It’s clear that the Rock Band name carries with it a lot of weight and will attract some business.  So yeah can’t wait to get my hands on that.

Update: Bioshock 2: Good interview here with Gamespot.

We don’t know too much about the new game , other then it takes place a few years later, and you play a big daddy.  Many people were worried when they heard a startup developer in Take Two was handling the game.  Then we found out however that 2k Marin is made up of ex 2kboston/Irrational developers, fresh of of Bioshock. Next I heard that the lead on the game was the creative design lead on the Fort Frolic stage from Bioshock, and that set my mind at ease. I can’t wait to play this, i’m sure so long as the story is engaging and they don’t go overboard with new features that Bioshock 2 will be another amazing creepy adventure.

On top of that, there is , Assassins’ Creed 2 and the halo 3 expansion Halo3con aka Halo: ODST.

There seems to be a theme developing. Every game I’m looking forward to (besides being on xbox360) is that it’s either a licence or a sequel.  I guess there is nothing wrong with being safe.  However I wouldn’t discredit any of them. The licensed stuff seems to being doing new and interesting things and the old stuff well that’s just a little more of what I already love.  It all comes back to those mystery games, for me. What games get added to my planed purchases?  My guess is a lot of unannounced stuff, with E3 a few months away, we will see some games that were under the radar and others that will be seen for the first time.  Thus is the life of the modern gamer, always a waiting game.   But if I can afford it, I still have a lot already to sink my teeth into. From games of yesteryear, to DLC and just stuff I haven’t completely milked or finished, I’ll be pretty busy this summer.