Say what you want about this form of interactive art, but I absolutely adore them. Now and always. So here's my top 10 games.
1. Mass Effect 2
This one is a no brainer. I'm getting this bad boy next Monday. Good bye social life!
The first one was so incredible that it renewed my faith in Bioware and gaming in general. I never knew one game could have such an emotional impact on all the decisions that you make plus with all the other cool action sequences you go through. I definitely see Bioware as the lead pioneer of video games in the future.
2. Alpha Protocol
Another action-RPG that is under the radar for now. It's release date is sketchy, but basically think of Mass Effect(wide scale, deep story, intuitive character creation, moral choices, etc.) but throw in the likeness of the Bourne movies, James Bond, Splinter Cell, Metal Gear Solid, and every other awesome spy movie or stealth game ever created. I definitely recommend this to anyone who wants a solid RPG for the early spring/late summer. What's most interesting about this game is you create how you want your spy operative to move. You can focus on hand-to-hand combat, weapons focus, gadgets, or a combination of all three perhaps.
3. Brink
Not much is known about this game, other than good ol' Bethesda is working on it(notorious for Fallout 3 and it's awesomeness). What I get from this game is that it's an action first person shooter, with an innovative maneuvering system. I think of it as a love child between Fallout 3 and Borderlands, both two great AAA games. Consider me psyched.
4.Halo: Reach
Ok, so put aside the fact that I've been a Halo fanboy since the beginning and view this selection from an objective view. This is Bungie's last game(supposedly) in the Halo franchise, then they're passing it off to 343 Studios, which is an internal company dedicated to everything Halo within Microsoft. It's the prequel all of us dedicated fans have been waiting for. And it's their swan song. Boasting new combat (assassin kills anyone?) new armor options, more Spartans in the campaign(woot!) and larger battles (40 instead of 20 from Halo 3), this is definitely the nice icing on the Halo cake everyone of us gamers has been waiting for. Now we just got to see if the beta in the Spring is worth playing over my grades :P
Mmmm... More Spartans beating down Elites. Awesome combo for a prequel.
5.Infinite Space.
This little DS gem is on my radar for two sole reasons: 1. It happens to be in space. 2. Fully customizable space warships, while also commanding a whole crew in combat. I truly hope this won't let me down.
Putting aside the fact it's heavily anime influenced, it still looks like a solid game.
6.Splinter Cell Conviction
This looks awesome. After about 3 years of development hell, Sam Fisher is back in action. Granted, I never truly beat a complete game, but I'm willing to give this one a try.
Expect the same high-quality spy action with stealth kills from the previous games.
7.The next Ghost Recon game
Ok, by now, I'm a big fan of Tom Clancy. Great writer, and even better gave Ubisoft some great ideas for games. One of my fondest games on the Xbox (post Halo 2 and before Halo 3) was Ghost Recon. I spent hours just playing this game all over the place. The next installment is supposed to arrive sometime either next year or later this year. And I am excited for it.
Couldn't find a logo for the next game title, but it's rumored it's called Ghost Recon:Predator
8.APB
Think of the game Crackdown, but in a MMO form. Then you get APB, a huge MMO where customization is ridiculously detailed and you can choose to either side with the peacekeepers or gangmembers. I'm not normally into MMOs, but this one is worth checking out.
9. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2
The first one was a lot of fun. Let's hope they can do it again.
10.Alan Wake
Think of a psychological thriller, mixed in with mystery, and the entire element of a versatile and hostile environment. A writer would be the least likely hero in any story, but this game is the exception. Throw in a dash of the Silent Hill-esque atmosphere and you have a game that has a lot of potential to succeed. Let's hope it rocks our socks off in May.
Honorable mentions: Golden Sun DS, Castlevania: Lord of Shadows, Crackdown 2, Aliens Vs. Predator, MegaMan Zero collection DS, No More Heroes: Desparate Struggle, Deus Ex 3, Bioshock 2, Dead Space 2, Mercs Inc. , Just Cause 2, Red Dead Redemption. Modern Warfare 3, Medal of Honor: Modern Version?, Dead Rising 2, Metal Gear:Rising, God of War III, Infamous 2, Lost Planet 2, Fable 3, and many more.
It will be a nice future for video games!
Later!
