Most Anticipated 2010

Hello again, esteemed readership, and welcome to my humble blog. Please sit, and make yourself comfortable, as I take you through the games I am most anticipating for this fine year of 2010.

Note: This list would have included Bayonetta and Mass Effect 2, but both are now released.

Here's Crackdown in one word:

FFFFUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNN

That is all.

Alan Wake

This game looks to be so good for a number of reasons. The two that are drawing me to it are the narrative and the atmosphere. I love a well done Survival Horror, and this one looks to nail the atmospheric elements, which are so important, and it also seems to have a good story to tell and a good method through which to do it.

And yes, the graphics look amazing but that's not why I'm looking forward to it.

If ^that^ screenshot doesn't get you itching to play this game, you're dead inside. You can roll around in a wheelchair while brandishing a submachine gun, all in the name of killing HUGE hordes of zombies. The first game was fun, and even somewhat challenging on a first run through, which was nice.
The second should hopefully provide a similar experience.

From the game's description: Blending fast-paced modern combat, significant character advancement, and innovative RPG features, Alpha Protocol brings a fresh new perspective to the genre.

Suffice it to say, I'm excited. I have been following this one since its inception, and so I am aware of every blemish, of which there are many. I just hope the delay has enabled Obsidian to really let the bones of this novel game shine through. The concept is great, the look is great, the design seems great. Let's hope it all comes together for them, and we get one badass, engaging and replayable game.

Playing as a big daddy.......eh, not really something I'd have gone with.

Multiplayer........WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY?

The only thing keeping it on this list is at the end of the day, it's Bioshock, and Bioshock is good. I'm just a bit skeptical of this one, and I have avoided most media and information after hearing the initially disappointing stuff in the hopes that I'll be pleasantly surprised come gametime.

Lost Planet had issues. In typical Capcom fashion, some aspects of the controls and design were questionable, but overall, it was one hell of a fun game. An arcade shooter with amazing graphics and huge, old school bosses complete with flashing weakpoints. Also a good challenge.

I played the demo for LP2 and it's more of the same. A solid, fun, old school shooter.

Look at that screen. Does that look like a side scrolling Metroid to you? Ya, me as well. Okay, so the game isn't a sidescroller, but it incorporates side scrolling as well as 3D adventuring and melee combat by Team Ninja. Consider me excited at the prospect.

Buy Mafia II, or else!

And buy it I will. Just when I thought I was done with open world games of this nature (seriously, GTA IV can suck my balls and I loved Saint's Row but 2 is enough), Mafia II is announced. Shit.. Mafia was good. And then gameplay footage is released and it's incredibly impressive. Graphics, the shooting, cover system, melee combat, driving, dialogue, voice acting, all of it. It's all very impressive. I love period games, and I love the mafia, so Mafia II is a no brainer. And hopefully this time the console version holds up, because the xbox 1 version of Mafia SUCKED. Apparently, this time around they'll be identical, save for the control and graphics differences we have come to expect.

No screens yet, and I am skeptical it is even going to be released this year (and of the opinion that it need not be in the first place) but it's Fable, and Fable is one of my favourite all time games. Fable II was a let down in many ways, but it also improved upon the formula in others, so let's hope this sequel bridges the gap and gives us something truly remarkable. I hope they can recapture the magic of Fable 1, as that game was truly amazing (to me, I understand the criticisms levied against it and Molyneux)

That's it, now get the hell out of my blog.

;)