We all know about the big name games for the upcoming year, but what about those titles that don't get as much attention? Here's my top five list of "Under the Radar" games slated for '09 which I'm interested so far. Some of them you may have heard of and others you may not; or you may have heard of them all. I don't know! So here they are in no particular order:
5. Singularity - Platforms: PS3, X360, PC - Release: 2009
Developed by Raven Software, I didn't even know about this game until last night when I read an article about it in this month's issue of Game Informer. Taking inspiration from 1950's sci-fi and the paranoia created from the Cold War between the U.S.A. and U.S.S.R., Singularity's fiction is culled from the existence of a real-life element, E99, called Einsteinium and is of little to no practical interest. But set in the game's world E99 contains an unusual energy which Soviet scientists in 1950 unlocked and exploited to create machines that generated massive amounts of power and had amazing abilities. However, an ill-advised experiment had catastrophic consequences and was the cause for an explosion on the island where the experiment was taking place which has caused severe ramifications to time itself. Details about the story are scarce other than that. Not to be billed as just "another FPS" your character acquires a device called a "TMD" (or Time Manipulation Device) that allows you to manipulate time both in the present and in the past. You use this device for exploration, puzzle solving and even in combat. You also have access to a veritable stable of FPS guns such as pistols, SMGs and shotguns as the developers don't want to pigeon-hole players into just one way to play. You can easily use the TMD in tandem with your arsenal, or you can go in guns blazing; the choice is left with the player, although utilizing the TMD has its benefits such as learning more details of the backstory as well as finding ammo and health.
I could go on but needless to say the game looks promising and interesting; and that's just going off of screenshots alone.
4. Bayonetta - Platforms: PS3, X360 - Release: Fall '09
Coming from the mastermind of such titles as Okami and Devil May Cry, Hideki Kamiya's next game is definitely unique: Take a hot librarian looking chick, cover her in her own hair for clothes and have her battling evil angels in a parallel dimension. Bayonetta is a witch that can use her hair to perform magical attacks turning it into a giant fist, stiletto or even a dragon! Suddenly the ability to use guns and swords seems superfluous in this game. Again, not much is known about the story at this point but it does seem to have an interesting supernatural premise. Bayonetta spends the majority of her time in a realm that's invisible to the average person. While she is able to see people going about their daily lives, they can't see her or whomever she's fighting. However the destructive effects of her battles do leave repercussions in the real world.
3. The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena - Platforms: PS3, X360 - Release: Mar. 3rd
What's better than getting a hi-def remake of one of the better games from the first Xbox? Getting a second game for free! Because that's what AoDA basically is as it follows the events immediately after Escape from Butcher Bay. Also, the overhaul of the visuals from EfBB are not the only improvement: Enemy AI and raw mechanics have been tweaked as well including a nifty new radial weapon-selection menu and thoroughly re-worked audio. It's appearing that AoDA is going to be the definitive version to get come this March.
2. The Witcher: Rise of the White Wolf - Platforms: PS3, X360 - Release: Fall
When the The Witcher was released on the PC in 2007 it turned out to be an unlikely hit. Now console gamers will be able to get their hands on this offline RPG. "There are still a lot of gamers out there who've either never heard of the gmae of just can't play it because they don't have a gaming-capable PC," says CD Projekt senior designer Jakub Stylinski. "We want as many people as possible to experience The Witcher, and that's probably the leading factor in our decision to make Rise of the White Wolf." This console version is more than a simple port of the original version. New character animations, enemy AI, and redesigned boss fights are all in the mix. And while the team is making tweaks, the overall story and quests will remain intact. Considering the game can last anywhere from 40-100 hours depending on how deep players get into the sidequests, that should offer a substantial amount of material.
1. Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad - Platforms: X360 - Release: Feb. 10th
This one just sounds and looks too crazy to pass up; unfortunately it is listed only on 360 for now. Although there is a Wii version releasing on the same day which will contain a different story and gameplay. Like a B-Movie turned into a game, Squad has campy written all over it. Take scantily clad girls, give them samurai swords and unleash a horde of zombies in need of dispatching. You start out with basic attacks, but the more zombies you mutilate the more you gain experience which, in turn, leads to being able to customize your skills and abilities. And the fact that the characters are clad all in bikinis is not just for show, but actually serves a gameplay purpose as vice president Okajima Nobuyuki explains: "In order to bring out the power of the Imichi it is necessary for the girls to drench themselves in tainted zombie blood." I tell ya, those Japanese are FrEaKs! :P
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