First off, I apologize if this blog is poorly written or constructed. It's kind of the first time I do something like this so it might not be very cohesive. I have not included games such as Heavy Rain or Super Mario Galaxy 2 because I own an Xbox 360 exclusively, so realistically I can only anticipate games that I'll actually be able to play. Also, the games are not listed in order because I'm excited for practically all of these games equally and I think it would serve no purpose in the end.
2009 was a great year for gaming. Excellent games such as Batman: Arkham Asylum and Uncharted 2 were released and a few ( Bioshock 2, Alan Wake...) were delayed for next year. As 2009 will be no more soon, I thought it would be a good idea to list what I'm looking forward to the most in 2010, on the subject of video games.
Project Natal I'll start with the only non-game on this list: Natal. Now I know that some (many) of you are skeptical about this (including me) or have complete faith that Natal won't be a good gaming experience, but I remain excited to see the final product and be able to experience it firsthand. I think the idea of playing a video game without a controller is intriguing and, granted it will probably have as much shovelware and poor quality games developed for it as the Wii has had, I'm certain there will also be some quality content that will be exclusive to Natal.
Just Cause 2 This game looks nuts. I have not played the first Just Cause, but from what I've heard, watched and read, the sequel sounds like crazy fun that I would enjoy taking part in. Just Cause 2 seems like it's going to be a great sandbox game, a genre I've always enjoyed because I love open environments that you can interact with and where you can do practically anything you want. Also, it's crazy, something I always appreciate in a video game.
Final Fantasy XIII I'm not a big Final Fantasy fan (I think the most I've played of any FF game was 20 hours of Final Fantasy X), but I've recently discovered that I like JRPGs. Actually, I love the genre. Final Fantasy is one of the most notable JRPG franchises and Final Fantasy XIII looks pretty fantastic. It also has been receiving favourable reviews, so I'm assuming that this is an excellent game as well.
Bioshock 2
I loved the first Bioshock, so it's normal that I would be excited for the sequel, now isn't it? The atmosphere and plot of the first game were amazing and that's why I enjoyed it so much. Now, a sequel to Bioshock seems unnecessary to more than a few people (including me) and having it take place in Rapture once more seems even worse, but hearing more about Bioshock 2, it seems like it could end up being an interesting game to say the least. The multiplayer sounds very unique and inspired, and perhaps the campaign will be able to live up to the first one. We'll just have to wait and see.
Bayonetta I played the demo and the game immediately appealed to me. I'm not a big fan of Beat 'em ups as I've not played many, but Bayonetta has got me interested in the genre. Its excessive nature and main character are things I appreciate, the combat is intuitive and it seems rather complex (which is a good thing). I'm not too certain if the story will be as interesting as the gameplay itself, but I don't think that factor is very important in a game like this one.
Mass Effect 2 Probably one of the best Western RPGs that will come out in 2010, Mass Effect 2 looks really good. I mean it looks simply beautiful. The revamped shooting mechanics along with the fixes to the various technical issues the first Mass Effect had, along with the improvements to the exploration with worlds that actually look different and a potentially engaging story (it is Bioware), make this game worthy of anticipation.
Crackdown 2 Though the first Crackdown had several problems, it was still very fun. Jumping and running on buildings to collect the Agility Orbs, watching your character progress from what was practically a weakling to a total badass and the awesome explosions made for a really fun experience. Hopefully taking what made the first game so great and refining those things, Ruffian Games can make Crackdown 2 an excellent sequel.
Fable III I enjoyed Fable: The Lost Chapters, was a bit underwhelmed by Fable II, and am anticipating Fable III. I find the concept behind Fable to be an interesting and somewhat refreshing one and I would like to see the idea developed further. Peter Molyneux is a very optimistic individual, and I want to see his vision for what Fable III should be and what it actually will be.
Split/Second I tried to get into the racing genre of video games with Burnout Paradise, but that game was very frustrating to me, even though it's categorized as an "arcade racer". Now, Split/Second totally looks like an arcade racer. The premise of it makes me think of Twisted Metal and it just seems like it's going to be exhilarating to play.
Super Street Fighter IV Dude, it's Street Fighter IV but Super. At first glance, it might seem like something more suited to being DLC, but I believe that this case is similar to what people thought of Left 4 Dead 2 prior to its release: they thought it was too soon even though it really was not. SSF IV will bring many improvements to the previous game, improvements that I think make it worth the purchase. It will also cost 20$ less than a normal, newly released retail game. That's something that does not happen with the new Maddens or Call of Dutys.
So there's my list. Hopefully it was not too terrible to go through. A few other games I would like to list are: Alan Wake, Splinter Cell: Conviction, Metro 2033, Batman: Arkham Asylum 2 and Dead Rising 2. I'm looking forward to all of these games and more and my list would probably be different if I owned more than an Xbox 360, but I don't. Perhaps I'll get another in 2010 :P.
Edit: Oh wow, added unneeded information in the title (...in 2010). Sorry for the typo!
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