Explodemon! – Developer: Curve Studios | Publisher: Curve Studios | Out: TBC
Looking like a cute, mini version of Iron Man, Explodemon! is a PSN title from developer Curve Studios. The game has an interesting background with designer Jonathan Biddle working on its prototype in his spare time. The main reason we’re so looking forward to Explodemon! is due to the titular hero’s unique approach to defeating enemies. He blows himself up. The game’s official site also has the following (and somewhat baffling) description: “Explodemon! is a 2.5D action platform game with an explosive main character. Mixing classic platforming action – from classics such as Mario and MegaMan – with the refined contemporary gameplay of Halo and Half-Life 2, it brings old-school gameplay bang up to date.” You had us at “explosive main character.”
Fallout: New Vegas – Developer: Obsidian Entertainment | Publisher: Bethesda Softworks | Out: TBC
Never has a title won so many Game of the Year awards and yet split so many gamers down the middle than Fallout 3. Of course, some view Bethesda’s involvement as an indication that what we got in the latest Fallout game isn’t really Fallout at all. Let’s hope Obsidian’s Fallout: New Vegas placates these anal and hard to please people at least to some degree.
We actually know very little about Fallout: New Vegas and hence must extrapolate what the game will be like through inference and association. It’s a Fallout game so we assume it will be apocalyptic. And considering the involvement of RPG mavens Obsidian (creators of Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords, Neverwinter Nights as well as the upcoming spy-fest Alpha Protocol) we’re predicting it will be somewhat along the style of KOTOR. We could be way off, of course. It could be like Zelda for all we know. Kinda doubt it though.
Far Cry 3 - Developer: Ubisoft Montréal | Publisher: Ubisoft | Out: TBC
Another one from the vault of the unknown, all we know about Far Cry 3 is that it’s in development. Speaking to Wiredback in August of 2008, designer Patrick Redding confirmed that there’s still more to explore on the Dark Continent though Africa may be replaced as a location next time with the frozen wilds of Antarctic. We get the impression he was kidding, though. At least, we hope he was.
Final Fantasy XIII - Developer: SquareEnix | Publisher: SquareEnix | Out: March 9th
Small title. Maybe you’ve heard of it. Nothing we can write here will do justice to the significance Final Fantasy has on the gaming world. So instead of going on about Lightning and summons etc., maybe a short discussion on the cultural impact Final Fantasy has on at least Japan is in order.
The last time I was in Japan Monster Hunter 2G Portable had just come out. It was a bizarre time with streets that were practically empty of people young and old. I only understood what was going on when a friend mentioned that most people were at home getting their game on – despite the title being portable! If you think that’s bad, when Final Fantasy XIII recently hit Japan on the 17th of this month, the country nearly shut down. With over 1.5 million sales in its first four days, from speaking to friends in Tokyo and Kyoto recently, kids are still pulling sickies to stay home and play it, with office absenteeism peculiarly high. Not that the bosses care. They’re at home with fantasy illnesses of their own.
When Final Fantasy XIII hits next March in other regions, the circle will be complete. Final Fantasy games may not be your bag (ironically, I’ve not played one since FFVII) but you at least have to acknowledge its phenomenal hold over the gaming masses. March can’t come sooner for some people.
Final Fantasy Versus XIII - Developer: SquareEnix | Publisher: SquareEnix | Out: TBC
If Final Fantasy XIII is the hot girl everyone wants to, you know, *ahem* take to the prom, Final Fantasy Versus XIII is her darker, sultry emo sister who not only doesn’t want to go to the prom, she wants you to help her burn the bloody thing down.
Developed concurrently with its brighter and more traditional stablemate, Versus, for some, is a more appealing and interesting prospect than what is seen as the safer and more legitimate XIII.
We don’t know much about the title other than mere snippets mentioned by SquareEnix’s Tetsuya Nomura. There’s crystals involved, and the battle-system will be a “realistic modified version of Kingdom Hearts’”. In terms of characters, we have the moody Nokutisu Rushisu Cheramu (Noctus in English) along with female protagonist Sutera Nokkusu Furūre (Stella Nox), their names roughly translating from Latin into Light and Darkness, respectively.
It’s all crazy blue spiked hair and gothic angst, but we love it nonetheless. Final Fantasy Versus XIII has yet to officially be given a release date. We’re assuming a late 2010 appearance is likely.
Final Fantasy XIV - Developer: SquareEnix | Publisher: SquareEnix | Out: TBC
Another megaton Sony managed to not let out of the bag before E3, numerous eyebrows were raised when Jack Tretton announced to the throng of gaming journalists present that Final Fantasy XIV will launch in 2010. Much akin to its XI cousin, XIV will be an MMO and promises to be big. So big in fact that SquareEnix CEO Yoichi Wada reckons the title will challenge the unflinching grip Blizzard’s World of Warcraft has on the genre. His recent comments also reveal how a subscription model for Final Fantasy XIV is something “a lot of people [...] want, so we would like to introduce more pay-as-you-use items into the game.”
A recent PC beta entry has launched with a PS3 early-look possible sometime in the first half of next year.
The game also returns to its fantasy roots with an assortment of races and classes you’d expect to find in your typical online persistent world. Some of these characters will still have blue hair though. Sorry, there’s just no escaping it.
Fist of the North Star/Dynasty Warriors spin-off – Hokuto Musō - Developer: Koei | Publisher: Koei | Out: TBC
You don’t know it yet, but you’re already dead. Fans of Fist of the North Star will recognise this quote as one of just bundles of fantastic one-liners from Hokuto no Ken (Fist of the North Star outside of Japan). A post-apocalyptic tale of love, honour and some environmental nonsense we tuned out, to a young impressionable male who liked Japanese stuff and cool things in general, the Fist of the North Star anime was like Akira – except that it made sense and it had a guy who could make your head explode just by looking at you.
Hokuto Musō is a shameless visit to the popular North Star well and is apparently a Dynasty Warriors spin-off. Footage of the action shows the titular Man with Seven Wounds, Ken, and Fist of the North Star, stomping around beating the bejesus out of anything that moves. Works for us. That said, these titles rarely exude the quality they’re associated with, and it should be stated that there’s no news of a non-Japanese port at this minute. We mention it purely to bring it to your attention as we’re sure there are some fellow Fist fans out there somewhere.
Free Realms- Developer: SOE | Publisher: SOE | Out: TBC
Free Realms is SOE’s attempt to crack the lucrative tween market. With young people becoming increasingly computer literate at an early age, the area represents a whole new revenue stream along with an intriguingly fresh genre – the teeny-bopper MMO. If anything, such ventures offers studios a novel (and some might say insidious – get them while they’re young Sony!) way to connect with future gamers.
Free Realms’ PC incarnation launched this year to much aplomb. And though it might not be that interesting to the likes of us violence-obsessed gamers (we’re kidding … kinda), it has appealed to a whole host of young players who enjoy building a character and interacting with like-minded young people online.
A PS3 version was always planned, with details of an exact release date forever shrouded in mystery. It’s highly likely, however, that Free Realms will find its way on to the PS3 platform sometime in 2010. Who knows, maybe they’re waiting for Sony’s premium PSN service to launch first. Conspiracies in the comment section below, if you will.
God of War Collection - Developer: SCE Santa Monica / Bluepoint Games (port) | Publisher: SCE | Out: Q1 2010
So good they made it twice. The cynic in us first viewed God of War Collection – a HD remake of the first two God of War games repackaged and bundled as one Blu-ray – as a shameless ploy to milk the franchise on the run-up to the series’ third outing. It was only when we got a look of it in action did we finally admit just how much we actually wanted to play the PS2 classics all over again, and hey, it’s not like anyone is making you buy it.
God of War Collection was released in North America recently with Europeans getting their grubby hands on it early in 2010. There’s also a nifty Collectors’ box-set planned. But we won’t mention that. We’ve already crossed the line into fanboyism by admitting we’re going to buy games we’ve already played years ago.
God of War III – Developer: SCE Santa Monica | Publisher: SCE | Out: March 2010
Sony’s ace up their sleeve in the mindless console war, God of War III is set to melt eyes and cause divorces when it finally launches in March of next year. They don’t come much bigger than this, with most of us spending the last year or so gobbling up as much footage of Kratos’ upcoming epic as humanly possible.
With stunning graphics and relentless action, God of War III is sure to feature on many a wish-list come March.
Zeus will pay. We have no doubt about it.
Gran Turismo 5 - Developer: Polyphony Digital | Publisher: SCE | Out: Q2 2010
You either get Gran Turismo 5 or you don’t. There’s no doubt the series has been treated like a prized cow by Sony over the years (after all, it has sold oodles) yet there are those of us who just can’t wrap our collective heads around the fact that, for what promotes itself as a real driving simulator, as soon as you get out of the garage, certain aspects of real-life take something of a back-seat.
With crash damage finally making a long overdue appearance and fans of the series finally able to trade-up from precursor GT5 Prologue, Gran Turismo’s next outing represents the Second Coming to its fervent and loyal following.
The cars are gorgeous, with more tweaks and content available to keep petrol-heads in motor nirvana for eons to come. The tech behind the game is also incredibly dense, with an attention to detail by Kazunori Yamauichi and his team that’s borderline Rainman obsessive. In fact, the game has been in development for so long that, though they’ve created weather effects, they might not even include them if it “doesn’t add value or feel right.” That’s dedication for you. But the question is: can they possible live up to the fans’ mammoth expectations?
Make no mistake about it – Gran Turismo 5 is going to be massive. But after being in development for so long, will fans ultimately be happy? We find out in summer of next year.
Greed Corp. – Developer: W!Games | Publisher: W!Games | Out: Q1 2010
Dutch studio W!Games will soon offer up Greed Corp. on the PSN. A turn-based strategy game, the title will insidiously implant its green message in your brain by presenting a delicate balance between resource gathering and actually keeping the planet you’re living on alive so you don’t die. That said, instead of blowing up your adversaries, you can also detonate the land they inhabit. Can’t see the Green Party getting behind that particular approach.
It’s the first of a planned series of games from W!Games that highlight global environmental issues. We think it’s ingenious and are looking forward to seeing more of the four factions that make up the single-player and multiplayer aspects of the game.
Heavy Rain – Developer: Quantic Dream| Publisher: SCE | Out: February 26th
It’s a game. It’s not a game. Heavy Rain will revolutionise the industry. Heavy Rain will bore you to death. No matter what Heavy Rain is or is not, we can’t get around the fact that it’s coming and things are about to change. Quantic Dream’s poignant and emotionally charged drama is yet another title with the ability to split a room of gamers right down the middle. Personally, I’m looking forward to the sea-change this title promises to usher in, though I fully respect that the game will not be for everyone.
An insight into love, loss and death, Heavy Rain is adult. Not adult in terms of “Keep this away from the kids as it might corrupt their fragile little minds”, but more “So mature that adults are pretty much going to be the only people who are going to get it.”
As a game, it presents some groundbreaking premises which alone should be applauded. Main characters can die while the game continues, and its novel control system has been labelled by producer Guillaume de Fondaumière as something early play-testers claimed was so intuitive, they couldn’t imagine using anything else.
The mystery, and the anticipation, behind Heavy Rain will come to fruition in a matter of a few short weeks. If anything, we’ll at least be able to say what it actually is.
Homefront - Developer: Kaos Studios | Publisher: THQ| Out: March 27th
Alternate universes are a wonderful way for the creative people to come up with some truly speculative and thought-provoking premises. Whether it’s Philip K. Dick’s Nazi controlled America in the Axis winning “Man in the High Castle” to what the hell Spock is doing in the TV series Fringe, there’s always something knowing and pensive when viewing a world so similar to our own yet intrinsically different.
Kaos Studios’ Homefront presents not so much an alternate universe than a futuristic “What if?” The context is quite similar, however, as we get to see what America would look like under extremely unusual circumstances.
In somewhat of a paradigm shift, the US are invaded and must face an internal war against a powerful militaristic oppressor in the form of a highly advanced North Korea. Stemming from the mind of John Milius, the writer of such classics as Apocalypse Now and Red Dawn, Homefront takes place two years after the invasion and well into an ongoing resistance movement. With news of rebel leader Connor Mason now dead, we’re assuming players must step up to the plate and liberate America from the hands of its invaders.
Graphically the game looks good, and the story is at least something different. Will Homefront sink in a sea of FPSs planned for early next year, however? Only time will tell.
I Am Alive – Developer: Ubisoft Shanghai | Publisher: Ubisoft | Out: TBC
Another example of taking a trusted genre and twisting it slightly, I Am Alive is not so much a survival horror game but a game purely based on survival. After an earthquake destroys Chicago, the ensuant aftermath results in a water shortage. Players play Adam, an everyman who gets caught up in the crisis as he searches for his girlfriend, Alice. Expect to set up refuge camps, find resources, fight off fellow survivors and ultimately try to keep breathing. The goal of the game is to make it to the end of nine days.
Once quoted as Jade Raymond’s follow up to Assassin’s Creed, the game is being developed in Ubisoft’s Shanghai office. With Jade’s recent promotion to head of the Toronto office, it’s unlikely she will be involved in the day-to-day running of the project.
Just Cause 2 – Developer: Avalanche Studios | Publisher: SquareEnix | Out: March 26th
It’s amazing what you can accomplish with a parachute and a grappling hook. OK, so physics have been completely blown out the window, but that’s not to say you can’t have a lot of fun in Just Cause 2’s tropical and deadly world. Players once again take on the role of Rico as he travels to the fictional island of Panau with the intent of pretty much seeing the sights, meeting some locals, and blowing up as much of both in the process.
We’re assured better AI over the first Just Cause and some silly action sequences to keep you interested. We’re not sure about you, but Just Cause 2 looks like a guilty pleasure to us.
Rico will be descending from on high – rocket-launcher a-ready, in the already overcrowded month of March.
Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days – Developer: IO Interactive| Publisher: SquareEnix| Out: TBC
If we were IO Interactive, sketching out the goals of Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Dogs during one of its initial Scrum meetings*, we reckon one of the sneaky objectives might have been: “Don’t get anyone in the gaming industry fired.”
Gertsmann-Gate may have come and gone, but the effects of what happened regarding GameSpot and the first Kane & Lynch review is still felt today. Game reviewing is a black art; an inherently subjective process very few sites accurately endorse. When certain publications have apparently lost the bottom half of the scale, every bone fide 8 or 9 out of 10 has its intent diminished. But we were talking about Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Dogs. (Were we? You’ve barely mentioned it yet Kovacs!)
The point is, 6/10 review scandal aside, the first Kane & Lynch was a title that possessed a high degree of production value but lacked polished gameplay. With the recent Dog Days teaser showcasing some disturbing, raw and visceral action interspersed with more subtle and insightful snippets of at least one of the main character’s lives, we get the feeling past missteps won’t be retread this time around.
*We’re not sure if IO Interactive use the Scrum methodology, but they might!
Kurayami - Developer: Grasshopper Manufacture | Publisher: TBC | Out: TBC
Suda51 (or Goichi Suda to his Mum, his moniker stemming from go being Japanese for five and ichi the word for one – now you know) is one of Japan’s most eminent game directors. The creative mind behind Travis Touchdown of No More Heroes fame and Killer7, Suda-san is also close mates with Hideo Kojima who he still might make the mysterious Project S with.
The director has also voiced a fascination with Czech author Franz Kafka and his intention to create a game tentatively called Kurayami (Darkness in Japanese) inspired by the writer’s fiction. Little is known about Kurayami other than that players must fend off the darkness itself with a torch as they travel around “an eerie town.”
We promised not to feature obscure speculative Japanese titles on this list. Sorry about that.
L.A. Noire – Developer: Team Bondi | Publisher: Rockstar Games | Out: TBC
Where to start? Something of a dream project to many, L.A. Noire also happens to be one of those games that keeps coming up around the water-cooler here at TSA. “What the hell is it? Will it ever be released? And is it coming to the 360?” It’s all up in the air.
What we do know about L.A. Noire is that Team Bondi have been hard at work on the project for yonks with the first mention of the 1940’s detective story back in 2004 when the title was confirmed as being funded by SCEA. Things may have changed, however, as Take Two have since announced the title is planned for “next-gen consoles”. Plural.
From what we can ascertain of what has been confirmed, the game sounds a lot like L.A. Confidential. With a “perfectly recreated 1940’s L.A.” and a series of murders to solve, expect dapper suits, wide-brimmed hats and Russell Crowe wailing on as many people as possible. OK, we can’t promise that last part.
Lost Planet 2 – Developer: Capcom | Publisher: Capcom | Out: February 2nd
Lost Planet for the PS3 was something of a disappointment. A game released back when the PS3 was taking hit after hit in the porting stakes, the title suffered from a stuttering framerate and other graphical anomalies. With Lost Planet 2, however, we’re hopeful there won’t be a repeat performance.
Returning to E.D.N. III ten years after the events of the first game, the planet now sports lush jungle environments to get your grappling hook stuck into. Apart from the expected single-player campaign, Lost Planet 2 also offers online single-player co-op allowing you to finish the game with up to three mates. Online multiplayer is also confirmed for up to 16 players with 4-player co-op mode also featuring.
Mafia II – Developer: 2K Czech | Publisher: 2K Games | Out: Q2 2010
An open-ended sandbox title with a distinctive Italian organised crime influence, Mafia II offers up ten square miles of unrestricted city for you to unleash your Coso Nostra flavoured vengeance on. Mafia I was an acquired taste but sold well enough to warrant a sequel. If you like your games with a vindictive slice of Italian attitude, Mafia II might be right up your alley come next summer. Offers. Refusals. Yaddy-yaddy. You know where this is going.
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