Top 10 games to look forward to this year

So, the year has just begun and we have already been graced by some good games such as: No More Heroes 2,  MAG, Mass Effect 2 and BioShock 2, but what are the games we should look forward to for the rest of the coming year?

Heavy Rain

This Playstation 3 exclusive has been a long time coming and the wait is almost over. The game is a dark film noir thriller where there is a killer on the loose named the ‘origami killer’ and it see’s the player take on the role of several different characters as they try to unravel the mystery and find out who is the origami killer. The game asks the players to make choices throughout the game and its these choices which shape the experience that you will have and will greatly enhance the replayability of the game. For instance, it is possible for characters to die within the game, the game continues but with these characters now dead and it then branches off into a different direction to that of which it would have taken if the character had lived.

It may not be to everyone’s tastes with its non-traditional controls and what some may perceive as quick time events but this only adds to the immersion of you being the character inside the game.

Final Fantasy XIII

The Final Fantasy series has always been associated with the Sony Playstation platform but starting with Final Fantasy XIII it will finally be making its way onto Microsoft’s Xbox 360 which should be a boon to the system.

Heralded as the ultimate JRPG (Japanese Role Playing Game) the Final Fantasy series has traditionally had a strong and robust turn based battle system which many games over the years has tried to imitate.

The game has already been released in Japan with critical acclaim and to date has sold nearly 1.7m copies in Japan alone and its sure to sell many more when its released on western shores.

God Of War 3

God of War 3 is one of Sony’s biggest exclusive franchises for the Playstation 3 it see’s the player take on the role of Kratos, a brutal greek killing machine. The gameplay focuses on good old button mashing extreme violence with lashings of blood spilling out from each foe as you strike them down in an ever increasing violent fashion. God of War 3 is the final chapter in the series trilogy though it has been confirmed that this will not be the last entry in the franchise.

Mafia 2

The original Mafia was loved upon its released for its fantastic setting, stylisation and storyline and Mafia 2 should bring us all this and more, its been a long time coming since it was originally announced in August 2007. Mafia 2 is set in Empire Bay between 1945 and 1955 and will feature and open sandbox style game with 10 square miles of city for the player to explore and over 50 cars to drive and carjack. I believe that Mafia 2 will give all us ‘next gen’ gamers the experience that we were hoping we would get with GTA4 which in my opinion missed the mark.

Gran Turismo 5

Well, its currently scheduled to be released in 2010 though at this point it will be a miracle if we ever see the game after the numerous delays that it has received. We’ve had Forza 2 which was a stirling effort in the racing sim genre but Gran Turismo is seen as the ultimate driving experience and GT5 should deliver. The game boasts around 1000 cars for the player to buy, tweak and tune to their hearts content, 20 or so unique tracks (with various paths for each track bringing the number up to 70 different races) and 16 player online racing. It is also the first entry in the series to offer damage to the cars in the game, the damage is not just visual but will also effect the performance and handling of the cars.

Project Natal

Not a game in itself, however it has the potential to be a game changer, due to be released late this year the motion tracking camera device is able to full detect body motion of several people at once, it is also able to recognise individuals so it could for instance automatically log you into your Xbox Live account when you come in front of the camera. Microsoft is promising a revolution in the way we can interact with games, no longer do we need to hold controllers, no longer are we bound by the number of buttons on the controller, we can control games in innovative and new ways with gestures and voice commands. It remains to be seen if it can deliver what Microsoft is promising but im exited to see what is going to be developed for use with the device.

Sony ‘Magic Wand’ (Arc?)

Rumoured to be called the Sony Playstation Arc Sony’s foray into motion controlled gaming doesn’t do away with the controller like Microsoft is attempting to do with Natal, instead opting for a camera and controller combo. Sony boasts that their controller has far more sensitivity and accuracy than the Nintendo Wii coupled with the raw horsepower of the Playstation 3 they believe that it can bring a superior experience to the consumer with its 1 to 1 mapping (ie, that lightsaber game you always wanted can now be done with this!)

Halo: Reach

Halo reach is another entry in the Halo franchise that is being developed by Bungie, the game is set to take place days before the events of the original Halo: Combat Evolved game that was released on the original Xbox. Players assume the role of a spartan who unknown apart from his call sign which is Noble. Expect to see the same level of quality that Bungie has provided in the previous Halo entries as well as a full featured and robust online experience which only Modern Warfare can compete with.

Super Mario Galaxy 2

The original Super Mario Galaxy was a big hit on the Wii when it was released back in 2008 and now a sequel is in the works. Not much is known about the story of the game though im sure its fairly safe to assume that a certain princess is in trouble and needs a plumbers help. Though this second Galaxy title doesn’t look like its going to innovate as much as the original with such a stellar title to build upon and Nintendo’s pedigree for creating new experiences we can’t help but wait salivating for this experience to arrive.

APB

Think of GTA but online in a persistent world that can be inhabited be hundreds of players. Players assume the role of either criminals or enforcers and must fight for possession of the city 24 hours a day, the action never stops! The game features extensive customisation tools enabling the user to generate a player which is unique to them as well as providing many ‘side missions’, such as being able to rob convenience stores, though don’t think this is easy. If the user decides to rob a convenience store the game will advise any local enforcers that this has taken place and then it is their job to bring the criminals to justice!

Feel free to leave comments below as im sure many will disagree with the list and will have many more that they feel should have been on the list (where’s last guardian! where’s alan wake ffs!).