2010 seems like it may very well be the best year for gaming ever. 1998 might be dethrowned as next year will make gamers file for bankrupcy with its fanastic releases. The first half of 2010 is chock-full of great games originally intended for 2009, but they've all been delayed to 2010 to make them even better and throughout the year there are also games that were originally intended for a 2010 release, many of which look like AAA contenders already. Cutting my list down to just 10 games was way too difficult, so now I present my list of 20 games to get in 2010.
Honorable mentions (alphabetical order):
Ghostwire: Link to the Paranormal (DSi) - Q4
Dementium II (DS) - Q1
Sonic and Sega: All-Stars Racing (360, PS3, Wii, DS, PC) - Feb 10
20. WarioWare: D.I.Y. (DS) - TBA
The WarioWare franchise is one of the most strange game series to achieve commercial and critical success. Twisted on the GBA is among the best on the platform and Smooth Moves on the Wii shows that the series still has it. In D.I.Y., users create and uplode microgrames via Nintendo WiFi. The concept sounds a bit shaky, but apparantly it works. D.I.Y. is the only game to receive a perfect score from NGamer magazine, outscoring some all-time greats like Super Mario Galaxy, Twilight Princess, Metroid Prime and Resident Evil 4.
19. Okami Chronicles: Tiny Sun (DS) - TBA
Okami was a great game on the PS2. When it was ported to the Wii, everyone thought the Wii Remote would be the perfect way to write using the Celestial Brush. Now it seems that Capcom has come up with the best way to write with the Brush, by actually writing. The touch screen of the DS seems like a perfect way to control an Okami game. With a whole new story and absurdly adorable new protagonist, Okami Chronicles has what it takes to be a truly great action/adventure game.
18. 3D Dot Game Heroes (PS3) - TBA
The Zelda formula has been an inspiration to games since the NES era. Many games have been inspired by it and been awesome, many have failed, but none have been more blatantly inspired by Zelda than 3D Dot Game Heroes. Almost everything about the game seems to be straight from Zelda. The art ****looks like Zelda made out of 3D dots. The music is very Zelda, the weapons are very Zelda, the world is very Zelda, the combat is very Zelda. Everything is very Zelda except for the protagonist, who is very Dragon Quest. While many people would be ticked about such an homage copying Zelda so blatantly, I honestly don't mind. If the game copies Zelda's quality as well, I honestly wouldn't mind playing a super-stylish great game.
17. Alan Wake (360) - Spring
Do you know what will make Alan Wake a truly great game? The fact that it was announced as "done" in August and that it would be undergoing polishing until its release. That's at least six months of nothing but polishing, six months of nothing but ensurance that the game is of quality. Remedy has aleady proven themselves more than competent at making action/adventure games with good stories, but the psychological horror aspects of Alan Wake are definetly intriguing. After receiving great feedback at E3, reservations towards Alan Wake have been eased and the game is starting to look better and better with each new thing shown.
16. Wiiwaa (Wii) - TBA
There isn't all too much known about Wiiwaa. Players control a character, Wiiwaa, through levels and minigames, but literally control him. By shoving a Wii Remote into a stuffed Wiiwaa's mouth, the player moves the stuffed animal, shakes him, throws him into the air, etc. to make WiiWaa do the same things on the screen. Sure, it has the potential to be absolutely abysmal, but it also is controlled by a stuffed animal that's chocking on a Wii Remote. It's interesting to say the very least.
15. Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth (DS) - Feb 16
Ace Attorney games are niche but very, very good adventure games. The series' following might not but the largest, but it's one of the most devoted. Ace Attorney fans have something to keep them occupied while waiting for the fifth main series game with this spin-off title starring the lovable rival from the first three games. As a huge Ace Attorney fan, I'm excited for the game but am also a little bummed it isn't Apollo Justice 2, but still, it's going to be another great addition to a great franchise.
14. Metroid: Other M (Wii) - TBA
Team Ninja knows action and Nintendo knows how to make a great Metroid adventure. Let the two companies work together and there are the makings for a perfect Metroid fusion (ha!). Promising to blend 2D and 3D gaming, Other M seems like what fans of the original Metroid games want: a return to ****c Metroid ****gameplay and some of the best great gameplay from the Prime games. While the chilling feeling of isolation from the Prime games seems to have been sacrificed for a dark story-intensive title and the exploration element has been swapped out for action, there is definitely a great deal of potential in Other M. Even if it doesn't wind up being very Metroid-like, it still has the possibility of being a great game.
13. Super Meat Boy (WiiWare, PC) - Q1
You see that cube of meat? That cube of meat is the new hero of indie gaming. Super Meat Boy is the sequel to the fantastic flash game Meat Boy. It's supposed to be so good that Nintendo asked for the sequel to be released on WiiWare in addition to Steam. Also, it's a love-letter to indie gaming. Unlockable characters include Alien Hominid, Commander Video from the Bit.Trip series and Tim from Braid. The flash game was great and it's been fully fleshed out with options and tons of content to justify becoming a downloadable title. Anyone looking for the next World of Goo or Braid need look no further than Super Meat Boy to play a great game that their friends will never hear of.
12. Tales of Graces (Wii) - TBA
I'm a huge Tales fan. While Symphonia 2 may not have been the best of the series, it can largely be attributed to the fact that it was not a part of the main series. Graces, on the other hand, is the latest entry in the mothership series which is home of some of the best RPG's this decade, including Tales of Symphonia and most recently Tales of Vesperia. For people who disliked the control scheme of Dawn of the New World, Graces has confirmed ****c Controller support and the game has an expected length of 70 hours. Hopefully, Tales of Graces will finally bring the Tales series to the mainstream awareness it deserves.
11. Red Steel 2 (Wii) - TBA
Red Steel was an anticipated launch title for the Wii. It had promises of great sword and gunplay using the precision of the just-announced Wii Remote. Needless to say, Ubisoft had overestimated the precision possible with the Wiimote. So, how does Ubisoft plan to make right with a concept executed wrong? Make a sequel that has to be played with MotionPlus, continually push back the release date to ensure quality and give the game to a totally different team. Red Steel 2 has all the makings to be everything promised by the first game and more, and the cel-shaded Western ****doesn't hurt either.
10. The Another World (DS) - TBA
Level-5 has already proven itself as a very good development company. Studio Ghibli (films like Spirited Away, Princess Monoke, Ponyo, My Neighbor Totoro) has proven itself to be among the absolute best of animation studios in the world. A marriage between the two to make an RPG on the DS sounds like something that dreams are made of. Great buzz from TGS takes the excitement-worthy pairing and ensures that the title will be great. Plus, Studio Ghibli-quality cut scenes and animation really guarantee that the game will be a sensory treat. It's hard to describe the magic that great Ghibli films possess, but the fact that this magic might be captured into a great RPG is very exciting.
9. Sin and Punishment: Successor to the Sky (Wii) - Q1 2009
The original Sin and Punishment game was an unknown gem on the N64; originally released only in Japan, it gained international renown after being released on the Wii Virtual Console. A decade later, a sequel is finally coming out and making its way out of Japan. Sin and Punishment 2 has the makings to be a fantastic on-rails shooter from Treasure, who have built themselves a reputation for making some of the best shooters around. Newcomers to the series and hardcore enthusiasts of the first game will both be able to enjoy the fun that will come with the game. Plus, it also looks like one of the prettiest Wii games yet.
8. Last Window: Midnight Promise (DS) - TBA
For those who never heard of Last Window, don't worry. Its announcement didn't get the attention it should have. Last Window is the sequel to the fantastic DS game Hotel Dusk: Room 215. Set in 1980, Last Window is a continuation of the story from the first game and retains the top-notch art ****and music from the first game. Hotel Dusk continues to be one of the best games this generation that didn't get the attention it deserved. Also adding to Last Window's anticipation level is the fact that it has a good chance of getting localized! People might think that like the Trace Memory sequel, another follow-up to a Cing DS adventure game, the Hotel Dusk sequel will also fail to find its way to North America. However, Hotel Dusk nearly doubled Trace Memory's sales, it was a better game, it was re-released as part of the Touch Generation series, and its sequel isn't on the casual-focused Wii. Scheduled for a January release in Japan, I wouldn't be surprised if a North American release is close behind.
7. Final Fantasy XIII (360, PS3) - March 9
I feel a little bit of a jerk for including this game so high on the list mainly for its graphics, playable cool black guy and the fact that it's a Final Fantasy title, but my god! The game is gorgeous, that black guy is so cool and it's a freaking Final Fantasy game! There really isn't anything else too specific about FF13 that makes it so intriguing. It's a beautiful game that comes from one of the, if not the, single most respected series of any genre of video games. Whenever a Final Fantasy game gets released, it's always reason to be excited and the thirteenth game of the series is no exception.
6. God of War III (PS3) - March
So, if I may confess something: I've never actually played a God of War game. I just recently bought a PlayStation console for the first time and have been planning on picking up a copy of the first game for a while but just haven't. However, I have to concede that the third game of the series looks absolutely incredible. Graphically, the game looks great; every tendon in the neck of decapitated enemies is visible. Furthermore, as we learned at the last E3, the gameplay is as great as in the first games, which made them ****cs on the PS2. Also, you get to rip off enemy heads and get to tear of enemy horns only to then stab them into their eye. I don't know if these actions were possible in the first games, but their inclusion now had me drooling while watching gameplay videos.
5. Heavy Rain (PS3) - TBA
My interest for Heavy Rain has been growing since the truly brilliant "Casting" trailer back in 2006. Now, Quantic Dream's "interactive drama" is finally going to be released and it's become more apparent that Heavy Rain will not be like anything released before it. Described by the development team as an "interactive drama," Heavy Rain will attempt to walk the delicate line that adventure games often have a hard time walking: the line between game and too uninteractive. From previews so far, the game seems like it will do a very good job balancing gameplay and story-telling, telling mature stories while still keeping itself a video game. If any game in 2010, or this generation, will demonstrate that video games are as valid a form of art and entertainment as film or television, Heavy Rain is the game to do it.
4. No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle (Wii) - January 27
There really isn't anything else like No More Heroes. In 2008, the first NMH game turned Wii owners on their heads telling the story of a video game loving, porn enthusiast otaku who buys a beam katana (think light saber) on the internet in order to kill the top 10 ranked assassins of an assassin organization with hopes of sleeping with a girl who says she'll do him if he becomes number one. The game was mindlessly fun and with the flick of a wrist Travis Touchdown, the aforementioned otaku, would cut a foe in half, causing a fountain of blood and coins to flow out of them. Now, Travis can wield two beam katanas and once, doubling the awesomeness. Plus, creator Suda 51 says the overworld has been fleshed out, the side quests are more varied and there are 50 boss characters to fight. Gamers only have to wait until January for some more strawberry on the shortcake.
3. Bayonetta (360, PS3) - Jan 5
I was this close to actually using a picture of Bayonetta's gameplay. For those who don't know, Bayonetta is Platinum Game's action title that buzz says may actually out-Devil-May-Cry Devil May Cry and may out-God-of-War God of War. The stellar buzz regarding the gameplay is enough to earn Bayonetta a spot on this list, but what really makes Bayonetta stand out is how simply badass it is. The lead character, Bayonetta, is a witch who has guns attached to her shoes, wears a suit made out of her own hair, bleeds roses that bloom upon hitting the ground and walks as if she's on the runway. A 40/40 in Famitsu for the 360 version certainly doesn't hurt my anticipation for Bayonetta and with an extremely early 2010 release, Bayonetta will be blowing down doors using her shoes soon enough.
2. Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii) - TBA
Nintendo hasn't released two 3D Mario platformers on the same console ever. While it may seem like Super Mario Galaxy 2 will be a rushed product, eager to cash in on the Wii's success, I honestly don't think that's what the game will be. According to interviews 90% of the game is built entirely from the ground up. Also helping SMG2's case is that it's a Mario game. To deny that main-series Mario games are great is simply wrong, and the first Galaxy game is one of the best yet (it's the second best game of all time according to GameRankings). Take the second best game ever, improve on whatever minor things needed improvements and throw in some Yoshi and this title has all the makings to dethrown the first Galaxy game as the second-best game of all time.
1. Mass Effect 2 (360, PC) - Jan 26
The first Mass Effect title is one of my favorite games of all time. With some minor tweaks I firmly believe it could have achieved the universal praise I wish it had. Mass Effect 2 looks to fix what the first game didn't get right and makes the highlights of the first game even better. As previews and hands-on say so far, the side missions are more varied and the combat is better. The only other issue I had with the first game, when the player's character would randomly get stuck in place, will likely be nowhere in sight based on what we've seen so far of this game. And the story? Its epicness will make any RPG fan pre-cum instantly. Mass Effect 2 doesn't look like it will be just a great game; it looks like it will be an experience.