Now that 2008 is over, it’s time to start thinking about 2009. I personally thought that 2008 was a fantastic year for gaming, and when I look at what’s on the horizon for 2009, I’m less excited. There are far too many sequels that I suspect won’t live up to their predecessors like Resident Evil 5, Bionic Commando, Bioshock 2, etc. I’m not really a fan of the Halo universe (I always seem to fall asleep when I play any of the campaigns) so Halo Wars & Halo ODST are out. Final Fantasy XIII and Diablo III would make my list, but I don’t know if they are even guaranteed 2009 releases. So what’s left? Hit the link to see what I’m most interested in for 2009 (in no particular order – well, maybe chronological).
Street Fighter IV (360/PS3/PC)
I know I’ve told myself that I have to stop buying fighting games after realizing how little I played Soul Calibur IV, but Street Fighter IV seems to hit me in all the spots where it counts – with nostalgia being at the top. This should have been what Street Fighter III was, but instead the series went into a strange direction with all sorts of odd characters. I tend to not buy fighting games since I don’t play them much online (I personally prefer lengthy quest modes in fighting games for consoles), but Street Fighter IV looks too good to pass up.
Dragon Age: Origins PC/360/PS3
One of my favorite computer role playing game series of all time is Baldur’s Gate. Whether it was the storyline, the characters, or the gameplay – everything was just so well done. I remember playing that back in college and the sequel was even better than the first! BioWare has gone on to make various simpler console-based RPGs since then, with titles like Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic, Jade Empire, and Mass Effect and that disappointed me. I’m glad to see that Dragon Age: Origins is BioWare’s return to computer RPGs, as it is supposed to be a spiritual successor to Baldur’s Gate. The game will even release on the PC first with the console versions hitting in the Fall.
Alpha Protocol 360/PS3/PC
Alpha Protocol is a new third-person action-RPG running on Unreal Engine 3.0 but with a completely different setting: you play the role of a rookie CIA field agent. The game comes from developer Obsidian Entertainment, most famous for Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II and Neverwinter Nights 2. I’ve yet to play an RPG in a more contemporary setting (besides maybe Earthbound) so I’m eagerly looking forward to this game. If the game manages to pull off a Bourne Identity-style vibe while also allowing you to level up and learn new abilities, it could be quite the enjoyable game.
Bayonetta (360/PS3)
Bayonetta is the next game to be directed by Hideki Kamiya, the creator of the Devil May Cry series. While I enjoyed Devil May Cry 1 and 3 a lot, I felt that 4 was notably lacking in that it was too safe of a game. There wasn’t enough innovation and the series felt like it was growing stale. Baynoetta will give Kamiya a chance to redeem himself. The game stars a witch who has guns on her hands and feet, and Kamiya claims that “Bayonetta will blow the doors off the action genre.” I’m anxious to see if it can give Ninja Gaiden II a run for its money.
StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty (PC)
1998 is probably one of the best years in video gaming with the release of Resident Evil 2, StarCraft, Metal Gear Solid, and Half-Life. But honestly, it was StarCraft that carried the list, because I probably spent most of my freshman year in college staying up late each night playing it with all sorts of people I met. It was practically like an ice breaker with fellow engineers: “Hey do you play Starcraft? Cool let’s play tonight.” That was “the game” at the time, and it’s still “the game” now for some. I’ve followed Blizzard ever since Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness, and while I think I may be a little too old nowadays to go back to playing RTS games competitively, StarCraft II will still pull me back whether I like it or not.
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