InsaneBear

Feature: In the year 2010…

So I’ve put Dragon Age: Origins down long enough for all the other humans to tell me about this new year that’s on the way. Being the logical person that I am (and one who is most certainly not taking orders from an insane bear), I figured I’d judgmentally look back on 2009 this Saturday, once we’ve officially moved into the new year and had enough recovery time to write a Game of the Year feature. But for today, it’s still 2009, so it only seems appropriate to hopefully gaze ahead to the coming year and build expectations that will only be shattered. Such is life. That’s why we have cheesy New Year’s resolutions that try to compensate for last year’s disappointments. But we’re not to that point yet! For now, let’s just focus on all the goodness that 2010 can bring.

Mass Effect 2 (Xbox 360, PC)
Genre: Action-RPG
Developer: BioWare
Release date: January 26, 2010

MAG (PS3)
Genre: MMO-FPS
Developer: Zipper Interactive
Release date: January 26, 2010

Gran Turismo 5 (PS3)
Genre: Racing
Developer: Polyphony Digital
Release date: February 2, 2010

BioShock 2 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
Genre: Sci-Fi FPS
Developer: 2K Marin
Release date: February 9, 2010

Splinter Cell: Conviction (Xbox 360, PC)
Genre: Stealth-Action
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Release date: February 23, 2010

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
Genre: Modern FPS
Developer: EA DICE
Release date: March 2, 2010

Final Fantasy XIII (Xbox 360, PS3)
Genre: JRPG
Developer: Square Enix
Release date: March 9, 2010

God of War III (PS3)
Genre: Fantasy Action-Adventure
Developer: SCEA
Release date: March 2010

Heavy Rain (PS3)
Genre: Adventure
Developer: Quantic Dream
Release date: Q1 2010?

Perfect Dark (XBLA)
Genre: Sci-Fi FPS
Developer: 4J Studios
Release date: Q1 2010?

Red Dead Redemption (Xbox 360, PS3)
Genre: Sand-Box Western Shooter
Developer: Rockstar San Diego
Release date: April 27, 2010

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (PSP)
Genre: Tactical Espionage Action
Developer: Kojima Productions
Release date: May 25, 2010

Alan Wake (Xbox 360)
Genre: Action-Thriller
Developer: Remedy Entertainment
Release date: Rumored May, 2010

Alpha Protocol (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
Genre: Action-RPG
Developer: Obsidian
Release date: Rumored June, 2010

Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty (PC)
Genre: Sci-Fi RTS
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Release date: Q2 2010?

Brink (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
Genre: FPS
Developer: Splash Damage
Release date: Q3 2010?

Fable III (Xbox 360)
Genre: RPG
Developer: Lionhead Studios
Release date: Q4 2010?

Halo: Reach (Xbox 360)
Genre: Squad-based FPS?
Developer: Bungie
Release date: Q4 2010?

Rage (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic FPS
Developer: id Software
Release date: Q4 2010?

Star Wars: The Old Republic (PC)
Genre: Sci-Fi MMO
Developer: BioWare, LucasArts
Release date: Q4 2010?

Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)
Genre: Platformer
Developer: Nintendo
Release date: Q4 2010?

The Last Guardian (PS3)
Genre: Fantasy Action-Adventure
Developer: SCEI
Release date: Q4 2010?

The Witcher 2 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
Genre: RPG
Developer: CD Projekt Red
Release date: Q4 2010?

The first thing that jumps out to me about this list is the steady flow of games from January right on through June. Things slow down a bit in Q3, as they always do, but then they storm back with a vengeance in Q4. This is also leaving out a ton of games that haven’t necessarily caught my attention, haven’t been announced yet, or haven’t been heard of in a while (Half-Life 2: Episode 3, Deus Ex 3). Gamers certainly won’t be at a loss for something to play this year.

The second thing that jumps out to me is how well each major genre is represented. Making up for a relatively weak 2009, traditional RPGs enter 2010 with five enticing titles, plus a major MMO contender. FPSs maintain their annual strength with six worthy contenders, not to mention the download-only Perfect Dark remake. Then there are four Action-Adventure sorts, two stealth entries, an RTS, a Racing game, a modern take on Adventure games, and a 3D Platformer. If we count Super Street Fighter IV, then just about every genre is well represented. This makes me happy.

And lastly, it is my duty to fuel senseless fan-boy wars. So I have to note that both Microsoft and Sony have currently locked down an even six exclusives a piece. Interesting. Nintendo has one exclusive of interest and the PC is packing two heavy-hitters.

So yeah, at this moment in time, I’m pretty darn excited about the prospects of gaming in 2010. Before the year’s even begun I can think of 23 interesting–if not awesome–looking titles. Personally, I’m most happy about the resurgence of the RPG. Heck, I didn’t even count Fallout: New Vegas in that list. But anyways, in the spirit of brash enthusiasm and unchecked hope, I’m going to go ahead and call Mass Effect 2 as 2010′s Game of the Year. Guess you’ll just have to come back here a year from now to see if that holds up.

Author: Cody

Tags: bioshock 2, feature, halo reach, mass effect 2, microsoft, nintendo, pc, sony, video games