Top 100 Single Player PS3 Games: Part 5 (60-51)

Well we’re fast approaching the Top 50 and there are still plenty of great games to come.

If you’ve missed the previous installments, catch up here!

Part One (100-91)

Part Two (90-81)

Part Three (80-71)

Part Four (70-61)

Please bear in mind this list doesn’t take into account multiplayer aspects of games, it’s based solely on single player experience.

Let’s kick off Part Five!

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60. Dishonored

Dishonored puts you in the shoes of Corvo – Royal Protector (Bodyguard) of Empress Jessamine Kaldwin. You arrive back from a trip abroad investigating potential cures for the plague that is ravaging your city, only to find yourself framed for the murder of the Empress and thrown in jail. As you escape, try to clear your name and find Emily, the Empress’ daughter, you’ll take on the role of assassin rather than protector.

Dishonored looked like being one of the freshest, inventive games of the year – unfortunately the design choice of not allowing you to unlock more on your first playthrough hinders things somewhat. It’s a good, solid, rewarding experience but I was just left feeling it could’ve been so much more.

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59. SOCOM 4

In SOCOM 4 you take on the role of Cullen Gray, a Spec Ops Commander and leader of a 5-man NATO special forces squad. Your team is dropped into Malaysia to help deal with the rising threat of both local rebels, the Naga, and a mercenary group called Clawhammer.

While the story is standard Spec Ops fare I found most of the characters likable and it was one of the more enjoyable stories I played through in 2011.

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58. Mass Effect 3

Mass Effect 3 takes place after the conclusion of events in the Mass Effect 2 DLC expansion ‘Arrival’ and now that the Reaper threat is real and imminent Shepard finds herself reinstated and back on active duty.

Your decisions from the previous game carry over and any casualties your crew sustained are also mirrored here. So it’s a similar set up to before as you go about the galaxy recruiting your new crew and trying to do your best to prepare for the upcoming fight against the Reapers.

Whilst the ending proved to be controversial for some (me included for some aspects) this game was definitely still worth playing through.

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57. Max Payne 3

The third instalment of Max Payne sees Max at rock bottom – drunk and addicted to painkillers while working as low rent security for a wealthy Brazilian family down in South America. As you can imagine things go wrong quickly and Max is left trying to pick up the pieces while fighting his own demons.

Graphically the game looks fantastic, taking in various different areas/scenes as Max’s adventure continues. Some wonderful use of bright colours really makes a difference and reminded me at times of the Uncharted series.

When Max Payne 3 flows it is a wonderful, gritty, dark yet vibrant gaming experience. Unfortunately it doesn’t always flow. I was expecting big things from this game and Rockstar have delivered for the most part but some minor niggles along the way mean Max Payne 3 doesn’t quite hit the heights I’d been hoping for.

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56. Battlefield: Bad Company

Chock full of explosions and with some really impressive destruction of buildings etc, Battlefield: Bad Company is like a huge big budget Hollywood blockbuster.

It’s a great, mindless blast of a game. Add some memorable characters into the mix and you’ve got yourself a very enjoyable, and playable, package.

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55. Prototype

In Prototype you take on the role of Alex Mercer as he awakens during his autopsy, wondering what the hell is going on. He quickly escapes, realising he now has various superpowers.

Mercer needs to find out what the hell has happened to him and why New York is infected with a virus that has turned half the population into zombies.

Prototype is definitely a game worth playing despite it’s various faults – it was a blast to play through if a little frustrating at times.

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54. Bioshock 2

Bioshock 2 brings you back 8 years after the events of the first game (1968) to take control of a Big Daddy who has no memory of the last decade and wants to find the Little Sister he was originally paired with.

A sequel to such a unique title was always going to be tricky to pull off. However 2k Marin have done well to recreate the atmosphere of the original game while keeping it different enough that you can tell time has passed.

At the end of the day this is definitely a title that revels in the world created for it by the previous game. You don’t have to have played the original to enjoy this game but you’ll probably get more of it if you have.

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53. Binary Domain

Set in Tokyo far into the future (2080), Binary Domain tells the story of Sergeant Dan Marshall and his team. They are a ‘Rust Crew’ sent in to investigate and, if needed, eliminate ‘Hollow Children’ – robots that can pass as humans that have been banned by the New Geneva Convention.

Gameplay-wise the game treads familiar ground – it’s a third person action title but with some nice combat ideas. You can dismember the robots to slow them down or disarm them (literally!) and if you can knock their head off they will just attack whatever is closest to them – very handy when faced with large groups of enemies.

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52. Batman: Arkham City

Taking place in a city environment, as opposed to the enclosed Asylum setting of the first game, Arkham City sees Batman facing off against several well known villians. Of course The Joker is the main antagonist here, along with Hugo Strange, but you won’t be short of cameos from familiar faces.

Graphically the game looks great and the atmosphere is nicely set up with ambient noise coming in the form of rain and the chatter of henchmen, among other things.

Arkham City is a really good game. You can tell the developers have tried to think of everything to improve upon the first game and they have delivered a bigger, more open and content packed title. The question is – after Arkham Asylum, was that what you wanted?

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51. The Darkness II

Jackie Estacado is once again the main character of the game and following the events of the previous title he now finds himself as ‘Don’ of the Franchetti family. The Darkness II is set two years after the last game and Jackie has been doing a great job of keeping the ‘Darkness’ (a hugely powerful supernatural presence) under wraps.

The Darkness II plays like your average first person shooter… right up until the moment your release the Darkness. The power manifests itself as two demon snake-like tentacles. Controlled with L2 and R2 (L2 to grab an enemy, R2 to swipe an attack at them) this means you have twice as much firepower as usual and can hand out some serious beatings to the onslaught of enemy thugs.

The story is well told and I think one of the more interesting campaigns I played last year. I really liked the characters and for me, The Darkness II was a hidden gem in the game releases of 2012. I’d recommend you unleash your inner darkness and give this one a shot.

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So there we go, another 10 down!

As always let me know if you enjoyed (or didn’t!) any of the games in this batch.

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Top 50 Single Player Games: Part Two (40-31)

So here we go with Part Two of my Top 50 Single Player Games, appreciate the comments on the first part (which can be found here) so keep ’em coming. As I said before I’m mainly focusing on good story based experiences, so things like Gran Turismo 5 won’t be appearing on the list.

Let’s get started:

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40. BIOSHOCK 2 (NE)

Bioshock 2 brings you back 8 years after the events of the first game (1968) to take control of a Big Daddy who has no memory of the last decade and wants to find the Little Sister he was originally paired with.

A sequel to such a unique title was always going to be tricky to pull off. However 2k Marin have done well to recreate the atmosphere of the original game while keeping it different enough that you can tell time has passed.

At the end of the day this is definitely a title that revels in the world created for it by the previous game. You don’t have to have played the original to enjoy this game but you’ll probably get more of it if you have.

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39. BULLETSTORM (NE)

Telling the story of Grayson Hunt, a space pirate in the 26th century, who crash lands his crew’s ship on an alien planet following a (failed) drunk attempt at revenge on a huge spaceship. As you try to battle your way off the planet all hell breaks loose, with various factions taking each other on as well as fighting with you.

The game mechanics work well and some of the ways you can dispatch foes have to be seen to be believed.

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38. BORDERLANDS (24)

Borderlands has a distinctive cartoon, tongue in cheek style that is perfectly suited for the game and while the story isn’t particularly amazing, the colourful characters will have you chuckling along.

Borderlands is all about the loot. The game creates random weapons as you go along so it’s unlikely two people will ever get the same set of weapons throughout a playthrough, which is pretty cool.

It’s one of the longer games I’ve played recently – clocking in more towards 20 hours for a first playthrough – but it’s definitely a universe that should be experienced.

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37. MORTAL KOMBAT (NE)

After a fair few lacklustre versions, culminating in the widely derided Mortal Kombat Vs DC, Nether Realms Studios decided to go back to basics for this, the ninth Mortal Kombat game.

For the first time in a long time the storyline of a fighting game ties together nicely. Rather than choosing a fighter and playing through their story, in Mortal Kombat you play as various characters (usually for 3 or 4 fights each) as the story progresses.

This is a great idea. Firstly because it means the overall story is the focus as opposed to one character, and secondly becuase it forces you to use characters you may never have chosen and therefore before a better all round player. Recommended, even for people with only a passing interest in fighting games.

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36. VANQUISH (NE)

From the makers of Bayonetta, Vanquish tells the story of Sam Gideon, a member of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), who is tasked with rescuing a scientist that was working on the O’Neill Cylinder Space Station when it was hijacked by Russia. Russia are holding the USA to ransom, destroying San Francisco and targeting New York next unless the Americans comply with their wishes – total surrender.

Got all that? Right now forget all about it and SHOOT THOSE ROBOTS! 😆

Vanquish is certainly an experience I’d recommend and for a few sessions of a couple of hours each it is a blast to play. It doesn’t quite have the same depth as Bayonetta with regard to the characters but it can hold it’s head high in terms of a single player experience.

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35. RED FACTION: GUERRILLA (23)

Red Faction: Guerrilla is a bit of an underrated gem. It’s your basic David vs Goliath battle with the Red Faction resistance (you guys) taking on the evil Earth Defence Force who have taken advantage of their position in power on Mars.

But the main part of the game is the destruction. Buildings fall realistically and weakening them structurally can often mean a delayed collapse.

I heartily recommend Red Faction. It’s not massively difficult but it has a good solid story and is insanely fun. You can pick this up for about £15 pre-owned in most places and it will be money well spent.

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34. RESISTANCE 2 (22)

After saving England in the previous installment Hale is back in business to rescue the U S of A – since his incapacitation the Chimera have launched a full attack on America and Hale, as part of the Sentinal squad (made up of soldiers injected with the Chimera virus but kept under control), have to step in and stop them in their tracks.

A hard hitting but fun first person shooter.

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33. MAFIA II (NE)

Mafia II tells the story of Vito Scaletta, a returning war veteran who comes home to find life has changed while he’s been away and soon fins himself mixed up in the world of the Mafia.

This game is an interesting beast, as during a lot of the promo leading up to its release we were led to believe it would be open world (ala GTA) at least in some parts. In reality this is a very linear experience and that has led to some negative feedback.

Personally while that discovery came as a disappointment if you can look beyond it then you will find a strong, solid single player experience with a well crafted and immersive story.

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32. JUST CAUSE 2 (NE)

Just Cause 2 is like the evolution of Mercenaries 2 – it excels in many ways and also has the added bonus of the carnage you can create with Rico’s grappling hook, which can hook enemies as well as grappling to walls etc.

With a story featuring rebels and dictators, Just Cause 2 doesn’t tread any new ground in terms of narrative but you probably won’t care as a mountain of explosions gather behind you. As well as the main story missions you’ll need to complete lots of side missions to create as much Chaos as possible.

As an example of how crazy this game is one of the side missions involved me stealing a fighter jet 😎 and then using it to shoot down a recently launched SPACE SHUTTLE 😯

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31. MIRROR’S EDGE (21)

Mirror’s Edge wowed everyone with it’s crisp, clean graphics and it’s unique first person perspective. The view takes a while to get used to and it had a few really annoying parts where it was difficult to time jumps etc because of the view but Mirror’s Edge is certainly worth playing through as it offers a style of gameplay that is totally unique in the current games market.

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So there we go, another part down and we’re hitting the Top 30 next!

As always thanks for reading and feel free to leave a comment on the games so far and whether you’d have placed any of them higher/lower.

GregHorrorShow Game Awards 2010

Well it’s that time of year again and 2010 has seen some immense games roll around – as well as continued support via DLC for some of 2009 biggest titles.

Sadly I didn’t have time to play every game that was released so if I’ve missed anything worth checking out shout me in the comments and if it’s not already in my ‘to play’ pile I’ll get it added.

Right, let’s go!

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BEST GAME INNOVATION

WINNER: Destruction 2.0 (Battlefield Bad Company 2)

This was a tough one to call this year but I definitely think Destruction 2.0 is something that has helped put Battlefield head and shoulders above most other shooters out there. Enemy hiding in a house? Just blow the wall up in front of them and it’ll leave a nice big hole to shoot them through. Or just blow the building up completely and have it crush them to death.

RUNNERS UP:

Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood (Online Assassination Multiplayer)

Modnation Racers (Easy Track Creation)

Playstation Move

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BEST DLC (CONTENT)

WINNER: Undead Nightmare (Red Dead Redemption)

 

No question of the winner here – with around 6 hours of single player and the fantastic Undead Overrun & Land Grab online modes, Undead Nightmare packs a lot of bang for your buck. This is one of the more comprehensive DLC packs out there and if you liked Red Dead Redemption then this is a must have. Props to Uncharted and Battlefield though – two strong modes added there but Undead takes this one.

RUNNERS UP:

Heavy Rain: The Taxidermist

Uncharted 2 Seige

Battlefield: Onslaught

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DOWNLOADABLE GAME OF THE YEAR

WINNER: Dead Nation

I honestly didn’t see anything taking this award away from the excellent Joe Danger and then Housemarque’s Dead Nation arrived at the beginning of December. Dripping in HD visuals comes a twin stick shooter that makes you think about your every move. When to use the SMG and how much Shotgun ammo to conserve become regular questions. Your score gets added to total score for your country and you can keep a tab on which country is the best at fighting the Zombie invasion. Very cool indeed.

RUNNERS UP:

Joe Danger

Shank

Scott Pilgrim Vs The World

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MOST ANTICIPATED GAME OF 2011

WINNER: Killzone 3

Wow, this was a tough call – it had to be Killzone 3 or Uncharted 3. I’m sure Uncharted 3 will be awesome but having played Killzone 3 I can’t wait for this to arrive in February. Continuing the story from the second game and adding substantially to the multiplayer, I think this could be a game of the year contender.

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BEST GAME TRAILER

WINNER: L.A Noire

The standard of trailers has been so high this year I’ve decided to pop the runners up on here as well for you to have a look at. L.A Noire takes the crown though and man, those Rockstar guys know how to make a trailer! Another contender for most anticipated, L.A Noire sees you take on the role of Cole Phelps, a detective in 1940’s America. Great stuff and the trailer really captures that feeling of the time.

RUNNERS UP:

Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood

Spec Ops The Line

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 – Vietnam

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PSP GAME OF THE YEAR

WINNER: Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker

Unfortunately I haven’t had a chance to pick up God Of War: Ghost Of Sparta yet so that hasn’t made the cut. I’m sure it would’ve been a close call regardless as Metal Gear also oozes quality and is such a deep game that there is always something different to do. Whether it’s going on missions or recruiting more soldiers for your army, Peace Walker will keep you entertained for hours. My play through clocked in at 16 hrs, which puts a fair few PS3 titles to shame.

RUNNER UP:

Half Minute Hero

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BEST SPORTS GAME

WINNER: FIFA 11

FIFA 11 is more of a refinement than anything else but it’s amazing the difference the changes make. While FIFA continues to dominate it’s interesting that PES gets a nomination this year – it shows that the series has made great strides this year to try and close the gap.

RUNNERS UP:

Formula 1 2010

Modnation Racers

Pro Evolution Soccer 2011

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BEST GRAPHICS

WINNER: Heavy Rain

No doubt on this one as Quantic Dream’s stunning thriller has some of the best motion capture and facial animation ever seen in a game. Whether it was evading masked men as Madison, talking down a robber in a shop with Shelby or shouting ‘JASON!’ repeatedly in a mall as Ethan, Heavy Rain looked gorgeous. Gran Turismo 5 certainly deserves a heads up in this category as when it all comes together it looks stunning however Heavy Rain was far more consistent.

RUNNERS UP:

God Of War 3

Red Dead Redemption

Gran Turismo 5

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BEST STORYLINE

WINNER: Red Dead Redemption

Unexpected. Not a word you’ll often type when talking about the story of a game but that’s what you get with Red Dead. John Marston’s story of gunslinger gone good who is brought in by the government against his will to track down his old gang trundles along at a pace and has plenty of stand out moments but it’s the final third of the game that stands out as some of the best I’ve played in a game. Not to mention the ending, which is one of the most impressive I’ve ever experienced in a game. Genius. 😎

RUNNERS UP:

God of War III

Mafia II

Heavy Rain

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BEST SOUNDTRACK (SCORE)

WINNER: God Of War III

The final part of Kratos’ epic trilogy hit PS3 owners with everything it had back in March and as usual Gerard K Marino’s score didn’t disappoint. Dipping and soaring in the right places this was the perfect accompaniment to the on screen carnage. The score really does push the story on and is definitely well suited to Kratos’ character.

RUNNERS UP:

Heavy Rain

Red Dead Redemption

Bioshock 2

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BEST SOUNDTRACK (LICENSED)

WINNER: Mafia II

The music in Mafia II is a huge part of what makes you feel like you are actually back in that era. I remember the first car I got into had “At The Hop” by Danny and The Juniors playing. It was one of the coolest things I’d had happen in a game for ages. A wonderful selection of old tracks that are well worth checking out in their own right but that combined with gameplay help make for a memorable experience.

RUNNERS UP:

Bioshock 2

FIFA 11

Call Of Duty: Black Ops

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BEST VOICE ACTING

WINNER: Red Dead Redemption

Rockstar usually deliver on the voice front with the GTA titles and Red Dead Redemption certainly doesn’t disappoint. Every character feels well rounded and has a voice to suit them perfectly. Even the supporting cast: Bonnie McFarland, Seth, Irish and, of course, West Dickens. This was a strong category this year with Mafia II in particular impressing but with such strength in depth it has to be Red Dead Redemption.

RUNNERS UP:

God Of War III

Mafia II

Heavy Rain

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SINGLE PLAYER GAME OF THE YEAR

WINNER: Red Dead Redemption

Red Dead Redemption tells a well crafted story in a beautifully rendered environment. There is so much to do and see that I still don’t feel like I have fully explored the world of the wild west. Rockstar have created a varied and expansive playground with enough going on to keep even the most hardcore of gamers entertained for hours and hours.

RUNNERS UP:

Heavy Rain

Mafia II

Alpha Protocol

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MULTIPLAYER GAME OF THE YEAR

WINNER: Battlefield: Bad Company 2

It was nice for me personally that my most anticipated game of 2010 lived up to expectations and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 nailed team based multiplayer like no other game I’ve ever played. The sense of satisfaction at winning a tense round of Rush and the feeling of being part of a bigger team is hard to beat. With the upcoming Vietnam expansion pack this game will only get better and better.

RUNNERS UP:

Modnation Racers

Red Dead Redemption

Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood

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GAME OF THE YEAR

WINNER: Red Dead Redemption

There could really only be one choice this year, with Rockstar’s Western epic taking the title of Game Of The Year. With a brilliant single player campaign and an ever improving multiplayer mode, Red Dead Redemption is a title that will keep you entertained and provide you with plenty of value for money. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 comes a close second as that has been my most played multiplayer title but overall Red Dead pips it.

RUNNERS UP:

Battlefield: Bad Company 2

Heavy Rain

Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood

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So there we go. Another year of gaming done and dusted with Red Dead Redemption taking home an unprecedented FIVE awards!

Some great games didn’t even make the nominations – that’s how tough it’s been to make decisions.

The likes of MAG, Bayonetta, Just Cause 2 and Vanquish unfortunately didn’t make the grade but goes to show how strong the line up of game releases has been in 2010.

So what games would you guys have given awards this year?

Bioshock 2 – Review (PS3)

 

The first Bioshock game was a refreshing change of scenery and pace compared to a lot of other shooters, taking place in the dark, underwater ‘utopia’ of Rapture.

Bioshock 2 brings you back 8 years later (1968) to take control of a Big Daddy who has no memory of the last decade and wants to find the Little Sister he was originally paired with.

A sequel to such a unique title was always going to be tricky to pull off. However 2k Marin have done well to recreate the atmosphere of the original game while keeping it different enough that you can tell time has passed.

Plasmids return so while R2 fires the gun you have in your right hand, L2 shoots the plasmid ability from your left hand. Along with the fire, ice and electric abilities come some trap abilities such as cyclone tornado based one that sends enemies off in a spin.

You are able to collect the Little Sisters as in the first title but now that you are a Big Daddy you are also able to let them harvest ADAM while you protect them to get yourself better upgrades.

The story isn’t as strong as the original but I still found it to be enjoyable and battling your way through Rapture felt as good as before. Bumping into a few familiar faces also helped.

The gameplay is improved from the first game in my opinion with the controls feeling a lot more responsive, the extra powers helping and, in particular, the new system for hacking making the game easier to get to grips with.

My main complaint is the fact that although you are a fearsome Big Daddy you’ll often find just a couple of melee hits from an enemy will take you down.

I understand they don’t want to overpower you and make the game too easy but perhaps the answer would’ve been a God Of War type of affair where you’d be attacked by 5 or 10 enemies at a time so if you were killed it felt like it took a lot more to finish you off.

Multiplayer makes it’s series debut and I was pleasantly surprised. The footage I’d seen looked quite ropey but playing it was something different and it was good fun, though not a game I could see myself playing for any great deal of time online.

At the end of the day this is definitely a title that revels in the world created for it by the previous game. You don’t have to have played the original to enjoy this game but you’ll probably get more of it if you have.

Just like the first game, Bioshock 2 won’t be to everybody’s taste but it is a title that is worth your time and effort. With the newly announced Bioshock Infinite moving away from Rapture this may be your last chance to visit the underwater metropolis. It’s a trip I would recommend.

Rating: 8/10

MOST WANTED GAMES 2009/10 – PART TWO

So here’s Part Two of the Most Wanted Games 2009/10 and in this part we are going to look at some of titles that will be coming out the back end of the year, early next year and even a few that don’t have official release dates yet.

Enjoy!

 

Uncharted 2

Release Date: TBA 2009

The return of Nathan Drake is very welcome and it will be great to step back into the shoes of the plucky adventurer.

Graphically I suspect there will be only minor improvements – the first game was stunning visually and was the first time I felt a game did HD justice.

But it was the gameplay that hooked everyone and Uncharted 2 looks to maintain the same level of brilliance – the game will be set in different environments but most of the gameplay will be similar to the first game.

One big change is that multi-player will feature in the new game, both co-operative and competitive. See the trailer above for more on that.

Again this is one that will be a huge release and is a game I am really excited about. If you haven’t played the first game get it now in preparation for the next installment.

 

Bioshock 2

Release Date: TBC 2009

I’ve only just started playing the first Bioshock and am really enjoying it so far.

If it carries on at this level and turns out to be as great as everyone says then obviously the second game will be one to watch out for.

Looks like the theme this time is sand rather than water but I’m too scared to dig any deeper in case I uncover something that will spoil the first game for me 😳

 

Dirt2

Release Date: Sept 2009

Well that’s certainly a departure from the previous direction of the Colin McRae Dirt game. Last time out it was strictly a point to point rally racing game which was enjoyable but not a huge amount of fun online.

This time they’ve gone all ‘off road’ on us and I think it could really take the series to the next level.

Graphically it looks amazing so fingers crossed we be enjoying some quality racing come September!

 

Dante’s Inferno

Release Date: TBA 2010

I loved Dead Space so I was immediately interested to see what the guys that made it are working on next.

Dante’s Inferno is the story of the Divine Comedy, a piece of literature revered around the world.

Dante must fight his way through the nine levels of hell, encountering plenty of fiendish opponents on the way.

Could this be a possible rival to God Of War 3? I suspect it’ll be different enough not to go head-to-head, in fact it reminds me more of a much darker Devil May Cry – which may not be a bad thing.

No gameplay as yet but I will be hoping for some more details soon.

 

Assassin’s Creed 2

Release Date: Jan/Feb 2010

Not a great deal is known so far about Assassin’s Creed 2 but I am just glad the game is on it’s way as I thoroughly enjoyed the first game after a few niggly bits (having to unlock so much of the map :mad:).

There was nothing better than carrying out an assassination successfully and the game gave you plenty of different ways to do it.

Check out some kills from the first game on the video below:

There aren’t many games you could do that on (not that I could do all of them anyway :grin:) and my hopes are high for the sequel.

Hopefully they have created more varied means of locating your target rather than the three methods in the first game but either way this should be a brilliant title.

I’m looking forward to seeing some actual gameplay footage.

 

I Am Alive

Release Date: TBC 2009/10

I’m always slightly dubious with games that release a stunning trailer and then nothing.

I Am Alive appears to be a survival game in the same vein as ‘S.O.S Final Escape’ on the PS2. You’ll be tasked with making your way through the aftermath of a natural disaster (earthquake in this case) and doing you best to survive.

Hopefully this is the case and it’s not a government conspiracy/alien invasion (delete as appropriate) because S.O.S was an awesome game and it would be great to have a similar experience in HD.

Fingers crossed that it lives up to the promise of the trailer and hopefully we’ll have some gameplay footage or more details soon.

 

Red Dead Redemption

Release Date: TBC 2009/10

I thought Red Dead Revolver on PS2 was an excellent game and it highlighted an under used environment in gaming recently – the Western.

In the same way InFamous and Prototype are clashing so are Red Dead Redemption and Call Of Juarez (see Part One).

But the games appear to be fundamentally different.

We’ve seen footage of Juarez but not Red Dead however my interest really peaked last week as a journalist set the internet on fire when he twittered about having the Rockstar guys in the office and said he couldn’t say what they’d been shown but that ‘it could be GTA5’.

Most people presumed it was GTA5 but it turns out it was likely Red Dead Redemption.

So GTA set in a Western environment – hell yeah!

The story would presumably be a lot less linear than the first game and I think if that is the way the game is going it could really reboot the franchise in a positive way.

 

Alien Vs Predator

Release Date: TBA 2010

 

So that’s where Aliens: Colonial Marines went 😉

Very little is known, the screenshot above is one of the few bits of info we have.

This could be a fantastic game with (hopefully) a brilliant multi-player aspect.

Not sure whether the game will take it’s cue from the old PC game or feature a brand new story but either way excitement levels, especially among fans of either film series, will be reaching fever pitch through the rest of this year as we get more info.

 

Wet

Release Date: TBA 2009/10

Again, not a huge deal is known about this game but I think it looks pretty cool based on the trailer above.

Wet sees you take on the role of a female assassin.

It doesn’t seem to be too fussed with an Agent 47 methodical style of killing the victim and getting away with it, more a sort of Angel Of Death bloody rampage type of thing.

Shooting someone while sliding on your knees is the rock n roll of the assassin world 🙂 so let’s hope the game can provide plenty of stand out moments alongside the shoot to kill gameplay.

 

The Agency

Release Date: TBC 2010

Sony’s multiplayer extravaganza is shaping up to be great fun.

Each player takes on the role of a spy and has to complete various objectives within a 24 hour real-time online world.

Effectively there will be no single player mode, only challenges against or with the help of other players.

There will be non-playable characters who players will have to do missions linked to – and they can enlist the help of fellow players online if they want.

There will also be player v player missions, although we’re not sure yet if that means team v team or individual v individual.

I would guess maybe one person would have ‘guard this paper with your life for 15 minutes’ while a numerous amount of others would be trying to track them down and get the paper.

Sounds cool as long as enough people are playing it and I look forward to trying it out.

 

Formula 1 2010

Release Date: 2010

I’m not a huge fan of F1 but the games of the past have been fairly straightforward affairs – always enjoyable but never really impressing.

Now that Codemasters have the licence I honestly think they can do great things with the game. Their pedigree recently, Dirt/Grid/TOCA, has been rwally good and I’m looking forward to seeing what this game turns out like.

 

Deus Ex 3

Release Date: TBC 2010

Deus Ex on the PS2 was one of the best games I’ve ever played.

The amount of choice you had and the amazing story was so awe inspiring I was gutted I never got the chance to play the follow up.

Now it appears they are bringing the third installment to PS3 – with the increased AI the PS3 is capable of, not to mention the leap the graphics, this is one game I can’t wait for.

 

Gran Turismo 5

Release Date: TBC 2009/10

The Real Driving SimulatorTM returns for it’s fifth installment sometime in the future – although nobody seems to know quite when it will be ready.

Expect the usual race based realism with lovingly recreated vehicles. I’ve never really been a huge fan of Gran Turismo – the last one I played seriously was GT2, the others I dipped into.

The difference here could be online, which could really make things interesting. Real life races and championships are a must and I think GT5 will offer a completely different driving experience to both Dirt2 and Formula 1 2010.

I’m sure it’ll look amazing but I will want a lot more info on the different game modes before committing to this one.

 

So there we go, that should be enough to keep you all busy for a while.

I know that not all releases are covered here, this isn’t a definitive list by any means – just stuff I’m looking forward to that I thought it would be cool to share on the off chance you haven’t heard of it.

Thanks for reading!