  Metroid: Other M (Courtesy Nintendo) |
Somehow, somewhere, the people who plan video game release dates finally clued in to what gamers have been saying for years: dumping a whole whack of huge game releases in the last few months of the year doesn't do anyone any good.
This year has been memorable for the number of big-budget, high-profile game releases that have come out in the normally quiet spring months. Stuff like Red Dead Redemption, God of War III, Heavy Rain and BioShock 2, to name a few.
That being said, game companies still know that the weeks leading up to the holiday shopping season are when games ring up their biggest sales of the year, and there's a monstrous glut of digital goodness headed our way this fall. Trimming that list down to the 10 titles we're most stoked for was harder than most final boss battles, but here goes nothin'.
Metroid: Other M (Wii) Aug. 31
The folks behind the Ninja Gaiden series taking on the venerable Metroid franchise? This peanut butter-and-chocolate mix ends up being the first must-have Wii game of late 2010.
Halo: Reach (Xbox 360) Sept. 14
It's the beginning of the end for the Halo series, with developer Bungie delivering their final game in the sci-fi shooter saga. They vow this game will be the best Halo of them all.
Civilization V (PC) Sept. 21
The grandpappy of nation-building strategy games gets a brand new version that's said to be less cumbersome yet more involving. So long, productivity.
Medal of Honor (Xbox 360, PS3, PC) Oct. 12
The long-running Second World War shooter series gets a gritty reboot, Modern Warfare-style, with the action set in 2001 during the war in Afghanistan.
Kirby's Epic Yarn (Wii) Oct. 17
Don't be fooled by the fabric-y look or the pink blobby hero, this is shaping up to be one of the most satisfying (and, yes, adorable) platform-style games of the year.
Fallout: New Vegas (Xbox 360, PS3, PC) Oct. 19
While not a true sequel to Fallout 3, this new instalment in the apocalyptic role-playing game series is being developed by many of the folks who worked on the original Fallout and Fallout 2.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II (Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Wii) Oct. 26
The first Force Unleashed was fun, if a bit flawed. The sequel, which again centres around Darth Vader's secret apprentice, looks absolutely amazing. The Force is strong with this one.
Rock Band 3 (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii) Oct. 26
With a setlist of 83 killer tracks, the addition of keyboards (bring on the '80s new wave) and tons of other features, this could be the best music game we've ever played. Rock on!
Disney Epic Mickey (Wii) Winter 2010
Although the still-vague release date worries us a little, this imaginative, action-oriented role-playing game by design guru Warren Spector is the Wii title we're most excited for this year.
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (Xbox 360, PS3, PC) Nov. 16
A full-fledged new chapter in the saga of Ezio the assassin would be pretty cool in its own right, but the multiplayer component of this game is one of the most clever we've ever played.
Plus, some worthy titles that didn't quite make our Top 10:
- Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions (Sept. 7)
- NHL 11 (Sept. 7)
- Dead Rising 2 (Sept. 28)
- Super Scribblenauts (Oct. 12)
- Vanquish (Oct. 17)
- Fable III (Oct. 26)
- Gran Turismo 5 (Nov. 2)
- GoldenEye 007 (Nov. 2)
- God of War: Ghost of Sparta (Nov. 2)
- The Sims 3 (Nov. 8)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops (Nov. 9)
- The Sims 3 (Nov. 9)
- LittleBigPlanet 2 (Nov. 16)
And let's not forget the release of the PlayStation Move motion controller (Sept. 19) and Kinect for Xbox 360 (Nov. 4). Whew!
steve.tilley@sunmedia.ca
