Videogames highlights - January 2010
I know, it has nearly become a kind of obsession yet I can’t help but talk about it: is the video games future within digital delivery? Bullshit. And so claims Sony after the disastrous “UMD-free” experiment of the awful PSP Go, hence this has to mean something. On the other hand console games (in this case PS3, but things aren’t any better on PC and Xbox 360) take up space, so much space, and downloading tens of Gigabytes before starting your game isn’t a practical thing and I don’t think it will be so soon. Meanwhile marketers and large dedicated chains say hello to the tiny weight of digital market. And I am with them 
Sega
The history of aerial shooters returns in the lamelight with After Burner Climax, the last iteration of the arcade in which you must do well just one thing: shoot down endless formations of enemy aircrafts before they take down you and your fighter. A.B.Climax is the conversion of the homonymous arcade version released in 2006 and it seems to have been developed with the assistance of Boeing and Northrop Grumman Corp. (the folks that build B2 stealth super-bombers, just to say). The aircrafts to choose from are now 3, ie: F-14D Super Tomcat, F/A-18E Super Hornet and F-15E Strike Eagle. To be released in 2010 as a digital download on Xbox 360 and PS3.
If After Burner hasn’t changed that much since 1987 after all, what I expect to be much, much different that the original is the new Aliens vs. Predator FPS. The latest shooter from Rebellion is a reimaged version for the new gaming technologies of the original PC FPS released in 1999, and judging from the comparison between the two titles depicted in one of the following video clips I would say that the differences (heck, how many generations we are talking about here?!) justify the remake. Or not? AvsP has been released just during the past days for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC Windows. I’m going to check system requirements to play the game on a computer…
The next (and last for the time being) Sega game on this month’s video games highlights list is an original game, for the brand at least if not in essence. Vanquish is the latest work from Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami which now works for Platinum Games, the folks of Bayonetta, featuring a guy placed in an “Augmented Reaction Suit” and then sent out to kick some enemies’ asses… or at least to try to do so. In short it’s another Halo variation on which furthermore there is little information other than the fact that the spectacular introducing sequence has been made by whom already worked on the intros for Metal Gear Solid 4 and the funny Zombieland. Release date? Supported platforms? To be announced.
Dead Rising 2
One surely needs imagination, to conceive something like this. And it’s probably a sick imagination but is imagination anyway. What I’m babbling about? But the “Paddlesaw” of course, ie the combo made up of a paddle and a couple of chainsaws at both sides to make a weapon that is guaranteed to impress (and slaughter) the endless zombies featured in Dead Rising 2. To be released at the end of summer for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3. Dear Capcom just one thing: I want the conversion of the first game (still an Xbox exclusive) for PC.
God of War III
God of War III, the most awaited game of 2010 (so they say) is almost ready for the release, a Sony Playstation exclusive as usual. And even if the alleged brute power of PS3 gives a very bad impression considering the downgraded resolution (1080p –> 720p which returns to 1080p yet in upscaling) and the variable framerate between 30 and 60 fps, the nth GoW from Santa Monica Studio (the development team owned by Sony Computer Entertainment) seems to have more than something interesting to show to the PS3 owners. Coming during this March.
Hokuto Musou
Behind the usual Japanese title, an absolutely meaningless one for who can hardly read English, there is the new game based on the everlasting Hokuto No Ken aka Fist of the North Star saga. Coming this March on the Japanese market for Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, Hokuto Musou is an action adventure that will enrich the new generation consoles with the classic (and unbearably pathetic, for what concerns me) story as told by the manga together with a completely original storyline. Meanwhile I’m trying to understand how the damn one-on-one HNK beat’em up for PS2 I’ve got for the PCSX2 emulator works.
Mass Effect 2
The space opera developed by BioWare for Electronic Arts is back, this January, to fill the monitors (PC) and the TV screens (Xbox 360) of players worldwide. And it has been a true exploit: Mass Effect 2 sold two million copies during the first week since release conquering the market, the critics and an almost embarrassing slice of all the Microsoft console owners. And if the second episode of this sci-fi third person shooter with RPG elements is achieving such a hit, surely BioWare can’t be blamed for thinking about the third and following chapters of the saga already. Mass Effect 2: one of the major game hits of 2010?
Related posts
- Videogames highlights - October 2010-April 2011 part 2
- Videogames highlights - October 2010-April 2011 part 1
- Videogames highlights - September 2010
- Videogames highlights - August 2010
- Videogames highlights - July 2010, Underdogs Edition
- Videogames highlights - June 2010, E3 special
- Videogames highlights - February-May 2010
- Videogames highlights - June 2009
- Videogames highlights - May 2009
- Videogames highlights - January 2009
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