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by ERIK LEIJON
Those overly cautious gaming industry types finally got the memo in 2010—by spreading out video game releases to weeks other than Yankee Thanksgiving, people might actually be more inclined to give their wares a try given decreased competition. This is the first post-holiday season where the game release calendar isn’t as barren as Moscow during the Napoleonic wars.
Already in stores is perhaps one of the most anticipated Japanese-style beat ’em-ups in some time. Sega’s Bayonetta (PS3, X360) has already dazzled reviewers in its home country and is now making the trek across the Pacific. It’s an ultra-fashionable action shooter from Hideki Kamiya, the producer of the original Devil May Cry series, combining the chaotic action of that classic with ambitiously arty visuals. Also available is THQ’s Darksiders (PS3, X360), a post-Armageddon sword slasher where you star as one of the four biblically badass horsemen of the apocalypse, now unemployed and wandering the desolate streets of Earth for revenge.
Developed at EA Montreal and now in stores, Army of Two: The 40th Day (PS3, X360) is the numerically cluttered sequel to the studio’s 2008 tag-teaming mercenary shooter. The 40th day thankfully doesn’t refer to the title’s development time—EA Montreal certainly put a lot of work into making this ultra-violent co-op a more memorable game, with a more involving storyline and more things to blow up.
Fighting, flying,
Star Trek and Bioshock
Still no word on whether any intrepid soul will resuscitate the sadly ignored Rocketeer IP, but in the meantime, Capcom’s Dark Void (PS3, X360, PC) promises some high-flying aerial combat in January. An improved version of the Korg DS-10 synthesizer for the Nintendo DS will also be hitting stores this month. January ends with another couple of long-awaited releases: the first is perhaps the coolest-ever congregation of fighters for a 2D brawler, Capcom’s anime all-star showdown Tatsunoko vs. Capcom (Wii) and the BioWare Montreal assisted sci-fi role-playing sequel Mass Effect 2 (PS3, X360, PC).
It’s been boldly going from release date to release date, but cross your fingers and pray to Sto-vo-kor (err, Klingon heaven) that Atari’s Star Trek Online (PC), the first-ever Star Trek massively multiplayer online (MMO) adventure game, hits the Alpha Quadrant this Feb. 5. Only a few days after, beam down from the Enterprise and check back into the underwater haven known as Rapture, as 2K Games’ BioShock 2 (X360, PS3, PC) plunges us back into its dystopian depths. Remember that funny Wii Pray viral ad that spread online before Christmas? Well, it was actually a ruse promoting EA’s Dante’s Inferno (X360, PS3) an action-slasher set during the Crusades. It comes out this February.
Although not based on the similarly titled movie-within-a-movie featured in Bowfinger, Sony’s Heavy Rain (PS3) promises to be an ambitious blend of context-specific gameplay, quicktime dialogue and real-world situations. February ends with a couple of familiar faces: the titular movie monsters return to prey on hapless humans and hunt each other in Sega’s Aliens Vs. Predator (PS3, X360, PC), while super spy Sam Fisher learns some new, not-so stealthy tricks in Ubisoft Montreal’s series reboot Splinter Cell: Conviction (X360, PC).
In March, original Grand Theft Auto creator David Jones hopes to unveil his latest open-world crime caper, All Points Bulletin (PC). Also this month, expect the latest blockbuster in the hallowed Final Fantasy role-playing game series, FF XIII (PS3, X360).
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