The holiday season is fast approaching, and we all know what that means: You’ll be playing the end-of-the-year blockbuster games up until your thumbs turn red. Afterward it will be time to look for a new addition to your ever growing collection of games, and we already have you covered for some titles you will most likely want to play when the new year rolls around. And yes, Alan Wake was considered for the list, but the game keeps acting like it might be a Too Human all over again. Rant about it all you want, but I'm not the one who keeps delaying the game. So in no particular order, here are the games you will definitely want to play in 2009.
Final Fantasy XIII
FFXIII was already bound to be a hit on the PS3. But now that it’s a multiplatform title, both PS3 and Xbox 360 gamers will have their palms bedewed with excitement. Already the captain of the Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy XIII series, the game will feature realtime (or active-time battle mechanics) combat not seen in the likes of other RPGs, and a main character who kicks major butt with a gravity manipulating gun-blade. Sweet. Graphically, the game is simply stunning, trumping the likes of nearly everything else on the market or coming to the market. This game has also built up anticipation unlike any other Final Fantasy game in the series, and definitely belongs on the list.
Borderlands
With a really deep weapon customization tool and a “manufacture matrix” that generates weapons based on the likelihood of the fictional weapons manufacturers’ gun designs, Borderlands doesn’t just bring a butt-load of options for dishing out pain, it also brings lots of vehicular/rpg options as well. No matter what kind of customizing players are doing (character, vehicle, weapon or otherwise) the game is set to earmark each item as a unique entity in itself. The game is also set against a deep backstory on the planet Pandora, featuring wastelands and outback deserts riddled with bandits and hunters all trying to surface rare alien artifacts of great power. The game sees players trying to thwart these forces and acquire the artifacts for themselves. Four player co-op (online or offline), vehicle hijacking and random map outputs makes this a must-have for 2009.
KillZone 2
This game is easily one of the most over-hyped games in recent history. But that doesn’t mean that it isn’t worth playing. Having cinematic, Hollywood-esque visual effects and atmospheric designs, KillZone 2 is more like an FPS venture into a sci-fi action movie. The game also features some of the coolest looking environmental art designs ever, a robust physics system that allows for destructible environments, and vehicular combat. Add in the obligatory FPS multiplayer modes, a new multiplayer class system, and a nice arsenal of weapons and you have yourself a good showpiece for the PS3, and a definite own-worthy exclusive for 2009.
BioShock 2
The sequel to the award winning title from 2007 (for the Xbox 360) and 2008 (for the PS3). Maybe this time the game will come out correctly for both systems, synchronously. The game is very much under wraps at the moment. But honestly, will we really need a page-and-a-half worth of info to know how good this game is going to be? All the tools are present from the first game...so all the developers will need to do is amp-up the entire experience by tweaking the AI a bit, tossing in a few more guns, and balancing it all out for a surprise multiplayer mode. Okay, maybe the game doesn’t need a multiplayer mode, but it sure would be nice. Nevertheless, BioShock is already poised for being another must-play for 2009.
Star Wars: Battlefront III
Next to Halo 2, Star Wars: Battlefront II was one of the most played titles on Xbox Live, and with good reason. Personally, I always liked Battlefront more than Halo, but that’s just me. So what will that make BFIII? Easily it’s going to be one of the best games to come out for 2009. You can argue on either side of the fanboy PS/Xbox spectrum until your face turns blue. But Battlefront has been one of the few Star Wars games – and one of the few action-shooters – that actually doesn’t disappoint. No heavy reliance on lightsabers, no messed up force-powers, no whacked-out storylines...just plain ‘ole multiplayer mayhem. With Free Radical at the developer’s helm, you can be sure that weapons and vehicular combat will soar to new heights. And maybe now we can finally see the 100vs100 battles (for consoles) that will truly make the series epic on a whole new level. Without a shadow of a doubt, this is a definite must-play for any hardcore gamer in 2009.
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