2010 started with a bang for gamers, with a bevy of fantastic titles hitting shelves in the first few months of the year. Games like Bad Company 2, God of War 3, Mass Effect 2, Bioshock 2 and Heavy Rain are tough acts to follow.
The trend continued this month, with one of the most anticipated Xbox 360 games ever, Alan Wake, being released last week, as well as Red Dead Redemption which has been met with critical acclaim.
While recent months have been kind to gamers, the rest of 2010 is not looking too shabby either. Here are 13 games set to drop this year that we can’t wait to get our grubby mitts on.
StarCraft II – PC – July 27
This one goes without saying. RTS fans have been waiting more than a decade for the follow up to what is arguably the most pervasive strategy title ever made.
StarCraft II half price in “emerging markets”
StarCraft II single player footage
Call of Duty: Black Ops – PC, PS3, 360, Wii – Nov 9
The next iteration of what is arguably this generation’s most successful IP is due out towards the end of the year. Treyarch is taking the action to the Cold War era, and it should be interesting to see how fans will react after the scandal that surrounded Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.
Call of Duty: Black Ops screenshots
Call of Duty: Black Ops trailer
Call of Duty: Black Ops to get dedicated servers
Medal of Honor – PC, PS3, Xbox 360 – October 12
Releasing just weeks before CoD: Black Ops, EA is promising that its Medal of Honour reboot will make the publisher the leader in the FPS genre.
LittleBigPlanet 2 – PS3 – Q4 2010
Little Big Planet remains one of the most unique and creatively engaging games yet made. Its sequel is looking to push the envelope even further when it is released later this year.
The Last Guardian – PS3 – 2010
Known in Japan as Hitokui no Ōwashi Trico – Trico, the Man-eating Sea Eagle- The Last Guardian is looking like one of the most unique and interesting games set to drop this year. The game is being developed by team Ico; the people that brought us the 2005 classic Shadow of the Colossus.
The game revolves around the relationship between a boy and a giant “sea-eagle”; a creature which bears an uncanny resemblance to Falkor the Luckdragon from The Never Ending Story.
Billed as an action-adventure title with strong puzzle solving elements, no release timeframe has been given for The Last Guardian other than sometime in 2010.
Fable III – Xbox 360, PC – Q4 2010
The third chapter in the now iconic RPG franchise is set for release later this year. Exclusive to the Xbox 360, Fable is the brain child of one of gaming’s biggest personalities, Peter Molyneux (Black and White, Syndicate, Populous, Dungeon Keeper).
Update
Over the weekend, Microsoft confirmed that Fable III will also be released for PC.
Original
Fable III will “really upset people”
Gran Turismo 5 – PS3 – Q4 2010
Another highly anticipated PS3 exclusive, Gran Turismo is set for a November 2010 release. The game is considered to represent the ultimate in racing simulation, and will feature close to 1000 unique cars and 70 tracks when it is released.
Halo: Reach – 360 – Fall (SA Spring) 2010
The multiplayer beta has just wrapped up, and general impressions have been positive. Halo’s Masterchief has become the poster child for the Xbox 360, and the next iteration of the wildly popular franchise is sure to be huge.
All Points Bulletin (APB) – PC – July 1
The second PC exclusive title in this list, APB is an MMO featuring two oppositional forces: Enforcers and Criminals, also commonly referred to in playgrounds around the world as “cops ‘n robbers.”
Original Grand Theft Auto mastermind David Jones is heading up this project and players can look forward to a living, breathing cityscape to fight it out across.
Crackdown 2 – 360 – July 9
This definitive Xbox 360 exclusive sandbox game is a direct sequel to the original Crackdown. Third person open-world action is the order of the day, and players will be able to customise their characters with orbs and special powers.
Fallout: New Vegas – 360, PS3, PC – Q3/Q4 2010
Currently being developed by Obsidian Entertainment – a studio consisting largely of ex-Black Isle employees- Fallout: New Vegas is considered by many to be the true spiritual successor to Fallout 2. New Vegas is being billed as a spin-off from Fallout 3, as opposed to a full sequel.
Fallout: New Vegas collectors edition revealed
Fallout: New Vegas details emerge
Brink – 360, PS3, PC – Q3 2010
Team-based narrative driven missions are the order of the day in this upcoming first person shooter from Splash Damage. Set in a utopian city called The Ark, players will take part in a civil war between two rival alliances: Resistance and Security.
Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood – PS3, 360, PC – Q4 2010
The follow up to Ubisoft’s smash hit Assassin’s Creed II is set to pick up where that game left off, and it will introduce a multiplayer component. The action will take place in Rome, and once again players will step into the shoes of Ezio, a young Assassin. Brotherhood also introduces a new story and new weapons.
What are you still looking forward to this year? Have your say in the forums.
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