The new year is in full swing, and a new year in gaming is underway. When Alex and I decided to list some of our most anticipated games, I realized just how obvious and unoriginal my choices are. I don’t have anything crazy or unexpected in here. However, I’m happy to share them with you anyway, along with what I’d like to see happen this year. Come along as I put on my Michael Pachter hat and take a look to the industry’s future. Hopefully my prediction hat works better than his. Be sure to check out Alex’s list, and then jump on the forums and start your own.
3. Splinter Cell: Conviction (Xbox 360)
This is a series that is constantly evolving. After players got a little tired of the same old stealth formula of the first three games, the fourth entry’s double-agent motif played up the idea of being stealthy while out in the open. It was a much-needed breath of fresh air that also included a nicely refined version of the Spies vs. Mercenaries multiplayer experience. Conviction, on the other hand, seems like it’s going to lay on the action pretty thick while retaining some of the stealth elements. Throw in some heavily stylized narrative flair, and it looks like we could have a really exciting game on our hands. It also continues a growing trend of genre bending while retaining the narrative thread that ties it to the franchise. This is an idea we’ll explore later on Pixelosophy.
Prediction:
Splinter Cell purists might be turned off by Conviction’s new, fast-paced action style. However, I think new players and old fans that are willing to accept some change are going to be drawn to the cinematic presentation and gameplay that doesn’t seem as tedious as past entries. Whether or not they’ll be lost in a narrative that is already four games deep could be an issue though. Either way, I think Sam Fisher is ready for a big comeback this year.
2. Bioshock 2 (Xbox 360/PS3)
I loved Bioshock. Actually, let me be a little more specific and say that I love the world of Bioshock. The characters, the history and even Rapture itself all captivated me with the first game so, obviously, I can’t wait to go back. Admittedly, I will return with caution. Bioshock’s biggest flaw, in my opinion, was that it built this new and unseen place on the foundation of tired, sometimes frustrating and often irritating fetch-quest-style gameplay. You could never take a step forward without taking a step back. You couldn’t see new areas without backtracking through areas you’d already heavily traveled. Hopefully the new game will learn from the original’s mistakes and deliver a game that isn’t only exciting to experience but also to play.
Prediction:
Bioshock 2 will probably retain most of the gameplay elements of the first the game while trying out a few new play mechanics. Most of the surprises and excitement will, again, probably come from the game’s narrative and universe rather than innovation in gameplay. The multiplayer will add some replay value for some, but I don’t think it’s going to loosen Modern Warfare 2’s grip on the online space.
1. God of War III (PS3)
See, I told you there were no big surprises to be found here. This March, Kratos’ epic adventure is coming to an end. I’m not sure how much I buy that we won’t see any more God of War titles after this initial trilogy comes to an end, but we will get to see how Kratos’ battle against the gods plays out. The previous entries all did a great job delivering a self-contained, satisfying narrative experience while driving forward the overall arc. The gameplay was refined to near perfection in the second game, and after playing the demo for God of War III, it seems like this final entry will be a grand last hurrah for Kratos.
Prediction:
While it may not break new ground, it will continue to do what it does better than the countless imitators out there. This is another exclusive title that will also help drive PS3 sales through the first half of the year and attempt to gain ground on the Xbox 360. My biggest question is whether or not this will actually be the last we see of Sony’s blood-splattered cash cow. I find it hard to believe that Sony would walk away from one of its biggest exclusive franchises.
What I Want to See
Big Games from the Little Guys
We’ve all played the big “indie” titles of the last few years. Games like Braid, Passage, Flow and Flower have made their creators, Jonathan Blow, Jason Rohrer and Jenova Chen, industry celebrities. Well I want more! Give these guys a studio. Give them a team. Give them a budget. Let them apply their unique design philosophies to a game that reaches the scale and audience that these guys deserve. Give them some resources, and let them go nuts. This would of course require publishers to take some risks, but that’s how the industry is going to grow as a medium.
Prediction:
This is going to be slow to happen for a couple of reasons. One of the biggest reasons is that some of these guys simply don’t want to create large-scale games. Some of them are more than happy to develop these more intimate experiences that center around one or two ideas. Obviously, more power to ‘em, but I hope they are able to help other developers extrapolate their ideas into larger projects. Another reason is that the industry did get hurt by the economy and is already shutting down studios left and right. Financial risks are not going to be high on the priority list this year.
What Needs to Stop
Mechanic/Gimmick Stealing
Let’s go over some of the guilty mechanics: Bullet-time, cover systems, alternate vision, building climbing, QTE’s; should I keep going? Every year we get a new gimmick du jour, and several games seem to adopt these gimmicks regardless of whether or not it needs it or uses it in an interesting way. All of these mechanics have their place, but developers need to stop including them just because they are an easy and popular way to solve a design problem. If a game really benefits from one of these mechanics, I’m all for it. However, if I can get through the game without ever using it or if it just makes no sense to include it, get rid of it. It’s not a feature if I never use it or if it doesn’t make the game any better.
Prediction:
The game industry can sometimes be just as bad as Hollywood when it comes to having a lack of new ideas, and we could see that be the case this year. Again, financial troubles throughout the industry could influence publishers and developers to use proven and marketable gameplay mechanics that will yield the most return. Look for games to pack in popular “features” and gameplay styles that will tempt gamers to spend money on the familiar. Head over to the forum to guess what will be the most over-used mechanic this year.