After a fairly lackluster summer in terms of quality AAA titles for Xbox 360, PS3 and Nintendo Wii, prepare to empty your wallets this fall under the shear onslaught of “must have” games. As we have already experienced with the hugely popular Xbox 360 exclusive Halo 3: ODST and the critically acclaimed PS3 exclusive Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, developers like to save their best for the holidays. Based on this lineup, 2009 is shaping up to be a monster even with BioShock 2 having swam into 2010.
October 27
Step on the gas with Microsoft’s exclusive racing title Forza 3 for the Xbox 360 or try your hand at spinning the latest tracks with DJ Hero, complete with turntable controller. Can Activision immediately bring their success with the Guitar Hero franchise to the DJ tables or will it take gamers awhile to “get it?” Fighting fans can unleash their fury with Namco’s Tekken 6. October wraps up with a big something for everyone.
- Forza Motorsport 3 – Xbox 360
- DJ Hero – Xbox 360/PS3/Wii
- Tekken 6 – Xbox 360/PS3
November 3
Can two new IP’s satisfy your gaming addiction and pull you away from Forza 3 or Uncharted 2? Bizarre Creations of Project Gotham Racing fame takes a more fantastical route with racer Blur. Rather than a true sim, Blur offers high octane arcade racing for jump in and play compatibility without having to master the nuances of shifting and drifting. Highly acclaimed Bioware brings its new title Dragon Age Origins to both Xbox 360 as well as Playstation 3. Journey through an ancient land of violence, adventure, magic and war in one of the most highly anticipated time suckers of 2009.
- Blur – Xbox 360/PS3
- Dragon Age Origins – Xbox 360/PS3
November 10
Mark your calendar for what is sure to be the biggest title of 2009 and poised to be one of the top selling games of all time. Infinity Ward’s follow-up to the monumentally successful Call of Duty: Modern Warfare returns the franchise to the front lines. Boasting cutting edge visuals and audio and featuring immense replay value with its Campaign, Multiplayer, and Spec Ops modes, Modern Warfare is the single most “must have” title heading into Christmas. Wii owners also get their most anticipated game in New Super Mario Bros., a “new” take on an old favorite.
- Modern Warfare 2 – Xbox 360/PS3
- New Super Mario Bros – Wii
November 17
If you are still conscious and coherent from all those Modern Warfare 2 marathons by now, three more high profile titles arrive on store shelves a mere week later timed to coincide with Black Friday. Valve brings back the zombie mayhem with Xbox 360’s Left 4 Dead 2 featuring new heroes, a new city and more undead carnage with all new melee weapons. Fancy a more graceful gaming experience? Then take a spin with Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed 2. Stunning visuals will greet you as you prowl the streets of Renaissance Italy as Enzo – Master Assassin. For skaters, Tony Hawk: Ride offers a skateboard controller to test those leg muscles and attempt to redefine the genre.
- Left 4 Dead 2 – Xbox 360
- Assassin’s Creed 2 – Xbox 360/PS3
- Tony Hawk: Ride – Xbox 360/PS3/Wii
December
For the most part December will give your wallet and blistered gaming thumbs some much needed R&R. James Cameron’s Avatar is a multi-console release but given the curse of movie licensed games its likely controlling the Na’vi will not become a Christmas gift staple. Saboteur from EA takes a unique approach with its open world structure set in Nazi occupied France that has sleeper-hit potential. 2009 comes to a close with yet another Guitar Hero installment, Guitar Hero: Van Halen.
2010 – First Quarter
Just when you thought the holiday push was over, publishers seem to have plans on bombarding gamers with titles early in the New Year. A good portion of these fell back into early 2010 simply to avoid mega titles like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Bayonetta, Darksiders, Army of Two: The 40th Day, Mass Effect 2, Lost Planet 2, God of War III, Bioshock 2, Splinter Cell: Conviction and Aliens vs. Predator are just a few AAA titles coming your way. It is an admittedly expensive but great time to be a gamer so save those pennies and vacation days.
– Jason Krahn
