Dirt 2

Developer: Codemasters
Genre: Rally / Offroad Racing
Release: TBA 2009
ESRB: Everyone

Sometimes this year, get ready for the true off-road experience that these developers longed to create the first time around.  Several key ideas and details have been revealed.  For one, the stadiums and races will be much more realistic with an advanced physics engine that makes everything from grinding down the dirt to sliding through puddles incredibly realistic, and dirty.  The developer, Codemasters, has unveiled a few levels which will be in Croatia, China, and Malaysia, and the crowds surrounding each race will increase from 40,000 to 120,000: quite a difference.  There will also be races in Los Angeles and London, as well, but the biggest addition is the inclusion in online racing that will most likely attract a variety of new gamers to the racing genre.  Keep an eye out for this game, and get your PC ready.  Buy a physics accelerator, or a new graphics, or a new computer altogether.

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Dragon Age: Origins

Developer: Electronic Arts
Publisher: BioWare
Genre: Computer Role-Playing
Release: Nov 3, 2009

Remember BioWare's Baldur's Gate fantasy RPG series, and how as the main character you traveled through dark fantasies in search for companions to aid your mission?  The new game plays on this basic aspect, but will expand on virtually every detail.  Dragons will be included of course, and they will range in size.  Some might remind you of those creatures in “Shadow of the Colossus” that were like the universe in size, and it is your duty to stop them from whatever their evil intentions are.  Characters will have various abilities standard to RPG games, and the combined abilities of mages and warriors will allow you to defeat the more enormous dragons.  The battle system is party-based, and you should most likely have one character from each class: one rogue, mage, and fighter.  We know that the characters will be highly customizable, so this may be the RPG fan’s game of the year.

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Watchmen: The End is Nigh

Developer: Warner Bros.
Publisher: Deadline Games
Genre: Action
Release: TBA 2009
ESRB: Mature

With the hype of the movie, the game is beginning to get more attention, and hopefully one of the greatest comics of all time will be one of the greatest comic games.  The battle system of this game, combined with the story, will be the focus.  There will be a battle meter, similar to RPG limit breaks or special combos, which will allow you to save up power to unleash special moves.  Attacks range from super-strength blows to electrical shocks, and each character has their own special ability.  What we do know is that the story will most likely be the best developed aspect of this game, and though the game’s release date has yet to be announced, we can be sure there are some high expectations of it, and hopefully the developers will deliver.

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Battlestations: Pacific

Developer: Eidos Interactive
Genre: Historic RTS
Release: Apr 29, 2009

The point of this game is a thought experiment.  What is Port Morseby, a critical strategic point for World War II, had been invaded first and foremost?  You will be planted into a war zone and will choose between three vehicles: a battleship, a fighter plane, and a submarine.  With these you can fight the Japanese in a battle that never happened, but you will also be allowed to play the side of the Japanese Navy and gain a new perspective.  A significant number of sub-missions will also be included, and so far the graphics look far beyond impressive.  Naval ships are depicted with an unprecedented amount of detail, and the physics of each explosion will bring you as close to the battlefield as you can imagine.  Mark your calendar for April; this game is sure to be a win for Eidos Interactive.

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Singularity

Developer: Activision
Publisher: Raven Software
Genre: Action
Release: TBA 2009

Worm holes, spooky islands, Russian conspiracies, island survival: Singularity has it all.  While this game remains TBA, we can expect it to be somewhat of a mix between Time Splitters and Crysis, though on a profoundly original level.  As the main character Nate, an Air Force pilot, you crash your plane on a strange Russian island that you were meant to investigate.  Battles will be incredibly detailed, as the environment around you will be as realistic, if not more, than the environment in Crysis, or other such games. Singularity, however, takes a much more graphic approach to violence than recent games, and the battle scenes might remind you of Saving Private Ryan.  Get ready for this action packed extravaganza, and prepare for a new generation of the FPS that involves complicated puzzle situations and large scale battles to ensure your survival.

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Battlefield Heroes

Developer: EA Digital Illusions
Genre: Action/Shooter
Release: TBA
ESRB: Teen

Battlefield Heroes is a free-to-play title currently in closed beta. The game will feature a modified version of the previous conquest modes, with killing and flag capture being the main objectives. Also, it will feature several different classes as well as ability and achievement systems for customization. To top that off, Battlefield Heroes will also include customizable avatars including clothing and accessories. Most surprisingly, the game is set in a cell-shaded world using the Battlefield 2142 engine and should require very low system requirements to play. The game will be free-to-play and a release date should be released within the next few months.

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