Spring Break
The biggest video games in 2009 to play
Fernando Dutra
Issue date: 1/27/09 Section: Focus
With the holiday blitz season now behind, many gamers look forward to more titles to bide their time with as their supply of new video games dwindles. Fortunately, as with last year's April release of "Grand Theft Auto IV," developers are not waiting until the next holiday season to deliver blockbuster titles. The following is not meant to be an exhaustive list, but highlights games that will either be on people's radars or should be.
The year begins in February with titles that missed the holiday season. These include massively-anticipated games like "Killzone 2" (PlayStation 3), "Street Fighter IV" (Xbox 360, PS3), and "F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin" (360, PS3). Most of these games had been delayed, but two were a long time coming. Although "Street Fighter IV" has to live up to its predecessor's reputation, "Killzone 2" has perhaps the more daunting task. When the PlayStation 3 was first unveiled, footage from "Killzone 2" was shown. It turned out that the footage was pre-rendered, meaning it wasn't running on actual PS3 hardware but was a projection of how the game would look on the console. Public outcry may have forced developer Guerilla Games to spend a few more years on the title to match its initial expectations.
March sees the release of "Madworld" (Nintendo Wii), "Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars" (Nintendo DS), "Halo Wars" (360), "Resident Evil 5" (PS3, 360). "Madworld" follows in the same vein as the ultra-violent "No More Heroes," except it is monochromatic. Its over-the-top nature will distinguish the title from its peers, but, much like "Manhunt 2" and "No More Heroes" before it won't change the lack of "M"-rated games on the console. Interestingly enough, the Nintendo DS will also receive a mature title in the form of "Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars," which should complement 360-exlusive downloadable release of "GTA: The Lost and the Damned" in February. Ensemble Studios, the developers of "Halo Wars," boldly claimed in a Eurogamer interview that "Halo Wars is going to do for real-time strategy, what Halo did for first-person shooters." While this remains to be seen, the public has been aware of the game since the release of "Halo 3." "Resident Evil 5" adds an emphasis on cooperative gameplay along with what was introduced in the previous entry.
The year begins in February with titles that missed the holiday season. These include massively-anticipated games like "Killzone 2" (PlayStation 3), "Street Fighter IV" (Xbox 360, PS3), and "F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin" (360, PS3). Most of these games had been delayed, but two were a long time coming. Although "Street Fighter IV" has to live up to its predecessor's reputation, "Killzone 2" has perhaps the more daunting task. When the PlayStation 3 was first unveiled, footage from "Killzone 2" was shown. It turned out that the footage was pre-rendered, meaning it wasn't running on actual PS3 hardware but was a projection of how the game would look on the console. Public outcry may have forced developer Guerilla Games to spend a few more years on the title to match its initial expectations.
March sees the release of "Madworld" (Nintendo Wii), "Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars" (Nintendo DS), "Halo Wars" (360), "Resident Evil 5" (PS3, 360). "Madworld" follows in the same vein as the ultra-violent "No More Heroes," except it is monochromatic. Its over-the-top nature will distinguish the title from its peers, but, much like "Manhunt 2" and "No More Heroes" before it won't change the lack of "M"-rated games on the console. Interestingly enough, the Nintendo DS will also receive a mature title in the form of "Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars," which should complement 360-exlusive downloadable release of "GTA: The Lost and the Damned" in February. Ensemble Studios, the developers of "Halo Wars," boldly claimed in a Eurogamer interview that "Halo Wars is going to do for real-time strategy, what Halo did for first-person shooters." While this remains to be seen, the public has been aware of the game since the release of "Halo 3." "Resident Evil 5" adds an emphasis on cooperative gameplay along with what was introduced in the previous entry.
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