Game Calendar, August 2009
As we emerge from the summer doldrums, game after game can be seen on the horizon that I want to play. Here's what looks good to me:
September 15, 2009 - Ultimate Alliance 2
clockwerkdragon , lukzur , Victor, and I beat the original Ultimate Alliance on the PS2 back in the day, and earlier this year lukzur , Victor, and I beat the Gold Edition (new characters!) on my Xbox360. I'm looking forward to playing the sequel with as much of the gang as I can get together. The UA games (like the X-Men games before them) are only middle-of-the-road when played single player but a blast when played as a group.
November 3, 2009 - Dragon Age: Origins
A solo RPG by Bioware, Dragon Age puts you in the role of a "Grey Warden" and charges you with saving the world from darkness by raising an army. That's my kind of game, and the fact that you can make whatever type of character you want, and further, that your origin story factors into gameplay makes me very happy. It should be pretty cool.
November 17, 2009 - Left 4 Dead 2
I liked, but didn't love, Left 4 Dead, so I'm not that excited about the sequel. But on the other hand, I don't have download access to my 360 so the whole "Boycott L4D2 until we get more free stuff" movement doesn't really have a lot of traction with me. Still, by the time it pops, I figure we'll have beaten UA2 to death and will need a new multi-player game, and L4D2 should do just fine, thanks.
February, 2010 - Elemental: War of Magic
A game that began its life as Master of Magic 2, the developers had to switch courses after a rights issue popped up. Still, if it can maintain enough of MoM's gameplay, I'm definitely there. Time to arm up some knights and warm up the spell book for some turn based strategy!
Early 2010 - Mass Effect 2
I wish I had more information on when in Q1 this game is coming out. January? March? Who knows? Still, I loved Mass Effect, and the fact that I can import my characters from Mass Effect into the sequel is awesome. Indeed, Mass Effect was the game that I got my 360 to play, and I'm looking forward with baited breath for the sequel.
October, 2010 - The Old Republic
And this is the end of me. Well, that's an exaggeration, perhaps. I hope. This MMO sounds like its a game I've always wanted to play, and if the game that appears is half as good as the information to date it'll be stupendous. The only thing I worry about is that around November 2010 should be the same time that World of Warcraft: Cataclysm launches, and that could be a very bad thing indeed for TOR. After all, the Warhammer MMO released just before Lich King, and that add-on helped killed poor old WAR. here's hoping that TOR can do better.
???? - Star Trek Online
Considering that Cryptic's Champions Online is coming out shortly, and that there hasn't been much about this game in the press as yet, I'm going to guess that this is hitting sometime in 2011. I like the premise...I've always wanted to be a starship captain...but what's out there hasn't really grabbed me the way the TOR stuff has. I'll probably give it a look, but it'll have to be damned good to pull me away from my life as a Jedi, especially since I follow a "one MMO at a time" policy.
???? - Sword of the Stars 2
I'm currently playing Sword of the Stars, a decent little turn based 4X space empire game with real time combat. They've just released thier third and final expansion for the game and announced that they're working on a sequel. I'll play it, whenever that comes out.
September 15, 2009 - Ultimate Alliance 2
clockwerkdragon , lukzur , Victor, and I beat the original Ultimate Alliance on the PS2 back in the day, and earlier this year lukzur , Victor, and I beat the Gold Edition (new characters!) on my Xbox360. I'm looking forward to playing the sequel with as much of the gang as I can get together. The UA games (like the X-Men games before them) are only middle-of-the-road when played single player but a blast when played as a group.
November 3, 2009 - Dragon Age: Origins
A solo RPG by Bioware, Dragon Age puts you in the role of a "Grey Warden" and charges you with saving the world from darkness by raising an army. That's my kind of game, and the fact that you can make whatever type of character you want, and further, that your origin story factors into gameplay makes me very happy. It should be pretty cool.
November 17, 2009 - Left 4 Dead 2
I liked, but didn't love, Left 4 Dead, so I'm not that excited about the sequel. But on the other hand, I don't have download access to my 360 so the whole "Boycott L4D2 until we get more free stuff" movement doesn't really have a lot of traction with me. Still, by the time it pops, I figure we'll have beaten UA2 to death and will need a new multi-player game, and L4D2 should do just fine, thanks.
February, 2010 - Elemental: War of Magic
A game that began its life as Master of Magic 2, the developers had to switch courses after a rights issue popped up. Still, if it can maintain enough of MoM's gameplay, I'm definitely there. Time to arm up some knights and warm up the spell book for some turn based strategy!
Early 2010 - Mass Effect 2
I wish I had more information on when in Q1 this game is coming out. January? March? Who knows? Still, I loved Mass Effect, and the fact that I can import my characters from Mass Effect into the sequel is awesome. Indeed, Mass Effect was the game that I got my 360 to play, and I'm looking forward with baited breath for the sequel.
October, 2010 - The Old Republic
And this is the end of me. Well, that's an exaggeration, perhaps. I hope. This MMO sounds like its a game I've always wanted to play, and if the game that appears is half as good as the information to date it'll be stupendous. The only thing I worry about is that around November 2010 should be the same time that World of Warcraft: Cataclysm launches, and that could be a very bad thing indeed for TOR. After all, the Warhammer MMO released just before Lich King, and that add-on helped killed poor old WAR. here's hoping that TOR can do better.
???? - Star Trek Online
Considering that Cryptic's Champions Online is coming out shortly, and that there hasn't been much about this game in the press as yet, I'm going to guess that this is hitting sometime in 2011. I like the premise...I've always wanted to be a starship captain...but what's out there hasn't really grabbed me the way the TOR stuff has. I'll probably give it a look, but it'll have to be damned good to pull me away from my life as a Jedi, especially since I follow a "one MMO at a time" policy.
???? - Sword of the Stars 2
I'm currently playing Sword of the Stars, a decent little turn based 4X space empire game with real time combat. They've just released thier third and final expansion for the game and announced that they're working on a sequel. I'll play it, whenever that comes out.