B3yond the Report 12.31.09: Desired PS3 Games For 2010

Posted by Jon Seddon on 12.31.2009

10 Games to make you proud to own a PS3!



Given that world gaming news has been on a bit of a shutdown over the holidays, we're doing something a bit different this week with B3yond the Report. This week we're going to be looking at ten PS3 games that are going to contribute to the best year in gaming since launch. With only ten slots, there are a few games that got missed off, but that doesn't mean they won't be anticipated. Honorable mentions must go to ModNation Racers, Gran Turismo 5, The Last Guardian (missed off because it might not make 2010) and many more that you're probably annoyed I've missed.

10 PS3 Games to get excited about in 2010

DC Universe Online

Potentially the first proper MMO on PS3 has seen a few delays, originally scheduled to release last year and now with a rather vague 2010 launch window. The MMO has been almost absent on consoles and the reason for this is a little unclear, but could be due to how long it takes to develop and certify the updates that are needed to keep an MMO running. The level of interest in DC's comic heroes, especially Batman is probably at all time high, so SOE certainly have a chance at giving PS3 something missing from 360. The game won't give you the chance to control those heroes directly but will give you the chance to create your own characters with a range of powers similar to the comic book favorites. With your created character you'll get to join your friends online to take on or work with the real DC characters, but whether that will be enough to make this experiment in console gaming work is a mystery at the moment. The prospect of playing a proper MMO on a console is a tantalizing prospect though.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2

Video Games | The Force Unleashed II | Spike VGA 09: Exclusive Debut Trailer HD

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

The inevitable sequel to the biggest selling Star Wars game was announced at the Spike VGAs and with a 2010 release it squeezes perhaps a little controversially into my 10. The first game was ambitious in it's use of technology with the Europhoria engine giving characters class leading animations and behaviors and the Digital Molecular Matter tool set giving materials such as wood more realistic properties. Lucasarts coupled this with gameplay influenced by Devil May Cry and a story better than anything seen in the Star Wars universe since perhaps The Empire Strikes Back. Critics were quick to point out the failures of the game, but for many it succeeded in providing a thrilling adventure. It weaved plot lines from the classic films with a whole new alternative what if scenario that diverged Star Wars lore into a new an potentially thrilling new direction. All we know about the new game is that you will again play as Starkiller, serving Darth Vader with the potential for a branching plot where you are perhaps offered choices from Yoda and your master, becoming a force for good or the dark side. With subtle tweaks to the combat engine and controls, less bugs and more of the same great story, this deserves to be another hit.

Final Fantasy XIII

The JRPG that everyone thinks will finally move the genre forward will arrive in North America in March 2010 and the PS3 will perhaps provide the definitive way to enjoy the adventure. The latest installment of the long running series will provide the benchmark of CGI cut scenes and couple this with some pretty impressive in game graphics as well. A completely new set of characters and a new battle system that combines real time and turn based battles with the usual dazzling pyrotechnics and the new summons system keeping the leveling interesting. With the game probably passing 2 million sales in Japan by the time this is posted there are no shortage of fans waiting for this game.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2

One of the most underrated games from 2008 gets a deserved sequel featuring the same lovable squad of soldiers, but puts them in perhaps a less lighthearted story. The Frostbite engine that impressed with its destructibility 2 years ago, but would now look a little limited has been given an upgrade. Whereas before buildings could be holed but never completely destroyed, now they can be completely leveled which will change the way you approach a military shooter. Those tactics will be in play in both single player and multi player, providing a very different experience to Modern Warfare and hopefully giving us something else to play this coming year. With both a strong single player campaign and a genuinely worth playing multi-player mode, this could be the shooter to watch next year.

Red Dead Redemption

Video Games | Red Dead Redemption | My Name Is John Marsten Trailer HD

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Whilst this is technically a sequel to Red Dead Revolver, the only thing it has in common with its predecessor is a title and the cowboy setting. This time Rockstar have developed an open world game set in the wild west of the early 20th Century following the adventures of a retired outlaw called John Marston. As well as some superbly animated horses the game will also feature lots of wild animals that will play their part in the game providing you with something to hunt or perhaps be hunted by. The latest trailer shows us a large number of weapons, environments and characters and the attention to detail in each of the scenes is pretty staggering. There haven't been many western games worth getting excited about and a similarly few really decent open world games and if anyone can bring the two together then Rockstar can.

Bioshock 2

Bioshock is the best game ever made according to a large number of people and even if you aren't one of those you will probably have thought very highly of Ken Levine's last game. News of a sequel being developed by a different team was met via a muted reaction and when multi player was confirmed and another development team got involved many journalists smelt a rat. Now that the game is getting close to it's February release and more people have got a chance to play the game, the level of concern is diminishing with a team at 2K Marin that seem dedicated to doing justice to what was achieved with the first game. This time around you play the part of a Big Daddy in a Rapture set 10 years after the first game fighting against Big Sisters with the help of a whole new set of Plasmids. The latest previews show a beautifully looking game world that pays homage to the original story. Whether the multi player will be anything other than a bullet point on the back of the box remains to be seen though.

Yakuza 3

After months of speculation Sega finally gave fans of the series the news they wanted when they confirmed that Yakuza 3 will be making its way to the west next year. As per the first two games you play the part of moving around Tokyo kicking rival gangs butt in a game that plays like a hybrid of an RPG and fighter with its comprehensive set of moves. Graphically its way ahead of the PS2 games but mechanically it hasn't really changed very much in the console transition, but you will get a chance to play a whole new set of mini games including karaoke and poker, although there isn't any Space Harrier. Yakuza 3 is one of the most interesting hard core games to come out of Japan filled with a world full of interesting things to see and do and is the closest many of us will get to visiting Tokyo.

God of War 3

Sony have already given us a taste of what to expect with the God of War 3 demo released earlier this year. They also whetted our appetite when they re-released the first two games with a hi-def make over in November. From what we've seen so far, the next installment in the series is going to provide more of what we loved about the PS2 games, but the scope and the spectacle of the levels will be literally off the scale. Graphically it's not quite as impressive as it might have been had it been released earlier in the life of the PS3, but it's still a pretty looking game and playing the re-masters has certainly left us wanting more.

Mafia 2

The hype machine for Mafia 2 geared up towards the end of this year before 2K Games decided to move the release date to the first half of 2010. 2K Czech have been a proprietary engine for a very good looking open world game featuring our favorite gangsters in a story set in a 50's fictional American city. The trailers on offer so far have shown explosive gun play, car chases and brutal fisticuffs, but what might not be so apparent is the sheer number of incidental missions on offer whilst you are just moving from A to B. Will you stop to get involved in helping a lady being mugged in a side alley or will you just walk on by. Hopefully, the extra months in development will make this good looking game into a great game, unlike the first time round where the lack of polish and console tuning ruined the experience for everyone but PC owners.

Heavy Rain

David Cage's next masterpiece will perhaps split gaming audience with it's unique approach to delivering an interactive gaming experience, but it is still highly anticipated by everyone that saw that first digital acting experience from several years ago. The game features many things that you won't see in any other gaming experience this year, including a control system that seems more suited to a racing game , an incredibly original use of quick time events and a number of adult themes that don't just offer breasts. What we won't see though (hopefully) is a plot that goes to pieces by the mid way point with no sentient AI or supernatural elements. Instead we'll get cutting edge graphics and an intelligent story challenging what we expect from playing a game.

---

We return to our normal service next week, although I will be listing 10 PSP games to get excited about.