Hello LusiSprites! Perhaps the year is almost half over, but with major game releases heavily weighted toward the end of the year, I feel like now is the perfect time to churn out a list of my most anticipated games.
Will the list be surprising? Probably not. Will the list be informative? Probably not. Will the list be entertaining? I doubt it. But will the list be a list? Absolutely! And with that guarantee, I bring you the first game.
Death will limit YOUR edition.
Darksiders II
The original Darksiders was met to generally positive reviews and was considered enough of a success to warrant a sequel. The biggest criticism launched against it was its extreme similarities to other titles, God of War and Zelda. To me, it was a combination that worked very well. I found it difficult to be annoyed at a game for being similar to franchises that I also have a good time with.
Needless to say, the title surprised me. It drew me in so much that I made short work of it, loving every second until the conclusion. The developers have thankfully taken over two years to make the sequel, and I am intrigued that the game takes place at the exact same time as the original; managed by the fact that the main character is Death now, not War. Late June is when I get to discover if they did the original justice.
Borderlands 2
This was another new IP rewarded by decent sales. It definitely deserved it. I hopped on the Borderlands train extremely late, but loved my time with the unique shooter. Gearbox Software is taking even more time than Vigil Games is with Darksiders II, and Borderlands 2 is not even expected to be out until the end of this year; more than three years after the original.
Borderlands 2 looks to be a more polished version of “more of the same” and, with a formula as addictive and fun as the first one, that is fine by me.
The Last Guardian
To be honest, nobody is even sure this game will come out this year. Team ICO takes a notoriously long time to complete their games, and this one in particular seems to be hitting rough patches.
Still, if I am not optimistic, then I am not doing my job as counterpoint to Riddles’ Eeyore-inspired gloom-fest that he sprays all over the wonderful world of Lusipurr.com.
The Last Guardian has been talked to death, so I will cut this off now. I just would have been remiss if I did not give this troubled game a nod.
Smugleaf
Pokémon Black and White Version 2
We may know next to nothing about these games, but it is Pokémon and therefore I am anticipating it.
While it would normally be easy to determine what the games would be like just from the title, this is the first time the series has attached a number to one of the entries. Is this just Nintendo’s new way of making a Pokémon Grey? Or is it a full new generation? Perhaps something totally different. Something set in the same world and with the same number of creatures from Black and White but with a new story and different Pokémon available at different times?
Either way, the speculation does nothing but drive my hype up. Like I said, it is Pokémon, therefore I am anticipating it.
Bioshock Infinite
I am not as into the Bioshock games as a lot of people are. I thought the first game was neat and the second game was trash. However, I cannot deny the impressive atmosphere constructed by Ken Levine and his team for the original. Therefore to see him return, and to not be revisiting Rapture, I am definitely intrigued.
The sequel-of-sorts appears to be staying thematically relevant while taking the opportunity to make major changes to the gameplay if they feel the need.
This likely will not be a day one purchase for me, but I am very excited for the game nonetheless. I think it will be an important game, and whether or not it is the kind of game I would like to play, I always anticipate releases that I expect to push the industry forward.
Assassin’s Creed III
The Assassin’s Creed franchise has gone much the way of Kingdom Hearts recently. It appeared as though nothing but spin-offs and filler would be released in lieu of a proper sequel. While Kingdom Hearts has gone six years down the rabbit hole, Assassin’s Creed has only committed crimes for half the time.
I was wise enough to avoid both Botherhood and Revelations, so I am properly excited for the final entry to Desmond’s story. In fact, because I hated the first title, this will only be the second game in the series I play properly. My second console iteration instead of my fifth.
For that reason, plus the interesting American Revolution setting, Assassin’s Creed III easily makes this list.
Not the Wii U
Seriously. That thing comes out this year? Does anybody know anything about it? We know that Darksiders II is a launch game, but I am sure as crap not going to buy it for Wii U. Nintendo has a lot of work to do at E3.
So there’s my predictable list, LusiSprites. Agree? Disagree? Let me know what I’m missed in the comments below.
