Discussions

Do you remember in the early 90’s when, following the launch of the Nintendo Entertainment System, the big franchise sequels began to appear?  Back then it was Super Mario Brothers 2. Super Contra. Ninja Gaiden II. Double Dragon II. Glory days!

Unlike the movie industry who often can’t craft a worthy sequel to save their lives (few exceptions aside) it seems the gaming industry is infinitely better at reimagining their most beloved titles.  With E3 around the corner and previews bursting through the walls I can’t help but feel that 2009 is bursting with great pics -- for PC gamers especially, it seems.  Here’s what’s burning a hole in my wallet as we speak:

Let’s start with the one due soon: If you have OCD tendencies, The Sims 3 is probably your jam.  This quirky franchise synthesizes the tasks of friend-making, home-making, career-building, time management, and personal hygiene into a point and click domestic adventure of sorts.  Somehow, this is fun.  A lot of fun.  Don’t believe me?  The Sims franchise has sold over 50 million units.  Kinda hard to argue with that. 

The previous Sims games have allowed you to customize your characters and have them pursue everything from riches to love, but it’s always felt a little mechanical.  The sequel promises to improve the little people’s simulated humanity by adding “traits” which make your characters meaner, more ambitious, more outgoing, and so forth.  The outdoor areas and range of activities also look very promising: you can hop in your car and go fishing, go to a restaurant, and meet new people at the park.  I can’t wait to fill a mansion with incredibly flawed and polarized guests and see what this baby can do! This game screams replay value.  I know, I know. Sure, it sounds a lot like real life or reality television, but the difference is that you can enjoy this from your air conditioned sofa with little risk of getting stabbed in Central Park while enjoying all over joys (vices?) of sedentary gamer living.  If you’re looking for a time sink, this one is ready on June 2nd, just around the corner!

If you enjoy Tom Clancy wares or any gritty military/government conspiracy stuff, you should pay attention to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.  These games bend, burn, and smash the lines between Hollywood productions and video games.  If you don’t know what I mean, you simply have to pick one up to understand.  Steal this demo – you will not be disappointed!  So what do I know about this game?  Not much. Actually, we’ve only seen TEN SECONDS of footage. 

Its easy to buy the hype when you worship the people making it: game developer Infinity Ward, the crew behind Call of Duty 4, which is hailed as one of the hallmarks of the First Person Shooter genre – and one of my favorite games of all time.  More details of this game will be revealed on May 24th and is slated for a November release.  My gut tells me that this will be a contender for game of the year.

Have you ever heard of a game called World of Warcraft?  I’m kidding.  Unless you’ve taken comfortable residence in cave you probably have.  16 million people around the world are currently playing it and the game’s virtual economy puts small real-world developing countries to shame.  When these guys release a new game, I listen.  They have two due this year, Starcraft 2 (pictured above, which seems to be more of a visual and strategic unit upgrade rather than an overhaul) and this thing -- the next Diablo installment.  There’s a lot to say about what goes into Diablo III, such as the advanced character classes, the vast high-definition world you can explore, the multiplayer aspect, and so on and so forth. 

However, the true appeal of this game – and a badly imitated mechanic at that -- is in its simplicity in gameplay.  You simply use your mouse to click on things and beat them up.  That’s more or less all there is to it.  Run. Click. Kill. Click. Pick up. Click.  There’s hotkeys if you want to get fancy, but that’s basically all there is to it.  Group with friends, go kill shit.  Awesome. This game has been in development for over a decade.  The developer, Blizzard, loves to tout their motto regarding any of their releases:  “It’s done when it’s done.”. I suspect one of them will hit without warning later this year and the other will follow in 2010.

Oh, and how could I forget!  Bioshock 2 and Mass Effect 2 are also on their way and sports fans have Madden and NHL 10 doing their annual upgrade routes.  Now would be a good time to contemplate your hardware, if not only your hard drive space for starters!
 
So that’s my list. Are there any sequels you’re looking forward to that I missed?