2010 is looking like a world war year for games this year. The Xbox 360 was quoted by many as not having many games in 2009 to which we did a review of Xbox 360 last year. It had decent library of games but lacked the stellar line up of the PlayStation 3. 2010 might actually be the year that may decide that which console will be the market leader for hardcore gamers. Now the 360 and the PlayStation 3 have both got off to a cracker. Microsoft has already started with a bang with the release of Mass Effect 2, which is easily the year’s first blockbuster game. PlayStation 3 too has got off to a cracking start with the upcoming release of the already critically acclaimed, Heavy Rain. But as many critics have quoted in the past that the 360 might actually struggle against the PS3 line up in 2010, I for one beg to differ. The Xbox 360 actually has a lineup which is as good as the PlayStation 3 one. Here is the list of the major PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 exclusives to be released this year:
PlayStation 3:
- God of War 3
- Heavy Rain
- Resistance 3 (not confirmed but has a very high chance that it is coming this year)
- Gran Turismo 5 (provided no more delays)
- The Last Guardian
Xbox 360:
- Alan Wake
- Splinter Cell: Conviction
- Fable III
- Halo Reach
- CrackDown 2
- Gears of War 3 (Nothing is confirmed yet, but we know there is one in the works somewhere)
So as you can see both consoles have some stellar games to come. God of War 3 should be an absolute feast and has that “Game of the Year” look over it. Heavy Rain reviews have already started coming in and it should be another great addition in the PS3 library. Judging by the trailers and the introduction of some really revolutionary game play elements, Heavy Rain is a must buy for any PlayStation 3 owner. Resistance 3, though still not confirmed, but I bet it will be shown at E3, just by logic really. 2006 saw the first entry in the series, 2008 saw Resistance 2 and 2010 should see Resistance 3 hitting this fall. Another PlayStation 3 game in the list is Gran Turismo 5. Well it’s been five years since it was announced, even if it gets delayed it won’t really bother us, but we do know that it would be awesome once it comes out. Team ICO is one of the most unique developers out there. It’s been five long years since Shadow of the Colossus, so The Last Guardian might actually be one of the games that will make your jaws drop due to its beautiful design and visuals.
Xbox 360 has some really good games coming out this year as well. I am really looking forward to Alan Wake. It will be one of those games that might actually revolutionize the survival genre. The recent video just shows that their hard work is really paying off big time. Check the video below:
Splinter Cell Conviction just like Gran Turismo 5 and Alan Wake has seen a number of delays. But Ubisoft have finally etched the release date in to stone now. Never the less it is really looking like a very strong 360 exclusive judging by the screens unveiled at X10 event recently. There has been lot of talk on how Fable III will actually annoy players and Peter Molyneux has been a lot in the news these days, obviously for good reasons. Fable III along with Project Natal will actually be one trump cards for Microsoft this year. Crackdown 2 is without a release date at the moment. It was suppose to release in June, but I believe it should be ready by Fall, if not late. Next up is perhaps Microsoft’s most important game since its console made the debut in 2005. Halo Reach if successful (critics and sales) could really push the Xbox 360 in to dominating position by 2010 end. Time will tell whether history is repeated or not. Gears of War 3 just like Resistance 3 should logically be released in 2010. But chances of this are slim since I don’t think Halo Reach and Gears of War 3 released could possibly be released in the same year.
So, even if you remove Gears of War 3 from the list, Xbox 360’s line up does look very solid. So contrary to what many people said in 2009, the line up of Xbox 360 is as good as PlayStation 3. So in short it’s a win-win situation for fans of respective consoles.