Later Bioware posted this on twitter:

“Addressing rumors: BioWare will not be charging extra for any new Mass Effect 2 content on launch day. More DLC details next week.”

Looks like we’ll have to wait until next week to get any information from Bioware about this DLC rumor. Keep it here on Gaming Bolt for more info.

Darksiders

Developer: Vigil Games

Publisher: THQ

Release Date: January 5

Platform: PS3/360

Overview: Darksiders is an action role-playing game from Vigil Games and THQ. You play as War, one of the Four Horsemen of the apocalypse. You quickly find that things didn’t go as planned and must bring the world back into balance.

Pros: You get to play as one of the Four Horsemen of the apocalypse, what isn’t cool about that? THQ is so confident in the quality of the game that they have already tasked Vigil with a sequel.

Cons: Nothing to worry about here, Darksiders seems destined for greatness. THQ may be the only ones who have to worry. With so many high caliber games releasing early this year Darksiders may not be at the top of many gamers’ lists bringing fan reception into question.

Prediction: Big Hit

Bayonetta

Developer: Platinum Games

Publisher: SEGA

Release Date: January 5

Platform: PS3/360

Overview: Bayonetta is an over the top action game developed by Platinum games and published by SEGA. The game follows Bayonetta, a witch who escapes from hell and is in search of her lost past. Expect a sexy and stylish adventure.

Pros: Well it is easy to recommend the game considering the scores it got with its Japan release last year. Several publications gave the game perfect scores and U.S. publications that have imported the game agree.

Cons: No cons about the game though I can see mothers unknowingly buy their children this game and the go on an anti game rampage afterwards.

Prediction: Big Hit

Army of Two: The 40^th Day

Developer: EA Montreal

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Release Date: January 12

Platform: PS3/360/PSP

Overview: Army of Two released to mixed reviews in 2008 due to its plot and character banter. The 40^th Day sets out to fix those problems while still keeping the no-bromo loving from the first.

Pros: With a less controversial setting, EA Montreal already has things going in the right direction. They have also added more weapon customization and an improved multiplayer mode. What’s not to love?

Cons: EA has a thin line to work on. They must not only open the game up to new players but they need to keep fans of the original happy. With all of the changes made to the game the existing fans may be left disappointed.

Prediction: Hit

Dark Void

Developer: Airtight Games

Publisher: Capcom

Release Date: January 19

Platform: PS3/360/PC

Overview: Dark Void is a third-person shooter from Airtight Games. You get lost inside the Bermuda Triangle and find a group of humans on the other side. You must join their fight against the Watchers and take to the skies in dizzying vertical combat.

Pros: Airtight may have a somewhat clichéd premise however, their gameplay style is truly one of a kind. If done well Dark Void could be the beginning of an entirely new mechanic in future shooters. Also it has Nolan North voicing the main character so you know it has to be good…wait isn’t he also Elliot in Army of Two? It is going to be another of those years.

Cons: Dark Void’s greatest strength could also be its undoing. If this vertical combat mechanic fails then the entire game fails with it. Not even Nolan North can save a broken game.

Prediction: AIB

Mass Effect 2

Developer: Bioware

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Release Date: January 26

Platform: PC/360

Overview: Bioware returns us to the world of Mass Effect is an explosive way. Promising to be more action packed than the original while still maintaining what made it so great; Mass Effect 2 is looking to be one of the best games of 2010.

Pros: More action packed sounds like a good thing to me. While not broken, the combat in the original game was not exciting. With new weapons and characters, all of that is going to change. The new plot is also shaping up to be an improvement over the original game, and the original game had a great plot.

Cons: I have to find the time to do another play through of the original to get the “perfect” save file to carry over.

Prediction: Big Hit

MAG

Developer: Zipper Interactive

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Release Date: January 26

Platform: PS3

Overview: MAG has you join one of three PMCs (Private Military Corporation) and engage in the “Shadow War” between them. Boasting up to 256 players in a room, it promises to have huge and intense yet organized battles.

Pros: MAG is the biggest FPS ever. No other game has had 256 simultaneous players in the same room and not only does MAG do so, it keeps it from being a 128 vs. 128 shootout in one spot. By organizing teams into platoons of 64 and further into squads of 8 the game allows different groups to tackle different objectives at the same time with the right amount of manpower.

Cons: Unfortunately MAG has a few obvious potential flaws. The first is the question of whether the servers will hold up if a million players are all online playing 256 player matches. The second is the notorious reputation of Playstation 3 owners not having headsets. In a game that heavily relies on communications the lack thereof could prove disastrous. Finally, there is the issue of players who choose to go rogue. If players cannot work as a team they will not succeed and if players cannot succeed they will not play the game.

Prediction: AIB

January is clearly full of hits with only a few question marks mixed in. Check back next month for the follow-up and for the February edition. As always, keep it here on Gaming Bolt!

chrisvogt@gamingbolt.com

You play as War, the first of the Four Horsemen of the apocalypse. War lands in the middle of a battle between the forces of Heaven and the legions of Hell. As he marches through the beginning stages of the end of the world, he begins to wonder where his brothers are and why he is gradually losing his abilities. Finally, War is slain in battle after losing all of his strength and is brought before the Council. They tell him that the last of the seven seals protecting the Kingdom of Man was not broken and that he ushered in the apocalypse early. War, certain that he received the call, demands to be sent back to earth to find those truly responsible and punish them. The Council agrees and sends him back; however 100 years have passed since he was last on earth. The Watcher, whose only goal is to make sure he accomplishes his mission or kill him if he gets out of hand, now accompanies War. From that point, you will begin your lengthy adventure through the wasteland that remains of civilization.

Darksiders is in many ways similar to God of War however Vigil managed to put its own spin of things to keep them feeling different, if only a little bit. Combat is simple but effective, rather than having light and heavy attacks you can attack with your main weapon or a secondary weapon. Your main weapon will always be the Chaoseater but you can choose your secondary weapon and change it at any time by pressing down on the D-pad. Weapons can level up from use up to level 5. There are also boosters that can be found and added to each weapon to add to its strength, as well as new combos that can be purchased from the merchant with souls you gather from slain enemies.

Your friendly neighborhood Vulgrim at your service.

You will also gain access to other gear on tour journey that can help both in combat and in puzzle solving. Unfortunately, these pieces of gear can become quite annoying late in the game when you will have to constantly access the menu and swap out one piece of equipment for another. It does not sound like a big deal, but later puzzles try to incorporate as much gear as possible so you will be switching several times per puzzle.

Speaking of puzzles, Darksiders is full of them. In fact, when I looked at my completion time I saw that combat time only mad up about a quarter of the time I spent with the game, so you had better like puzzles if you want to play Darksiders. Luckily (or unfortunately depending on how much you like puzzles) none of the puzzles are very difficult. Some of the later puzzles will require more thought, but none will require more than a few minutes of thought and planning. The problem with the puzzles is that they feel unnecessarily drawn out. Puzzle areas are generally very large and do not have very much going on. I spent a great deal of time just walking from one part of a puzzle to another rather than, more than I ever spent solving them. In a game like God of War, puzzles are a break in the combat, in Darksiders I found combat to be a short break between puzzles.

After all the puzzles War needs to smash someone.

Darksiders will take anywhere between 10 and 16 hours to complete on normal difficulty depending on how fast you play and whether or not you explore the world. Considering most games nowadays barely reach the 8-hour mark, if that, Darksiders goes above and beyond to deliver a game worth the price tag. The world looks great and features a fantastic art style. You will go from ruined cities to demonic cathedrals on your journey through this open world. There are some equally interesting characters you will meet along the way, each playing their part in the grand scheme of things. The voice acting is top notch across the board, and Mark Hamill delivers another noteworthy performance as The Watcher.

Darksiders has a few nagging issues that can really take away from the experience. First and foremost is that the controls can be very unresponsive. War apparently has a hard time jumping because if he does not like where you jump he just wont do it. There were several instances where I could not make a jump because War would simply walk off the edge. Also aiming is a bit sloppy and can really hurt your timing on some of the more difficult puzzles. To top things off the Crossblade has a nasty habit of getting stuck on objects or missing targets completely. Considering how many puzzles involve it, it would have been nice if it were more reliable. There are some minor frame-rate drops during big battles and some occasional screen tearing, but none of it is noticeable unless you are looking for it.

Darksiders succeeds at starting the year off right by delivering a solid experience albeit a few bumps along the way. With THQ already promising a sequel, Darksiders is a great start to what could become a fantastic franchise. If Darksiders is any indication of what is to come this year then 2010 will be a truly great year.

This game was reviewed on the Xbox 360.

Borderlands

Very few games this year managed to keep me coming back like Borderlands did. Having beaten the game nearly four times and having reached level 50 with two characters I still feel the need to go back and keep playing. It leaves the sense that you have unfinished business with the world of Pandora as long as bandits still roam the badlands and while the Crimson Lance still control Old Haven. Borderlands is one of the few games from 2009 that I fully intend to invest even more time into in 2010.

Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time

A Crack in Time was the first time I looked at the back of the game case and found everything it said to be true. The game looked great and had a compelling and emotional story that left me satisfied as well as a bit choked up. ACIT is the best game Insomniac has put out on the PS3 and is the best game they have released since Up Your Arsenal. In a year where the PS3 had one great exclusive after another Ratchet and Clank manages to be one of the best.

DJ Hero

There is no denying that the market is now flooded with music games and originality has been thrown out the window in exchange for quick cash. That is what makes DJ Hero stand out above its competition. The mixes are great and the venues are flashy and give off a real club feel. DJ Hero is like playing Guitar Hero for the first time and you will lose yourself in the game unlike any other music game out there.

Halo 3: ODST

Halo 3: ODST was one of only a few big name 360 exclusives this year and it delivered a great experience. Many looked at it as DLC with a $60 price tag; however, those who took the time to look deeper found a fantastic campaign along with a fun new survival mode called Firefight. ODST proved that you could do Halo without the ring world and without the Master Chief. If you missed ODST because you thought it was overpriced DLC, I highly recommend you take the time to give this game a shot, you may be surprised.

Demon’s Souls

Demon’s Souls was one of the top RPGs released this year. It was a nod to old school style games with its sometimes-brutal difficulty and unforgiving nature. This one definitely will not hold your hand like most games today. That old school feel made the game so good as well as its fantastic multiplayer design. Demon’s Souls is not for the faint of heart, but those willing to rise to the challenge will find it to be one of the best games released this year.

InFamous

InFamous was a rollercoaster ride of twists and turns that made an otherwise lacking story into something special. It managed to capture the human aspect of having superpowers and gave you choices that for the most part felt reasonable and not too extreme in either direction. Cole was a person first and the powers were simply a means for him to return his life to normal or create a world where he reigned supreme. InFamous is a game you have to experience to truly appreciate.

2009 will undoubtedly go down as a great year for the industry thanks to many strong releases over the year. In past years there has always been one game that seemed to trump all others, but 2009 proved to be a very competitive year with many titles worthy of the recognition. We here at Gaming Bolt hope you enjoyed 2009 and that you enjoyed both our nominees and our honorable mentions. Check back here on December 31^st for the results of the user voting and as always keep it here on Gaming Bolt!

Game of the Year:

Uncharted 2

Best Shooter:

Killzone 2

Best Action Adventure Game:

Uncharted 2

Best Strategy Game:

Empire Total War

Best Sports Game:

Fifa 10

Best Role-Playing Game:

Dragon Age Origins

Best Racing Game:

Forza 3

Best Fighting Game:

Tekken 6

Best New Male Protagonist:

Cole McGrath

Best New Female Protagonist:

Chloe Frazer

Best Story/Plot:

Uncharted 2

Best Visuals:

Uncharted 2

Best Voice Acting:

Uncharted 2...I'm detecting a recurring theme here

Best Cutscenes:

Ok so maybe we liked Uncharted 2...a lot

Biggest Flop:

Stormrise, you can't tell me you expected Uncharted 2 again

Best Developer:

Were you expecting someone else?

Best Handheld Game:

Final Fantasy Dissidia

Best Console Game (Console Exclusive):

...

Best PC Game (PC Exclusive):

Empire Total War

Best PSN/XBLA Game:

Battlefield 1943

Biggest “Oh Snap!” Moment of 2009:

Modern Warfare 2 Sells 7 Million Worldwide Day 1

Best DLC:

Grand Theft Auto IV The Ballad of Gay Tony

Best Sequel:

You can't say you didn't see this coming

Most Underachieved Game:

Halo Wars

Best Original Score:

Demigod

Best Soundtrack:

DJ Hero

Best Multiplayer Game:

Modern Warfare 2

Well that’s all for the Editor’s Choice winners. Remember to keep voting for your favorites in the user voting. Polls close on December 30th and User’s Choice winners will be announced on December 31st, the perfect way to close out the year. As always keep it here on Gaming Bolt!

Of course, it would not be every franchise as not every game could be an annual event, but look at Batman for example; if this were a trilogy would you want to play a new game every year? I doubt Rocksteady would let quality slip and I believe that each game would be of at least the same quality as the previous entry, but would you want that? Personally, I am a fan of the two-year cycle though some games I just can’t wait for. If they did launch a new Batman game in each of the next three years I would buy them all if they were at least as good as the first.

Arkham Asylum was an excellent game, but do we need another next year?

The problem with such a system in place would be that innovation would be thrown out the window. When looking at sports games they always feel like the last entry. There may be a few new additions or some slightly more refined existing content, but there is always that inescapable feeling that you are playing the same game as last year. Sure, you could have a new Batman game next year, but how much could it have been improved since the last entry? An annual cycle makes it harder to get a defining feature that sets the new entry apart from the previous entry?

Left 4 Dead 2 is another example. It was undeniably an improvement over the original, but there was still that feeling of playing the same game with a few new additions. When you compare that to a game like Uncharted 2 that added improved graphics, a lengthier story, and full competitive multiplayer you see what can be accomplished with just another year’s time.

Left 4 Dead 2 was an improvement over the original showing that the one-year cycle can succeed, but were the improvements enough to make it really worth it?

The issue we have right now is that the industry is not doing so hot. Developers are closing their doors and people are losing their jobs. Publishers see this and maybe, just maybe, this annual policy may be the ticket to some quick cash. They know just as well as we do that a new entry in everyone’s favorites franchise every year would sell. Call of Duty sells millions of copies each year with such a system, why not Halo or Uncharted or Batman? At the cost of quality, many publishers could make some easy money and make fans happy at the same time. Suddenly quality quickly drops, but people don’t notice. Why you ask? Most people will be so caught up in the fact that the next game will be out next year that they will not notice the decline. Anticipation for the next game will be replaced by the gamer simply expecting the next addition in a years time.

While the annual system seems appealing despite its faults, I’d rather stick with a two-year cycle. The two year cycle has proven to provide some excellent games this generation and during the last and as they say, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it! As much as I’d like to play another Arkham Asylum next year, take your time Rocksteady, no rush. That goes for everyone else too. I’d rather wait for quality than lose innovation.

You play as Ryder, the newest member of the Avatar program. Your objective is to root out a mole in the program who is giving tactical information to the Na’vi, the blue guys. Once you find the mole you must choose either to remain with the humans and kill the mole or join the mole and in turn the Na’Vi. At that point the story loses any and all enjoyment and you begin constant fetch quests and take part in boring set piece battles.

The game looks great visually, and that’s about all you’ll say looks great.

No matter your choice you get stuck with poorly controlled vehicles/animals and bad shooting mechanics. The Na’Vi animals are tolerable but the flyers could control a lot better, while all of the human vehicles move the camera like they are driving or walking through an earthquake. The shooting is alright at a distance but once things get closer forget it. This not only makes the single player bad, but it make the sub par multiplayer even less fun to play.

Progression lies in boring fetch quests and not much else. You will come across some set piece battles but none of them are difficult or satisfying. They can act as a decent distraction between quests, but eventually you’ll have to head back out on your scavenger hunt so you can find something that some one else will eventually do something cool with that you can’t do.

It’s gonna be a bumpy ride, but not for the reasons you think.

The game’s visuals are easily its strongest aspect and the most likely thing to make you think that Avatar could be a good game. Like they say however, looks can be deceiving. The environments look good and characters do as well though their expressions are a bit off looking sometimes. The sound effects are good and the voice acting is above average and is probably some of the best I’ve heard from a movie game. That’s not to say all characters are good, but most will leave you satisfied.

Overall Avatar does not deliver on any aspect and become a culmination of crap. With more time they could have had a great game on their hands that could do for movie games what the movies does for movies. Instead we are left with a good looking shell that hides everything mediocre beneath it.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 3.

Gran Turismo 5 is arguably Sony’s top exclusive of next year. The franchise has always delivered a visually impressive, tight controlled, chart busting, and critically acclaimed racing experience. From what I played in the demo it seems as though that strong tradition will continue.

First let me make this clear, this is not intended to be a demo similar to Gran Turismo 5 Prologue. Rather the demo is meant to be a competition within the Gran Turismo community. There is one track, Indianapolis, and two versions of the Nissan 370z (One of my personal favorite cars). One version of the 370z is not tuned at all while the other version has a different set of tires. The objective is to get the best time possible on the same track with both of the cars. Your best time will be put up on the leaderboards with all other racers.

This is a real 370z

I started my time with the standard 370z. Initially it took some time for me to get the hang of things as the demo runs at Professional difficulty, the most realistic of them all. If you are used to the handling of vehicles in games like Need for Speed Shift then Gran Turismo 5 will take a bit of getting used to. The controls are tight, but the physics are much more realistic. Gran Turismo doesn’t give off the same sense of speed that a game like Shift does and while it will lead to some poorly taken turns initially it adds to the overall realism once you get the hang of things.

The racing line quickly became my greatest learning tool as in Gran Turismo it plays a more proactive role rather than a reactive one. In a game like Shift the line changes base on what you are doing at the moment with speed control. In Gran Turismo it will lay out the red line signaling to slow down, but rather than go around the corner and remain red until you slow down enough it will stop at the beginning of the turn showing the last possible moment you can reach a low enough speed to make the turn. With this knowledge I found my self taking much more controlled turns in later laps and in turn it improved my lap times.

Once I couldn’t shave any more milliseconds off of my time with the standard 370z I hopped over to the tuned version and let me tell you, it was like night and day. The level of control I had with the tuned 370z was amazing. I was able to take turns at higher speeds and maintain control throughout. I was also able to reach higher speeds than I could in the standard version. I was truly shocked at how obvious the difference was. In other racing games I would upgrade my car and I wouldn’t feel it other than a slight difference here or there. In Gran Turismo I could feel the difference right away and could focus more on shaving off seconds rather than micromanagement of my car. When all was said and done I ranked around the 4000’s overall.

This is what it looks like in game

As I watched replays of my race I took the time to really look at the game. The car models are fabulous and are near photorealistic. While I found a few spotty textures and some parts of the environment felt a little weak the overall look is what I expected. Polyphony Digital has a real looker on their hands and I can’t wait to see what it looks like when everything is 100% in the retail version. There was no damage in the demo, but PD still promises to have damage in the final game.

While the demo may be small I found it to be all I needed to feel satisfied. To be honest I was still a bit on the edge about whether or not I really wanted Gran Turismo 5. After my time with the demo I am sold. The controls are tight, the game looks great, and I can’t wait to get my hands on this one next year. If you haven’t yet go check this demo out. If you already have post your ranking and best time in the comments below. As always keep it here on Gaming Bolt!

Welcome to the First Annual Gaming Bolt Game of the Year awards. Here you can see our nominees for all of our 27 different categories (along with a handy Hit or Miss rating for the likelihood of winning from the editors perspective). So lets get right to it guys.

Note: Voting closes on 31st December 2009.

Click on various categories below to vote for the games.

Game of the Year & Best Shooter

Best Action Adeventure & Best Strategy Game

Best Sports Game & Best Role Playing Game

Best Racing Game & Best Fighting

Best New Male Protagonist & Best New Female Protagonist

Best Story/Plot & Best Visuals

Best Voice Acting & Best Cutscenes

Biggest Flop of 2009 & Best Developer

Best Handheld Game & Best Console Game

Best PC Game & Best PSN/XBLA Game

Best OH! Snape Moment of 2009 & Best DLC

Best Sequel & Most Under Achieved Game

Best Original Score & Best Sound Track & Best Multiplayer Game

Several surprises came from tonight’s Spike TV Video Game Awards including,

• Batman Arkham Asylum Sequel announcement
• True Crime announcement
• Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II announcement
• Reveal Trailer for Spec Ops: The Line
• Green Day Rock Band

The Winners were,

• Best Voice: Jack Black/ Eddie Riggs
• Best Action Adventure Game: Assassins Creed II
• Best Studio: Rocksteady
• Best Team Sports Game: NHL 10
• Best Performance by a Human Male: Hugh Jakcman
• Best Cast: X-Men Origins: Wolverine
• Best Indie Game: Flower
• Best Individual Sports Game: UFC Undisputed
• Best RPG: Dragon Age: Origins
• Best PC Game: Dragon Age: Origins
• Best Performance by a Human Female: Megan Fox
• Best Downloadable Game: Shadow Complex
• Best Wii Game: New Super Mario Bros. Wii
• Best Shooter: Modern Warfare 2
• Best Multiplayer: Modern Warfare 2
• Best Fighter: Street Fighter 4
• Best Handheld Game: Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars
• Best Driving Game: Forza 3
• Best Soundtrack: DJ Hero
• Best Xbox 360 Game: Left 4 Dead 2
• Best Original Score: Halo 3: ODST
• Best Music Game: The Beatles Rock Band
• Best Playstation 3 Game: Uncharted 2
• Best Graphics: Uncharted 2
• Game of the Year: Uncharted 2

A few final thoughts about the show include,

• Did you see Halo Reach?
• Seriously did you see Halo Reach it looked fantastic.
• Why won’t they announce the Beta for Halo Reach already?

Update: This video is no longer available.

Well that’s what went down in tonight’s Video Game Awards. Speaking of awards, keep it here on Gaming Bolt for some awards of our own coming soon.