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

–Assassins Creed 2–

Well just as Assassins Creed 2 was our first Hit, it was our first missed prediction. Assassins Creed 2 took off in a huge way. With sales of 1.6 million in its first week (32% greater than the original) it is definitely a sought after game. Critics are raving about the abundance of improvements made in this sequel and many gamers are going as far as to say it’s their Game of the Year. Assassins Creed 2 is definitely a game that should be on your wish list.

Metacritic: 91

Gamerankings: 92.50%

Gaming Bolt: 10

Prediction: Hit

Final Verdict: Big Hit

–Left 4 Dead 2–

While Left 4 Dead may not be striking the same chord as Assassins Creed 2 is with GOTY callers all about, it still did very well. The game has been a hit with critics and fans alike. New weapons, new survivors, new environment, and more great fun to be had. Any doubts about whether this game would warrant the $60 purchase should be put aside. Left 4 Dead 2 is worth the money and worth your time.

Metacritic: 89

Gamerankings: 90.50%

Gaming Bolt: 9.5

Prediction: Big Hit

Final Verdict: Big Hit

–God of War Collection–

It’s God of War; of course it’s going to do well, but how well? The people love the new look and retailers have been running low on the collection, something that will most likely continue into the holiday season. Both games hold up so well by today’s standards and are a definite must buy if you have yet to experience the greatness of God of War or just want to experience it better than ever before.

Metacritic: 92

Gamerankings: 91.27%

Gaming Bolt: 9

Prediction: Big Hit

Final Verdict: Big Hit

Well two out of three isn’t bad for our first go. Hopefully not the last time we get three big hits in one week. Now if you care to join me we will take a look at three new games.

–Mx vs. ATV: Reflex–

Overview: Mx vs. ATV has been going for a while now and has already been released once for this generation. The Question is what can Reflex bring that no other MX vs. ATV, or many of the other off-road racers for that matter, can bring?

What to look forward to: improved visuals, controls, and physics. Mx vs. ATV: Reflex, wants to really push off-road racing as far as it can. There will be track deformation that will truly affect how your ride reacts to it, not just create a visual change. With pre-release reviews already praising the game, there may not be much to not look forward to.

Suspicions: None with several reviews already in and a current Metascore of 90.

Overall: Well I guess this was an easy one, Mx vs. ATV looks like a game well worth picking up.

Prediction: Big Hit

–Rogue Warrior–

Overview: Rogue Warrior tasks you with stopping terrorists with ballistic missile capability. Little has been shown outside of major events such as PAX, but the title does seem to have some promise.

What to look forward to: The premise seems interesting and if done right the story could be very good. There is a big stealth emphasis that will make you think twice before making your move. There is also multiplayer which, if it carries over mechanics from the story, could stand out against the other run and gun multiplayer shooters out there.

Suspicions: Nothing is really known about its multiplayer and there isn’t a ton of information out there about the rest of the game. Right now there is nothing set in stone except for its release date and quite frankly, that doesn’t bode well for potential buyers.

Overall: With very little to go on, it wouldn’t be fair to call it any higher than an AIB, but games that choose to remain in the dark like this tend to have their reasons and those reasons tend to be quality issues. Sure it could be the sleeper hit of 2009 but I just don’t see it happening.

Prediction: Miss

–Avatar–

Overview: Avatar is the game base on the movie, and no not that air bender one, the other much cooler looking sci-fi one. Avatar is supposed to change the opinion of just how good movie games can be.

What to look forward to: The visuals are great and the art style matches that of the movie perfectly. A big plus is the fact that the game is being developed by Ubisoft Montreal, makers of Rainbow 6 Vegas. A new and original story told separate from the movie could do a lot to expand the world for those who plan to enjoy both.

Suspicions: Well of course there is the fact that it is a movie game, but we’ll forget about that for now. We need to see how well the movie does before anything can really be predicted. Many will probably wait until they have seen the movie before buying the game, if it tanks the related game may do so as well.

Overall: Can’t be to sure about Avatar yet. Sure it looks like it will be a good game, but sometimes the best looking games can turn out to be the worst when they are released.

Prediction: Anywhere in Between

Well can’t wait to see how this one turns out. Check back next week, and I mean it this time, to see just how well we did and for a new Hit or Miss. Until then, keep it here on Gaming Bolt!

• Big Hit: We’re 90% sure this game won’t flop so a pre-order would be a safe investment.
• Hit: We’re 75% sure this game will be good, but there are definitely some doubts. If it’s a new IP maybe wait for the review but if it is a sequel, you’re probably safe.
• Miss: We’re 75% sure this game will flop, but there’s always hope that something will come of it, or that it could it could be the beginning of something not so floppy.
• Big Miss: We’re 90% sure this game will flop, actually closer to 100% but we have to stay consistent. Don’t bother with this one, lock your doors and call your friends to warn them before it’s too late!
• Anywhere In Between (AIB): Exactly what it sounds like. Sure it could flop, but it could be a hidden gem, to be honest we can’t be too sure and we don’t want to push one way or the other because then if we’re wrong you’ll hate us forever and we wouldn’t want that. It’s 50/50 so it’s yours to gamble with.

This week we’ll be talking about three games, Assassins Creed 2, Left 4 Dead 2, and the God of War Collection.

-Assassins Creed 2-

Overview: Assassins Creed did well with critics, but not as well with the gamers. Thought it sold very well, most found it to be very repetitive. All anyone said was “It’s too repetitive, too repetitive, too repetitive, too…” well you get it. Assassins Creed 2 aims to improve on the original by keeping the missions feeling fresh and by bringing things to the renaissance in Italy.

What to look forward to: Obviously more variety in missions. Without getting into how repetitive, how re…, the missions were it is great to know that Ubisoft was listening to the money the original was making and decided to ensure that the second one would be able to bring in just as much and not be the R word. Also there is the wider variety of weapons and gadgets that will be available to you during play that can spice things up a bit. Why go stealth when you can just hit guys with an axe…or a mace…of maybe your plane thing? Oh yeah and you can fly, sweet. If you haven’t yet you should go check out the prequel movie here to get a bit more into the story.

Suspicions: Nothing is more suspicious than articles like this where publications are forced to wait for review copies because they won’t guarantee a high score. The game could be worthy of such a score, but when publishers start making demands such as that it becomes difficult to have faith in the final product.

Overall: Aside from some shenanigans by Ubisoft it’s looking like Assassins Creed 2 will be a game worthy of our first hit.

Prediction: Hit

–Left 4 Dead 2–

Overview: Left 4 Dead was winner of many awards in 2008 for its fun co-op play, chalk up another winner for Valve. A little over a year and two pieces of DLC later Valve is bringing us Left 4 Dead 2. With the initial wave of “This is nothing but an expansion” cries subsided, we have had a chance to play Left 4 Dead 2 for both PC and Xbox 360. Here’s what we think.

What to look forward to: Left 4 Dead 2 will have all of the modes available in the first as well as new modes and new ways to play such as realistic mode. It features 5 campaigns littered with new, smarter, and more breakable zombies as well as new weapons with which to break them. Melee weapons are one of the top additions as ammo is not an issue, the issue becomes finding more zombies to smash with a frying pan or slice with a machete.

Suspicions: Will Left 4 Dead 2 receive the kind of treatment that the first game was supposed to receive or will we simply find Left 4 Dead 3 placed in our laps at the next E3 with little or no content to support this game post launch? If it keeps up like that there won’t be enough fingers to hold up on that creepy hand by 2013.

Overall: Left 4 Dead 2 is a much more complete game than the first. However I’m not sure whether that is a credit to this game or a discredit to Valve in regards to the first. Either way Left 4 dead 2 will succeed and undoubtedly I’ll find some of you online with me playing it.

Prediction: Big Hit

-God of War Collection-

Overview: It’s God of War. It’s two of the best…if not the best Playstation 2 games of all time.

What to look forward to: Well first off, it’s God of War. Now it has been retextured to 720P and is in Playstation 3 format meaning those without backwards compatibility can play. Each game has its own list of trophies for the trophy hunters out there and they come together for the bargain price of $39.99 plus it comes with the E3 God of War 3 demo which is amazing.

Suspicions: None about the game but I’d be suspicious of those who don’t take advantage of this. I mean, it’s God of War.

Overall: Buy it, it’s God of War.

Prediction: Big Hit

Well guys and gals that wrap’s up this segment of Hit or Miss, join us next week for a recap of this week and how well we made our predictions. Also check with us this week for our Assassins Creed 2 review, Left 4 Dead 2 review, and as if you didn’t already guess our God of War Collection review. See you then!