Lost in Shadow - Wii - 1/4/11
If Lost in Shadow were coming to the Xbox Live Arcade or Playstation Network, it would be compared to the likes of Braid and Limbo. Instead, the developers are taking a bit of a gamble and putting out as a budget title on the Wii. If you're looking for a reason to fire up the Wii again, keep an eye on this. The idea of manipulating objects so that their shadows solve puzzles is interesting and is worth watching.
Venetica - Multi Platform - 1/11/11
Another budget title being released this month, Venetica looks to be a "Me too!" version of Fable. Atari hasn't got the best track record of the games they publish, so think of this as a rental at best.
DC Universe Online - Multi Platform - 1/11/11
The first MMO of the new year, DC Universe Online competes directly against City of Heroes / Villains. Can DC's universe full of Detectives / Aliens / Gangsters compete against the aging (but still popular) franchise? If you're a comic book fan, you will probably want to keep an eye on this, but watch out for the typical launch day problems.
Kingdom Hearts Re:Coded - 1/11/11
Kingdom Hearts fans are rabid, and will gobble up and bit of Kingdom Hearts that they can find. From the looks of it, this one follows the same formula as its successful predecessor and gives an excuse to bring Sora back into the mix. DS owners who are fans of Disney and/or Square Enix will want this one as soon as it comes out.
Mass Effect 2 - PS3 - 1/18/11
Mass Effect 2 finally comes to the PS3, and if you followed "The 30's!" awards, you know that this took Game of the Year. If you haven't already picked it up on the Xbox or PC, you have no reason not to pick it up now.
LittleBigPlanet 2 - PS3 - 1/18/11
LittleBigPlanet 2 promises to be not only the next great platformer, but it challenges the world to make it the next great anything. New tools that allow it's very dedicated fanbase to create new levels and new ways to play mean potentially infinite levels and replayability. I got quite a bit out of the first one, and am looking forward to the second.
Dead Space 2 - Multi Platform - 1/25/11
Dead Space was a bit of a surprise hit for me. Survival Horror is certainly one thing, but when you put it in space and make the monsters keep attacking even after you've blasted their arms off somehow makes it really good. Dead Space 2 will be the game to watch to see if they can take it up another notch and keep it as a main stream series.
Two Worlds 2 - Multi Platform - 1/25/11
Two Worlds was one of those "flying under the radar" games that some people picked up and really enjoyed. Much like Dead Space 2, this sequel is their attempt to have some people take notice. It looks pretty and follows a Diablo-esque style of play, so if you're into that kind of stuff, you might want to check this out.
That's it for January. Looking forward to February, it's looking pretty thin with a few very notable exceptions. Check back in in a few weeks and we'll see what's coming out then. Until then, Happy Gaming!
