Note: All quotes are taken from press releases sent out by the game’s publishers.
ilomilo
ilomilo is a cutesy puzzle game involving two protagonists that have forged a new friendship. They’re only problem is, each day they try to meet at the park to hang, they have tons of obstacles in their way. You play as both Ilo and Milo (switching between the two as you play) solving the treacherous puzzles along the way. ilomilo will be released January 5th on Xbox Live Arcade game. Expect Player Affinity’s review on January 4th.
Venetica
Last year, Darksiders was released in the first few weeks of the year, and it was great. I don’t expect Venetica to be the next Darksiders. From the looks of it, Venetica has been put on the back burner by Deck 13 as we’ve seen absolutely nothing from the game in terms of screenshots, trailers, or advertising in the past few months.
“Venetica is a gorgeous fantasy role-playing game, in which players assume the role of Scarlett, the daughter of Death. Set in and around the city of Venice in the 16th century, the game challenges players to rid the city of a dangerous necromancer, who is determined to bring death and destruction to the world.”
The story seems a bit interesting and I think it’s cool that Deck 13 isn’t using the generic grimy look that most RPG’s use (they’re going with a more cartoony style) but I still expect very little from Venetica. Venetica will be released on January 11th.
Mindjack
Mindjack could very easily be atrocious, but the description of things that can happen in the game sounds so bat shit insane that you can’t help but to get excited for it.
“MINDJACK offers a unique online experience. Enter a revolutionary playing field upon which an engaging solo campaign transitions seamlessly to thrilling cooperative play. Expand your mind’s reach by “hacking” into enemies, vehicles or civilians and enjoy the freedom to control almost any character. Each bystander becomes an active combatant in this new urban warfare.”
I don’t expect a game of the year contender from Mindjack (MINDJACK?) but what I do expect is a fun, frantic game that offers an interesting take on multiplayer in first person shooters. Mindjack will be hacking into your Xbox 360’s (I had to say it) on the 21st.
Two Worlds II
Two Worlds 1 was straight up bad. The frame rate dropped down to what looked like 15 frames every 20 minutes, the story seemed like a five year old wrote it, and your character’s movement made it seem like he was doing a bad comedy show with his body. I could continue listing things but I’d rather this article not be over 2,000 words.
““Two Worlds II” presents a totally new gamer experience, one in which 2 years of intensive development has enabled quantum leaps in all spheres: completely overhauled AI and balancing standards, experienced authors, the active combat system and the brand-new engine all combine to provide an unforgettable experience where excitement, sheer enjoyment and graphics rule. “Two Worlds II” simply sets new technical benchmarks in the RPG genre, thanks not least to its seemingly unlimited number of dynamic light sources, micro-detail Parallax Mapping, 24 Bit HDR Post Processing, Space Ambient Occlusion and Human Eye Accommodation.”
I clearly loathed the first Two Worlds but I’m definitely going to give this one a chance. With all the complaints the developers, Reality Pump, heard about the first one, they had to have improved on some if not all of those problems. Two Worlds II will drop on January 25th.
Dead Space 2
I said in the Mindjack section that I didn’t expect it to be a Game of the Year contender; I expect just that from Dead Space 2. Dead Space 1 was fantastic, though slightly flawed in certain areas.
“Isaac Clarke returns for another heart-pounding adventure, taking the fight to the Necromorphs in this thrilling action-horror experience. New tools to gruesomely slice and dismember the Necromorphs complement Isaac's signature plasma cutter, empowering him as he meets new characters, explores epic zero-G environments, and fights against a relentless Necromorph onslaught. Survival isn't the only thing on Isaac's mind in Dead Space 2 – this time, he calls the shots.”
With the release of the Dead Space 2 demo, EA and Visceral Games showed the many slight tweaks they added to Dead Space 2 and all of which really caught my eye and made me even more excited for the sequel. The look of it is a bit refined for the better and Isaac’s animations look much more fluid than they did previously. As long as the atmosphere, terrific lighting, and intriguing story all remain, Dead Space 2 should be great.
Most anticipated January game: Dead Space 2
