The Sims 3 (PC)
When I first got my hands on the Sims 2 I was completely hooked for weeks. I'm not normally one for PC gaming, don't bother asking me why, and I seriously cannot think of any other time I've been so glued to my computer. I forgot to eat and sleep...well not entirely but I certainly ate and slept begrudgingly. Designing a human being and guiding it through life as either a nerd, romantic, money launderer or family raiser was certainly entertaining and rewarding. By the end of it my family practically populated the whole town. Anyway the 3rd installment in the Sims saga will feature even more customisation options and many new features that are sure to liven up the series.
Cursed Mountain (Wii)
I love a good survival horror game and what Cursed Mountain proposes is a very original idea for one indeed. The premise is that you are searching for you're brother who became lost after failing to adhere to Buddhist superstition before climbing a Himalayan mountain. The storyline is heavily influence by Buddhism and Tibetan folklore. This game is quite literally taking the genre to strange new places, as does the next game...
Sadness (Wii)
Once again survival horror, once again on the Wii and once again an original premise. Visually the game will have a black and white, gothic Victorian England sort of look (sorry if that's a bit of an eyefull). The game will deal with themes of narcolepsy, nyctophobia and paranoid schizophrenia. Psychological aspects to the survival horror genre have proven effective before in games like Silent Hill and Eternal Darkness and are hopefully going to work here aswell. The game's story will take place in pre-World War I Russia. All these excellent ideas for the survival horror genre are making me so excited I need to lay down a little bit before moving on in the list.
Resident Evil 5 (Xbox 360 and Playstation 3)
When compared to the last 2 titles Resident Evil 5 will be quite familiar. The hint is right there in the 5. If you count RE Zero (which I do) RE5 is the sixth installment in the main series of this very popular survival horror genre. But this one I recommend based on the strength of Resident Evil 4, which actually was original and reinvented the series. Of course the new direction RE4 took the series in was arguably not survival horror and more "over the shoulder action horror." But whatever, RE5 will basically be a high def RE4 set in Africa and starring Chris instead of Leon; and when RE4 was just soooo daaaaarrrrn gooooooood it's hard to not be excited.
Street Fighter IV (Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC and Arcade)
This one's really a no-brainer. It's a new Street Fighter game with a fancy new stylised art direction.
The Conduit (Wii)
Another interesting Wii exclusive. This is a First Person Shooter that uses a lot of clever tricks to ensure it looks as good as the shooters on the 360 and PS3. That and it's control scheme is modelled heavily off Metroid Prime 3, which I hold as the greatest use of Wii controls in any game.
Madworld (Wii)
I pretty much talked this one up a few months ago and don't feel the need to do so again.
Muramasa: The Demon Blade (Wii)
Before I launch into my final preview I'd just like to acknowledge how nice it is to see so many original, non-gimmicky third-party titles on the board for 2009. After 2008 it's very encouraging to see. Anyway Muramasa is an action RPG game with 2D graphics that look hand drawn (think along the lines of games like Okami and Braid). It looks stunning. The game has a feudal Japan theme as features katanas, ninjas, kunoichis and emperors. Very cool stuff indeed. There are two different playable characters which may or may not warrent multiple playthroughs (depending on how good the game is and how different their story modes are I guess). The game is said to be 60 percent complete as of October 2008 so hopefully we'll be seeing this one soon.
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