It’s strange to think that it is now eleven years since I first played Max Payne. There was something special about the Remedy developed title, a noir story met an irreverent sense of humour that could only be achieved from an outsiders’ perspective (in this case Finnish).
I had some specific requirements for my selection, a title that I couldn’t taint for myself, which I could leave and never look back at if I had to, and something I would be able just slip into the mindless repetition of. I picked Blur.
Whenever I have been asked about my most anticipated game of 2010 is I have answered Dead Space 2. It is an instinctive response; the original was far and away my favourite game of 2008. While I feel the game didn’t need a sequel science-fiction survival horror titles prove a rare breed, so I take them where I can get them.
Torchlight appeals to so many of my idiosyncrasies that I am bemused as to why its spiritual predecessor Diablo never appealed to me. Both offer lush fantasy settings and the draw of improved equipment with every vanquished foe that fuels my obsessive tendencies. Maybe I have simply matured as a gamer, or perhaps it is Torchlight’s refinements to the point-and-click, loot hording, action RPG gameplay that have me enamored.
Sometimes you need to reset the bar. As an informed gamer I find more and more that my definition of what constitutes average is slowly creeping upwards. Then Capcom’s Dark Void was thrust into my lap, and I found my equilibrium.
A labour of love for developer Bioware, Dragon Age: Origins offers classic D&D gameplay. With an emphasis on character interaction, the game makes interesting use of a simple morality system to form some unique party politics.
Metro 2033 reminds me of my first car. An old Ford Escort that by the end of its time with me it had hit a skip, gone through a fence and crashed twice. But like a faithful dog it kept trying to please right up to the end, and I loved it. You see despite the front bumper hanging off, the buckled boot and shattered indicator light, my Escort still worked and despite its many problems so does Metro 2033.
Darren is back just in time for a semi-festive show. We spend most of our time catching up on the last few months events and our respective holiday breaks but in the process we do touch on lots of games
In a year that has seen the industry losing momentum in the face of the economic down turn and many games moving in to Q1 2010 it is hard to pretend that this was the best year for gaming. It
