The biggest game I'm waiting for this Spring is Mass Effect 3. That's about it. Don't get me wrong, I'm still excited about Syndicate, but I just don't think that it will be the AAA title realm. So, until Q3 when the reboot of Tomb Raider is due, and, presumably, The Last Guardian I don't have much to get excited about on the retail front.
The downloadable front, however, should keep me (and the rest of you) plenty busy. All of that madness starts this week with the release of AMY on Xbox Live. The PSN version (which I'll be getting) is being delayed "at least a week" to fix pricing concerns (via Destructoid). AMY is about a comet that causes zombies and mutants to start wiping out humanity. While trite, the game mechanics seem interesting. Weapons are breakable, it's more about stealth than combat and being near the titular Amy brings your infection rate down. What I'm fascinated about is that you can hide Amy and leave her. As you get further, you start showing more signs of infection. While this is bad in the long run, you can walk through heavily guarded areas because you blend in. This leads to situations where you must carefully, but swiftly, work through a puzzle and then return to Amy before it's too late! It sounds tense! Also, just based on what I've seen of the game, it's more a Silent Hill kind of scary than the typical Resident Evil style. So, I'm looking forward to it!
The official trailer
Also coming in the next month or so is Alan Wake's American Nightmare. Announced at the Spike VGAs, this is the pseudo-sequel to Alan Wake. I say "pseudo" because it's not a numerical sequel, nor is it really anything other than a side story. The original Alan Wake was criminally overlooked (well, it came out the same day as a little title called Red Dead Redemption, it was only on 360 and it was about 4 years late). The issues aside, Alan Wake is a great "story" to play through that's set up like a television series. Each chapter is an episode, and comes complete with a "Next time, on Alan Wake" preview and episode-ending songs. It's scary for all the right reasons, and the plot that gets more and more gonzo as time goes on has you questioning things just like the protagonist. It's really one of the best games on 360 today. But, I digress. American Nightmare can be seen as Alan Wake 1.5. It's not narrative heavy, but more combat heavy. It also looks to answer a few questions from the original that even two DLC episodes left unanswered. Look for American Nightmare to be part of Microsoft's annual "House Party" (their February sale on select Live Arcade games). Joystiq has the now pulled trailer for "House Party" here! (via Joystiq)
The announcement trailer from the VGAs for American Nightmare
Due out in the ambiguous "Spring" release window is Journey by ThatGameCompany. This PSN exclusive has been on my radar for a long time. TGC always does esoteric games. Their previous two were Flow and Flower. Both were a combination of Zen relaxation and simple game mechanics. Journey has been described by Jenova Chen, head/co-founder of TGC, as "hiking." You are plopped down in a world where you can go anywhere. There is a mountain with a shining beacon on top, so that's the ultimate goal, but you can get there however you like. Along the way, you may run into one other player. There won't be any PSN IDs floating above your head, nor can you chat. All you can do is use the in-game interactions (singing and waving) to get attention and plot out stuff together. Again, Chen mentioned that like hiking up a mountain, you meet other hikers. You may exchange pleasantries and move along, or you may fall into step together and challenge the climb together. This is what Journey will do. As cool as that is, it also is gorgeous. Check out the E3 interviews and videos collected by TGC. I'm so excited for this one!
Journey's E3 2011 trailer
These games have gotten me excited in their own ways. With each offering around 6 to 8+ hours of game for (most likely) under $20 (USD), well, I'm set. Having three solid titles that I know I'll enjoy (with AMY being the only gamble) puts me in a great position. But, there is one more game coming.
I Am Alive is one that was supposed to be a retail release. Set in the aftermath of an incredibly powerful earthquake, the player was a white-collar guy forced to survive. The game was to have mechanics for thirst, exhaustion and intimidation. This means that a gun with no bullets could be as effective as one with bullets if you can bluff. The announcement trailer looked so cool and made me want the game badly!
The debut trailer shown at E3 in 2008
Well, a few years of absolute silence on the title filled me with doubt. I hoped that this wasn't another Eight Days... Finally, I Am Alive resurfaced. It's been changed a bit. While still focusing on survival (lots of Stamina Meter management and inventory management), it looks a lot different. Now the disaster took place a while ago. The game focuses on a man trying to find his wife and daughter while fending off the scavengers who are still in the disaster zone. The new mechanic of avoiding the disorienting dust clouds seems cool, but the protagonist went from being the average guy seen above to the guy seen in the trailer below. Not terrible, but the game now has the typical "stubbled, gruff action hero" instead of something new. Since this title is also part of the 360 "House Party" promotion, I'm looking forward to playing it soon!
The new (and improved?) I Am Alive trailer
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