February looks to be the month both for the big budget titles, and the lesser known ones. A number of upcoming releases in the MMORPG genre are of interest, including Microsoft's Global Agenda(below), Atari's Star Trek Online and an expansion pack for Everquest II, and a number of downloadable PC games content is available this month.
Global Agenda (PC) - 1 February
Global Agenda is a MMO shooter/roleplaying game published by Microsoft Games. The story involves a struggle for land and resources on a 22nd century Earth where there is a critical shortage of inhabitable land.
The game features a hybrid subscription wherein players may purchase the base package of the game, and not pay any ongoing monthly fees. By taking this option players recieve all of the basic options of the game including full customisation of their character, eight character slots and Cooperative and Player Vs Player matches. By upgrading to a paid account the player gains access to a reportedly massive campaign, faction battles and raids of enemy bases.
While the MMO field may be a hard genre to succeed in due to the dominance of World of Warcraft, this title may break in with gamers looking for a sci-fi game that offers a mix of a campaign and enthralling PvP experience.
Dante's Inferno (PS3, PSP, 360) - 4 February
Loosely based off the poem of the same name, Dante's Inferno is an adventure game to be published by Electronic Arts and developed by Visceral Games, formerly known as EA Redwood Shores.
The game follows Dante, presented as a knight of the third crusade, who pursues the soul of his lover through the nine circles of hell, to prevent Lucifer from using her soul to gain access to heaven, and overthrow God from his throne.
While the game may have recieved much negative publicity, due to hoax protests organised by EA at last year, aswell as copping flack from nannies for an achievement being named "Bad Nanny", any publicity is good publicity, and the game has developed quite an amount of hype because of these events.
If what has been seen of the game thus far is anything to go by, Dante's Inferno has the potential to be an epic game.
Bioshock 2 (PC, PS3, 360) - 9 February
Following on from the critically acclaimed 2007 release Bioshock, 2K Games' sequel continues 10 years after the events of its predecessor in the underwater city of Rapture.
The game allows players to take on the role of Subject Delta, a prototype of the Big Daddy - essentially a man encased in a diving suit. The difference between Delta and the other Big Daddies is that Delta has regained his free will and humanity.
Delta must battle against Rapture's leader, Sofia Lamb, in an effort to prevent the destruction of the underwater utopia. Lamb commands an army of Big Sisters - Little Sisters who have become mentally unstable, and constructed a diving suit from scavenged parts in Rapture. A Big Sister is more powerful and agile then Subject Delta, and creative director Jordan Thomas has stated that in fighting a Big Sister, the player will have to prepare for "the fight of their life".
Due to the success of its predecessor, Bioshock 2 will no doubt be a must-play for gamers.
Aliens Vs Predator (PC, PS3, 360) - 16 February
After previously being described as a game to look for in 2010, Aliens Vs Predator's release date is now only two weeks away.
The game will feature three intertwined storylines. Players will, like any other AvP game, have the opportunity to choose between Aliens, Predators, and Colonial Marines, each of which having their own style of gameplay that must be mastered independently to the others.
The "trophy kill" system, utilised by both Predator and Alien sides, has been a subject of much controversy in the leadup to release. However, Rebellion Games CEO Jason Kingsley was adamant that the feature was included to keep the game faithful to the respective movie series. Censorship boards seem to have taken this statement onboard, and the game is not reported to be banned in any countries at this time - Australia's notoriously strict board even passed the original cut of the game.
Long time fans of the series will be pleased to hear that Lance Henriksen has once again returned to the franchise, providing voice and likeness for Karl Bishop Weyland, a human descendant of Charles Bishop from the original Aliens Versus Predator film.
Napoleon: Total War (PC) - 23 February
Originally slated as an expansion to Empire: Total War, Napoleon has grown into a seperate game in itself through its development.
The major change from previous installments of the Total War series is that the scale of battles have been reduced. The terrain and units will be more detailed and individual - over 355 uniforms are available. Each game turn will take place over two weeks, so players are able to more closely follow the state of Napoleon's empire.
Another new feature is "drop-in" multiplayer, allowing a waiting player in the online lobby to join an offline game as the opposing team to the player controlling the campaign. This allows multiplayer to be added in while giving the player a persistent environment for these online experiences to be charted.
Napoleon: Total War introduces a raft of new features while keeping the basic spirit and design of the series intact.
Heavy Rain (PS3) - 23 February
Heavy Rain will be the PS3's heavyweight exclusive of the year without a doubt. In development since 2006, Quantic Dream's new game appears to be a stunning graphical and technological presentation.
The game centres around four characters' searches for a serial killer known as the Origami Killer - notorious for leaving an origami model on his victims. These four characters investigate the killer in their own ways. If one of the characters is killed the game does not end, but instead control is switched to another character. If all four characters are killed, a proper [and hopefully unique, depending on the circumstances] conclusion to the storyline is made.
According to previews published by games sites, Heavy Rain features a control system not seen in any other games, wherein a shoulder button is used to move the player forward, with the left analog stick controlling where the character's head is pointing as well as what direction the character is facing. This may take some adjusting to get used to, but it appears to be technically sound.
The simply stunning graphics, intuitive control scheme and refreshing plot will be a definite selling point for Quantic Dreams' Heavy Rain.
Downloadable Content
Sins of a Solar Empire: Diplomacy (PC) 9 February - as the three factions of the original release grow weaker due to the ongoing war, they seek alliances within factions and sects of their enemies.
Everquest II: Sentinel's Fate (PC) 16 February - quests are added in relation to an airship known as the Sentinel - converted from a cargo carrier into a warship guarding over Odus.
Resident Evil 5: Lost In Nightmares (PS3, 360) 17 February - Jill Valentine makes a comeback to the series as they investigate the house of the Umbrella Corporation's founder.
Roundup
With a few strong releases slated for release this month, console gamers in particular should feel spoiled through the progress of the month. However there are no doubt promising games that are not mentioned in this list.
Lachlan Stevens - Lachlan Stevens is a Journalism student. The Entertainment Editor at Newcastle's Yak Magazine, Lachlan has written for numerous ...
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