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Anyhow I really wonder how many people are going to move to Vista or at least consider it once it comes out. I myself have a DX10 system, but I’m still running XP (partly a money issue, partly an anti-Microsoft issue, partly a buggy/drivers issue). Could this be the game that makes people move over or will continued stagnation in the marketplace push Microsoft to uncouple DX10 from Vista somehow (despite their claims that it’s fundamentally linked to the new graphics code I’m sure that if there’s enough money in it they’ll find a way).

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This game needs more love – it’s the PC gamer’s Mass Effect, just looking more interesting. :)

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I would be preordering Hellgate right now if it wasn’t for the crash bugs… the game is a frantic, actiony, cranky gem. True the melee combat is too FPS, and the FPS is too melee, but the pets are fun to play with and the enemies are nicely varied, the augmentation system is fun, and most importantly, when it works I can’t stop looking for the next monster to kill, loot to find, or taking the next mission. So it’s formulaic but has that core of MMO addictiveness. Unfortunately it is still crashing for a lot of players this close to release… and maltreats us when we linkdie (we lose xp, items, and progress in our latest mission), so yeah… I can’t buy it.

Tabula Rasa on the other hand gets points for the cloning system but the FPS mechanics are just shabby. How much sense does it make that you can park in front of a boss with a shotgun and never see them react to it at all, meanwhile they’re not hurting you at all? If you rely on FPS elements enemies have to show reactions, guns need cool effects, and a shotgun should really have some effect on enemies close range. The story was better, but frankly, who plays these things for their stories… ?

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My interest in Jericho has increased after other people I know have played it. Apparently the levels are for more interesting looking than the demo, and the squad-member dynamic is actually well-implemented (You can’t just pick your favourite character and stick with him/her). I’ll still probably wait until the spring drought to get it though.

I’m really interested in the Witcher. I would want to support them anyways, because it’s one of those genres nobody except small Eastern European developers makes anymore (along with turn-based strategies and point-and-clickers), and by most previews it looks more polished and contains fewer of the problems usually associated with small European games.

I’m also really interested in Kane & Lynch, I really liked Freedom Fighters and so far every preview explains it by saying it’s like “Heat: The Game”, so that sold me. However, like Freedom Fighters, it looks like one of those titles that’s going to be lost in the shuffle, especially since every trailer and ad they’ve released so far for it does a horrible job of explaining what the game is like, as well as the fact that it clearly didn’t have a huge blockbuster budget to put into graphics.

Also, even if Blacksite turns out to be a generic shooter, the fact that it’s supposedly very political, like no other game tends to be, wants me to try it. Again, though, in a year as crazy as this, a decent shooter isn’t enough for me to play it when it immediately comes out.

Crysis I’ll play even though it’s one of those games where if you really want to play it the optimum way, the way it looks in the screenshots and videos, you need to buy it two years later when it’s in the bargain bin and computers exist to play the high settings
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@ Jim Rossignol: You might want to wait and see, apparently due to time restraints, they might have to cut out the co-op.

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Anyway. Nice 240 page artbook (with a lot of nude pictures of elves with green nipples and other stuff that would have gotten me very excited if I still was 13), Making Of DVD (I still have to see a computer game Making Of that’s not just a glorified piece of PR and I’m not holding my breath for this one to break the mold), big map of the game world (yea, as if you’d really need it) and a soundtrack CD (which would have me far more excited if I hadn’t gotten over my fascination with medieval music ten years ago).

Can’t really give any impression of the game itself at this point, since my lead wouldn’t be too thrilled to see me play games during working hours..

Now that my Witcher cravings have finally been satisfied, it’s time to plan my next moves..

Gears of War: I don’t own an X360 (which makes me some kind of outcast-weirdo-freak among my coworkers and nerd friends..) and I’ve been waiting for good chainsaw-on-mutant action since the halcyon days of DOOM. Also I’m still very much under the influence of the “Mad World” trailer and want to get it out of my system.

Call of Duty:NOT. Can’t stand modern military games. I have no problem shooting virtual represantations of my grandfathers and their friends in WW2 games, but there’s something in my bleeding liberal heart that can’t bring itself to play as a modern day soldier (This does not include RTSs and World in Conflicts cheesy story is awesome! But it’s not modern day anyway, it’s 80s.).

Orange Box: Yea, it’s not in the list. But I haven’t played it yet (go ahead, sue me) and there’s a hole inside me that needs to be filled with sweet companion cube love. I think.

UT3: I’ll get Gears first, because I’m more of a single player person myself. But I’ll get UT sooner or later, I guess.

Beowulf: Didn’t know it was coming out for the PC. I’ll have to take a look at it first, I guess. But since Severance (hey RPS: How about a retrospective about Severance? That game was awesome) was awesome (see, told you) and I really don’t think that Beowulf is going to be a japanese dating sim, I guess I’ll like it.

Sam & Max: Damn. I knew I forgot something last year. Need to play Season One of S&M. Maybe I should start paying people to play games for me.

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Hellgate : London
It’s 3d diablo, with added gizmo’s it’s not for everyone but most will like or love it I’ve played it for a few months now and I absolutely love it. The paid content doesn’t need to be purchased you can enjoy the game just as well without it.

Call of Duty 4
Wasn’t a big fan of CoD/2 but having missed 3 but played 4 both xbox360 MP beta and the PC demo I can assuredly say this is my most anticipated FPS game.

Unreal Tournament 3
Big fan of Ut99 and UT2k4, this combines both into a nice package and manages to still run smoothly on my machine … probably end up playing this competitively.

All 3 are fantastic games which I’ve pre-ordered, gonna be a fun few weeks :D

Others that I’ve played (demo’s/beta) that will not be bought:
Supreme commander
Blacksite (very basic imo)
Jericho (seems very awkward game to play)
Crysis (hi2u over hyped)
Tabula Rasa (lvl 50 in beta and I still can’t fathom why I even bothered)

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