Most anticipated fall games of 2009

The fall 2009 was set out to be one of the greatest ever when it comes to gaming. However, a lot of highly anticipated games like Starcraft 2, Bioshock 2, Dark Void, Mass Effect 2, Mafia 2, Max Payne 3 og Red Dead Redemption, Splinter Cell Conviction, Diablo 3, and so were pushed to 2010 or beyond, leaving us gamers with only “scraps” to play with.

Even though the majority of big titles has been given 2010 release dates there are still a few games worth looking out for this fall. Norwegian diaries like VG and Dagbladet, and web sites like Big Download and Box of M.E.S.S. have laid out there expectations. Now, it is my turn to review my five most anticipated games.

Most anticipated fall games

1. First up, no big surprise: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (PC). I let the video speak for itself. I have lost count over the hours I have spent with CoD 4 and 5 the last two years (and I do not dare to check either). The next installment looks stunning and I can’t wait till November 10th.

2. Modern Warfare 2 should really be both first, second, and third but that would be a bit silly. However, another online shooter is mass murdering its way into second place. Left 4 Dead 2 (PC), the sequel of last years co-operative zombie slaughter, is due November 17th. Having in mind that I have my birthday around that time I guess I am gifting myself both CoD and Left 4 Dead as soon as they are released (can’t wait for either until the 18th (my birthday)).

3. Next up is a spy-game. I have not seen that much footage of Alpha Protocol (Xbox), but it is enough to get me intrigued.  The game is to be released on October 27th.

4. We find yet another shooter on forth place. I have not tried Arma2 yet and I have not seen that much from Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising (PC), but I hope it will be a good game. I will at least keep my eyes open on October 6th when it is supposedly released.

5. The fifth spot is taken by, guess what, a shooter again. I am not totally impressed by what I have seen of Borderlands (PC), but I like the concept enough to be waiting in anticipation for its October 6th release.

I am certain that Modern Warfare 2 and Left for Dead 2 will be great game. I am however not sure that the others will cut it. I hope they do because they seem to innovative and bring a few new things into the gaming scene. Let’s cross our fingers they are able to pull it off.

The more obvious choices?

There are a few other big titles which are being released this fall but none of them have really caught my eye. Batman: Arkham Asylum was just released and got great critics. Despite these excellent critics I have not fallen for the game just yet. We do also have Brütal Legend and Halo 3: ODST. However, I am not that big of a Halo fan and I hate Jack Black.

Moreover, we have Forza Motorsport 3. While I enjoyed Forza 2 quite a lot I am not sure if I bother to buy another racing game. I have probably not driven more than a fraction of the cars in Forza 2, what would I do with 100 new cars in Forza 3? My problem with these series including the likes of Fifa, NHL, Madden and so is that it is somewhat difficult to see what a new installments bring to the table. They seem too similar. I am sure that there are improvements but they don’t manage to get me all worked up.

Finally we will also see Assassins Creed II on November 20th and GTA IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony on October 29th. These are two I will be paying attention to even though I have not yet finished Assassins Creed nor bought Lost and Damned for GTA IV. I will probably try to get my hands on the GTA extension but I am not sure about Assassins Creed. It is probably a great game but I have never really been able to get into the first one yet. I am still trying though but I have not found time.

A few other games worth looking out for

There are of course a lot of other titles being release this fall but nothing which rises my anticipation like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. However, we will see Section 8, Majesty 2: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim, Dragon Age: Origins, The Saboteur, Risen, Order of War, and Cities XL. Several of these could turn out to be really great games.