Looking Towards 2009

here's no doubt about it — 2008 was a great year to be a gamer. We were treated with the latest installment of the iconic Grand Theft Auto franchise. We got lost in the post-apocalyptic world that is Fallout 3. We experienced a revitalized series of EA Sports titles. We championed the lands of Albion in Fable II. We opened our eyes to something truly different with Mirror's Edge.

And while we'll honor the very best that 2008 had to offer in our annual feature later this week, I'd like to take a moment to look ahead to what's just around the corner in '09.

God of War 3

Chronologically the fifth chapter in the series, God of War 3 looks to land in the later half of 2009. While diehards of the series will likely pick up the game anyway, the addition of full 1080p graphical support, new Sixaxis controls, and rumors of cooperative play, should seal the deal for any PlayStation 3 owner.

Halo Wars

One of the earlier releases of next year, dated for March 3rd in North America, Halo Wars is a beacon of light for a struggling console RTS genre. Riding on the massive success of Bungie Studios with the Halo universe, Ensemble has a lot of pressure on them to succeed with Halo Wars. Oh wait, the studio is closing anyway.

Bioshock 2: Sea of Dreams

After receiving numerous awards for the original Bioshock, 2K Games has a sequel on its way sometime in Q3 2009. Anyone who visited Rapture the first time could make a case for video games as art, and it's doubtful that things will look any less stunning the next time around.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

For those who couldn't get enough of Nathan Drake in Naughty Dog's, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, you'll be happy to know there's plenty more slated for 2009. As it's certainly one of the PlayStation 3's most anticipated exclusives, I look forward to hearing more about it in the New Year.

Resident Evil 5

There have been way more than five Resident Evil games over the years, but that doesn't make this one any less to look forward to. Capcom has RE5 set to release on March 13th in North America, and with promises of online cooperative play, March can't come soon enough.

Halo 3: ODST

Some would argue that the most anticipated game of '09 is "set to drop" next fall in the form of Halo 3: ODST. If having Bungie behind the development isn't enough for you to get excited, having the chance to experience the Halo universe from a perspective than Master Chief's should be.

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