January 2011: Financial Threshold Green

Finally, a breath of air. It’s been a few months since gamers have had more than a few weeks reprise from the video game industry. Publishers went back to their old ways in Q4 2010, leaving the following January with very little to get excited about. There’s a very good chance that, like December, I’ll just use January to catch up on all the games I bought in September, October and November.

Purchased:

• Dead Space 2 (January 25) – It’s very unusual that I ignore a franchise and get in to it via a follow-up title, but that’s exactly what happened with Dead Space. I purchased Dead Space: Extraction, an on-rails shooter for Wii, and enjoyed it. From there, I went back to the original, only to be absorbed by the universe. Check out my video coverage (above).

Likely:

• Lost in Shadow (January 4) - Lost in Shadow is a lot like Limbo. You control a boy’s shadow and interact with the world via that plane. The actual protagonist is never seen. It’s a (somewhat) original idea from Hudson Soft, capped off with superb level design and solid controls. The budget price doesn’t hurt either.

Sorry:

• DC Universe Online (January 11) – Although I’ve enjoyed my experiences with the superhero MMORPG, Cataclysm has my full MMOG attention, and will for at least another month. If you don’t fancy WoW, I’d recommend giving DCUO a shot. It’s a bit more consoley than the other superhero MMOGs out there, but very polished. Check out my video coverage for LoreHound.
• Little Big Planet 2 (January 18) - There’s a very good chance that LBP2 will be purchased, but at the moment I don’t have a PS3. I had tons of fun with the game at various conventions. If I did have a PS3 I’d certainly pick it up.
• Mass Effect 2 (January 18) – PlayStation 3 owners can finally get one of this year’s best games. One that I talked about nearly a full year ago.