With another Christmas behind us and a glorious new year of gaming to look forward to, I've taken time out to see exactly what we can expect to be playing over the next 12 months. A cursory glance reveals a few gems and they're not all sequels – will wonders never cease.
Bioshock 2: Sea of Dreams
Platform: PC/Xbox 360/PlayStation 3
Publisher: Autumn 2009(TBC)
Bioshock was the game that rocked the world when it hit – well, the gaming world at least. Our world was rocked again we discovered the teaser trailer for a sequel at the end of the PS3 version of the game. There are no details of the game so far, but Take-Two's Quarter Four financials reveal Bioshock 2 is in the pipeline for 2009.
All we have to go on so far is a young girl gazing into the middle distance, holding a toy Big Daddy. Who cares as long as there's more art deco gaming goodness coming our way.
Halo 3: Orbital Drop Shock Trooper (ODST)
Platform: Xbox 360
Publisher: Microsoft
Release: Autumn 2009
The year 2009 brings us more from the Halo universe, but this time Master Chief is taking a back seat, in so far as he's not in it at all. Stepping into the boots of an unknown UNSC soldier, we'll be taken down a peg or two. The player is thrown into a ruined New Mombasa, where it's time to find out what's happened to your missing colleagues. Without Master Chief's super soldier abilities I'm thinking it'll be more about the ducking and the diving than the running in all guns blazing. Then of course there's the open world one-on-one battle option.
Whatever happens, once it's over, we'll all be wondering what Bungie's going to do next.
Champions Online
Platform: PC/Xbox 360
Publisher: TBC
Release: Q2 2009
This is just one of the juicy MMOs heading to online nerdlings everywhere this year. As you know dear play chums nothing gets my juices flowing better than the chance of living out my super hero fantasies. Champions Online promises to be even more than the City of games. Create your own nemesis, who then pops up in your game world – that alone is reason to play. Awesome character creation, including the look of your powers and the way you move, whether it's loping beastlike or a heroic run.
Take-Two recently announced that it will no longer be publishing Champions as a result of developer, Cryptic being acquired by Atari. Although there's no confirmation yet, we can only assume Atari are going to pick up this one, which is pegged for a spring release.
Star Trek Online
Platform: PC
Sticking with the MMO theme, surely this has got to be the biggest title to hit the online scene since Lord of the Rings Online. Not only are we getting a new Star Trek movie in 2009, but a MMOG too. It really doesn't get much better.
Be a captain of a ship, beam down on planets with an away team – nnngh, need I say more!? I want Jeffries tubes action, Borg, Vulcan death grips and dispensable folks in red shirts. All I can say is thank god Cryptic is handling this one and let's hope Sony Online Entertainment keeps its grubby mitts off the publishing deal because we must never forget the travesty that was Star Wars Galaxies.
Brutal Legend
Platform: Xbox 360/PlayStation 3
Publisher: EA
Release: Autumn 2009 (TBC)
If Spinal Tap was a game, it would be Brutal Legend. The plot is a complete nonsense involving a heavy metal roadie with a cursed belt buckle, who ends up trying to save his girlfriend who's just escaped from the Temple of Ormagoden. Okay, all I need to say is it involves the voices of Jack Black and Lemmy and one of your weapons is a Flying V guitar. I love it already. And to top it all, it's from the people who brought us Grim Fandango. Expect Nordic fantasy, motorcycles, driving guitars, spandex and every other heavy metal cliché known to man.
Start growing your hair people and get ready for some surreal silliness from Tim Schafer the master of humorous adventure games.
Mad World
Platform: Wii
Publisher: Sega
Release: March 2009
Think Sin City meets Running Man and you've got some idea of where MadWorld is coming from. Yes, it's time for the hardcore to dust off their Wiis and get ready for some ultra-violent, black and white, highly stylised gaming action.
Death Watch is a gruesome game show that pits players against each other in a battle to the death. You play as Jack and from what I can make out you just have to kill people. Slice ’em, dice ’em, freeze ’em, burn ’em, just as long as they're dead. It looks great and it's sure to get the tabloids braying for blood – nuff said.
So 2009 is looking pretty healthy if this list is anything to go by, but anticipation is our Achilles heel dear play chums. The proof is in the playing, but I for one am feeling all glowy and optimistic. Don't worry, I'm sure it won't last long.
Most played: Wii Tennis
Most wanted: Assassin's Creed 2