While most people won't even be thinking of 2006, with the Christmas presents and dinner yet to come I'm already taking a few steps into next year. There's a lot to look forward to, I'll be picking my favorites here. I sure hope they deliver in the end.
Black
This image speaks a thousand words...or bullets. In any case, I've never had a big interest in first person shooters. Most of them feel generic. I shoot up baddies and 30 minutes later I still find myself engaged in the same activity. There's progress, but it is hard to notice. I do play them from time to time, but not because the games themselves are so thrilling and outstanding, but they are a great way to vent and shake off some aggression.Black however feels different. There's something quite cool about this display of gun fetishism. You get to shoot up things. Not just shooting up, but demolish it completely. Also the game's not about giving you a hard time shooting. No, instead it is encouraging you to use as many bullets as you can and completely destroy everything. I want this game. This is how I want to go about playing FPS. I want a lifetime's supply of bullets and a few guns and shoot my way from A to B. I cannot imagine this game being bad.
Final Fantasy XII
I'm always anticipating any Final Fantasy game. The series is easily one of my favorites, and while I'm preaching the choir here I can't really help it. The games are really that good. FFXII has piqued my interest ever since I saw the first images. For some reason it felt a little like my favorite installment of the series so far, Final Fantasy IX. More medieval fantasy, quite different locales and characters that look a lot like the characters in that game.No more turn-based battles, no more shattering screens or swooshes, no more random encounters, no more victory themes. To some it sounds like butchering the Messiah the minute he returns on Earth, but to me it sounds like a fresh new start. And with such a reputation as a series they cannot afford to screw it up. I'm sure they won't.
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Hands down my most anticipated game of all time. Having poured so many hours into Morrowind I can simply not wait to play this game. It's quite frankly the only reason for me to get an Xbox 360 and I'm happy they delayed it as I not yet have accumulated enough money to get one. I perish the thought of having to miss out on this game for a few months. I'm sure this game will suck me in just like Morrowind did. There's a few hundred hours of gameplay awaiting me, and my fingers are already itching to grab that controller and check it out.Lost Odyssey
As we all might know, Xbox 360 isn't too big on JRPG's. From the few that are being developed for the console this one interests me most. I wonder if the producer of Final Fantasy can do his trick with other concepts just as well. Unfortunately there are not many images of this game yet, at least GS is featuring none, but the art style of this game is significantly more my style than the other game of the same studio, Blue Dragon. In any case, I hope it hits store shelves next year, I'm really curious to see what they made of it.
There are a few more games that I don't want to miss out on next year, like the not yet released in Europe Dragon Quest VIII, Shadow of the Colussus and We Love Katamari. And of course the ongoing hype for Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess has made me curious about that game too. You bet I'll be playing that over the next summer. There's a lot to look forward to next year. I'm eagerly awaiting the moment 2005's candle will be blown out for good.
There's not much else I can say but to wish you all a Merry Christmas. I sure hope you'll get to enjoy a few good moments with friends and/or family. In case you're getting presents too, well, have fun with those.