I have never made secret my disdain for Microsoft. I wear it on my sleeve and call out into the hills proclaiming the virtues of any product that can bring them down. I snicker at Steve Ballmer’s loudmouthed idiocy and, while I hold Gates in the highest respect as a businessman, deplore his business tactics as immoral or at least unfair. But, all that notwithstanding, there are some cool games coming out for the fragile little white box early next year. I would be remiss in my duty if I failed to notice them simply because they are unlucky enough to be on the 360. Here they go:
1. Alan Wake
Developer: Remedy Entertainment
Publisher: That company
Atmosphere and story are two of the biggest lures a game can put out for me. Alan Wake has both of those in spades. It’s the psychological thriller concerning a writer who goes out into a frontier town and experiences all kinds of supernatural disturbances. Light plays a huge part in the gameplay, in that it is your only defence against your various ghostly foes. Intriguing, beautiful (for a 360 game) and long-in-the-making, this one looks to be a winner for March.

"Why am I here? Why was the PC version cancelled?"
2. Mass Effect 2
Developer: BioWare
Publisher: EA
Negativity is not what I am all about, just most of what I’m about. I don’t like most Western RPGs, but I find the space opera presentation and interesting dialogue of Mass Effect strangely compelling. Although this game is also arriving on the PC (I may get it on the PC) it will likely sell more on the 360. There are supposedly numerous improvements in this iteration of the franchise. Reduced load times, more dialogue, better visuals, and perhaps fewer elevators and screen tearing/framerate drops and visual glitches. Yes, this game will likely be just as much of a technical mess, but those craving story and character customization will find it in spades here.

"Dad, why are we in this painting?" "Son, here we are safe from technical problems."
3. Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction
Developer: Ubisoft Montréal
Publisher: Ubisoft
Stealth is a fantastic subgenre within the action game sphere. It requires real thought and perhaps even a bit of tactical reasoning to get through without dying. And it encourages more realistic health meters (imagine if Metal Gear Solid 4 had regenerating health). However, Splinter Cell has never been my thing. Still, Conviction is looking to change that with some innovative new features ranging from the stupid and superficial (3D markers that blend into the environment, still breaking the realism but being harder to see) to the ultra-cool. Add to that a much more…human design for Fisher, and you have a winning stealth combo.
























