Ben's Week In Review: September 20

Nier

It has been a supremely busy week - mostly due to the MAG beta code giveaway, which is now complete, by the way - and I need a break. But I ain't getting one...TGS is this week. Oh boy.

So, Square-Enix...watcha doin' with Nier?

I'm an old-school Squaresoft fan from the original PlayStation days when Square could really do no wrong. And I've always associated that publisher with role-playing, although I do remember the likes of Einhander and Brave Fencer Musashi. But as soon as I heard Square-Enix was looking to appeal to the Western audiences more, and they opened up their offices in Los Angeles, I knew we'd start seeing some different projects. I guess one of them is Nier and I have to admit, it looks pretty damn sweet. I'm not entirely sure why S-E is planning two very distinct versions of the game - one for the PlayStation 3 and the other for the Xbox 360 - but I'm hoping both are well worth buying. Follow that link, and then follow another link to the official site where you can watch an early teaser trailer of the game. It looks like some sort of kick-ass action/RPG...or perhaps it's more action than role-playing; I don't know. I do know that Square-Enix still knows how to make everything look very pretty, so it comes as no big shock to see that Nier is shaping up nicely.

And of course, the more I see of Final Fantasy XIII, the more I desperately need that game. All the FFXIII wallpapers some of you guys uploaded wasn't helping that craving, either, and if I had the time, I might actually consider importing it this year. But the fact is, I most certainly don't have the time and if it launches in June (or perhaps in March, as Square-Enix hopes), that's better. Not nearly as much going on at either time.

Guess what I'm getting on February 9?

Bioshock 2. That's right, baby. That game will be mine. I so loved the original; it's what made me realize that we really can break free of the standard FPS mold if the developers put their minds to it. A great story, an absolutely fantastic atmosphere, beautiful gameplay and control, and overall, one of the most entertaining titles of the generation, in my opinion. If you haven't had the pleasure of playing Bioshock, you definitely need to pick it up; don't be swayed by any ill-advised belief that it's "just another FPS." I know we have many readers who are kinda down on FPSs these days and they tend to avoid the genre, but really, Bioshock is a whole different breed. It may look and play just like an FPS but somehow, it sets itself a good distance apart. I have nothing but the highest expectations for the sequel, too, and it's interesting that 2K has brought in three other development teams to assist. I remember writing that news article and wondering if we'd start to see other designers do this...provided everyone works together properly, it's like a win-win, right?

But anyway, I know the first quarter of 2010 is already loaded but don't you dare ignore this one. It really needs to be somewhere near the top of your list. Just trust me.

Personal gaming update

I'm basically in "review mode" between now and Thanksgiving so I have very little time to play anything for myself. I did the NHL 10 vs. NHL 2K10 comparison and next up is the Heroes Over Europe vs. IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey. This week, You can look for a dual review from me and Arnold for Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2, and I'll have Katamari Forever done, too. I got that today 'cuz Katamari is always totally bad-ass and if you disagree, I will fight you until you finally give. 'evil grin' Then there's October...dear God. Well, at least I got Demon's Souls out of the way, and it appears that the other big RPG of the month - Dragon Age: Origins - might not make it next month for the PS3, and that might be a good thing.

You may call me a nerd if you like, but it's all about games until December. Hence...girls are gonna take a backseat. I won't lie; they mostly have been for a while, but what can I tell you? Maybe now that I'm 31, my priorities are changing...only in the reverse direction, or something. Oh well. Such is life. ;)