Oh! Hello there.

So sorry I didn’t notice you; I was busy tousling my hair and practicing my charming, inextricably British character quirks.

Err-ahem. Yes. LittleBigPlanet 2 was released this week, headlined once again by a revelatory performance from your humble narrator. While those of you with a PlayStation 3 have undoubtedly snatched up your very own copies without hesitation, the rest of the world was left with no comparable alternative; alas, some of you had to resort to games from two years ago! Imagine that.

Now if you’ll kindly excuse me; I’m late for my weekly poker night with Hugh Laurie, Tony Blair and The Stig. In outer space.

Doug:

Doug says killing fools in Assassin's Creed II is made better by all the Italian swearing in the game. Can't really argue with that.

After spending the week mourning the end of football season, I’ve come out of that stage of grief. After taking some time to ponder Nintendo’s online strategy, I’ve been catching up on a couple of 2009′s finest games. Yes, really thrilling, but what I need right now is some comfort.

Through twists of fate, I’ve started getting back into PES 2010. I think I’ve spent well over 170 hours in the game by now, and I still have reason to continue on. That’s the catch with me and sports games: there’s always another trophy to win, there’s always another deal to strike, there’s always another way to improve the team. I jive with that narrative flow, and get carried away.

I’ve also continued playing Forza Motorsport 3. Since Turn 10 gifted a car that could be sold back in the game for a cool 1.2 million credits, I’ve been able to entertain myself with what I enjoy the most in the game: finding a car, tuning it up, and seeing if it works. I currently have a turbocharged Volvo 242 that can touch 160 mph easily; shame it can’t turn to save its life.

Lastly, and most importantly, I’ve finally dug into Assassin’s Creed II. Back in the earlier days of the Sasquatch, I picked up the first AC and gave it a shot; unfortunately, the game’s good ideas were marred by overly simple execution. Stalking and assassinating somebody was fun, but there was little variation on the theme. However, AC2 has built on those mistakes brilliantly. Not only is there enough on the side to keep things entertaining, but the main storyline bounces along at a much quicker pace; no longer must one stalk their pray with so much intent. The information hunting still happens, but it often comes to you in cinematics instead of by repeating missions. Frankly, the game is much better for it.

Aaron:

Aaron says "eh" to Killzone 2.

Maybe it’s because I’m playing the game with my girlfriend, or perhaps it’s that Media Molecule frosted the platforming genius with a delicious layer of story-rich sugar batter, but I’m enjoying LittleBigPlanet 2 more than I anticipated. It’s relaxing in the hustle and bustle world of today to slow down and play a game that makes you happy. And who doesn’t enjoy collecting a lot of random shit?

I also happened to receive Killzone 2 in the mail yesterday, which was bundled with a DualShock 3 controller for a very low price. I haven’t even touched the game yet. Something inside me is expecting to be disappointed.

And in other PS3 news, I finally finished Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune last Sunday. It took me a few years to get my own console and borrow it from a friend, but now I’m “in the know” in regards to the Uncharted franchise.

With all this PlayStation usage, I’m curious if my Xbox is feeling neglected. Oh well.

Nick:

Every day I'm grapplin'

LittleBigPlanet 2 and I have an understanding: I’ll look the other way when its platforming mechanics are wonky and unreliable as long as it allows me to create hulking, monstrous automatons that stalk the cardboard landscape like papier-mâché Lovecraftian horrors.

Mushy, unresponsive jumping aside, LBP2 is a pretty incredible step forward for the series. The built-in levels are far more polished and satisfying than the first game’s batch, and the creation tools — at least, those that I’ve seen — are astounding.

What else is there to say? Not much, unfortunately. I’ve been surprisingly busy with my job search this week, and in a very good way, and I haven’t spent much time playing videogames as a result. I’m still building things in Minecraft, of course — I’ll be playing it until the day I die at this rate — but I managed to dip my toes back  into the irradiated waters of New Vegas for a couple of hours. Yeah, it’s an adequate RPG with some hysterical writing — I’ll never forget my first meeting with Fisto, if you know what I mean — but considering it’s still riddled with game-crashing bugs, I’m finding it difficult to remain interested. So the few remaining hours I’ve had for entertainment this week have been spent with my other good friend, Fiddy.

Let me be clear: 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand is dumb as hell. Really — it’s unbelievably stupid. Running around and massacring color-coded enemies in a nameless Middle-Eastern country as either Mr. Cent or one of his G-Unit cohorts while listening to his music on repeat is probably killing my brain cells off rapidly, but somehow — despite everything going against it — Blood on the Sand is a lot of fun. It’s a competent shooter with some clever arcade influences, and I’m having a great time chasing down my jeweled skull. It is to Gears of War what Saints Row was to Grand Theft Auto: None of the gravitas or self-seriousness, but a whole lot of fun.

Apparently the original image was unceremoniously stolen from someone's Flickr account. Sorry about that!

Intrigue! Wonder! SCIENCE! There is no time for pre-break paraphrasing of the vast and riddle-laden mysteries nestled within this week’s backlog. They are too great. Too fragile, perhaps. Inadequate minds would be at a loss if I just threw out the summarized refuse of what might possibly be our worst best backlog ever. I, a humble scribe of purely narratorial (new word) intentions, can barely contain myself during this soon-to-be historical moment; all of this feverish typing is done so with the tight, icy hand of anticipation musing its bony little fingernails into my literary jugular. It commands more words, and bigger and longer and shorter verbs; it shrieks, “More! And faster, and BETTER punctuation, FEWER dashes, that is a GERUND, now use that exclamation point here, stop with the italics because no one likes those! ADVERB!” This entire paragraph is simply devoid of any merit, but I’m still writing!

The tension is building, dear reader. Do you dare click the “Read the rest of this entry” link? Do you? Horrors never seen, never smelled or touched, wait beneath the artificially tranquil whiteness of the CRT monitor in front of you — a beacon of glory with its Bauhaus collage of cat hair, flakes of skin and Taco Bell Fire Sauce fingerprints. You’re expecting something now, something major — possibly even satisfactory or mildly amusing. Do not. Don’t. Placing trust in our ability to “journal” is foolish, and the oily gremlins of disappointment will suck you through that humming, buzzing radiation box to a world of malcontent and pointlessness. But, I ask again, are you nevertheless prepared?

No? You’re not going to click it? After I birthed all of that fluffed up prose — 13 minutes of my life to be clear — above? Wow. Thanks. Really cool of you, man. I’ll be over here kicking rocks with my hands in my pockets, and hanging my head in disappointment.

Anyway…I lied. Here’s the summary: Doug’s M.I.S. (missing in school), Nick’s manifesto has been uncovered by baffled authorities, and I spew some less ridiculous bull and talk about what I played. Hooray! We’re a bit strange this time around.

The deceptive, siren-y beauty of Dragon Age: Origins has cracked Nick

Nick:

Editor’s Note: We thank our readers for their unwavering support over the last week. Thankfully, after having been missing for six days, Nick was discovered by Humboldt County police huddled between two dumpsters behind the Burger King clutching a foam broadsword between his limbs. A search of his apartment yielded the following journal entries:

Hour 1 — I just bought Dragon Age, and I’m already wondering just what I was thinking. Baldur’s Gate was awfully boring, and this is practically the same thing. I mean, c’mon — magic? Dragons? Long-winded conversations with one-dimensional characters? Puh-lease.
Hour 7 — It is now 5:20 in the morning and I haven’t left my desk chair for any reason other than to relieve myself. The last two hours were spent in my party’s camp trying to sweet-talk Alistair into having sex with my elf rogue. Should I have ethical qualms about seducing such an earnest person? I mean, he’s so sincere and charming and…and…He’s an excellent tank. I’ll need to keep an eye on his strength stat, though. Yeah.
Hour 19 — I’ve completed 23% of what the game has to offer. It occurs to me that content will probably be release faster than I can finish it. Fortunately, my aspirations died months ago and I wasn’t really planning on doing much else.
Hour 38 — Still not sure how to parse my feelings about Alistair. Spent a long time staring at the mirror this morning.
Hour 43 — Tried to explain to my significant other why bringing Dragon Age into our household could be good for both of us. Frustrated to discover my master persuasion skill doesn’t apply to reality. I don’t think she’ll be back.
Hour 92 – I need to know everything. All of Ferelden’s secrets; every conceivable outcome; every nuance of every party member. What makes them tick? What happens if I change my behavior ever so slightly? Dell shipped another six computers today. Expensive? Maybe. But a mere pittance for the opportunity to multi-box this game.
Hour 112 — Alistair body pillow arrived from Etsy.com.
Hour 170 — Police here.
Hour 294 — It’s done. I have become the alpha-geek. My jeans lie in tatters; my muscles have atrophied; I’ve even grown a hint of a disreputable mustache. And I’m really, really hungry.

Artist's interpretation

Doug:

Unfortunately, Doug has been absorbed into the Portland State University hivemind this week. We expect he’ll resurface soon with a decidedly more Borg-ish makeover.

Water effects!

Aaron:

Even after the credits had stopped, Assassin’s Creed II kept me glued to my most comfy seat — though most of that extra time was spent scratching my head in confusion. The series is taking quite the epic/weird turn according to the various plot details unveiled in the sequel. I can’t imagine what other “WTF” moments the AC team will conjure up for the third game. All I know is, at this very second, I can’t wait for it. Everything about AC2 was wonderful. It was lengthy without being overwhelming, and that struck me the most. Most games either go on for far too long (Metal Gear Solid 2…and perhaps 4), or they miss the important climax moments in the story and character development departments by ending abruptly (screw you, Halo 2). It’s rare that a game can be perfectly paced and satisfying at the same time.

Torchlight was my second fancy this week. I’m intending to finish the game I so lavishly praised in past articles, because if I don’t my credibility will find itself even more bankrupt than it currently is. Would anyone out there in cyberspace like us to review the game? It’s a question I continue to raise to myself (who is frankly uninterested in what I have to say, oddly enough), and the pros and cons of the situation aren’t exactly clear, or existent. Someone just tell me to do it so I’m more motivated.

Guess who finished Ghostbusters: The Video Game: me! A shocker, I know. It was a fun distraction overall. A few awkwardly off-time cutscenes, over-repeated contextual dialogue lines from Bill Murray and a couple poorly designed levels to ‘bust in don’t make a strong case for purchasing this title, but it’s still hilarious at times and a nostalgic trip for all of us wannabe Ghostbusters out there. I do own it though, so the possibility of playing through to get more achievements is quite likely; I’m just not sure if right now is a good time to start a second playthrough. What with Mass Effect 2: Collectors’ Edition (oh yes, I roll deep) destroying my existence come Tuesday.

Without further ado, onto the Backlog…

Was I the only one whose parents used to grab them by the belt loop back in the day? That's a good way to control somebody. Nice to see Ubisoft (and ACII protagonist Ezio) taking note, too.

Aaron

After my glowing account of Ghostbusters: The Video Game in last week’s backlog, I quickly kicked Slimer and company to the curb after opening the neon green eco-case containing Assassin’s Creed II. For an entire week, Ubisoft’s much-improved sequel has remained in my Xbox 360′s disc drive, lodged in the retracting plastic mouth like a popcorn kernel. However, unlike an actual pesky and potentially gingiva-damaging kernel, Assassin’s Creed II is a-freakin’-mazing, and part of a balanced gaming diet.

This is the game that the first Assassin’s Creed wanted to be, and the team at Ubisoft Montreal worked hard to make it feel that way. They’ve made missions bigger, more fun and decimated any trace of the original’s tedium. Ezio Auditore da Firenze, the protagonist, is a realistic character with a distinct personality and unique motives; he’s a digitized Renaissance ladies’ man that I can’t help but find likable. The weapon selection is genius in its variety and detailed attack animations, and the less blatant aspects, like hiring mercenaries, prostitutes or thieves to distract a city’s hired goons who guard a precious stash of treasure chests, make a memorable impact. Assassin’s Creed II is a game with so many moments I won’t ever forget, and, perhaps unfortunate for other action adventure titles, I’ll be using those to judge future titles’ value. Oh, and I still haven’t finished the game as of this writing.

One complaint, though: Leonardo da Vinci’s flying machine segment. It was pretty lame. Of course that’s my opinion, but really: After all the hype the flying machine garnered back in the spring during the game’s slow unveiling, I was expecting more than an annoying checkpoint-to-checkpoint ordeal via multiple bonfires lit across Venice to help propel your glider back into the air as you float ever closer to your assassination target. The very brief mission played like it was designed by the mentally handicapped cousin of a designer from Pilotwings 64.

Favorite Italian phrase of the week: Requiescat in pace.

Bayonetta, caught in a rare moment of quiet solitude in one of the most crazy action games of the current console generation.

Nick

I’ve been a bit deprived of my regular gaming habits lately, but I have managed to sneak in a bit more time with Dragon Age: Origins and Bayonetta. I still haven’t finished either, but there’s little doubt in my mind that they represent the absolute best in their respective genres.

I’m also only about five songs away from having five-starred every song on expert in DJ Hero, which just goes to show how dangerously addicted I become when a great rhythm game comes along.

Finally, I caught up on some Rock Band songs, including the White Stripes and Paul McCartney packs. Harmonix has maintained a constant stream of great new songs over the last two-plus years. Now, if only Rock Band Network would hurry up and launch…

Holy sideways driving, Batman. 700-plus horsepower Audi Sport Quattros are not exactly easy to control, especially on Forza 3's narrow Amalfi Coast circuit.

Doug

I’m not going to lie: much like Nick, I’ve had very little time to game this week. Having something going every night for school this week has crushed my free time, but I’m really hoping to have some more time to myself next week.

However, I did spend some good time with one of the usual suspects, Forza Motorsport 3, including spending a couple hours on Tuesday night. Friend of the site Peter is far from a diehard racer, but he rented Forza 3 on something of a whim; first he calls to see if it’s something he’d like, then he caught me on Xbox Live and told me he’d just poured three hours into the game…and was loving the experience. We spent some time racing online against the computer for a while, discussing progression from sim-racing newbie to veteran, and Peter left convinced this was a great game. I’m just glad to help!

I’ve also been sneaking in games of the original NBA Jam in the mornings before leaving for class. Inspired by the recent confirmation of the series’ return, I’ve been revisiting the original (as well as the Tournament Edition follow-up that’s basically NBA Jam 1.5), and really trying to break apart what made the game fun. This might pop up later as the center of an editorial, but NBA Jam succeeds so well because it’s such a simple, focused experience — there’s no fat and no unneeded difficulty or complexity. As well, the controls and game engine both feel very taut; the game responds quickly to your inputs and you’re rarely caught fighting the game for control.

Because I need the rest, I’m going to spend the weekend stapled to the couch, so I may very well finally beat Batman: Arkham Asylum, and get to spend some time with other games.

While our Top 10 Games of 2009 deserve attention for their overall excellence, we can’t neglect this year’s remaining deluge of fantastic games — titles that just missed the final cut. Be it their charm, gameplay or presentation, our Honorable Mentions were simply hard to forget. We now present part one of a five-part series of Honorable Mentions articles, one from each member of the Silicon Sasquatch staff. Here are Tyler’s picks.

Killzone 2

February — PlayStation 3

First-quarter releases — even high-quality ones — often end up forgotten when it comes time for game-of-the-year discussions.  While Killzone 2 wasn’t necessarily the best first-person shooter released in 2009, it did a lot to make up for the disappointments of Killzone 1. It also proved to the games industry that Guerrilla Games is the powerhouse developer it had long been claimed to be.

The Dutch studio had a lot to live up to from the time when the stunning Killzone 2 target video was premiered at E3 in 2005, and the amazing feat is that they by-and-large did it.  If 2009 is remembered as the true “Year of the PS3,” Killzone 2 will be recognized as the title that kicked it off with a bang.

Half-Minute Hero

October — PlayStation Portable

PlayStation 3 wasn’t the only Sony platform with a dramatically improved catalog in 2009 — the PlayStation Portable also saw a resurgence of quality titles.  Half-Minute Hero understands the limitations of being a portable title by offering bite-sized, addictive chunks of entertainment while turning the  Japanese role-playing game genre on its head.  Fast yet entertaining design and well written, humorous dialogue are what make this the must-have portable experience of 2009…

Doodle Jump & Drop7

iPhone & iPod Touch

Left: Doodle Jump; Right: Drop7

…unless you count the App Store.  Apple was dragged into the gaming space kicking and screaming, but it didn’t take long for the iTunes App Store to become flooded with games for the iPhone & iPod Touch. However, 2009 saw the emergence of a new style of games that perfectly understood the limitations of the platform.

Doodle Jump and Drop7, my two most played iPhone games of 2009, represent my favorite style of games for the platform:  They’re easy to learn yet highly enjoyable games that can be played whenever you’ve got a few minutes to spare.  Nothing makes waiting in line more bearable like trying to beat your friend’s high score on Doodle Jump — and tweeting about it when you do.

Assassin’s Creed II

November — Xbox 360, PlayStation 3

I finished the latest branch in Desmond’s family tree relatively recently but it made a big impact on me.  Easily one of the most dramatically improved sequels of the year (and that’s coming from a fan of Altaïr), Assassin’s Creed II packed in excellent missions, more freedom for the player and an overall increase in content.

The title also boasted some of the best voice acting of the year and one of the most memorable open world environments ever seen in games with its brilliant realization of 15th Century Venice.  Despite how well put together the campaign was, what I find myself thinking about the most is the absolute trip of an ending that trumps its predecessor’s conclusion in nearly every possible way.  The third chapter of Ubisoft’s war of assassins & templars has leapt to the top of my list of most anticipated unannounced (yet inevitable) sequels.  A presto, Ezio.

Thanksgiving provides you with plenty of time to dust off the classics.

Oh, lordy, we have a lot to talk about this week.

As promised, the Thanksgiving break provided plenty of time for us to get our proverbial, collective game on. From holiday smash hits like Modern Warfare 2 and Assassin’s Creed 2, to tried-and-true games and classics…lots of titles this week. LOTS. Let’s cut the garbage and just get to the breakdown…

This is probably where you expect me to pull out an Ahnold reference and say, "Get to dee choppa!" Well, you'd be right.

Aaron

Two weeks after the last Backlog, and what do I have to share? Aside from me eating Thanksgiving leftovers for a week and a half, I finally finished a few games that remained on my more metaphorical plate.

Modern Warfare 2 has been my most-played title lately, and it was given to me as an early Christmas present by a dear friend. I have him to blame for the two-and-a-half days spent on it so far.

Though I was extremely skeptical of what another Modern Warfare title had to offer (as the trailers made it look like the first, but with “Extra BIG Explosions!! ®”), I’m pleased to say it’s more than exceeded my non-existent expectations. I’ll save the highs and lows for my review next week, but Infinity Ward has done three things I didn’t think were possible for the Call of Duty franchise: re-tooled multiplayer to be fun again, provided a shorter and sweeter (though flawed) campaign, and created another amazing co-op mode that is unique to the series. Now if they can ban the Javelin missle trick exploiters, I’ll be pleased.

Outside of frat boy gaming favorites, I took the time to complete both The Ballad of Gay Tony and Brütal Legend. A review of Gay Tony will be going up this week, but I’ll say here that it’s a nice bookend to the Grand Theft Auto IV universe. Rockstar’s latest DLC has a few quirks I’m not too fond of — namely the new post-mission Rockstar Social Club score card — yet the team brought their A-game to showcase a new set of protagonists that are the best Grand Theft Auto characters I’ve ever seen. GTA IV had a fantastic script to begin with, but Gay Tony’s cast is infinitely easier to relate to. It’s a big step for the series’ character development.

Brütal Legend was good. Honestly, that’s all I feel like writing about it.

I do feel disappointed, as the game was one of our most anticipated titles for awhile now. It’s certainly not bad or broken in my opinion (yes, even considering the “RTS” elements), but it just feels like it fell short of its massive potential. Overall, this was an interesting game to play through. I loved it one minute, loathed it the next, and then eventually came to rest on a metaphysical plane of indifference toward it.

I hope Tim Schafer isn’t upset at me now.

Machinarium marries a beautiful, hand-painted art style with adventure gaming, two rarities in modern gaming.

Nick

Life teaches us that every time a door closes, another one opens.

Well, it turns out that when you slam the door on a game, a bunch of great ones you’ve forgotten about spring back and scold you for ignoring them. I learned this upon completing Ubisoft’s excellent Assassin’s Creed 2, the sequel to one of modern gaming’s most controversial titles — and a personal favorite of mine. By resolving so many of its predecessor’s problems (repetition, occasionally flat storytelling) and illuminating its strengths (a novel approach to historical fiction, fantastically rendered cities), Assassin’s Creed 2 is a massive and hugely gratifying experience. It was so engaging, in fact, that I earned every achievement over the course of 25 solid hours of gameplay — without a single frustrating sequence or major design flaw to dampen my impressions of the game.

With Assassin’s Creed 2 put to rest, I dove into a couple of unassuming but deviously creative independent adventure games. The first, Windosill, is free to play online or download at windosill.com…until you reach the halfway point. The game then asks for three dollars to complete the experience, which amounts to a mere pittance for the sheer amount of ingenuity packed into the game. To describe the experience would spoil it, but seeing as it’s free to try you might as well pop it open in another browser tab and save it for later. Many big-budget retail games are less inspired than this little Flash-based toy, which I’d recommend to anyone who can appreciate an artistic puzzle.

The second game is Machinarium. Created by indie developer Amanita Design, Machinarium is a charming game about a little robot’s journey to find something in the big city. Beautiful, distinctive backgrounds and a haunting musical score combine to make one of the most memorable games I’ve ever encountered. Every character is animated with endearing exaggeration, making for a game that manages to say quite a lot without a single written or spoken word. Machinarium is also free to try online here — make sure you take a look.

And finally, I succumbed to the siren song of slashed prices and picked up a brand new copy of DJ Hero, FreeStyleGames’ turntable-based rhythm game. After the lackluster evolution of the Guitar Hero series in Neversoft’s hands and the inexplicable existence of Band Hero, it’s wonderful to see a new franchise debut on such a high note. The game and peripheral are both rock-solid at their core, combining to create a music game that doesn’t play like anything else on the market. (Move over, Beatmania — you’ve got nothing on this game.) Even as an expert Rock Band musician, I found myself forced to start out on Hard before just recently bumping up to expert. Fortunately there’s no punishment for ambition — you can’t ever fail out of a song. That’s good news if you, like me, get a little carried away with some of the catchier mixes in the game. Gorillaz’ “Feel Good Inc.” mixed with Blondie’s “Atomic”? “Bittersweet Symphony” with 2Pac’s “All Eyes on Me”? Yeah. It’s rad.

Why oh why did I wait so long to finally dig into Super Metroid?

Doug

Here it is – the quiet after the storm. Not only for the fall release Armageddon, but also in my school term. This means, of course, more time for gaming! And that’s a very good thing.

Subject number one is, easily, Forza 3. I’m still loving the experience of playing through the single-player, and I wish I could find more time to hop online and race with my friends on Xbox Live. I love the race cars in the game — the sounds, the sensation of speed, the feel of the grip and aerodynamics…hell, you can even feel the engines struggling to gasp for air against their inlet restrictors from time to time (this is realistic and makes me happy). That the game recognizes the racing series-mandated restrictors is one thing; that you can pay to remove them is another, and shows the care that Turn 10 paid to this game. And the feel of the restrictors on engine performance is icing on the realism cake, so to speak.

I’ve also been back on the NCAA 10 bandwagon. It still has its faults, and I would pay good Microsoft spacebucks for DLC that updated the uniforms with Oregon’s real ones for this year, but the offensive gameplanning and gameplay is still pretty sweet. Defense isn’t so bad, either. It’s candy for my brain, and I enjoy it.

While I want to spend more time on Brütal Legend (and likely will this weekend), I did get the chance to put time into another single-player game: Super Metroid. I’m becoming a big fan of this style of game design (hello, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night!), and haven’t played this one yet, so I fired up the ol’ emulator and took it to task. And I also got far enough in the game to frustratingly die and lose an hour’s worth of progress. Definitely digging the ambience and mood behind the game as well — I want to play it with headphones on to get the full audio experience.

Based purely on what’s been shown today, and assuming things go to plan:

The Sure-fire Big Winner: Xbox Live

Direct download capability for 1080p movies and Xbox 360 games; an expanded Netflix lineup; Facebook, Last.fm and Twitter tie-ins to come in the fall; and a whole host of exclusive downloads and DLC content for games coming this year. That $50 a year spent on an Xbox Live gold account keeps looking better and better, and regardless how the games turn out, what you’ll be able to do with the system grows and grows.

Most Important Announcement: Microsoft’s Project Natal

It's waggle, Jim, but not how we're used to: Microsoft's Project Natal could well be the biggest announcement at E3 2009.

We knew it was coming. It may even have been shown a year ago, before Microsoft acquired the company responsible for the technology. But actually seeing Project Natal — Microsoft’s code name for its controller-less motion control device — was very stunning. Sure, some of the tech demos displayed (a ball kicking/punching/heading game, motion to control the Xbox dashboard) were a bit hokey…but they showed a level of motion-recognition that was very tight and reactive. The big deal was Lionhead Studios (publishers of Fable 2, Black and White and many other games) and the tech demo they created where players could interact with a schoolboy named Milo. To say it encroached on the uncanny valley is an understatement; if it’s what the video demonstration billed it to be, it’s less a game and more interacting with a legitimate AI character. Absolutely stunning.

To say that Microsoft could capitalize on the market the Nintendo Wii has pioneered while also pushing the boundaries of what’s possible as an interactive activity with Project Natal is an understatement. The potential is there; whether it comes to fruition in the final form will be interesting to see.

Nothing’s Shocking: The surprises that…well…didn’t.

• Hideo Kojima taking the stage during the Microsoft press conference (accompanied by a “!”) to announce Metal Gear Solid: Rising, which will feature Raiden.
• Bungie is working on something other than Halo 3: ODST in the Halo universe — Halo: Reach.
• EA Sports is adding a mixed martial-arts game, EA Sports MMA, to its roster.
• Brütal Legend is going to kick everybody’s ass. Hard.
• Sequel-tastic: Left 4 Dead 2, Crackdown 2, Metal Gear Solid…and plenty more from EA and Ubi.

The Day and Date Club: Games that made a great first impression.

Here comes the sun: The Beatles: Rock Band broke cover brilliantly today at E3.

• The Beatles: Rock Band. After months of speculation, teases and being under wraps, the game was finally revealed today. It was a hell of a start to Microsoft’s press conference.
• Forza Motorsport 3. Another game that had lived under cover until now showing its head, and it is looking good as well. Especially innovative could be the game’s replay editor – if the Turn 10 spokesman was being truthful during the demonstration today, it could yield spectacular results.
• Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction. Site editor Aaron Thayer was particularly enamored with this game’s combination of stealth and action. The lighting system and revamped hide-in-the-shadows gameplay along with the extremely visceral action is a tantalizing prospect for this fall.
• Brütal Legend. The metal Zelda. Tim Schafer’s (well deserved) golden ticket-in-waiting.
• Honorable mentions: Assassin’s Creed 2, Mass Effect 2, Alan Wake.

We’ll be sure to have more for you tomorrow after Nintendo, Sony and a host of others make their presentations and the show floor opens.

With E3 2009 just around the corner, it seems like an appropriate time to outline the known games we’re excited to see released over the rest of the year. Though our staff hasn’t had access to these games in a professional, hands-on manner, our comments are based on scouring sources for factual elements with pieces of speculation and analysis tossed in. Enjoy.

The Sasquatch Trinity: The three most wickedly awesomest games to watch this year

Brutal Legend: [Double Fine Productions, Electronic Arts, Q3 2009]

Another Tim Schafer game, another memorable experience.

Double Fine’s latest has EA’s publishing power to hopefully encourage sales success instead of repeating Psychonauts’ commercial stagnation under Majesco. The ridiculous concept of the world’s greatest roadie, Eddie Riggs (brought to life by Jack Black), being transported to a heavy metal fantasy land by his belt buckle works because Schafer and his team have created a world that thrives on that very ridiculousness. But this metal homage wouldn’t work without legitimacy: Lemmy Kilmister from Motörhead and Rob Halford from Judas Priest are playing major roles in both the game’s creative development and in voicing major characters. However, the undisclosed soundtrack is keeping legions of metalheads with perfect set lists swirling around their cerebrums waiting with bated breath. Will Double Fine’s licensing pull through?

While the gameplay at this stage sounds typical (think third-person portions similar to 3D Zelda titles, Crackdown and GTA), the polish visible in screenshots and trailers is already cranking this game up to “11″ in the wit department. Brütal Legend also expands on Psychonauts’ third-person action-adventure formula with a reported 64 square-kilometer open world littered with metal album cover imagery and over-the-top characters.

Most of all, it looks fun.

Assassin’s Creed 2: [Ubisoft Montreal, Ubisoft, Q4 2009]

We here at the Silicon Sasquatch enjoyed the first Assassin’s Creed. It was a slow-burn title that offered more than the nagging comments of the Internet claimed it did thanks to its wonderful setting and interesting, if not average, plot. In fact, in the coming weeks we’ll post a Retrospective of the title with our team’s compiled commentary.

Generally, the investigation portions suffered the most flak from various reviews and message boards. Which brings us to Assassin’s Creed 2, the recently revealed , Renaissance-era sequel. Desmond’s next assassin ancestor probed by the Animus is one Ezio Auditore de Firenze, an (obviously) Italian nobleman. Details from the next Game Informer posted on a since-removed Ubisoft forum page mention that AC2 will do away with the more disliked investigation options (pickpocketing and eavesdropping) while adding variety to the mission mix. Taking place in Europe will be a great change of pace as well, though it’s worrisome to hear of “flying machine” elements and an apparent emphasis on more action–two hidden blades are, apparently, better than one.

Let’s just hope Desmond does something proactive this time around. Maybe this?

The Beatles: Rock Band: [Harmonix, Electronic Arts/MTV Games, see above]

It’s The Beatles. It’s Rock Band. Despite the currently scant details, we can definitively say this will be the game for music fans. Still, many questions need to be answered before the game’s September release. Will the graphical style be more realistic? Do players only take on the personas of the world’s most acclaimed band? If true, does that mean no one will pass up the bass anymore? E3 is only a couple of months away.

The title, which has been worked on by the music game masters at Harmonix for over a year, benefits from the creative input of the two living Beatles, Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. Even Yoko Ono and George Harrison’s family are lending their support to make the game as authentic as possible. Considering this experience focuses on celebrating the entire career of The Beatles and isn’t a one-shot Guitar Hero: Insert Band title, The Beatles: Rock Band can’t affort to slack off in the “feel” department at all.

In addition, George Harrison’s son, Dhani Harrison, has confirmed that unreleased Beatles audio content will make it into the game, almost making this Rock Band offshoot another Beatles Anthology project. This ties into the announcement that 14 of The Beatles’ albums, completely remastered in stereo and with other goodies, are dropping the same date as The Beatles: Rock Band. Will these new master tracks make it into the game? Without a doubt.

Fun fact: Two of our writers are confessed rhythm game fanatics and Rock Band addicts, while the other just wants to play “Revolution” on his plastic guitar.

Individual Picks

Aaron Thayer:

Champions Online: [Cryptic Studios, Atari, Q3 2009]
Based on details alone, Champions Online could be the redemption of the superhero MMO concept. Cryptic’s team seems to have learned from their mistakes in City of Heroes by providing character itemization (costume pieces = loot!), more robust hero and villain customization and realtime, cooldown-free fighting.

Mafia II: [2K Czech, Take-Two Interactive, Q4 2009]
The first Mafia in 2002 was the original open-world attempt at a realistic setting long before Niko Bellic came around. Mafia II changes the time period to the classic mobster era of the 1940s and 50s, but looks to keep the in-depth plot and cast while giving players a plethora of gameplay additions like faster cars with working trunks to store bodies and boomsticks. Nice.

Nick Cummings:

Modern Warfare 2: [Infinity Ward, Activision, Fall 2009]

It might be a bit audacious to put this at the top of my list. There hasn’t been any concrete information released about the game, unless poring over cryptic trailers is your thing, but as the company’s last game was the genre-revitalizing Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, I’m expecting nothing but brilliance. Infinity Ward is going to great lengths to make this the definitive sequel fans have been waiting for (although Call of Duty: World at War was nothing to scoff at) by asking fans to submit suggestions for MW2 via a special Twitter site and hash tag.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves: [Naughty Dog, Sony Computer Entertainment, Fall 2009]

I bought a PlayStation 3 for Metal Gear Solid 4, but I didn’t fall in love with the platform until I played Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune. I’d had reservations after playing a pre-release demo at the Penny Arcade Expo in 2007 — the controls felt too loose, the environments too constricting — but just a few minutes with the retail release quelled all my fears. Uncharted was a beautiful, rich game of high adventure and sarcasm with just a dash of cheesiness. It was everything the new Indiana Jones film should have been, and the sequel, Among Thieves, aims to improve upon its predecessor in just about every way. It’s a tall order, but Naughty Dog is dead-set on delivering.

Doug Bonham:

Every EA Sports Title Released This Year: [EA Sports, Electronic Arts, various releases]
Being a sports game fan, there’s always a new season’s worth of games to look forward to each year. This is of course true for the lineup from sports-gaming juggernaut EA Sports. Titles worth looking forward to include Tiger Woods 10 in June, NCAA Football 10 in July, and NHL 10 and FIFA 10 in the fall. Of course, seeing how Madden 10 turns out when that launches in August is a necessity as well.

The Bigs 2: [Blue Castle Games, 2K Sports, July 2009]
Of particular note for sports games this year is 2K Sports’ The Bigs 2. The first one two years ago was a great piece of arcade sports gaming, right in the same genre as NBA Street as part of the second wave of arcade-style sports games. The sequel promises to pitch up more wicked yakkers when it launches in June, and is probably an Xbox 360 gamer’s best bet for baseball this year.

The Most Worrisome Games of 2009: Not all games are made equal.

Dragon Age: Origins: [BioWare, Electronic Arts, Late 2009]

BioWare’s announcement of Dragon Age: Origins heralded a return to its roots of high-fantasy roleplaying games like Baldur’s Gate. It’s cause for celebration for any hardcore RPG fan…on paper, at least. Sticking to strict old-school mechanics, like playing a mute protagonist, gives the impression that BioWare is developing a game around the rigid Advanced Dungeons & Dragons ruleset without even possessing the license anymore. After 2007′s stellar Mass Effect became a critical and commercial hit, it’s a little worrisome that BioWare seems to be throwing that game’s innovations out the window.

BioShock 2: [2K Marin, 2k Games, Late 2009]

One man does not a classic make, but there’s no dismissing the invaluable role Ken Levine played in the development of cult horror classic System Shock 2 and its spiritual successor, BioShock. His lack of involvement in BioShock 2 is a little disconcerting, but even more troubling is how uninspired the sequel looks in comparison to the stunning impression the first game had on all who played it. A return to Rapture isn’t necessarily a bad idea, but when the interface, enemies, Plasmids and weapons look nearly identical to the first game, why even bother making a sequel?

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On the one hand, Guitar Hero: Smash Hits is reviving some of the best songs with full-band bravado from the earlier, better days of Guitar Hero. Ozzy Osbourne’s Bark at the Moon is getting its due. So is Killer Queen, and Free Bird, and Carry On Wayward Son…which was already in Rock Band 2, and…Through the Fire and Flames?

Yep. It’s Neversoft.

Bioshock 2 footage emerged from the depths. While it’s far too early to make any judgment calls on the game, it’s safe to say the sequel perfectly retains the look and feel of the landmark original game. Whether that’ll ultimately be to its detriment or benefit is, at this point, anyone’s guess.

Meet Ezio Auditore de Firenze, Desmond's next nightmare-bed buddy

The slow trickle of Assassin’s Creed 2 details has accelerated. Just earlier this week, Ubisoft launched a teaser site for Assassin’s Creed 2, complete with a clever webcam metagame that revealed images of the game’s new protagonist. Ezio Auditore de Firenze, a Florentine nobleman in the year 1476, is another one of Desmond’s ancestors and presumably the next persona he’ll pull a Being John Malkovich on in the sequel.

Well, I guess it’s time for me to get a life.

In case you missed out, here are some of the more interesting developments in gaming today:

Brütal Legend was the subject of last week’s 1UP.com cover story, and it features a wonderful interview with Tim Schafer, the game’s creator and mastermind behind games like Day of the Tentacle, Full Throttle, Grim Fandango (my personal favorite game of all time) and Psychonauts. One of the most clever and engaging minds in game development, Schafer’s commentary is not to be missed.

Rock Band 2 Lead Designer Dan Teasdale gave a speech at the 2009 Game Developers Conference on designing high-quality games on a short schedule, and his lecture slides are available for download on his design blog. I’ve met Dan a few times; he’s an amicable guy who cares a lot about his games, and his slides are an entertaining read. On page 43 you can spot MC Destructo hogging the spotlight at Portland’s own Ground Kontrol, home of the best weekly Rock Band nights ever, apparently!

Assassin’s Creed 2 has a new teaser site, courtesy of Ubisoft UK. Details are enticingly scarce, but the site itself seems to have some fun tricks in store for anyone with a webcam. Not to spoil any surprises, but it’s pretty incredible what people can do with Flash these days…