2010 is shaping up to be the year of the sequel. Off the top of my head, you’ve got: Starcraft II, Bioshock II, Mass Effect II,  Super Mario Galaxy II, Max Payne III, God Of War III, Gran Turismo 5  and Guitar Hero: A Million all on the way.

But what about those games that don’t have a numerical identifier in their name? What about if you’re looking for a whole new adventure? What about if you just don’t like Kratos very much (hey it’s okay – naked, bald, angry men scare me too).

This week, the top five new games for 2010.

5. Alan Wake

Platform: Xbox 360


Release Date: Q2

Why You Should Care: We’ve been hearing about Alan Wake for years now, so it’s no surprise we’re excited about its release. The game is a thriller with a heavy Stephen King feel to it: you play as Alan Wake, a best selling horror author; but one day, your wife mysteriously vanishes without a trace, and slowly you realize that the events of your latest book are all coming true.

Remedy Entertainment, the guys that made the Max Payne series, are the ones doing Alan Wake, so this should be a good one.

4. APB

Platform: PC

Release Date: March 2010

Why You Should Care: APB (All Points Bulletin) is the brainchild of David Jones, original creator of the Grand Theft Auto series and is about as close as you’re going to get to a Grand Theft Auto MMO. Set in a high crime, urban area, crime gangs and law enforcement agencies continuously battle each other for control over the city. The player will join one faction and work his way up through its ranks. Obviously, one of the big draws of the game is continuous, open world PVP.

Unlike most other MMOs, there’s no leveling up system, instead APB follows more of a Left 4 Dead drop in and play approach with upgrades rewarded through completing achievements in game.

3. Heavy Rain

Platform: Playstation 3

Release Date: 24th February

Why You Should Care: Heavy Rain is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated titles this year. An homage to film noir thrillers, the game follows the story of four characters, each looking for a serial killer known only as The Origami Killer. The game is hugely interactive, giving you control over everything, including, at one point, how one of the female protagonists takes her clothes off in a (plot-essential I’m sure) interactive striptease.

Another interesting aspect is that, if your character dies, the game continues, with play switching to another character and your previous character’s death affecting the story.

2. Epic Mickey

Platform: Nintendo Wii


Release Date: September

Why You Should Care: You’ve got to be pretty confident to put the word Epic in your game title. Fortunately, Warren Spector (the guy that made Deus Ex) is in charge, so I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. Plus, from what we’ve seen so far, it’s going to be awesome: Steampunk environments, a dystopian future Magic Kingdom, surreal nightmare versions of Disney characters.

If you thought Kingdom Hearts made Disney stuff look good, you haven’t seen anything yet.

1. The Last Guardian

Platform: Playstation 3

Release Date: TBA

Why You Should Care: Or as it’s known in Japan, Hitokui no Ōwashi Trico a.k.a Trico, The Man-eating Sea Eagle. At this point, not many details on the game have been released, except that you play a small boy who befriends a giant – and man-eating – Sea Eagle, guiding it around, completing puzzles and defeating enemies.

All you really need to know is that Team Ico, the guys who made Ico and Shadow of the Colossus are behind this one.