PC games to look forward to
The months after Christmas are the doldrums of the PC game industry,
but we’re just about to emerge in the light. Three things I’m looking
forward to:
- Rise of Nations: Thrones and Patriots
- Expansion pack for the most satisfying RTS I’ve ever played, Rise of Nations. I’m not sure this is going to add a lot to the original game but I’m hoping it facilitates a second wind for RoN.
- Hitman: Contracts
- Sequel to the fantastic Hitman 2, the stealth FPS. Hitman 2 was just the right mix of silly and intense with a gameplay that could be easy if you wanted or hard if you were careful. Hitman: Contracts looks to be a bit more serious and dark, but I think it will work out OK.
- Thief: Deadly Shadows
- Sequel to the groundbreaking Thief: the Dark Project, the game that invented the stealth FPS. Thief is the nexus of a lot of game development talent: the original was made by the late-lamented Looking Glass Studios who also developed System Shock 2 and whose alumni have gone off to do great things. Thief 3 is Ion Storm and Warren Spector’s chance to recover from the disappointing Deus Ex: Invisible War.
- The Sims 2
- Sequel to the genre-busting Sims. I haven’t heard much buzz about this game. But just adding modern graphics to the Sims formula will make for a pretty entertaining product.
