Editor’s note: In a recent interview, Okamiden producer Motohide Eshiro hinted that Capcom would consider a sequel to controversial PS2 title God Hand if fans expressed enough interest. Unsurprisingly, that’s mobilized quite a few to express support for the idea. Richard Watts, creator of GodHandFan.com, makes the case for the sequel.

Do you remember God Hand? The game in which you could kick people so hard that they were launched into outer space? In which you could kick a demon in the testicles? Spank a girl to death with your bare hand?  Punch as quick as the Fist of the North Star? The game that was so difficult that you cried and cried, and your parents didn’t understand what had happened to you? If you don’t know this game, it’s time for you to learn about one of the finest games ever to have been made.  

Die-hard fans of God Hand should be very excited. Up until now, they were right to assume that there would never be a sequel to their favorite game. Released by Capcom in 2006, it would be the final game designed by Clover Studios. Clover then went on to become Platinum Games, and the rights to God Hand remained with Capcom. Five years later, we’ve barely heard a thing about the game. Up until now.

The original

God Hand, designed by Shinji Mikami, had a singular vision – to be a game for hardcore players. It took many elements from the old beat-’em-ups like Final Fight and Streets of Rage, taking standard enemy designs from the time (mohawk thugs, dominatrix women, skinny knife-wielders, fat bald men, etc.) and placing them into a modern game with a more complex fighting system. The game is as challenging as the old beat-’em-ups too, with enemies taking a serious beating before going down, and boss health bars seeming to go on forever. Comedy elements and fun references run throughout the game, including the moves that the main character, Gene, uses. From the Dragon Punch to the German Suplex, Gene represents a typical martial artist from anime and video game culture, yet remains unique because of his design and unusual combination of styles.

God Hand really stands out because of the combat system. Unlike Devil May Cry and its contemporaries, God Hand is about getting up-close and personal with the enemy, and using your bare hands to crack skulls. Rather than jumping clear of all danger, waiting for it to be safe then going back in, God Hand forces you to stay with the enemy at all times, and dodge their individual attacks. Unable to block, you have to react to everything the enemy does to avoid getting hit. This requires more skill, but is also more rewarding. By using Gene’s dodge moves, you really feel like you are in a fight, dodging each punch as it comes, rather than treating all moves the same.

When it comes to the beat-down, you have a customizable set of techniques which you can add to as you buy more moves during the game. At any time, you can have five custom moves and a combo loop made up of any moves you have bought. Choosing a different combination of moves greatly affects your strategy in the fight. There are guard breakers which cause a stun on an enemy should they block it, quick moves to intercept enemy attacks, moves that juggle, unblockables, moves with evasion properties and moves which knock enemies flying across the level. It’s up to you what you focus on.

Using your tools, once you smack enemies around enough times you can knock them senseless, so that they are dizzy. Once they are like this, you can activate a stun move – a set animation which causes Gene to pulverize them in a hilariously awesome way, such as knee them in the face a hundred times then DDT them into the ground, or get them in a submission hold and crank their neck over and over until it snaps. These are wonderfully satisfying payoffs to work toward, some of which call for the player to repeatedly press buttons – the quicker you pound, the faster Gene pounds their skull.

On top of these techniques, Gene also has the God Hand itself. This can either be activated to make you invincible and super quick for a few moments at a time, or you can use the Roulette moves, which are unblockable super moves which are powered by orbs that you pick around the levels.

To keep you on your toes, there is also a dynamic difficulty. There are four difficulties that the game can function at – 1, 2, 3 and “Die”.  Enemy AI is different on each difficulty, gradually getting quicker, blocking more intelligently, using more complex moves, attacking in formation rather than one at a time, and of course doing more damage to you. The game determines what difficulty it should be at.  To start with you begin on Level 1. If you get smacked around, it doesn’t rise from there, but if you avoid getting hit and start to defeat enemies with ease, it goes up. And it continues to go up and up until you reach a point where you do get beaten, at which point it will start to go down, and not progress further until you start to do better. This works fantastically, because if you’re having trouble getting used to the game, or come to a particularly challenging section, then you are given a break as the difficulty goes down. And on the other hand, if you’re finding it too easy, it gets harder to cater to your skills. Everybody wins! Not only this, but at the end of each mission, you’re given a set amount of money for each enemy defeated at each difficulty, so it’s an incentive to keep the game as hard as you can make it by successfully dodging attacks.

The need for a sequel

So, why do we need a sequel to God Hand?  First of all, look at the competition. There still are no other games like this. In particular, the unique dodging system, the fully-customizable fighting style and the dynamic difficulty are just some of the things that other designers seem to have overlooked. Also, other modern fighting games worth talking about are high-flying action like Bayonetta. God Hand is a totally different genre, a much more hands-on experience, and there are no modern games of any quality in this genre.

Also, too many games are becoming simple, aimed at casual gamers, with nothing to really learn, nothing to work at. God Hand is a game in which you come away feeling like you have learned a martial art, a system by which you can overcome the odds. You can also play it again and again, trying different combinations, and trying to do better on each stage, learn new ways to deal with situations, push your reflexes to their absolute limit. Other games guide you so much, force you into a particular way to deal with the enemies, instead of giving you more tools than necessary and letting you decide what to do. A sequel to God Hand would address this, if the core elements of the game were preserved or built upon, we’d have something really special, something which hopefully would be noticed this time, and influence games to come.

What could Capcom do with God Hand 2?  First of all, they could expand on all the obvious elements:

• Put in more moves to buy
• Add new properties for moves, for instance, eye-poking, more taunt moves like slaps and comedy karate moves, and grab moves which could activate off normal strikes (such as a kick to the belly which turns into a Stone Cold Stunner on counter hit or on a stunned opponent)
• Put in more options to use on a grounded enemy (as it is you can only stomp or use an axe kick, they could put in elbow drops, leg drops and so on)
• Add some unique God Hand moves to be used once God Hand is activated
• Make the stun moves customizable just like the other moves (so that you don’t have to see the same stun moves again and again) as well as allowing Gene to use unique stun moves on downed or juggled opponents allowing for more variety
• Add in the possibility for double stun moves, (if there are two enemies stunned next to each other) for instance, banging their heads together, or doing a jumping splits kick
• Add in some kind of counter system, where you would have the option to deflect individual attacks to follow up with your own special counter move, as well as the standard dodge system
• Put in more species of demon, perhaps they could be related to the type of enemy that they spawned from, so you could have a fat demon, female demon, skinny demon and so on
• Have more combo options, such as a modifier allowing you to have two combo lists which you could overlap and go between, rather than just having one combo set at a time
• Add some kind of rating system to keep track of what you’ve achieved in each mission (this would also mean adding a new game type to allow you go back to each section to try to get maximum achievement)
• Put in even more direct links to other Capcom games, have cameos by other characters, and use more moves and weapons from other games, get the most out of these kinds of references
• Put in some more things to unlock, costumes, upgrades, and perhaps another character (Azel, or perhaps guests from other games) and other standard things such as unlockables for your PS3 or Xbox 360 (Avatar costumes and so on)

Secondly, they could expand on enemy interaction, have more attack patterns and mix-up combos from them to make it more of a challenge to choose the right dodge. Have enemies react differently depending on what’s going on—perhaps have enemies chicken out if their friends all just got wiped out, or have enemies become fatigued when their energy is low.  Enemies could react more strongly to being taunted, and their tactics could become different as a result. The enemies could have their own stun moves that they use on Gene when he gets stunned (as it is in the original, Gene gets stunned, but then they just punch him some more).  There could be more distinctive attacks from enemies which lead to Gene’s reaction to them.  These showed up from time to time in the original, like when a Demon tries to grab Gene from behind, you can press O to counter to have Gene perform an axe kick over his shoulder.  This could be expanded upon. For instance, some enemies could counter Gene’s attacks, so you’d have to react in time to stop them being successful, and return fire.

There could also be new classes of enemies, for variety in their attack patterns, and also as another way to reference games. There are so many characters in Capcom games that could either be used quite plainly, or referenced heavily due to their attacks and dialogue. 

The very nature of God Hand, its lack of seriousness and obvious nods to gaming, anime and wrestling, allows the designers to put in whoever they want, and also to send Gene wherever they want.  He could venture into worlds which belong to other characters, or have obvious references to other games. Imagine walking past the statue from Sagat’s stage in Street Fighter II. Or walking into the mansion from Resident Evil and beating down some zombie characters.  To expand on that particular idea, they could have some of the STARS members zombified, spouting their legendarily poor voice acting such as “Barry… where’s Barry?” and “I hope it isn’t Chris’s blood!” before getting their face kicked in by Gene. There’s an absolute gold mine waiting to be tapped and used in a game like this.

There were some mistakes made in the first game that also need to be addressed. The biggest error, I feel, was the lack of a tutorial or explanation of the system. Although there were tutorial icons around the first mission, they were not clearly labeled as such, and you didn’t actually have a practice area to begin with. I think that, before the game begins, you should be put through a tutorial to explain how everything works: dodges, guard stuns, full stuns, stun moves, default moves and setting techniques. Since the system is deep and unique, I feel that the developers should take the time to explain what’s on offer, and how to get by without getting your head kicked in.

Capcom has the ability to do something really special. God Hand might not have been a great success, but that wasn’t due to the game. It was a masterpiece which has not been rivaled.  Perhaps it was not marketed so well, and maybe the infamous IGN review hurt the sales too.  But that can be used to their advantage now. Capcom can seize that negative publicity, and launch God Hand 2 as the game which was misunderstood, which was too godly, even for reviewers – a game that was ahead of its time. I think there are many gamers out there who know about God Hand because of the IGN review and because of fans’ reactions to it. Yet they are hardly likely to go back to their PS2 to check out a game from five years ago. If God Hand were available on the current generation of consoles, either as a sequel or as a revamped version of the original, it would allow new players an easy way to access the brilliance of the game, and realize what they missed out on.

Agree with Richard? Join his Facebook group, share this YouTube video, fill out this survey or email [email protected] and let Capcom know. Disagree? Comment and let us know that too.

The 3DS launches March 27 for $249.99. Here’s a roundup of our coverage of the device leading up to the system’s release.

News:

Demo locations: street demos, demo pods

Netflix, Mario, more announced at GDC

Launch lineup revealed, February 22

January 2011 NYC media event

January 2011 NYC event gallery

Launch window titles

Nintendo World event in Japan, January 2011

Nintendo event in Japan, September 2010

E3 media event, June 2010

Announcement, March 2010

System:

Buy on Amazon: Aqua Blue, Cosmo Black

Camera / Miis / VC / AR Games, Face Raiders

E3 2010 hands-on

Originals:

The Committee: Parallel dimensions

 

Launch lineup:

Preview | Trailer | Amazon	Preview | Trailer | Amazon	Preview | Trailer | Amazon
Preview | Trailer | Amazon	Preview | Trailer | Amazon	Preview | Trailer | Amazon
Preview | Trailer | Amazon	Preview | Trailer | Amazon	Preview | Trailer | Amazon
Trailer | Amazon	Trailer | Amazon	Trailer | Amazon
Trailer | Amazon	Trailer | Amazon	Trailer | Amazon
	Trailer | Amazon

Non-launch previews and news:

Kid Icarus: Uprising: Preview

Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D: Preview

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D: Preview | Master Quest

Dead or Alive: Dimensions: Preview

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked: Trailer

With Pokemon Black and White releasing this weekend, we took a look at the series. Which game was best? We look at the numbers.

Our categories: This time, we used three factors to determine rank, each with two facets: sales, using both pure totals ($) and ranking sales as a percentage of systems sold (%); reviews, with both aggregate score (#) and the word from Nintendo Power (N); and legacy, with staff rating each game on its merits at the time of release (<) and now (>).  

Our analysis: Some game had to place last, and Emerald ended up here mostly because its review scores were clearly at the bottom. At this point, the games media had begun to tire of iterative releases, and Emerald really didn’t bring much to the table. All “bonus” entries in each generation rate lower than the main games here, so that’s something to keep in mind.

Our analysis: Crystal was the lowest seller in the series’ history by a long shot, and it’s understandable: there were fewer people with the Game Boy Color to play it. It implemented features that became central to the series later, and as a result, it gets a boost in retrospect.

Our analysis: By the time Pokemon Platinum was released, it was well past the window to share in the Diamond/Pearl sales, so it was relegated to second- or third-copy status for most. It added some replay value, and the most dedicated of players enjoyed it quite a bit.

Our analysis: Yellow was the first substantial iteration in the series, and it tailored to a rabid fanbase that just wanted things to be a bit different. Starting the original adventure with an Electric-type made things tough going, but players stuck with it to experience something close to the TV show. Heading back to it now, the changes are a bit painful and hold little nostalgia.

Our analysis: What happened to this generation? All indications at the time were that it held up as a fine member of the series, with high sales and a glowing review from Nintendo Power. Our theory: the world, new creatures and atmosphere just weren’t as iconic as the original two, and later entries simply passed it technologically.

Our analysis: Nostalgia is nice. Of course, some reviewers call it “stagnation” and possibly “laziness,” so FireRed and LeafGreen takes a hit from critics. It was great to experience the original’s charm without the original’s lack of polish, but we can easily see this losing all appeal with a second Red/Blue remake.

Our analysis: What may be an otherwise mediocre entry in the series was boosted by this: everyone and their mother (literally, in this case) owns a DS. Only the original games have outsold Diamond and Pearl, and that was with a nationwide craze to fuel it.

Our analysis: With a game so critically acclaimed (its aggregate rating is clearly best), the recent remake was a no-brainer. (We’ll get to that one in a second.) It practically doubled the content of the original, whereas later games created one new world to replace another.

Our analysis: The only thing holding HeartGold and SoulSilver back from the top of the list? Pure sales. It’s possible that the number will grow slightly, but probably not, and with the $5 premium caused by the inclusion of the PokeWalker, Nintendo’s probably happy anyway. All technical improvements aside, Black and White will have a tough time with this game so fresh in players’ minds.

Our analysis: How can the original not land on top? To most, the best games in the series are the first and the most recent, and one of those keeps changing. The game was central to a craze that enveloped the world, and even the aftershocks we’re experiencing about fifteen years later are impressively large. This one has the legacy sewn up. An interesting side note, though: Nintendo Power only gave this game a 7.2.

What do you think? What did we get wrong? Let us know in the comments.

So we’re at the beginning of a new year.  There’s a whole 12 months of gaming ahead of us, but we already know a lot of what we want to enjoy.

 

Marvel vs. Capcom 3: I skipped a day of high school years ago to take a bus ride to the local mall to play an arcade cabinet of Marvel vs. Capcom 2. A few months later, I had a new copy of the PS2 version for Christmas, all because my friend said, “let’s go play a fighting game.” With more characters and modern additions to keep things interesting, I’m ready to be taken for another ride.

Portal 2: Valve is releasing a new game. That’s reason enough to have excitement. But it’s not just a new game, it’s a sequel to one of the most iconic games we’ve seen in recent years. We even get to play as one of the turret guns now. That just makes this all the sweeter with more icing on the cake. 

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim: While I was recovering from a back injury a few years ago, I was in dire need of something to play. My friend let me borrow Oblivion and I lost over 150 hours to the game. With a brand new engine as its foundation, I expect to sink at least that many hours into Skyrim, if not more.

Lost in Shadow: I love platformers of all types, especially those with interesting design ideas. From classics like Super Mario Bros. to quirky little titles like The Deep Cave on Xbox Live’s Indie Games service, I love the genre. The concept of Lost in Shadow, controlling a silhouette that runs and jumps on the changing shadows that the stages have, had me interested since the game was announced.

Ys I&II Chronicles: Ys: The Oath in Felghana has made me a recent convert to this excellent series. I wish I had been aware of it earlier, since the games are great. While The Oath had gameplay that deviated from the series norm, like Zelda 2 to The Legend of Zelda, it has whetted my appetite for more of these games.

 

Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy (duodecim): I know the game is coming out in Japan in March, with no word on the release date for the States, but given the timeframe between the Japanese and English versions of the first Dissidia, we can safely assume that it’s coming out in the fall of 2011. I actually enjoyed the first game, so I’m definitely looking forward to the new changes to the game, like the Assist System, traveling on the “World Map” area, and all the new characters (mainly Laguna, Lightning, and Kain).

Duke Nukem Forever: I’ve never actually played a Duke Nukem game, but I’m eagerly anticipating the release (finally!) of Duke Nukem Forever. Why? Because I’m curious about how well it will do – not just because of the change to Gearbox as the developer, but also because it’s so infamous in the gaming community for being the epitome of vaporware. To see how it’ll be in a released commercial form will probably be one of the most interesting stories to come out of 2011.

Pokémon Black and White: Short story: I’m a Pokéfreak. Long story: I’ve actually played a little bit of Pokémon Black and from what I’ve seen, the aesthetic changes are absolutely astounding – from the actual graphical changes (like animated sprites) to small things (like battles moving faster). I’ll personally be getting Pokémon White, but I’m anticipating seeing the game in English, especially for the bigger emphasis on story.

Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Seeing the previews for Marvel vs. Capcom 3, I’m eagerly anticipating playing the game. What with all the new characters introduced, we can be sure that everything we learned from playing Marvel vs. Capcom 2 will be completely flipped on its head (unless Storm and Magneto are still totally broken). Playing as Dante and Deadpool will be pretty sweet, too.

Metal Gear Solid: Rising: I absolutely adore the story for the Metal Gear series. Rising will add even more to that universe that hasn’t been tied up quite yet involving Raiden, the main protagonist of Metal Gear Solid 2. It’ll be interesting to see where Kojima goes with the story with Rising, not to mention the non-stealth gameplay style that will be prevalent in the game.

 

Nintendo 3DS: Obviously the #1 item of interest in 2011. I’m still on the fence about picking one up at launch; my DSi XL’s huge screen has spoiled me and I really don’t want to go back to anything smaller if I can avoid it. Assuming the Professor Layton/Phoenix Wright crossover game arrives in the States, that will probably be the point at which my resistance ultimately fails, but if the launch line up is tempting enough who knows.

Lost in Shadow: I’ve been waiting for Lost in Shadow for a while now. (it was actually on my Most Anticipated list last year!) I will most likely have it in my possession by the time this is published. Hopefully it will be worth the wait.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword: Also on last year’s list was “the new Zelda title”. We got an official name for it (Skyward Sword), but nothing else. I still don’t think we have a concrete release date for it in 2011, but the odds against it not coming out at all this year seem remote.

You Don’t Know Jack: Another January release that has me fired up is the long-overdue return of the You Don’t Know Jack series. The most irreverent trivia/game show ever looks like it will still be as zany as the early-’90s PC titles, but with some new twists fitting for its arrival on home consoles.

Radiant Historia: Despite 2010 being a crazy-packed year for DS RPGs, I still want more. Atlus’s Radiant Historia looks like it will scratch that itch in a satisfying way, with an ambitious plot that will have players managing several alternate timelines in an attempt to find the one true path that will prevent the end of the world.

 

Dead Space 2: Though I’m a total wimp when it comes to survival horror, that didn’t stop me from enjoying the always suspenseful story of Isaac Clarke in the original Dead Space. Now I’m looking forward to the sequel which, with EA’s policy of making sequels bigger, better and flashier, I’m sure it won’t be disappointing at all.

Yakuza 4: After dumping quite a few hours into Yakuza 3, I was thrilled to hear that Sega of America planned to localize the next game. This seems to be one of the few series these days that follows the “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it” mentality, with every successive game simply tweeking and improving upon its predecessor without radically changing the game formula. So long as they don’t decide to massively cut any content like they did in Yakuza 3, I’ll be happy.

Marvel vs. Capcom 3: I never was a big Marvel vs. Capcom junkie back in the day, but I do admit that crossover games in general intrigue me. With some of my favorite Capcom characters being added into the mix this time around, I’m certainly looking forward to what MvC3 is going to offer to the fighting game genre.

Mass Effect 3: I was honestly a little surprised to see this revealed at something like Spike TV’s VGAs, but that’s another story. The fact that the conclusion to the Mass Effect trilogy is coming up is great, and I can hardly wait to see how the plot decisions made over the course of two games will affect the final game. 

Portal 2: Portal was the entire reason why I picked up The Orange Box way back when, so the announcement of a sequel was music to my ears. The few bits that were teased at E3 and the like were more than enough to wet my appetite and I’m now eagerly awaiting the game’s release. Hopefully Valve time doesn’t factor in a delay like it already did.

 

Mass Effect 3: Mass Effect 2 was not only a huge improvement over the first game, but it also left me wanting so much more. The DLC could only hold me over for so long, but now that Mass Effect 3 is announced, I can only hope that this next year goes by as quickly as possible so I can enjoy the continuing (and concluding) journey of Shepard. 

L.A. Noire: Rockstar has yet to disappoint me with a major release this generation, and L.A. Noire looks like something completely different from the norm for them. While everyone is still completely floored by the astounding motion capture technology being put to use here, I’m definitely more intrigued by the concept of the game itself. I love this era and I love the idea of a more slow-paced, methodical, but ultimately rewarding interactive crime drama.

Ace Combat: Assault Horizon: Love it or hate it, the Ace Combat series is still here to stay and I couldn’t be happier. Ace Combat 6 is still one of my favorite Xbox 360 games and I have nothing but high hopes for Assault Horizon. While many criticize the series for a sometimes ridiculous story, I absolutely love it. H.A.W.X. tried to capture the blend of simulation and arcade-style air combat, but it could never do it justice like Ace Combat does.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution: After E3, a lot of people were talking about this one. The original Deus Ex still stands as one of the greatest RPG/FPS hybrids around and a groundbreaking game in terms of storytelling. Deus Ex practically introduced the concept of being able to take multiple approaches to every scenario and allowing for many different outcomes. Deus Ex 3 will either live up to my lofty expectations or be just as disappointing as the previous game, but it’s hard to deny that it looks like it could recapture the same magic found in the original.

Twisted Metal: One of my favorite franchises from the PS1 era makes yet another comeback with Twisted Metal, a reinvention of the franchise and of car combat games as a whole. Twisted Metal: Black remains as one of the best PS2 exclusives, and I can only hope that this will help bring back old fans and also find a new audience for the franchise.

 

LittleBigPlanet 2: Jack of all trades, master of none. The original LittleBigPlanet had a ton of novelty and fun, but the games it emulated we just a bit tighter and more fun. I don’t expect this to change, but with a much larger sandbox, there’ll be so much more to do. With a little effort, we may see gaming experiences that are solid on their own. Even if we don’t, I want to see for myself.

de Blob 2: The first de Blob combined the world-roaming fun of Katamari Damacy with a funky soundtrack and tons of personality. What it lacked was a little polish, and thankfully that’s where sequels excel. My fingers are crossed that de Blob will deliver, though I haven’t decided which platform will turn out better.

Valkyria Chronicles III: Sure, I’d rather see it on PS3. Mostly, though, I just want to see it, and in localized form. I’m interested to see where the story goes in the third installment, with a parallel story to the original but none of the same characters. Hopefully the game will keep the second’s depth but streamline some of the monotony.

Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes HD: This game is almost entirely a high-definition port of the late-2009 DS game. But I love that game, and I’ll take any excuse to replay it. Add in the more accessible multiplayer options, and I’m happy to overlook the fact that the game doesn’t really use half of the screen.

Pilotwings Resort: I’m looking forward to the entire 3DS lineup, really, but of the likely launch titles, this has my interest piqued the most. Why? It’s clearly not the Mii support, the return of Wuhu Island or the gorgeous 3D visuals. No, my excitement can be summed up in two words: Rocket Belt. I’ve missed you, Rocket Belt. (Of course, if the 3DS’ Paper Mario releases this year, let’s just assume I put it here instead.)

 

Diablo III: Diablo II was my college gaming addiction. I was doomed to play it for hundreds of hours, yet never beat it due to starting a new class over and over again. After all the time and memories spent playing Diablo II, I am insanely excited about the sequel finally coming out.

Mass Effect 3: Mass Effect is, without a doubt, one of my favorite series of all time. I’ve tried to get everyone I know to play both Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2, and they usually love the games also. There are a lot of things from Mass Effect that were left out or changed in Mass Effect 2 that I didn’t care for, so I’m hoping they take the best from the first game and the best from the second game to create the third. 

Portal 2: Portal was the best reason to get The Orange Box. Thus, the news that Portal was getting a full-sized sequel excited me to no end. The physics puzzles, and especially the humor, will always bring me back over and over again to Aperture Science.

Uncharted 3: I’ve yet to play a more cinematic game than Uncharted. It is possibly my favorite PlayStation 3-exclusive series, and I can’t wait to experience Drake’s next adventure.

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim: I’ve put 90 hours and counting into Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. I’ve also yet to actually touch the main quest. There’s so much wonderful content and history to the world of Elder Scrolls, it’s hard to stay on track. I had started to worry that the next Elder Scrolls game would be an MMO, so I’m ecstatic that it is going to be a standard action-RPG, and that it is going to be out soon.

What are you looking forward to this year? Let us know in the comments.