Sci-fi videogames for the rest of 2010

Myself and James are as interested in the videogames side of sci-fi and fantasy as much as we are about movies, books or TV shows. This week, for example, saw the release of downloadable content for Dragon Age: Origins and Mass Effect 2, both RPGs by BioWare, and that was an event for us. Luckily, the rest of 2010 looks to be just as entertaining for genre fans interested in videogames.

First up – and the most obvious choice – is Halo: Reach, out next week on Xbox 360. The last in the franchise by developer Bungie (for now, anyway) and a prequel to the other games, it looks like the best of the franchise so far. My colleagues on the videogames magazines in our company seem to agree, too.

There’s also Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II, a continuation of the franchise interquel offshoot that got off to a flawed start in 2008. It continues the story of protagonist and Vader apprentice Starkiller, supposedly deceased, and he’ll encounter series characters like Yoda and Boba Fett in his journeys through the galaxy as he tries to uncover who he really is.

Less obvious but interesting nonetheless is Enslaved: Odyssey To The West. Featuring a script by Alex Garland of Sunshine and The Beach fame, the impressive art direction and motion capture contributions by Andy Serkis means that the title is on our radars. Let’s just hope it’s as good as the cinematic talent suggests.

Fallout: New Vegas is the other game we’re looking forward to in the rest of this year, and it’s probably a safe bet – built in the vein of 2008 masterpiece Fallout 3, we’d be surprised if this didn’t attract the same kind of positive reception as its predecessor. We have high hopes. But will it top Mass Effect 2 as our game of the year?

Oh, and check out Sega’s Vanquish, the demo of which is available now on Xbox Live. A fast-paced sci-fi shooter with incredibly swish visuals, it’s the brainchild of Shinji Mikami, the genius behind Resident Evil 4 and the underrated God Hand.