The holiday season is here, which means as gamers we have been flooded with a ton of great releases to play over our holiday break. But the great games don’t stop here. 2010 is just around the corner and we are going to be seeing some amazing games. These are just a few of our Most Wanted titles for 2010.

Mass Effect 2 (Jan 2010) ~ Amanda

Alright, so if you haven’t played one of the most multi-faceted, single-player console RPGs ever to be deserving of a sequel, then you probably are in immediate danger of slapping yourself (because you don’t want me to do it for you, trust me). In which case, you can save yourself by grabbing your very own copy of Mass Effect just before the impossibly amazing sequel hits shelves on January 10th. As you can probably deduce, I’m biased and my gaming legacy has lead me to become but a feeble slave to Bioware titles. The proof is in the damn pudding, because I never thought I’d meet the Mr. Right of RPGs until I read my “power-gaming” spree on RAPTR; so far Dragon Age: Origins and I have accumulated a deep, 100+ hour relationship and we’re thinking of taking it to the next level. Not that I’ve had the game for a mere two weeks or anything embarrassing to a woman of my responsible, industrious nature. Er, anyway.

If there is any hip trend to be noticed in my recent and most noteworthy gaming ventures is that a sequel doesn’t really have to be a, well, sequel. In fact, my two cents worth is definitely implying that the only thing a sequel should have in common with its predecessor is some kind-of connection via narrative. Obviously developers of Mass Effect have taken this realistic, nifty continuation-thingy into full consideration because players are not going to see any lame Commander Bob or Bobette replacement in Mass Effect 2. So don’t erase that save file just yet, because Commander Shepard isn’t done spraying Alien goo across the corridors of the galaxy and if you happened to pick Kaiden Alenko over Ashley Williams based on your crude, animalistic sexuality, well, she ain’t coming back because your prior decisions will effect Mass Effect 2. Feeling guilty now, huh!? On the other hand, it seems like everything left to heavy criticism including it?s lack of expansive gameplay is already one-step closer to perfection. Count on improved AI, realistic damage modeling, more advanced gunnage, and even an improved cinematic feel.

As an admitted newcomer to Bioware, it’s safe to say I’ve been quite taken aback by the quality of their titles. After Mass Effect and Dragon Age: Origins, I’m completely convinced that Bioware is simply not capable of creating a game worthy of a verbal assault from an IGN or GamePro troll and any objection is a GTFO by default. Also, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the Mass Effect 2 team for their “Star Team” of voice-actors like Seth Green and yaddayadda. All Persians, including myself, are thrilled to have Shohreh Aghdashloo on-board no matter how trivial her role. Seriously, you give us hope for a role in the disparity that is Hollywood. Now, be ready to feel pure satisfaction come January.

Silent Hill: Shattered Memories PSP (Jan 2010) ~ RachelZoe

As a die-hard Silent Hill fan, I’ve probably bought every single installment of the series. While some are better (Silent Hill 3) than others (Silent Hill: The Room), they’ve all been worth getting. The newest creep-fest in the perpetually foggy town is Silent Hill: Shattered Memories. In it, you rejoin Harry Mason (from the original game) as he searches the city for his weird daughter. The PS1 version of this game scared the poop out of me over and over, so I’m hoping this one will be no different.

For those PlayStation loyalists, Shattered Memories will be available on the PS2. Anyone who played 2007′s Silent Hill: Origins on the PSP should consider getting this game on the PSP as well. Both will be out January 12th of the new year. Can’t wait that long? It’s available now on the Wii. Happy haunting!

Bioshock 2 (Feb 2010) ~ Yukino

An indirect sequel to one of the best first person shooters this generation, Bioshock 2 brings us back into the world of Splicers, Little Sisters and Big Daddies. This time we get to play as the original Big Daddy who awakens ten years after the events of the first game. A woman named Sofia has created an army of Big Sisters to kidnap girls along the coastline and bring them back to Rapture, and it is up to the player to stop Sofia from destroying the underwater oasis.

I’m really excited to see the cross over between the two games. Coming back to the city and seeing how much has changed over the course of ten years gives me the happy giggles. I am curious as to how Tenenbaum has managed to survive all that time, and look forward to exploring new and old areas of the city. Still very hesitant about the multiplayer addition to the game, but as long as the main story does not suffer from the mode I will be happy.

Splinter Cell: Conviction (Feb 2010) ~ Cherith

I’m excited for so many games coming out in 2010, it’s hard to name one specific game that I know I have to have in the new year. But since E3, there’s been one game consistently on my mind for the new year: Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction. Now, I’ve said it before, I’m not a Splinter Cell fan, and I haven’t played any of the games before.  But everything I’ve seen for this game, is nothing short of awesome.  It’s got an engaging story. There’s some new innovative game play, and not just new to the Splinter Cell games. And the game, despite (or even because of) the game’s violent storyline, it’s incredibly beautiful and I’m not just talking about the cut scenes. There’s so many things about this game, that on paper would usually seem unattractive to me, but seeing it in action has changed all that. So, Splinter Cell: Conviction is topping my must-have list for 2010. Hopefully, I’ll have finished with Darksiders and Bioshock 2 by the end of February when it comes out so I can devote plenty of time to playing it for myself.

Final Fantasy XIII (March 2010) ~ Renochan

I’m really excited for Final Fantasy XIII. Not only has it sold near a million copies in Japan, it’s another game in an already epic series. From what I’ve seen, the graphics are beautiful and the story is wonderful. The cast of characters is varied, though they all have things in common, which means there’s someone for everyone to like and relate to. I think that’s really important in a game, and Square Enix is likely to deliver yet again!

God of War III (March 2010) ~ GamingAngel

I’m looking forward to many games in 2010, some of which other staff have mentioned. The game that I can’t wait to get my hands on is God of War III.  I have played through the series and can’t wait to see how the team pushes the Playstation 3′s capabilities. I am a huge fan of the hack and slash and you don’t get any bigger than God of War III.

Pokemon HeartGold & SoulSilver (March 2010) ~ Naomi

Gotta catch ‘em all … again! Yes, there is yet another installment of our favourite creature capturing game series in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver editions, which lets one of your Pokémon follow you around while you’re traveling around (similar to the Pokémon Yellow edition). And this time you get a little device called a Pokéwalker (similar to a pedometer) on which you can put a Pokémon you want to level up. You clip it on your belt, and however many steps you take helps your Pokémon to level up!

You battle and train as per the usual way of Pokémon, and start in the Johto region to gather your minions from the wild and take on the infamous Pokémon League. It’s not expected out in America until the 14th of March 2010, and there’s no absolute date for Australia although there is speculation that it might be out in April. Anyway, if you’re a fan of the Pokémon series like myself you will definitely be looking forward to the release of the franchise – it’s a huge hit in Japan with over 2 million copies sold in the first 6 weeks!

Starcraft 2 (March 2010) ~ Stealthyslyth

Since being able to play it at Blizzcon, I’ve become even more excited to get my hands on Starcraft II when it’s released in 2010. I was very sad when it was delayed by Blizzard but have come to terms that when they delay a game it’s probably for a good reason and they’re just making sure that everything works on release date. But now it’s very close to 2010 and I won’t have long to wait until I’m working on honing my skills to at least play against my friends and trying to avoid Zerg rushes.

The game itself when I played it at Blizzcon looked amazing. The graphics were fantastic and the controls worked very well. It was one of those things where I went to play it, walked away for a bit and had to come back and play again. Also with the new Battle.net features that Blizzard is working on, I think the game will be enhanced in a social aspect. I just need to hope that it’s not delayed further!

Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2010) ~ GamerGirlSB

In 2007, I was surprised to find Super Mario Galaxy. Even though I had read raving reviews, this Wii exclusive really delighted and surprised me. Now I am looking forward to the sequel, Super Mario Galaxy 2. The original Super Mario Galaxy provided me with a casual gaming experience combined with challenging levels. The drop in and out coop was perfect when I just wanted to veg out so, I’m hoping this sequel will also have coop.

Although details are being well hidden, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is expected to bring more start collecting and a continuation of the first game with a variety of new worlds and new features. E3 previews featured Yoshi and a new drill like tool so that Mario can drill through different worlds. I’m looking forward to exploring new colorful worlds and gathering more stars. As a new mother, I appreciate having a family friendly game I will be able to play with my future toddler watching.

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We’ve shared with you the games we are looking forward to getting our hands on. What about you? What games are you hoping to purchase and play in the upcoming months? We want to hear from you!

And don’t forget that GameStop’s Season’s Tweetings runs until the end of December. For more information, visit the website for contest rules and follow them on Twitter. (Look for the #seasonstweetings hashtag)

Pssst! If you are reading this on Christmas Eve, then you should know that trivia from this post is being used in the Season’s Tweetings promotion. The winner of today’s drawing will get a Beatles Rock Band bundle for the Xbox 360. What are you waiting for? Watch the @GameStopCorp Twitter account for your chance to win!