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An annual tradition here at the Black Panel, New Horizons provides you with a sneak peak at the year ahead. Entirely bereft of sequels and spin-offs, this article is devoted to the promise of new ideas, bold and inventive.

Sony is hard at work on THE AGENCY, a multiplayer online action game set in the high stakes world of international espionage. While the market isn’t exactly crying out for another first person shooter, this one looks to be a little different. You’ll spend plenty of time with a gun in your hand, but you’ll also have the opportunity to recruit various NPCs to carry out missions on your behalf (“Get me a sandwich!”). The Agency has endured a troubled gestation, but after a lengthy delay is coming to PC and PS3 in the second half of the year.

After hitting the big time with fast paced fantasy brawler Castle Crashers, The Behemoth is preparing to release another quirky downloadable effort. Like most games these days, the charmingly 2D BATTLEBLOCK THEATER challenges you to solve puzzles while performing on stage for the amusement of sadistic cats. Honestly, get a new idea people. The Behemoth are promising that this XBLA release will feature hundreds of levels and co-op support for up to four players.

Codemasters’ ultra violent BODYCOUNT is the latest first person shooter to adopt destructible environments as the centrepiece of its design. According to outspoken creative director Stuart Black, this will discourage the “whack-a-mole mechanics” of cover based shooters. Mind you, Black has since departed the project, so it remains to be seen if his vision will be fully realised. Following a recent delay, Bodycount is now scheduled to arrive on 360 and PS3 in autumn.

Long known for its contributions to id Software’s classic franchises, Splash Damage is finally preparing to plant its own flag. BRINK is a multiplayer focused first person shooter with a remarkably expressive art style and a strong focus on character customisation. The action takes place in a would-be utopia that just happens to be barrelling towards social, economic and environmental collapse. Other than that, it sounds like a great place to visit. Brink is due for release on 360, PS3 and PC in autumn. REVIEW

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Games of 2010 is a sneak peak at some of the titles The Black Panel is likely to cover over the next 12 months.

Infinite Undiscovery confirmed SEGA and Tri-Ace as the masters of clumsy titles and the tradition is set to continue in 2010 with their latest collaboration, RESONANCE OF FATE. A fast paced action RPG with an emphasis on gunplay, the game is set on a dying world in which life is sustained by mysterious steam punk technology. Resonance of Fate is scheduled for release on 360 and PS3 in March 2010.

While the real time strategy genre isn’t exactly synonymous with console gaming, Ubisoft and Eugen Systems are confident R.U.S.E. will challenge this perception. The game is set in Europe during the dark days of World War II. As the title implies, there will be a strong focus on the art of deception, with armchair generals encouraged to use decoys and camouflage to wrong-foot their opponents. R.U.S.E. is due for release on 360, PS3 and PC in Q1 2010.

Building on the success of 2008 quad bike racer Pure, Black Rock Studio is preparing to unleash SPLIT SECOND, a high speed excursion into the world of reality television. Cars race through the purpose-built streets of a city rigged with all manner of explosive obstacles, some of which can be triggered by the drivers themselves. Imagine, for example, being crushed by a collapsing building as you attempt to overtake a rival. It sounds almost as bad as the Western Ring Road. Publisher Disney Interactive has revealed that Split Second will arrive on 360 and PS3 in May 2010.

In a market awash with first person shooters, Activision and Raven Software are preparing to deliver yet another. Fortunately, SINGULARITY has something in its favour. As you explore a seemingly abandoned Soviet research instillation, you’ll stumble upon a time manipulation device that, among other things, enables you to switch between the present day and 1950, when the base was populated by (you guessed it) mad scientists. Originally announced for a 2009 release, Singularity will now arrive on 360, PS3 in Q1 2010.

More than a year after Japanese gamers hacked and slashed their way through the game, Australia is finally poised to receive the PlayStation 3 exclusive WHITE KNIGHT CHRONICLES. The latest RPG from Dragon Quest IX developer Level 5 has impressed with its sense of scale, with some enemies towering over city skylines. Sony has listed White Knight Chronicles for a Q1 2010 release.

Thus ends The Black Panel’s weeklong preview of the year ahead. Our regular news updates will resume on Monday. See you then!

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Games of 2010 is a sneak peak at some of the titles The Black Panel is likely to cover over the next 12 months.

People who complain about Melbourne’s public transport system clearly haven’t attempted to catch a train in Russia recently. As revealed in METRO 2033, all services have been suspended indefinitely as the last remnants of humanity battle for survival in the tunnels beneath a post nuclear Moscow. As protagonist Artyom, you’ll square off against horrific mutants and brave the irradiated atmosphere of the surface world. This jet black first person shooter from THQ and Ukrainian developer 4A Games is due for release on PC and 360 in 2010.

For better or worse, kart racing games are back in the spotlight. One of the more promising entries in this much maligned sub-genre is MODNATION RACERS from United Front Games. You’ll be invited to create custom avatars, vehicles and tracks and share them with the game’s online community. Rumour has it that there will also be a race of some kind, so let’s hope the driving model receives as much attention as the customisation options. Publisher Sony is yet to nail down a release date for this family friendly PS3 exclusive.

With Final Fantasy XIII on the horizon, it would be all too easy to overlook another forthcoming Square Enix fantasy epic. More an action adventure than an RPG, NIER is set in an alternate world beset by a deadly virus known as the Black Scrawl. When the titular protagonist discovers his daughter has been infected, he decides to aid her recovery the only way he knows how, by butchering people with a gargantuan sword. Hey, it’s the Square Enix way. Look for Nier on 360 and PS3 in autumn 2010.

Gamers who grew up in the 90s will be intrigued by the promise of an entirely new first person shooter id Software. The Texan studio responsible for Wolfenstein, Doom and Quake is hard a work on RAGE. Set in the now obligatory post apocalyptic wasteland, the game appears to offer a blend of traditional first person action with high speed combat racing. Though the game was announced in 2007, publisher Bethesda Softworks is yet to commit to a 2010 launch for this highly anticipated PC, 360 and PS3 release.

After years of paying the bills with Nicktoons spinoffs, Halfbrick is beginning to spread its wings. Puzzle platformer RASKULLS is among 2010’s most promising XBLA originals. According to the Queensland developer, the game’s cute but cadaverous cast will be featured in both solo and online multiplayer modes. You should probably know in advance that one of the Raskulls is dressed as a Koala.

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Games of 2010 is a sneak peak at some of the titles The Black Panel is likely to cover over the next 12 months.

Fahrenheit developer Quantic Dream is set to deliver the new year’s most ambitious PS3 exclusive. A complex murder mystery involving multiple point-of-view characters, HEAVY RAIN is being promoted as a significant step in the evolution of interactive storytelling. Of course, after the game’s virtual heroin ‘appeared’ topless in Playboy, such claims may carry a little less weight for some. Publisher Sony has revealed that Heavy Rain will hit the shelves on Friday 25 February 2010.

Could North Korea really invade and conquer the the United States? We’ll soon find out thanks to HOMEFRONT, the new first person shooter from the creators of Frontlines: Fuel of War. If the scenario seems familiar, you should know that it was devised by film legend John Milius, the man responsible for similarly themed action abomination Red Dawn. Publisher THQ and developer Kaos Games are preparing Homefront for release on PC, 360 and PS3.

Though three years have passed since its announcement, a firm release date for Ubisoft’s I AM ALIVE remains as elusive as details about the game itself. What we do know is that that players will be charged with rescuing survivors in the aftermath of a catastrophic earthquake. With luck, 2010 will be the year in which this unconventional adventure emerges from development hell and arrives on PC, 360 and PS3.

Let us now consider another long delayed title, this time an open world investigative drama with hard boiled aspirations. L.A. NOIRE is set in the late 1940s, which is coincidently just before Australia’s own Team Bondi commenced work on the game. A wonderfully atmospheric trailer was released in 2006, marking L.A. Noire as one to watch. While the game was originally announced exclusively for PS3, speculation is mounting that 360 owners won’t miss out on a game that, admittedly, still hasn’t been confirmed for a 2010 release.

Having mesmerised critics with last gen classics Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, Sony’s Team ICO are set to bring their unique brand of storytelling to the PlayStation 3. A beautifully presented fantasy adventure THE LAST GUARDIAN explores an encounter between a small boy and a stunning feathered beast. As the bond between them strengthens, they are able to tackle a range of increasingly perilous challenges. This one can’t arrive soon enough.

Visit the site tomorrow for PART 4 of the Games of 2010.

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