Now that the year has gotten to a good start, it’s finally time to turn our eyes to the future and check out what we have in store for the near future. Without further ado, I present a compiled list of commercial PC and console games being currently developed by Finnish companies across the country.
ALAN WAKE
Developer: Remedy Entertainment
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Platforms: Xbox 360, PC
Release date: "When it's done"
About the game: Alan Wake is a third-person action-adventure game where you step into the uncomfortable shoes of Mr. Wake, a successful horror writer with a serious case of the writer's block. To recuperate from this crippling predicament - and from his newly blossomed insomnia - he packs his bags and heads to the peace and quiet of a little town called Bright Falls. But after the mysterious disappearance of his wife, Alice, our heroic novelist plunges head first into a world of darkness and despair. In this nightside dominion he comes face to face with the horrors of his very own imagination, as his latest piece of literary work starts to come true.
TRINE
Developer: Frozenbyte
Publisher: Nobilis
Platforms: Playstation Network, PC
Release date: Q2 2009
About the game: According to the developer "Trine is a fantasy action game where the player can create and use physics-based objects to beat hazardous puzzles and threatening enemies. Set in a world of great castles and strange machinery, three heroes are bound to a mysterious device called the Trine in a quest to save the kingdom from evil… The gameplay is based on fully interactive physics. The player can at any time freely choose whoever is best suited for the upcoming challenge or puzzle: The Wizard is able to summon objects to help solve puzzles and create new ways to overcome obstacles, the Thief uses her agility and dead-on accuracy to swiftly surprise the monsters, and the Warrior unleashes mayhem and physical destruction wherever he goes."
SHATTERED HORIZON
Developer: Futuremark Games Studios
Publisher: To be announced
Platforms: PC
Release date: To be announced
About the game: Shattered Horizon is a multiplayer first-person shooter where players fight in zero gravity surrounded by the broken remains of orbital infrastructure and billions of tons of rocky debris thrown into orbit by a huge explosion on the Moon. With simple and intuitive controls players have complete freedom of movement, making full use of the distinctive environment to control the battle. Shattered Horizon rewards players with gameplay and tactics impossible in games constrained by gravity.
EARTH NO MORE
Developer: Recoil Games
Publisher: To be announced
Platforms: PC, Playstation 3, Xbox 360
Release date: ~2009
About the game: Earth No More is an ensemble cast based First-Person Action-Adventure game of sudden Environmental Apocalypse. You are Will Foster, a federal agent tapped to respond to what appears to be a biological terrorist attack on Washington D.C. However, you soon discover that the attack isn't the work of human hands, but in fact is a new and destructive organism from deep within the Earth's crust, brought to the surface by mankind's relentless destruction of the environment.
You and a band of survivors must work together, not just to survive in the changed world, but to defeat a far-reaching government conspiracy and save all of mankind from this cataclysmic disaster
EAST INDIA COMPANY
Developer: Nitro Games
Publisher: Lighthouse Interactive
Platforms: PC
Release date: Q1 2009
About the game: In East India Company, players will enjoy building the World's most powerful trading empire and engaging in fierce battles in both single player and multiplayer modes, all within a breathtaking cinematic environment. Players will fight, manage and rule their trading empires from Europe to the Far East with eight nationalities to choose from. Starting modestly, you will build your fleet, establish connections to far away countries, and keep rival nations at bay. Create diverse fleets and assign each of them specific trading routes. Control and upgrade well situated ports as you form your strategy for domination.
FINNWARS 2
Developer: Iceflake Studios
Publisher: To be announced
Platforms: PC
Release date: To be announced
About the game: FinnWars 2 is a standalone commercial sequel to one of the largest Battlefield modifications, being developed for PC and is powered by Iceflake's own next generation Mammoth game engine. The game is an action packed multiplayer experience, that concentrates to the legendary battles between Finland and Soviet Union in Eastern Front during World War 2. Also a great effort is put to games authenticity, and there's also a vast history section within the game.
CRAZY CIRCUS
Developer: Farmind
Publisher: dtp entertainment
Platforms: Nintendo DS
Release date: Q2 2009
About the game: The player inherits the family’s once famous circus because his father is sick and no longer able to run the business. Now it is up to the young director to lead the troupe and restore the circus to its former glory. He keeps improving the show and quickly, the circus regains its excellent reputation. New performers push into the ring, the public clapping frantically to every new sensations. The stunning performances attract the crowds in a way that finally, the circus arrives in the world’s most glamorous cities. Crazy Circus targets the whole family and all those longing for quick and fun gameplay.
That's it, folks. In case you spot an error in the article or if you think I've missed a game that belongs here with the rest, feel free to email me and I'll fix it right in. Please note that I haven't included any mobile titles or smaller independent games on this article, just because there'd be way too many to list. Besides, nobody would ever manage to finish reading it anyway.
Cheers,
Samuli
