TWiG 2008-10-13: Has There Ever Been a Genre That You Just Don’t Get?

Sure, I play a lot of games. I edit the Multimedia section here at PopMatters, I write this blog, I review things, and when I’m not producing PopMatters content, chances are I’m playing (or, heck, thinking about) some sort of game. I call it a hobby, others call it an obsession, and that’s fine. Still, there’s a genre of game that I’ve simply never come around to: the sandbox game. That’s why despite the fact that I think Saints Row 2 is the biggest release of the week, there’s a good chance I’m simply not going to play it — I’m basing my assumption based almost entirely upon the interests of my writers and what seems to be the gaming press at large.

It’s not that Saints Row 2 doesn’t look any fun; on the contrary, it looks like it takes the gloss, the unrepentantly crass sense of humor, and the wreak-as-much-havok-as-possible gameplay stye of the original and doubles all of it. It’s more a matter of simply not finding the idea of driving around another huge game-generated world shooting up people who are considered your enemy at any given moment, fulfilling whatever missions happen to come up over the course of a tremendous, sprawling storyline all that appealing. I played GTA IV, and I liked it well enough, but not so much that I was ever motivated to chase achievements or venture into its online component. Maybe it’s a matter of simply not having large enough blocks of free time available to truly allow these game worlds to seep into me. Maybe it’s a matter of the gritty “realism” being a little too caustic for my attempts at escapist entertainment. Whatever it is, I’m sure plenty of you will have fun with Saints Row 2, but without even playing it, I can almost guarantee that it just ain’t for me.

Anyone who’s read this blog has probably already figured out that I’ll be too busy playing Sam & Max on the Wii this week anyway. That’s right, Season One finally gets the console treatment, and anyone averse to PC games who’s been even the remotest bit curious about the canine detective and his rabbityish sidekick had better buy it.

Frustrated with this football season’s unpredictability? Did your favorite team just unexpectedly lose to…ARIZONA (this being one of the few times Buffalo can empathize with Dallas)? Maybe you can take out your frustrations with Blitz: The League II, the sequel to the EXTREME football action game from Midway. Didn’t you hear me? It’s EXTREME! There are a host of Littlest Pet Shop games coming out this week for the DS, at least one of which is almost guaranteed to end up in my house right next to Sam & Max on my shelf, and if confusing game titles is your thing, you’re sure to get a kick out of Rock University Presents: The Naked Brothers Band The Game, a title that surely means something to tweens getting their kicks on Nick, but means absolutely nothing to me.

So there you go! What releases are you looking for at the store this week? Are there any genres out there that you have a blind spot to? Can Spongebob possibly be slapped on any more products? Leave a message in the comments and let me know, after you check out the Saints Row 2 trailer and the full release list after…the jump.

Wii:

Avatar – The Last Airbender: Into the Inferno (13 October)

Bratz Girlz Really Rock (13 October)

Tak and the Guardians of Gross (13 October)

World of Goo (13 October)

Boogie SuperStar (14 October)

Dokapon Kingdom (14 October)

Littlest Pet Shop (14 October)

Penny Racers Party: Turbo Q Speedway (14 October)

Sam & Max: Season One (14 October)

Ten Pin Alley 2 (14 October)

Safecracker: The Ultimate Puzzle Adventure (14 October)

PSP:

FIFA Soccer 09 (14 October)

Cake Mania: Baker’s Challenge (17 October)

Xbox 360:

Blitz: The League II (13 October)

Dead Space (14 October)

Deer Hunter Tournament (14 October)

FIFA Soccer 09 (14 October)

Golden Axe: Beast Rider (14 October)

Rock Revolution (14 October)

Saints Row 2 (14 October)

Age of Booty (15 October)

DS:

Bratz Girlz Really Rock (13 October)

Prey the Stars (13 October)

Tak Mojo Mistake (13 October)

Battle of the Giants: Dinosaurs (14 October)

Cesar Millan’s Dog Whisperer (14 October)

FIFA Soccer 09 (14 October)

Imagine Fashion Designer New York (14 October)

Korg DS-10 (14 October)

Littlest Pet Shop: Garden (14 October)

Littlest Pet Shop: Jungle (14 October)

Littlest Pet Shop: Winter (14 October)

Lovely Lisa (14 October)

My Japanese Coach (14 October)

Naruto: Path of the Ninja 2 (14 October)

Rock Revolution (14 October)

Smart Girl’s: Party Games (14 October)

Ultimate Card Games (17 October)

PS3:

Blitz: The League II (13 October)

Dead Space (14 October)

FIFA Soccer 09 (14 October)

Golden Axe: Beast Rider (14 October)

Rock Revolution (14 October)

Saints Row 2 (14 October)

SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation (14 October)

Age of Booty (16 October)

Rock Band 2 (19 October)

PS2:

Avatar – The Last Airbender: Into the Inferno (13 October)

Bratz Girlz Really Rock (13 October)

Tak and the Guardians of Gross (13 October)

Dokapon Kingdom (14 October)

FIFA Soccer 09 (14 October)

Cake Mania: Baker’s Challenge (17 October)

PC:

Brain Training for Dummies (14 October)

Can You See What I See (14 October)

Cesar Millan’s Dog Whisperer (14 October)

Combat Wings: Battle of Britain (14 October)

Dark Horizon (14 October)

Etch A Sketch (14 October)

FIFA Soccer 09 (14 October)

Littlest Pet Shop (14 October)

Poker For Dummies (14 October)

Saints Row 2 (14 October)

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (15 October)

Enchanted Fairy Friends: Secret of the Fairy Queen (15 October

Hot Dish (15 October)

Let’s Ride: Riding Star (15 October)

Paws & Claws: Pet Vet: Australian Adventure (15 October)

Rhiannon: Curse of the Four Branches (15 October)

Rock University Presents: The Naked Brothers Band The Game (15 October)

Space Trader – Merchant Marine (15 October)

The Game of Life: SpongeBob Squarepants Edition (15 october)

Nancy Drew: The Haunting of Castle Malloy (16 October)

SAS: Secure Tomorrow (16 October)

Shaun White Snowboarding (16 October)

Sniper – Art of Victory (16 October)

Tales Runner (16 October)

Australia Littlest Pet Shop (16 October)

Guitar Hero: Aerosmith (17 October)

World of Goo (17 October)

WWII Battle Tanks: T-34 vs. Tiger (17 October)