14 DAY TRIAL // During the week ending on October 26, the United Kingdom videogames market was dominated by two sequels. Fable II, from Peter Molyneux and Lionhead, which is published by Microsoft, comfortably settled in the top spot and is followed by Far Cry 2, developed and published by Ubisoft.
Following the sequels are other two games which, in a way, lack originality. FIFA 09 from Electronic Arts is in third spot, while Pro Evolution Soccer 2009, from Konami, is in fourth place with yet another sequel, Saints Row 2 from THQ, completing the top five selling games.
Fable II managed to attract players with its mix of fighting, adventuring and family issues that you have to tackle as you explore the open world of Albion. Far Cry 2, on the other hand, is a more gritty affair, where malaria and a lot of angry men with guns are after the protagonist as he tries to get a hold of a certain man deep in Africa.
Dead Space, the action horror shooter from Electronic Arts, is also doing well at number 6 while LEGO Batman is at number seven and the ever present Wii Fit is still going strong, followed by another Nintendo game, Mario Kart Wii. The racing game Midnight Club: Los Angeles, another new entry from Rockstar, is in the tenth position.
Taking a close look at the top ten is both a source of joy and sadness for me as a gamer. On the one hand, the two top positions are held by very good games. Far Cry 2 is really taking the open world concept to a new level, even if some of the missions and gunfights seem repetitive, while Fable II managed to deliver on most of the promises Molyneux had made regarding the game. On the other hand, the highest placed game which has become a sequel is Dead Space at number 6, which speaks volumes about the value of originality in the gaming industry of today.