With over half of the year gone and most of the year’s awaited PS 3 games already released, we wait for what fascinating games the upcoming year has to offer for Sony Playstation 3 console. Now that the PS 3 Slim is released, I guess these games will be programmed to perform better on that!

With a slated release date of March 2010, Playstation fans will definitely await the next installment of Kratos as he seeks revenge against the other Greek gods. Developed in-house at Sony Computer Entertainment Studios in Santa Monica, the tales and adventures of Kratos is indeed one of the most, if not the most, awaited game for 2010, if not, since the inception of Playstation 3. Fans will wait in anticipation on what groundbreaking effects Sony developers will incorporate into the game as early God of War III screenshots prove that the game will mostly likely push the console to its graphical boundaries.

Also known as Massive Action Game, Zipper Interactive, developers of MAG have promised an online battle arena for 256 players. With each map in current games usually supporting 32 to 64 players, MAG will most definitely be the multiplayer game of the year. The idea of having 128 players on each side of the battlefield brings much hype and excitement and with a release date as early as 26th January 2010, everyone should clamor for the game upon its release and have a full year of multiplayer goodness ahead.

A survival horror FPS video game based in an underwater city, BioShock 2 will build upon its predecessor and include a multiplayer mode in the sequel of the game, set to release in the first quarter of 2010. Players don full suits and use tools to survive the horrors that await them in Rapture. With the introduction of multiplayer, it will be interesting to see whether this horror game based underwater could triumph as the best FPS shooter available in the video game market upon its release.

Come April 2010, RPG and Final Fantasy fans will finally be rewarded with Square Enix’s newest offering, Final Fantasy XIII. Armed with a mighty game engine that could provide real-time facial features, players will once again be able to embark on an adventurous tale of well-armored and agile fighters in the Final Fantasy franchise. Promising seamless transitions between cutscenes and in-game play ala Metal Gear Solid 4, players will most definitely be rewarded with one of the most intense and beautiful graphics ever produced on the Playstation console.

When a tech demo entitled The Casting was released by developers Quantic Dreams at E3 2006, the entire game industry was astounded by how real the facial features looked on the characters being portrayed in the game. Quantic Dreams then announced the development of Heavy Rain, a thriller action adventure game with an entirely open ending along the likes of their previous title, Fahrenheit or Indigo Prophecy. With its promise of an open storyline and intense emotional gameplay, and with rumors swirling around it would have an early 2010 release, Heavy Rain is definitely one of the most awaited games on the Playstation 3 console currently.

When the first title Army of Two was released, players completely enjoyed the unique co-operative gameplay and fell in love with its two quirky characters, Elliott and Tyson. Like its predecessor, Ao2 The 40th Day promises more teamwork based co-operation where it would be impossible to work alone and a gripping storyline set in the busy city of Shanghai. Like its first title, expect a lot of gun fighting, explosions and witty one-liners from Elliott that would once again evoke a smile or a laugh while you are playing.

Come March 2010, fans of Loris Capirossi, the doctor Valentino Rossi and Australian hotrod Casey Stone can expect a new MotoGP title that promises completely new gameplay modes available for gameplay. As in all proper racing games, the newest title in the MotoGP franchise promises a Career Mode where you can create a new rider and a new team, hire team employees and battle out with hardened teams like Honda and Yamaha to win the Rider’s title and the Constructors title. MotoGP 09/10 also promises its gamers the ability to update the game with real-time results and content of the current championship absolutely free.

Developers Vigil Games is set to release Darksiders, an action game where players control WAR, one of the four horsemen set to avenge the forces that betrayed him and sent him down to an apocalyptic Earth, stripped of his powers. With a storyline that promises epic battle between the forces of good and evil, with a mix of biblical and mythical content, Darksiders, with its impressive screenshots looks set to dethrone the God of War franchise as the granddaddy of action adventure games. Look out for it in the first quarter of 2010!

No console is ever complete without its release of a video game based on the organized crime, racketeering and mob heydays in 1940s-1950s America. The successor to the highly acclaimed Mafia looks set to release in the first quarter of 2010. Players take on the role of Vito, a petty criminal who dreams of making it big in the underworld of organized crime. Like its predecessor, Mafia II looks set to have a tale of backstabbing, bribing and shocking twists and turns that will ensure gamers complete immersion into the mob world.

There is no better way to round off this list of most awaited games on the Playstation 3 with the bad boys of the console world, Rockstar Games. With their arsenal of controversial yet highly successful titles like Bully and the Grand Theft Auto franchise, the San Diego arm of Rockstar Games looks set to release a new epic action series set during the Western Era, Red Dead Redemption. Having had successes with their sandbox styled games, Red Dead Redemption is set to be another open world action adventure game with a storyline that includes classic gun fights and encounters with gunslingers from different towns. With a release set in the second quarter of 2010, gamers will have to wait eagerly for its epic release.

2010 looks set to be a huge year for Sony and its Playstation 3 console with huge titles coming its way. So, if you own a Playstation 3, be prepared to spend your weekends and your holidays completing the above mentioned titles and many more!