Nowadays, it seems like original games are at a premium. It’s not that much of a surprise when development costs are rapidly increasing and it becomes necessary to sell a high number of units just to be considered a success. Even E3 shed little new light on original titles and instead focused on high profile sequels. But it’s not that I hate sequels. In fact, I can’t wait to get my hands on Uncharted 3, Resistance 3, Battlefield 3, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. It's just that there is always a part of me that wants to see something new and exciting. Fortunately, original games are on the way and while they may not steal the spotlight, they will certainly provide something different from the usual fare.

Already there’s proof of this with last week’s release of Child of Eden and this week’s Shadows of the Damned. Both have been developed by renowned game developers and both look to give unique takes on traditional genres. Child of Eden is an on-rails shooter that looks to combine psychedelic visuals with a reactive soundtrack while Shadows of the Damned merges Shinji Mikami’s gameplay prowess with Suda 51’s design aesthetic. If you’re looking for something new before the influx of sequels, you could do worse than checking out these two games. Of course there’s plenty more coming later in the year and though this isn’t a complete list, these are games I feel will make a mark and give gamers something fun and new to play.

From Dust (360, PS3, PC)

I’ve always had trouble getting into god games. Sim City, Black & White, and Spore always intrigued me, but when I played them I found that I would have fun messing around and seeing what happened for an hour before getting tired of it all. But From Dust seems different even though it follows the genre conventions. Players are able to manipulate the game world in almost any way they see fit in order to help a small nomadic tribe thrive. The player can control water, lava, and vegetation to solve problems or just play around in this world. Lava can be cooled to form rock and vegetation can be planted to grow and spread. But rather than leaving everything wide open, the game is structured around campaigns where it is the player’s goal to achieve certain objectives for the tribes. This is further expanded when it comes to using creative ways to stop natural disasters. That structure will help players like me get into the game while players wanting a more open-ended play style can return to these campaigns afterward to further manipulate the world.

Catherine (360, PS3)

Fans of the Shin Megami Tensei series should be paying attention to Catherine. While some may be disappointed that it’s not a RPG, they shouldn’t let it detract from their interest in the game. It’s a different genre, yes, but the style is certainly in line with Persona while still maintaining its own identity. Catherine can be considered a puzzle adventure where main character, Vincent, splits his time between the local bar and a murderous dream world. The local bar focuses on the plot where Vincent finds himself caught in a love triangle between himself, his long-time girlfriend, and a girl with whom he had a drunken one night stand. His actions there directly affect the dream world where he must constantly climb a wall of blocks filled with traps and other hazards. The game is widely known for its brutal difficulty so any gamer looking for a challenge should give it a look though it does come with an Easy mode now. Between its intriguing story and frantic puzzles, I can’t wait to get my hands on the game.

El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron (360, PS3)

More than anything else, this game is gorgeous to look at with its unique visual style. This should come as no surprise considering that the lead designer was the character designer for Okami. But the game looks to be more than a pretty face. The gameplay gives the illusion that combat will be simplistic since it consists of one attack button and a block. In reality, combat is completely devoted to a player’s timing. Different combos come from how quickly the button is pushed and when the player decides to block. The player also has access to three different weapons that force players to use different strategies when wielding each one. It is this hidden level of strategy that has me most interested in the game. If you’re at all interested in the game yourself, I highly suggest trying the demo available on Xbox Live and PSN.

Dead Island (360, PS3, PC)

Gamers have been interested in Dead Island since its brilliant first trailer premiered and while the game may not be able to match it, it does seem like it will be a different kind of zombie game. The game seems to mix elements of Left 4 Dead, Dead Rising, and Fallout 3 to create something wholly different. The zombies are varied, ranging from typical slow movers to runners to special infected. Rather than concentrate on gunplay though, Dead Island forces players to rely on melee weapons that they find around the island. Guns and ammo are precious in this game and it’s a better idea to save them for harder trials. There’s also a decent amount of customization with various character classes and skill traits to choose from. Add in four player drop-in co-op and you have a different kind of zombie game that may even attract those that are getting tired of the zombie genre.

Rage (360, PS3, PC)

Rage is looking to be a different kind of shooter from id Software. Rather than a corridor shooter, the game takes place in a huge open world that places an equal level of importance between its shooting and car combat. Every gun in the game can be customized and loaded with special ammunition to produce a variety of effects. The player’s car can also be upgraded using money earned from races or side missions available throughout the apocalyptic world. The best way to describe Rage is if you combined Borderlands with Twisted Metal or Motorstorm: Apocalypse. The graphics engine is also incredibly polished and provides some of the best visuals this generation. Gamers pay attention to id Software for a reason and Rage looks like it will continue to reward them.

Journey (PS3)

I still play Flower from time to time. It always sets my mind at ease with its simple controls and beautiful visuals. Their next game, Journey, looks like it will more than live up to Flower but instead of putting the player’s mind at ease; it will fill it with thoughts of loneliness. Journey casts players as a mysterious figure clothed in red in the middle of a desert. There are no instructions or map, and the only notable feature is a large mountain in the distance. The goal is to reach that mountain. Along the way, players will encounter other players if they are online. There is no way to know who that person is or even if they are on your friend list. In the game, they are just a stranger and the only form of communication is a wordless shout. Players must decide whether they will aide each other or move on based on that little bit of information. Not much else has been revealed about the game yet, but the details are so unique that I can’t help but want to play it. I have a feeling that other gamers will feel the same way.

There’s a host of original games coming out this year, more than I could list here, but these few represent the new ideas being thrown around so that gamers who don’t want to play endless iterations of games have another choice. Some of these may disappoint while others may exceed our wildest expectations. That’s the beauty of original games. At the very least, they’ll give us something different to play in 2011.