It wasn't an official theme, but this year's Tokyo Game Show (TGS) had a lot of sequels to existing game franchises being presented to the 150,000+ attendees.

The annual gaming expo ran from September 24-27, and unlike the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) that is held every spring in Los Angeles, the general public is allowed to attend on the last two days and see what's being unveiled. In this case, they saw a lot of familiar characters emerge again in new chapters to their ongoing stories.

So highly anticipated for years, many fans of the Final Fantasy franchise were given another peak at the latest installment, Final Fantasy XIII, with a third trailer of the role-playing game (RPG). New worlds and characters will be introduced, centering around Lightning, a female protagonist whom is equally beautiful and deadly. Although PlayStation 3 owners in Japan will see this game before the New Year, you can expect it to follow in Canada for the PS3 and Xbox 360 in spring 2010.

Another highly anticipated title for March 2010 is the Greek mythology thriller God of War III exclusively for the PS3. This will mark Kratos's first appearance on the console since it launched worldwide in November 2006. Although fans have been able to see plenty of content from the game over the last couple of years, TGS attendees were able to try out a playable demo.

Another PS3-exclusive that seemed to turn some heads was Gran Turismo 5, Sony's flagship racing simulator. A pared-down version called Prologue was released for the PS3 in April this year, but it was really only a taste of what's to come. GT5 will have at least 950 cars, 70 variations of the 20 courses, high-definition support, a new in-cockpit view and the chance to finally play online. Moreover, hybrid and electric cars are in the mix, and cars will sustain serious damage based on a new physics engine being developed.

Those who remember how gorgeous Assassin's Creed was when it launched two years ago, will likely savour the visuals for Assassin's Creed II. Desmond returns and is subjected to the memories of a distant ancestor named Ezio during the Italian Renaissance in 1486. Leaping from rooftops in Venice, Tuscany and Florence, it seems that a lot of the same gameplay elements will be in this sequel. But the game's developers say they're also addressing the flaws fans pointed out from the last game. It launches in Canada on November 17 and is available for pre-order (PS3 or Xbox 360) from Future Shop, Best Buy and Amazon.ca.

Sam Fisher, the famous stealthy espionage commando from the Splinter Cell series, will return in a brand new adventure called Conviction. The rules and gameplay experience will be different this time, the game's developers say (the game is being developed in Montreal). Since Fisher is a renegade trying to find the truth about his daughter's death and the deception of his former agency, Third Echelon, he'll have to start things off without any of the nifty gadgets he's accustomed to. A February 23 launch is expected for this game.

Speaking of stealth and deception, a sequel to the Playstation 2's Metal Gear Solid 3 will come to the PlayStation Portable (PSP) called Peace Walker. In this game, you won't play as Snake, but rather as his father, Big Boss, who is leading a mercenary outfit in Colombia in the 1970s in a whole new storyline. The controls and options will include the ability to replay missions and access areas you couldn't originally because you didn't have the proper weapons or tools. You can also play cooperatively with a friend as well.

Crackdown was a game that came out almost three years ago for the Xbox 360, where you played as a cop with superhuman abilities. It was a sandbox-type game, as you had the chance to explore a city and rid it of the three main criminal organizations that were victimizing Pacific City's population. Crackdown 2 will follow along those footsteps, except you'll have to fight against some mutated monsters. The game is also set to feature some 4-player co-op in an enhanced multiplayer experience. No actual release date has been confirmed, but it should be ready within the first half of 2010.

There will also be a zombie-infested sequel in Left 4 Dead 2 featuring everyday people trying to survive relentless onslaughts from the living dead. Look for this one on store shelves on November 17.

And finally, another zombie title in Dead Rising 2 will pit you in the middle of a game show (yes, a game show) called Terror is Reality, where killing zombies in certain numbers and tactics are the key to moving on. Expect to see this one in early 2010.