Dr.Finger
05-25-2007, 06:57 PM
A few notes and caveats.
- This list covers officially announced games that are reasonably expected to see the light of day in the last half of 2007, so no Duke Nukem Forever, Killzone 2 or Mario Kart – Wii. I also only discuss games for the systems they have been officially announced for so Hellgate: London stays under the PC heading and MGS4 stays under PS3.
- Release dates used are for the U.S. releases of the game. Several of these titles may have already been released in other territories, or may not be released in others until a later date.
- I can only go on what information I have right now. Some games will slip to next year; others will be added to the schedule.
- For the sake of brevity any download-only titles (XBLA, PSN, VC, Steam, etc.) and games for last-gen systems (PS2, original Xbox, GBA) are excluded from the list.
- The Hidden Gem is a game in each category that doesn’t have a lot of hype or buzz surrounding it but still looks, to me at least, like a winner
Multiplatform – Part 2
http://www.evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/Dark%20Sector.jpg
Title – Dark Sector
Genre – Third-person shooter
Developer – Digital Extremes
Publisher – D3
Platforms – PS3, Xbox 360
Cute bit of trivia – Dark Sector was (by most accounts) the very first present-generation game officially announced, waaaaayyy back in early 2004. However the game as it exists now has changed a great deal in the intervening years. What was once a straight-up sci-fi shooter is now a bit more grounded in the present, although the protagonist still has a giant mutant freak blade coming out of his arm. Set in a nameless former Soviet-bloc nation that is crumbling from neglect, your character, Hayden Tenno, is charged with cleaning up messes, and this one is a doozy involving forbidden biological experiments that turn the populous into monsters. Played from a third-person, over the shoulder perspective ( a la Resident Evil 4) you can charge enemies guns blazing, slice them up Wolverine style or dispatch them stealthily from the shadows. The developers even promise that your character will gain new powers and abilities from slain bosses, kind of like Mega Man. If Mega Man had a giant mutant freak blade sticking out of his arm, that is.
http://www.evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/Devil%20May%20Cry%204.jpg
Title – Devil May Cry 4
Genre – Action
Developer – Capcom Studio 4
Publisher – Capcom
Platforms – PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Maybe this game should be classified as ‘stylish action’, because in the end it’s not about how much damage you do, it’s about how good you look doing it. In a switch you don’t begin the game controlling everybody’s favorite white-haired metrosexual half-demon monster hunter, Dante. Instead you start the game as a white-haired metrosexual (possibly) half-demon monster hunter named Nero, with Dante and another female character, Kyrie, unlocked later on. Capcom knows what they have here; so don’t expect big changes in the formula. Dante will shoot, slash and dance through hordes of monsters and demons with a preternatural grace and style. No word yet on whether the game’s difficulty level will be closer to the yawn-inducingly easy DMC2 or the controller shattering difficulty of DMC3.
http://www.evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/Fatal%20Inertia%201.jpg
Title – Fatal Inertia
Genre – Futuristic Racer
Developer – Koei Toronto
Publisher – Koei
Platforms – PS3, Xbox 360
A futuristic racer where physics rule the road. Looking like a cross between Wipeout and Star Wars: Pod Racer, you fight other racers in a wide variety of environments. The weapons are all supposed to be physics-based, meaning you're encouraged to inflict damage on the destructable course in an attempt to throw your opponents off. Some of these weapons include a baricade that ricochets vehicles off like a pinball and a magnetic rocket that attaches to an opponent's vehicle and throws it off course. All in all this presents an opportunity for some very thoughtful race strategies, whether you're choosing when to use the tow cable, or whether to send the rocky wall up ahead crashing down on your opponent.
http://www.evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/GTA%20IV%201.jpg
Title – Grand Theft Auto IV
Genre – Sandbox/Action
Developer – Rockstar North
Publisher – Rockstar
Platforms – PS3, Xbox 360
What more can be said about this one? Play in a pretty faithful reproduction of New York City (known as Liberty City in the GTA universe) that includes analogues of 4 of the 5 boroughs (suck it Staten Island J ) and parts of Northern New Jersey. While the game won’t contain the sheer square miles that San Andreas did, Rockstar promises that the city will be massive in comparison to any other city in previous GTA games but without the dead space included in San Andreas. The protagonist appears to be of Eastern European decent and the Russian Mafia will assuredly play a big role in the game. Oh yeah, GTA IV will also include online play. You can pretty much guarantee that a significant percentage of males under 35 will be calling in sick the week in late October this game hits store shelves.
http://www.evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/
Title – Guitar Hero III
Genre – Rock God Simulator
Developer – Neversoft
Publisher – Activision
Platforms – PS3, Xbox 360, Wii
Quite possibly the only thing protecting rock from the American Idol hordes, Guitar Hero let’s us all feel like our favorite rock gods, even if it’s from the safety of our living rooms. The newest iteration of the series will ship with wireless controllers and feature online play across all platforms. Only a few tracks from the game have been released so far (including the Stones’ Paint it Black and the Beastie Boys’ Sabotage) but expect the finished product to ship with upwards of 30 tracks when it ships this fall. Until then, \m/ ,
http://www.evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/Hellboy.jpg
Title – Hellboy
Genre – Action
Developer – Krome Studios
Publisher – Konami
Platforms – PS3, Xbox 360
A brawler based on one of the finest comics of the past 20 years (it’s not connected on the Hellboy 2 movie due out in 2008). A brawler in the style of God of War, you swing the Right Hand of Doom to bash some demon skulls. You can even play as Liz and Abe Sapien in multiplayer co-op modes (no firm word on whether or not you can use them in single-player) as you once again try to stop the Nazis, in this case the head-in-a-jar Herman von Klempt from some sort of occult shenanigans.
http://www.evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/Kane%20and%20Lynch.jpg
Title – Kane & Lynch: Dead Men
Genre – Co-op Action
Developer – IO Interactive
Publisher – Eidos
Platforms – PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Possibly the preeminent title in the burgeoning co-op action genre, Kane & Lynch puts you in the shoes of a mercenary and a schizophrenic blackmailed into one last job. Kane is a former mercenary, and his former partners (thought killed in an action in which Kane ended up with a fortune in diamonds) have come looking for revenge. If Kane can get them their money, they’ll kill him. If he can’t, they’ll kill him and his estranged family. Saddled with the unstable schizophrenic Lynch, Kane has to get the money and figure a way to stay alive in the process. Created by the team behind the Hitman games, expect similar gameplay – third person shooting, with some stealth and melee combat thrown in. The real monkey wrench comes in the form of Lynch, whose instability looks to be a key part of the game. He’ll sometimes blow the team’s cover and just charge enemies or do other crazy crap.
http://www.evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/Left%204%20Dead.jpg
Title – Left 4 Dead
Genre – Co-op Survival Horror
Developer – Turtle Rock Studios
Publisher – Electronic Arts/Valve (Steam)
Platforms – PC, Xbox 360
Have you ever seen 28 Days/Weeks Later? Or the recent Dawn of the Dead remake? Then you already have a pretty good idea of what this game is about. You start the game as one of four survivors of a zombie (or Infected as they’re known in the game) outbreak who have to band together out of necessity. When a character is injured they’ll continue to hobble along until another survivor either gives them a health pack. Characters that die stay dead until another player reaches a checkpoint, at which time the dead characters respawn, but in a way that they have to be rescued by other players (trapped in a closet for example). Four additional players can even join the game as special augmented Infected that hunt down the survivors. While the game is built around co-op play, you can ditch the internet and just play with AI teammates.
http://www.evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/Looney%20Tunes%20AA.jpg
Title – Looney Tunes: Acme Arsenal
Genre – Action Adventure
Developer – Red Tribe
Publisher – Warner Bros. Interactive
Platforms – Xbox 360, Wii
I loves me some Looney Tunes. In this game you play as Bugs, Daffy, Taz, Marvin the Martian, Foghorn Leghorn, Gossamer (who?) and a secret character (unfortunately not the Road Runner or Wile E. Coyote) as you travel through time to stop The Mad Scientist’s nefarious plans. The gameplay seems reminiscent of the Ratchet and Clank series – kind of a hybrid of shooting and platforming with vehicles tossed in. All of this is presented in a 3D manner that still retains the feel of the classic shorts. In a season that sometimes seems to be overwhelmed by M-rated titles, some lighter family-friendly fare titles like this is are greatly appreciated.
http://www.evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/Medal%20Of%20Honor%20Airborne.jpg
Title – Medal of Honor: Airborne
Genre – WWII FPS
Developer – EA Los Angeles
Publisher – Electronic Arts
Platforms – PC, PS3, Xbox 360
The latest installment of one of the oldest WWII FPS franchises, and the first designed from the ground up for the next-gen consoles and PCs. In this case you play as an American paratrooper who drops into some of the most important battles of the European theater, from Italy (first combat drop in history) to France, Holland and into Germany. Eschewing the linear, scripted gameplay of the Call of Duty series instead you have a much more open game. You begin each level by parachuting into an active battlefield, and you’re able to control your descent. Play it safe and land in one of the safe zones already controlled by the allies, or risk it all by dropping behind the German AA cannon that’s been blowing your buddies out of the air. You’re given a set of goals for the level but also a lot of leeway in how to complete these goals. There’s not much that a developer can do with a WWII FPS that even remotely resembles innovation, but the parachuting and open gameplay may be fresh enough to let it stand out from the pack.
http://www.evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/Mercenaries%202a.jpg
Hidden Gem
Title – Mercenaries 2 – World in Flames
Genre – Sandbox shooter
Developer – Pandemic Studios
Publisher – Electronic Arts
Platforms – PC, PS3, Xbox 360
The first Mercenaries was a great game. Pandemic took GTA’s open world gameplay and mixed it with some good, old-fashioned military firepower and an 80’s action movie sense of humor. Mercenaries 2 looks to continue the greatness, this time trading one geopolitical hotspot, North Korea, for another, Venezuela. You’ll play as one of four mercs trying to make hay after a tyrant invades Venezuela and all hell breaks loose. Just like the last game you an pick up just about any weapon, hijack just about any vehicle or aircraft, and blow up just about every building, all while trying to curry favor with the various factions. New additions to the game include a grappling hook (apparently used to hijack planes while they’re in the air) boats, even more destructible environments, and co-op play, online and off. And the Merchant of Menace will be back, letting you use your hard earned money to call in airdrops of health, ammo, weapons, vehicles and even call in air strikes.
http://www.evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/
Title – Rock Band
Genre – Rick Rubin Simulator
Developer – Harmonix
Publisher – Electronic Arts
Platforms – PS3, Xbox 360
The guys at Harmonix, original creators of Guitar Hero, are cranking it up to 11. Rock Band takes the base gameplay of Guitar Hero and adds a bass guitar, a drum kit and a microphone to the mix (unfortunately as of now, no Keytar (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keytar)). Bring three friends over and replay the early days of your favorite rock gods (hookers, blow, Jagermeister and leather pants not included). EA promises a massive song list for this game, aided by a partnership with MTV. (Yeah, I know MTV no longer plays any actual music, much less rock music)
Coming Tomorrow: Multiplatform - Part 3
Previously
Xbox 360 - First Party (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29911)
Xbox 360 - Third Party (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29969)
Playstation 3 - First Party (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30042)
Playstation 3 - Third Party (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30111)
Wii - First Party (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30170)
Wii - Third Party (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30208)
PC - Massively Multiplayer (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30243)
PC - Expansion Packs (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30293)
PC - Stand Alone (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30349)
Multiplatform - Part 1 (http://evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30457)
- This list covers officially announced games that are reasonably expected to see the light of day in the last half of 2007, so no Duke Nukem Forever, Killzone 2 or Mario Kart – Wii. I also only discuss games for the systems they have been officially announced for so Hellgate: London stays under the PC heading and MGS4 stays under PS3.
- Release dates used are for the U.S. releases of the game. Several of these titles may have already been released in other territories, or may not be released in others until a later date.
- I can only go on what information I have right now. Some games will slip to next year; others will be added to the schedule.
- For the sake of brevity any download-only titles (XBLA, PSN, VC, Steam, etc.) and games for last-gen systems (PS2, original Xbox, GBA) are excluded from the list.
- The Hidden Gem is a game in each category that doesn’t have a lot of hype or buzz surrounding it but still looks, to me at least, like a winner
Multiplatform – Part 2
http://www.evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/Dark%20Sector.jpg
Title – Dark Sector
Genre – Third-person shooter
Developer – Digital Extremes
Publisher – D3
Platforms – PS3, Xbox 360
Cute bit of trivia – Dark Sector was (by most accounts) the very first present-generation game officially announced, waaaaayyy back in early 2004. However the game as it exists now has changed a great deal in the intervening years. What was once a straight-up sci-fi shooter is now a bit more grounded in the present, although the protagonist still has a giant mutant freak blade coming out of his arm. Set in a nameless former Soviet-bloc nation that is crumbling from neglect, your character, Hayden Tenno, is charged with cleaning up messes, and this one is a doozy involving forbidden biological experiments that turn the populous into monsters. Played from a third-person, over the shoulder perspective ( a la Resident Evil 4) you can charge enemies guns blazing, slice them up Wolverine style or dispatch them stealthily from the shadows. The developers even promise that your character will gain new powers and abilities from slain bosses, kind of like Mega Man. If Mega Man had a giant mutant freak blade sticking out of his arm, that is.
http://www.evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/Devil%20May%20Cry%204.jpg
Title – Devil May Cry 4
Genre – Action
Developer – Capcom Studio 4
Publisher – Capcom
Platforms – PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Maybe this game should be classified as ‘stylish action’, because in the end it’s not about how much damage you do, it’s about how good you look doing it. In a switch you don’t begin the game controlling everybody’s favorite white-haired metrosexual half-demon monster hunter, Dante. Instead you start the game as a white-haired metrosexual (possibly) half-demon monster hunter named Nero, with Dante and another female character, Kyrie, unlocked later on. Capcom knows what they have here; so don’t expect big changes in the formula. Dante will shoot, slash and dance through hordes of monsters and demons with a preternatural grace and style. No word yet on whether the game’s difficulty level will be closer to the yawn-inducingly easy DMC2 or the controller shattering difficulty of DMC3.
http://www.evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/Fatal%20Inertia%201.jpg
Title – Fatal Inertia
Genre – Futuristic Racer
Developer – Koei Toronto
Publisher – Koei
Platforms – PS3, Xbox 360
A futuristic racer where physics rule the road. Looking like a cross between Wipeout and Star Wars: Pod Racer, you fight other racers in a wide variety of environments. The weapons are all supposed to be physics-based, meaning you're encouraged to inflict damage on the destructable course in an attempt to throw your opponents off. Some of these weapons include a baricade that ricochets vehicles off like a pinball and a magnetic rocket that attaches to an opponent's vehicle and throws it off course. All in all this presents an opportunity for some very thoughtful race strategies, whether you're choosing when to use the tow cable, or whether to send the rocky wall up ahead crashing down on your opponent.
http://www.evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/GTA%20IV%201.jpg
Title – Grand Theft Auto IV
Genre – Sandbox/Action
Developer – Rockstar North
Publisher – Rockstar
Platforms – PS3, Xbox 360
What more can be said about this one? Play in a pretty faithful reproduction of New York City (known as Liberty City in the GTA universe) that includes analogues of 4 of the 5 boroughs (suck it Staten Island J ) and parts of Northern New Jersey. While the game won’t contain the sheer square miles that San Andreas did, Rockstar promises that the city will be massive in comparison to any other city in previous GTA games but without the dead space included in San Andreas. The protagonist appears to be of Eastern European decent and the Russian Mafia will assuredly play a big role in the game. Oh yeah, GTA IV will also include online play. You can pretty much guarantee that a significant percentage of males under 35 will be calling in sick the week in late October this game hits store shelves.
http://www.evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/
Title – Guitar Hero III
Genre – Rock God Simulator
Developer – Neversoft
Publisher – Activision
Platforms – PS3, Xbox 360, Wii
Quite possibly the only thing protecting rock from the American Idol hordes, Guitar Hero let’s us all feel like our favorite rock gods, even if it’s from the safety of our living rooms. The newest iteration of the series will ship with wireless controllers and feature online play across all platforms. Only a few tracks from the game have been released so far (including the Stones’ Paint it Black and the Beastie Boys’ Sabotage) but expect the finished product to ship with upwards of 30 tracks when it ships this fall. Until then, \m/ ,
http://www.evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/Hellboy.jpg
Title – Hellboy
Genre – Action
Developer – Krome Studios
Publisher – Konami
Platforms – PS3, Xbox 360
A brawler based on one of the finest comics of the past 20 years (it’s not connected on the Hellboy 2 movie due out in 2008). A brawler in the style of God of War, you swing the Right Hand of Doom to bash some demon skulls. You can even play as Liz and Abe Sapien in multiplayer co-op modes (no firm word on whether or not you can use them in single-player) as you once again try to stop the Nazis, in this case the head-in-a-jar Herman von Klempt from some sort of occult shenanigans.
http://www.evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/Kane%20and%20Lynch.jpg
Title – Kane & Lynch: Dead Men
Genre – Co-op Action
Developer – IO Interactive
Publisher – Eidos
Platforms – PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Possibly the preeminent title in the burgeoning co-op action genre, Kane & Lynch puts you in the shoes of a mercenary and a schizophrenic blackmailed into one last job. Kane is a former mercenary, and his former partners (thought killed in an action in which Kane ended up with a fortune in diamonds) have come looking for revenge. If Kane can get them their money, they’ll kill him. If he can’t, they’ll kill him and his estranged family. Saddled with the unstable schizophrenic Lynch, Kane has to get the money and figure a way to stay alive in the process. Created by the team behind the Hitman games, expect similar gameplay – third person shooting, with some stealth and melee combat thrown in. The real monkey wrench comes in the form of Lynch, whose instability looks to be a key part of the game. He’ll sometimes blow the team’s cover and just charge enemies or do other crazy crap.
http://www.evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/Left%204%20Dead.jpg
Title – Left 4 Dead
Genre – Co-op Survival Horror
Developer – Turtle Rock Studios
Publisher – Electronic Arts/Valve (Steam)
Platforms – PC, Xbox 360
Have you ever seen 28 Days/Weeks Later? Or the recent Dawn of the Dead remake? Then you already have a pretty good idea of what this game is about. You start the game as one of four survivors of a zombie (or Infected as they’re known in the game) outbreak who have to band together out of necessity. When a character is injured they’ll continue to hobble along until another survivor either gives them a health pack. Characters that die stay dead until another player reaches a checkpoint, at which time the dead characters respawn, but in a way that they have to be rescued by other players (trapped in a closet for example). Four additional players can even join the game as special augmented Infected that hunt down the survivors. While the game is built around co-op play, you can ditch the internet and just play with AI teammates.
http://www.evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/Looney%20Tunes%20AA.jpg
Title – Looney Tunes: Acme Arsenal
Genre – Action Adventure
Developer – Red Tribe
Publisher – Warner Bros. Interactive
Platforms – Xbox 360, Wii
I loves me some Looney Tunes. In this game you play as Bugs, Daffy, Taz, Marvin the Martian, Foghorn Leghorn, Gossamer (who?) and a secret character (unfortunately not the Road Runner or Wile E. Coyote) as you travel through time to stop The Mad Scientist’s nefarious plans. The gameplay seems reminiscent of the Ratchet and Clank series – kind of a hybrid of shooting and platforming with vehicles tossed in. All of this is presented in a 3D manner that still retains the feel of the classic shorts. In a season that sometimes seems to be overwhelmed by M-rated titles, some lighter family-friendly fare titles like this is are greatly appreciated.
http://www.evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/Medal%20Of%20Honor%20Airborne.jpg
Title – Medal of Honor: Airborne
Genre – WWII FPS
Developer – EA Los Angeles
Publisher – Electronic Arts
Platforms – PC, PS3, Xbox 360
The latest installment of one of the oldest WWII FPS franchises, and the first designed from the ground up for the next-gen consoles and PCs. In this case you play as an American paratrooper who drops into some of the most important battles of the European theater, from Italy (first combat drop in history) to France, Holland and into Germany. Eschewing the linear, scripted gameplay of the Call of Duty series instead you have a much more open game. You begin each level by parachuting into an active battlefield, and you’re able to control your descent. Play it safe and land in one of the safe zones already controlled by the allies, or risk it all by dropping behind the German AA cannon that’s been blowing your buddies out of the air. You’re given a set of goals for the level but also a lot of leeway in how to complete these goals. There’s not much that a developer can do with a WWII FPS that even remotely resembles innovation, but the parachuting and open gameplay may be fresh enough to let it stand out from the pack.
http://www.evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/Mercenaries%202a.jpg
Hidden Gem
Title – Mercenaries 2 – World in Flames
Genre – Sandbox shooter
Developer – Pandemic Studios
Publisher – Electronic Arts
Platforms – PC, PS3, Xbox 360
The first Mercenaries was a great game. Pandemic took GTA’s open world gameplay and mixed it with some good, old-fashioned military firepower and an 80’s action movie sense of humor. Mercenaries 2 looks to continue the greatness, this time trading one geopolitical hotspot, North Korea, for another, Venezuela. You’ll play as one of four mercs trying to make hay after a tyrant invades Venezuela and all hell breaks loose. Just like the last game you an pick up just about any weapon, hijack just about any vehicle or aircraft, and blow up just about every building, all while trying to curry favor with the various factions. New additions to the game include a grappling hook (apparently used to hijack planes while they’re in the air) boats, even more destructible environments, and co-op play, online and off. And the Merchant of Menace will be back, letting you use your hard earned money to call in airdrops of health, ammo, weapons, vehicles and even call in air strikes.
http://www.evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/
Title – Rock Band
Genre – Rick Rubin Simulator
Developer – Harmonix
Publisher – Electronic Arts
Platforms – PS3, Xbox 360
The guys at Harmonix, original creators of Guitar Hero, are cranking it up to 11. Rock Band takes the base gameplay of Guitar Hero and adds a bass guitar, a drum kit and a microphone to the mix (unfortunately as of now, no Keytar (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keytar)). Bring three friends over and replay the early days of your favorite rock gods (hookers, blow, Jagermeister and leather pants not included). EA promises a massive song list for this game, aided by a partnership with MTV. (Yeah, I know MTV no longer plays any actual music, much less rock music)
Coming Tomorrow: Multiplatform - Part 3
Previously
Xbox 360 - First Party (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29911)
Xbox 360 - Third Party (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29969)
Playstation 3 - First Party (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30042)
Playstation 3 - Third Party (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30111)
Wii - First Party (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30170)
Wii - Third Party (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30208)
PC - Massively Multiplayer (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30243)
PC - Expansion Packs (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30293)
PC - Stand Alone (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30349)
Multiplatform - Part 1 (http://evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30457)