We're only a few weeks into 2008, and I can already say one thing with certainty: 2007 was a great year for games, but this year might be even better! So what's next once you're done playing last year's best titles like BioShock, Mass Effect, and Ratchet & Clank? Unlike the movie industry where release dates are known years in advance, picking the top games of 2008 is a bit of guesswork. First, we don't know solid release dates for most of the titles - some may even slip into 2009. And second, many of the biggest games for holidays have yet to be officially announced. (You can bet we will see Call of Duty 5, Rock Band, and likely another Gears of War). But with all that said, here are my picks for 8 games of 2008 that you'll want to slot into your GameQ.
Mario vs. Solid Snake? Only possible in Super Smash Bros. Brawl!
Delayed from 2007, this will finally be the year of GTA IV. We hope.
Cute and loveable, Sony's LittleBigPlanet may be a surprise hit.
Here's a quick bit of trivia you may not know about the Nintendo GameCube: The top selling game wasn't a Mario or Zelda title but Super Smash Bros. Melee. The long awaited sequel arrives on February 10th for Wii, and promises a huge cast of characters including Solid Snake, Samus Aran, Mario, and even Kid Icarus. Up to four players can compete on the same Wii, but the real step forward is the addition of online multiplayer via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Unlike typical fighting games where the focus is on knocking out opponents, in Smash Bros. you want to literally knock your enemies off the map!
2007 was a great year for games, but this year might be even better! So what's next once you're done playing last year's best titles...?
Since the PSP launch in 2005, Sony's handheld has been without a system-selling knockout game. That may finally change in March with God of War: Chains of Olympus from Ready at Dawn, the creators of Daxter. This prequel to God of War tells the story of Kratos' servitude to the gods of Olympus. He battles against Persian soldiers and a giant reptile-like Basilisk, and heads to locations like the Helios Temple. And there are new magic attacks like the Light of Dawn, which has Kratos throwing fireballs at enemies. Sounds great, but you're probably wondering if the PSP can pull off God of War's fluid, fast-paced action. The answer is yes. I played a demo of the game last fall, and it really feels like you're playing a God of War PS2 game in the palms of your hands.
Last January, I listed this game as the second most anticipated title of 2007 next to Halo 3. Whoops. By far the highest profile game to slip into 2008, we still don't have a firm release date for the next-generation debut of Grand Theft Auto. And we still don't know much about the gameplay, although the early trailers have told us that it's set in Liberty City and tells the story of Niko, an Eastern European who comes to visit his cousin and live the "American Dream." Online multiplayer will be included, but as of yet we still don't know what to expect on this front either. Still, no matter when it comes out, GTA4 will be in hot demand.
LittleBigPlanet
Personally, LittleBigPlanet may be my most anticipated game of 2008. This cute and loveable game has you not only playing, but also designing levels for a cute troupe of characters that look like burlap sacks. First you create a level using blocks, objects, and textures, and then you can run up to four characters through the obstacle course. The real fun comes when you exchange levels with other players and download their creations online, which in theory may create one of the first never-ending games. While a release date isn't set in stone, LittleBigPlanet is right up there with Will Wright's Spore in terms of innovation.
Street Fighter 4
Only recently revealed, the fourth Street Fighter game will bring back Ken and Ryu in what Capcom describes as a 2.5D fighting game. What does that mean? Imagine 3D characters fighting on a 2D battlefield. As of late, the Street Fighter series has been somewhat overshadowed by next-gen fighters like Dead or Alive and Soul Calibur, but Capcom now seems dead set on reclaiming the fighting crown that was theirs back with Street Fighter II in the early '90s.
Killzone 2
This time last year, Killzone 2 was seen as nothing more than a fancy trailer from E3 2005. Then, at E3 2007, Sony proved the skeptics wrong by premiering a stunning playable level that matched - and in some ways exceeded - the target video. Details on this first person shooter (sometimes dubbed a Halo killer) are still few and far between, but the game will once again feature the ISA and Helghast factions seen in other Killzone games. If Sony plays its cards right, Killzone 2 (alongside Metal Gear Solid 4) could really help the PS3 gain a significant amount of ground on the Xbox 360.
If you own a PlayStation 3, chances are the exclusive release of Metal Gear Solid 4 is one of the main reasons you bought the system. Hideo Kojima's latest masterpiece is due out during the first half of this year. Based on an early version of the game I recently played, I'm happy to report that Kojima has delivered another rich cinematic game that blends together action and stealth. As Solid Snake in the year 2014, a white "threat ring" surrounds you to warn of nearby dangers. The game will also make extensive use of the rumble feature on Sony's new DualShock 3 controller, due out in the US this spring. Metal Gear Solid is a make-or-break-it game for the PS3, so look for Sony to hype this game at Halo levels.
It's fair to say that there haven't been many great Star Wars games over the past decade besides Knights of the Old Republic. LucasArts is trying to change that in 2008 with the release of Force Unleashed, a next-gen Star Wars action game that they are positioning as a smash hit on the scale of a Star Wars movie. You're Darth Vader's secret apprentice, and your force powers don't just choke enemies - they can be used to move objects in the environment and cause massive destruction. Early demos of the game have wowed the press. If done right, this may be the best Star Wars game since the first-person shooter Jedi Knight in the 1990s.
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