The 28 Best Video Games Still to Come in 2008
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Remember though, most of these recommendations are based on previews, so wait until the final review verdict before picking any of them up.
1. Animal Crossing: City Folk - Wii, 16th Nov US, December EU
It might not be the great hardcore hope Reggie claims it to be, but the Wii version of Animal Crossing certainly promises to be the definitive entry in the series. It's got proper online play, mic and keyboard communications, Mii support, a new city area full of customisable gear to pick up and connectivity between Wii and DS. In other words, it's got everything Animal Crossing always needed. AC is one of those games you either love or just don't get at all, but if you're the former, this will be a must.
2. Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts - Xbox 360, 11th Nov US, 14th Nov EU
Part platformer, part puzzler, part driving game, part Garry's Mod, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts is a quintessentially Rare reinvention of its classic bear and bird franchise. Some might miss the pure platforming of the original games, but the sheer level of customisation and experimentation to be done with N & B's vehicles means that this one should have a lifetime's worth of replayability.
3. Call of Duty: World At War - Xbox 360, PC, PS3, 11th Nov US, 14th Nov EU
So Treyarch steps up to the plate once again, and for a change, gamers everywhere aren't quaking in their boots. With a proper, two-year development run, the team that isn't Infinity Ward has finally been given a fair shot at making the game it wants, and from what we've played of that game so far, the combination of World War II's more unusual campaign locations with COD4's in your face brutality might well give the Hitler-bashing genre a much-needed freshen up.
4. Castlevania: Order Of Ecclesia - DS, 21st Oct US, November EU
Okay, so it's another one of the DS 'Metroidvania' action RPG entries, but is there a problem with that? No there isn't, because they've all been brilliant. You know what to expect. Platforming, monster-killing, upgrades, puzzling, and more Gothicism than an '80s rock club. This time round, there's also an interesting new 'glyph' based customisable magic system and around twenty different locations to explore. And you'll be getting the now-inevitable DS/Wii connectivity too, allowing you to unlock extra stuff if you have a copy of we-hope-it's-not-crap-but-so-far-it-looks-to-be Wii fighter Castlevania: Judgment.
5. Chrono Trigger - DS, 25th Nov US, January '09 EU
One of Square's finest ever games, one of the freshest and most involving RPGs of all time and one third of the holy SNES trinity along with Secret Of Mana and Final Fantasy VI. And now it's on the DS. If you didn't play it on the SNES, don't even consider not getting it. If you did, still consider getting it. That is all.
6. Dead Space - Xbox 360, PC, PS3, 14th Oct US, 24th Oct EU
From what we've played of it so far, this will fill in the gap until Resident Evil 5 just fine. It's a dirty, oppressive space horror with a pounding atmosphere and the kind of gore that would make '80s cinema proud. It's as if John Carpenter, Ridley Scott and David Cronenberg decided to make a sci-fi shooter. And decided to make it really horrible.
7. Disaster: Day of Crisis - Wii, Oct 24th EU, TBC US
A decent-looking third-person action game on the Wii? Heavens be praised! Disaster has been quietly milling along for a good while now, to the point where we thought it might even have been canceled a while back. Thankfully not, as it now looks like a very interesting blend of third-person adventure, cover-shooting, rescuing and puzzling, all set against the backdrop of some epic disaster movie set-pieces.
8. Fable 2 - Xbox 360, Oct 21st US, Oct 24th EU
We strongly suspect that Fable 2 is going to be far from just another RPG. It's vibrant, it's different, it's funny as hell and it's packed with personality. The franchise's much-vaunted reputation system is up and running on a terrifyingly deep level and despite Peter Molyneux's new-found humbleness, the whole game looks to be immensely more layered than its prequel was. All this, online co-op and Stephen Fry too!
9. Fallout 3 - Xbox 360, PC, PS3, Oct 28th US, Oct 31st EU
Forget any misgivings you might have had about the Fallout franchise's change of perspective. In Bethesda's hands the RPG elements are more than present and correct; just given a visceral boost by the new FPS mechanics. Exploring the vast world and its immense number of vibrant inhabitants and optional side-stories, it's clear that Fallout 3 is a game you're going to live in for a very long time.
10. Far Cry 2 - Xbox 360, PC, PS3, Oct 21st US, Oct 24th EU
Far Cry 2 is everything that a current-gen shooter should be. It's also everything that a current-gen sandbox game should be. Wandering through its beautifully-realised Africa, you'll have total control over the characters you interact with, how you work with or against them and exactly how you tackle each mission. It's not an easy game at first, but once you learn how to make the most of the freedom available to you, you won't be able to put it down.
11. Gears of War 2 - Xbox 360, 7th Nov Worldwide
Do we need to say much more about this one? The original Gears of War is a modern classic and its sequel is everything we loved about it taken to the next level. New weapons, new Locust, new gameplay elements and a deeper, more involving story are going to make Gears 2 one of the 360 games of this year. Or any year.
12. Grand Theft Auto IV - PC, 18th Nov US, 21st Nov EU
It's been a long wait for PC owners, but we reckon it's going to be worth it. GTA IV was already great on consoles, but Rockstar seems to be taking full advantage of the new hardware with this version. The already-impressive new Liberty City is going to look great with the new higher resolutions the PC can handle, but we're really excited about new video capture, editing and upload facilities that are going to be included. Ten points for embracing the community there, Rockstar.
13. Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars - DS, TBC
Okay, so we're not actually sure that this one is going to turn up this year. The best we can get out of a Rockstar is "winter", which could just as easily mean 2009 as 2008. But the sheer potential means that we wanted to squeeze it onto the list regardless. A brand new character, a brand new storyline, a brand new isometric perspective - just like the original top-down games gone polygon - new cel-shaded art and stylus-controlled smack dealing. What more could you want?
14. Guitar Hero World Tour - Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, 26th Oct US, 7th Nov EU
Our early impressions of this one as a "Me too!" Rock Band cash-in have now gone out of the window like a hotel room TV. Yes, there's a full band instrument set-up now, but the really amazing thing about Guitar Hero: World Tour is its integrated music studio. There's nowhere near enough room here to detail all of its features, but suffice to say it's so flexible that it'll be the next best thing to having a real recording facility in your house.
15. The Last Remnant - Xbox 360, PS3, 20th Nov Worldwide
Why is this one exciting? Well for a start, it's a brand new, home console IP from Square Enix. Secondly, it takes RPG combat to an epic level, making use of huge battlefields to allow fights on the scale of all-out war. It's also SE's first concerted effort to cater for both the Japanese and western markets simultaneously, and it'll be really cool to see how that cultural mash-up plays out. We've got high hopes for this being very interesting indeed when it's released.
16. Left 4 Dead - PC, Xbox 360, 19th Nov Steam, 19th Nov US, 21st Nov EU
Valve. Zombies. Online FPS co-op. Lots of zombies. An intelligent AI 'director' which changes the flow of the game depending on your own actions. Make no mistake about it, this is going to be a savagely good time. All of those hypothetical zombie massacre escape plans you've made - and you know you've thought about that stuff - will soon be a reality.
17. LittleBigPlanet - PS3, 21st Oct US, 22nd Oct EU
Leave your reservations at the door. LittleBigPlanet really is that good. It's fun, whimsical, intelligent and a powerful design tool, all at the same time, and it's been crafted with enough love and attention to detail to make its ambience utterly infectious. It's a great big, warm smile of a disc, and we're already utterly in love with it.
18. Mirror's Edge - Xbox 360, PC, PS3, 11th Nov US, 14th Nov EU
Ever wanted to know what it's like to be the Prince of Persia? It's an obvious comparison to make, but it's obvious for a very good reason. EA's blindingly fresh parkour FPS is the POP experience gone first-person, and it's every bit as thrilling as that description makes it sound. The initial learning curve is steep, but get past it and the simple but comprehensive control system will see you deftly flying around the environments like a natural born ninja. Good times. Very good times.
19. Mushroom Men - Wii/DS, Nov 11th/Oct 14th US, TBA EU
Who says the platformer is dead? And who says there's no creativity on the Wii? To whomever might say either of those things, Mushroom Men retorts with a nonchalant but authoritative "Pah!" Playing out at the level of the floorboards, the game is packed with detailed and inventive design, everywhere from it's skewed characters and off-kilter, dynamic soundtrack to its immensely explorable, adventure-playground environmental puzzles. There's a strong Earthworm Jim vibe about this one, and what other game lets you drop a spinning fan on top of an evil bunny rabbit? And the DS version holds all the same twisted wonders, but does them in glorious 2D. We want both now!
20. N+ - DS/PSP, 28th Nov EU
If you haven't played the Flash original, do so here right now. N is a fearsomely addictive, tightly-designed slice of genius, combining simple, clean, stylised graphics with fast, physics-based platforming and an infernal but totally fair level of challenge. It's an utter gem of a game on any format, and it's a perfect fit for handheld gaming. Put this on your list.
21. Quantum Of Solace - 360, PC, PS3, Wii, PS2, DS, 4th Nov US, 31st Oct EU
A movie-licensed game? Great heavens, what are we thinking? Well what we're thinking is that Treyarch's new Bond game could turn out to be a blinder. Gun fights, stealth kills, cover shooting and that bit from Casino Royale where he runs along the crane. All the important stuff is in there, and QoS is no slouch in the technical department either. Using an upgraded version of the Call of Duty 4 engine and featuring dynamic, reactive enemy AI, this could be the best Bond FPS since Goldeneye. Between this and COD: World At War, Treyarch really looks to be bursting through with the quality this year.
22. Rock Band 2 - Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, TBA EU
It's Rock Band with a big number 2 at the end, so we know what that means. It's more of the same, but tweaked and refined, but considering the small matter of the original being one of the best games ever, that's absolutely all we ever wanted. There are 100 songs out of the box, and with the ability to port over most of the original game's play-list and the obligatory, seemingly-endless DLC, you're never going to run out of things to do. And if you do, there are always the improved online modes and the option of actually learning to play real drums to get on with too.
23. Shaun White Snowboarding: Road Trip - Wii, Christmas Worldwide
All versions of Shaun White are looking good right now, but we wanted to draw particular attention to the Wii version. With the Balance Board enabled, it's a fantastically tactile and thrilling experience once you calibrate your feet. Controlling movement, jumps and tricks with tilts of your body and flicks of your feet is as close to a real snowboarding simulator you'll ever get in your living room, and although cartoonier than their high-def counterparts, the graphics and art design are crisp and endearing.
24. Skate it - DS, 17th Nov US, 20th Nov EU
We've only had brief hands-on time with the DS version of Skate, but we're already excited. Drawing movements across the deck illustration on the bottom screen to pull off tricks seems a strange concept before you try it, but in practice it's an incredibly instinctive experience. As long as the full game makes proper use of the control scheme's potential, we're going to lap this up when it arrives.
25. Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix - Xbox 360, PS3, TBA
The justified hype over Street Fighter IV has left its downloadable ancestor a little over-looked lately, but forget about it you certainly should not. SSFIIT is the pinnacle of the SFII series, but this newly rebalanced, hand-drawn HD edition is actually going to improve on it with new moves, pimped-out characters and artwork that makes it feel like playing a comic. It's late for release already - we originally expected it over summer - but earlier in the week we were told by Capcom that it's still "89% probably" coming out this year.
26. Tomb Raider: Underworld - Xbox 360, PC, PS3, 18th Nov US, 21st Nov EU
Yawn. Aren't we sick of Tomb Raider by now? Well no, no we're not. You see with Underworld, we look to have the most dynamic entry the series has seen in ages. Lara's movement and combat flows better than ever, and a concerted effort has been made to loosen up the rigidity the games have been maligned for in the past. This is a tooled-up, tricked-out Croft for the modern gaming era, and she's looking very slick indeed this time around.
27. Tom Clancy’s EndWar - Xbox 360, PC, PS3, 4th Nov US, 7th Nov EU
If it plays as well as the demos we've seen indicate, EndWar could do for console RTS what Halo did for FPS. The voice-activated control seems accurate and easy to use, and the way that the game combines it with a detailed third-person action game perspective makes EndWar seem an incredibly accessible and immersive experience. This is RTS with a friendly, familiar face. Hands-off strategy dressed up as hands-on action. We can't wait to mic up and give it a proper try.
28. World of Warcraft: Wrath Of The Lich King - PC, 13th Nov Worldwide
Every time that talk kicks up about leaving WoW, Blizzard throws up another reason to stay. And here we go again. There's a new level cap of 80, a new playable class in the form of the Death Knight, and a whole new continent to explore in the shape of Northrend. Blizzard hasn't exactly been lazy with the additions this time, and the obsession is going to be instant come launch day.
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