Army of Two
Publisher: Electronic Arts | Developer: Electronic Arts Montreal | Release Date: November
What is it? In the great tradition of Lethal Weapon, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and Tango and Cash, Army of Two is a shooter centering around a pair of wisecracking mercenaries who take on jobs the legitimate military won't touch.
Why should I care? EA's new(ish) Montreal Studio is taking lots of chances with this game, attempting to develop the kind of crazy-smart AI that no other game has really managed to pull off. Co-op -- whether your partner is human- or computer-controlled -- is the central focus of the game.
What's the prognosis? It looks sharp as hell, but this is one game we'll actually need to play to discover whether the AI works.
Assassin's Creed
Publisher: Ubisoft | Developer: Ubisoft | Release Date: Fall
What is it? Only one of the best damn looking games we've ever seen. You play an assassin during the Third Crusade, using stealth and athletics to get to your target...and then get the hell out.
Why should I care? It's made by the folks who brought you Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. If that's not reason enough, dig this: You can climb anything in the game. If it has an edge that sticks out at least two inches, your character can scale it. It's the kind of free-roaming world GTA could only dream about.
What's the prognosis? As long as they don't let the Warrior Within team touch it, we'll be happy.
Devil May Cry 4
Publisher: Capcom | Developer: Capcom | Release Date: October
What is it? More hacking, slashing, shooting. More throwing enemies up into the air and keeping them suspended on a platform of bullets. More ludicrous enemies, gorgeous environments, and sweet eye candy.
Why should I care? While the second game stumbled a bit, the Devil May Cry series has, overall, been one hell of a lot of ridiculously over-the-top action fun. The addition of new characters with new abilities (like Nero's God Hand-like arm of power) might even add a layer of (gasp!) depth.
What's the prognosis? Sure, it's not going to revolutionize the genre. But does it look sharp? Does it play well? That's all we ask.
Grand Theft Auto IV
Publisher: Rockstar | Developer: Rockstar | Release Date: October
What is it? That's a very good question, since at this point the only thing Rockstar has confirmed is that the game exists and it's coming out in October. We may be going out on a limb here, but we're expecting free-roaming gangster gameplay of one sort or another.
Why should I care? While plenty of folks have legitimately claimed that the series is getting a bit stale, the fact remains that each new GTA includes enough in the way of new features to make it worth your time (if only just).
What's the prognosis? A new batch of systems (this one's releasing simultaneously on 360) should prompt the Rockstar folks to make some much-needed changes to the formula -- or else risk an overwhelming wave of been-there-done-that apathy.
| Lair Publisher: Sony CEA | Developer: Factor 5 | Release Date: Spring What is it? The PS3's first big-name, motion control-centric game features big-ass dragons spitting burning stuff at each other. Like Factor Five's Rogue Squadron III, Lair also throws in some ground-level combat to really emphasize the size of those big scaly bastards. Why should I care? Controlling a dragon by manipulating your controller like a pair of reins is pretty satisfying. As is toasting the hell out of big swarms of ground troops. What's the prognosis? When last we played Lair, it had problems similar to Rogue Squadron III's: namely, a pretty sharp drop in quality (graphical and otherwise) when going to ground level. But otherwise, damn the game looks pretty.
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Mercenaries 2: World in Flames
Publisher: Electronic Arts | Developer: Pandemic | Release Date: September
What is it? Another opportunity to blow the living hell out of everything in your environment.
Why should I care? Fire. Fire! FIRE!! While the previous game offered plenty of destructible crap, World in Flames ups the ante with a detailed, realistic fire system. Considering the game's set in populated areas of Venezuela, that means plenty of realistic stuff to burn. But that's not all; the game now supports multiple levels of damage to buildings, vehicles, and such -- so you'll get to watch buildings slowly degrade as you pump rockets into them.
What's the prognosis? There's a chance that, like its predecessor, World in Flames could end up big on technological niceties and small on compelling gameplay. But it's hard not to be excited about a game that lets you play with fire.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Publisher: Konami | Developer: Konami | Release Date: October
What is it? If you own a PS3 and you don't know what this game is, we'd like to have a chat with you.
Why should I care? Kojima and friends have made each new Metal Gear title a major event, and with good reason. This team does things with games that other folks just don't think about, and whether you like these innovations or not, you can't deny that playing an MGS game is an experience like no other. On top of all that, these folks know their hardware; you can expect MGS4 to be a real showcase game for the system.
What's the prognosis? Very, very good. The only risk of failure: MGS games sure have gotten talky. If Kojima can rein in the chatty-chat and the too-convoluted plot devices, this could be one for the ages.
| MotorStorm Publisher: SCEA | Developer: Evolution Studios | Release Date: March What is it? Insanely detailed, hyper-realistic off-road racing. Why should I care? Everything is modeled with ridiculous detail, and we're not just talking about graphics here. Yes, the environments look amazing, and the vehicles undergo pretty realistic degradation as they take damage. But what's really interesting is the variety of terrain: Moving from rock to sand to dirt to mud, you really feel the difference in driving surface. And since the vehicles have a real sense of weight, there's a constant feeling of keeping things barely under control. What's the prognosis? With the whole game set in Monument Valley, things could get a bit monotonous. We're also not real thrilled about the load times we've experienced so far. But if you like off-road racers, it looks like it's going to be hard to top this one.
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| Stranglehold Publisher: Midway | Developer: Midway | Release Date: Summer What is it? A collaboration between the team who brought you Psi-Ops, legendary action director John Woo, and Hard-Boiled star Chow Yun-Fat Why should I care? What, that's not enough? How about this: In Stranglehold, the vast majority of what you see is fully destructable...and the rest allows for ridiculous acrobatic antics. Flop on a cart and roll down the hall, guns blazing, or race up the spine of a T. Rex skeleton to reach a balcony. Add in some of Woo's signature artsy melodrama and you've got an interesting mix. What's the prognosis? Good. When last we played this game it was plenty fun, but the controls needed a bit of tightening to achieve that "I am such a badass" feeling that Psi-Ops delivered.
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Warhawk
Publisher: Sony CEA | Developer: Incognito | Release Date: Fall
What is it? A dramatic re-imagining of one of the PS1's first classics, now featuring ground combat in a massive, free-roaming world.
Why should I care? The game is one of the few designed with the motion-sensing capabilities of the Sixaxis in mind, and tilt-based flying works much better than you'd think it would. What's even more surprising is that the ground battle seems to work just as well...even if it doesn't look quite as slick.
What's the prognosis? Though the focus has changed from a single player experience into a multiplayer one, the game's spirit seems to remain. If they can effectively balance the air and ground combat (by no means a certainty at this point) this has the potential to be an instant online classic
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