With 2008 officialy behind us (even though we can still taste last night's sick in the back of our throats) let's get excited about what we're going to be playing this year.
We're fully expecting a multitude of new announcements for the year ahead, but for the time being it's about what we KNOW will be awesome. Let us know what you're looking forward to the most in the comment section.
Resident Evil 5 ETA: March 13 The fifth instalment of this classic horror series will take place in Africa, though the likelihood is you'll be too busy capping motorcycle-riding zombies to fully appreciate the continent's exotic wildlife and culture. After a virus starts mutating people and animals into shambling killers, returning Resident Evil hero Chris Redfield must come to the rescue by uncovering the truth behind the outbreak. He'll be accompanied by Sheva Alomar, an AI-controlled sharpshooting babe in the employ of the African equivalent of S.T.A.R.S., who'll also be a playable character in the campaign's co-op mode. Lush visuals, gruesome zombie deaths, oodles of tense atmosphere and intense firefights all point towards another potential Resi classic. Oh, and did we mention the motorcycle-riding zombies? Genius!
Street Fighter IV ETA: February 20, 2009 The world's favourite beat 'em up is back with an assortment of old and new faces just waiting to be pummelled into a fleshy pulp. Returning favourites include headband-loving hero Ryu, lightening-legged Chun-Li and Mr. Latex himself, Dhalsim. Newcomers will include a female super-spy called Crimson Viper and lucha libre wrestler El Fuerte. While the visuals will be 3D, the action will take place from the series' traditional 2D perspective, whilst the now standard six button control setup is set to be augmented by a host of new special moves and Focus Attacks (the ability to launch a counter after being hit). February simply can't arrive soon enough.
Halo 3: ODST ETA: Autumn 2009 While it may be a standalone expansion rather than a full, sparking new episode, Halo 3: Recon still has us more excited than a puppy in a table leg factory. Master Chief takes a back seat as you control The Rookie, an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper who's part of a five man team dropped into New Mombasa during the events of Halo 2. Recon will see you searching for your four comrades and then playing a flashback scenario as each team member once you locate their last known whereabouts. Bungie has stated that stealth and cunning will also play a more prominent role this time around, while multiplayer will feature new maps and full Forge options.
God Of War III ETA: TBA 2009 Ok, we admit it, details about God of War III are currently more scant than a lap dancer's uniform, but we're still pretty confident that the game will be making an appearance in 2009. What little we do know about God of War III is this: you'll once again control killing machine Kratos in a quest that will ultimately determine why there are no more Greek myths. We're guessing that the battle for domination between the Titans and the gods may well have something to do with it. Just a hunch. We're also banking on some major Sixaxis integration, online multiplayer and the usual lashings of blood, gore and platforming mayhem. Bring it on!
BioShock 2: Sea of Dreams ETA: Late 2009 Another game we have little information on is this follow-up to 2K's 2007 RPG masterpiece. So far, all we've seen is a cryptic trailer of a girl gripping a toy Big Daddy while staring serenely into the sea on the Atlantic coast, followed by stones erupting from the ground. Ken Levine has spoken up to reveal that he won't be 'substantially involved' in the sequel's development as the game is being created by fledgling studio 2K Marin, so here's hoping the new team can recapture the magic of the original. If it can, then we could well have another classic on our hands.
Gran Turismo 5 ETA: Late 2009 The wait just seems to go on and on, but maybe, just maybe, 2009 will be the year we finally get our hands on what's shaping up to be the most stunning looking racing game ever. We've already had our appetites whetted by Gran Tourismo 5 Prologue and now we're counting down the days till GT5's release. Amongst the numerous killer features will be a line-up of hundreds of drivable cars. What we've sampled of the game so far has revealed a superbly realistic though forgiving racing experience, breathtaking frame rates and an unparalleled sense of speed.
StarCraft II ETA: Late 2009 Can it really be ten years ago that Blizzard's innovative RTS and Korea's favourite strategy game StarCraft first hit out screens? Well, the wait for a sequel is almost over, with StarCraft II set to retain all of the frenetic RTS thrills of the original while injecting new gameplay ideas and units into the mix. There'll be three distinct single-player campaigns (Zerg, Protoss and Terran) and each faction has received a major makeover. Backing up these campaigns will be copious multiplayer options, and from what we've sampled of them so far, they're shaping up to be a bit special.
Mafia II ETA: TBA 2009 Let's face it, after GTA IV, any open-world game is going to struggle to make an impact, though if any game stands a chance of stealing some of Rockstar's thunder, it's this one. Visually spectacular, Mafia II will be set in Empire city (a fictional hybrid of San Francisco and New York) in the late 1940's and early 1950's, during which time you'll become immersed in the city's gangster underworld. This time around there'll be an increased emphasis on exploring on foot, with shootouts incorporating a Gears of War-style cover system. There'll also be vehicles aplenty, allowing for high speed shootouts in fully deformable cars. Ba-da-bing!
Heavy Rain: The Origami Killer ETA: TBA 2009 (hopefully) Every so often a game comes along that takes your breath away. Heavy Rain is just such a game. In fact it impressed us so much we almost spat out our lungs in excitement. Granted, the title may sound like a hybrid of a depressed hippy and a spoof crime movie, but there's no doubting this game's potential. Hatched from the creative minds at Quantic Dreams that brought us the excellent Fahrenheit, Heavy Rain is an adult thriller in which you play Madison, a female newspaper journalist. Packed with innovation, Quantic Dreams has promised us that Heavy Rain will contain split screen action (allowing you to track the movements of your enemies), extensive Sixaxis control, a fully interactive environment and a plot that moulds itself seamlessly around your choices. Oh, and it's looking pretty tasty too.
Below are the games that didn't quite make our Top 9 of 2009, but we'âre still plenty excited about...
Killzone 2 is not in the top ten, are you kidding me, you guys have to be blind!!!
And Halo 3: Recon is an expansion not a game, and also should have not made it over Killzone 2. I really don't think who ever made this list has ever seen the HD videos of the game or you would have put it on top along with God of War 3, Uncharted 2, and Heavy Rain.
Oh, and I'm not being biased, its just what I've seen the 360 has nothing on the PS3 in 2009.
Posted by JOtheHOBO Killzone 2 is not in the top ten, are you kidding me, you guys have to be blind!!!
And Halo 3: Recon is an expansion not a game, and also should have not made it over Killzone 2. I really don't think who ever made this list has ever seen the HD videos of the game or you would have put it on top along with God of War 3, Uncharted 2, and Heavy Rain.
Oh, and I'm not being biased, its just what I've seen the 360 has nothing on the PS3 in 2009.
It's stupid comments like this that make me laugh . How do you know ?? lets wait untill we know what the games are like first shall we before we start pointing the fanboy finger (I am looking forward to killzone tho hope they dont c**k it) up
6. Resident Evil 5 5. Street Fighter 4 4. Uncharted 2 3. Final Fantasy XIII (hopefully) 2. Bioshock 2: Sea of Dreams 1. God of War 3 (hopefully, again)
Resi 5 definitely, God of War 3 should be great. Street Fighter will be great but beat em ups don't have the longevity for me anymore, i get bored with them quite quickly, but i grew up playing street fighter so i have a huge soft spot for it.
I don't understand what is Heavy Rain about the description doesn't really say what its about and why it deserves a spot more than Empire total war or Killzone 2
What a suprise CVG staff are still kissing the 360's bum as always. I will never forgive you for rating Far Cry 2 as nearly a 10/10 the devs must have given you quite a few free lunches and goody bags for that one. If I could spell integrity I would say that CVG's slips away more and more all the time.
All's I want from this site is the truth about games and consoles but even that seems beyond your grasp.
Is anyone else excited by L.A.Noire? I know very little has been said about it but its supposed to be out this year.
Looking forward to a few (Bioshock 2, Heavy Rain) and sort of secretly hoping for some surprise platformers to turn up (am I the only one who likes 3D platformers??)
To be honest I've got so much still to play/buy from 2008 IO wont realy be thinking of new games till the summer.
This time last year Xbox 360's release list was looking pretty empty compared to previous years, I'm sure Microsoft has plenty of suprises up their sleaves though.
Bioshock 2, Resi 5, Chronicles of Riddick, Fear 2 and Streetfighter 4 are the only games that have really got me interested so far.
I'd like to believe Alan Wake and maybe Duke Nukem Forever might get a release this year as well, I won't be holding my breath though.
anyways i dont care how bad deus ex 2 was but if 3 is not on your main list then you just fail. u also 4got abt FEAR/uncharted 2. it seems this list was made with the reputation of the games in mind coz otherwise the games above (even with the horrible sequel or expansions) as well as killzone would make tht list and not a bunch of "maybes" for 09. Anyways watever, i just want flashpoint now!!!!!
Killzone 2 is not in the top ten, are you kidding me, you guys have to be blind!!!
And Halo 3: Recon is an expansion not a game, and also should have not made it over Killzone 2. I really don't think who ever made this list has ever seen the HD videos of the game or you would have put it on top along with God of War 3, Uncharted 2, and Heavy Rain.
Oh, and I'm not being biased, its just what I've seen the 360 has nothing on the PS3 in 2009.
Just noticed this sentance and WRONG:
Recon is a standalone release, not part of a title update or downloadable content. It will come with new Achievements totaling 1000 Gamerscore and a new aesthetic. The single player campaign, in which your ODST will clean up a Covenant infested city in New Mombasa, will feature plenty of dark, nighttime play.
3.Mafia 2 (If you played the first you would know that it was ahead of its time and a great game.)
4.RESI 5 ( Not a huge fan but catches my eye.)
5.Gran Tourismo 5 (ARGHH!!! I want to play Gran Tourismo in all its PS1 & PS2 Glory hurry it up Already!)
Didn't make the cut:
1.MMORPG FOR THE 360!!!!! (Final Fantasy and Fantasy Star Online aren't good enough for me. I want APB "http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6xvbb_all-points-bulletin-apb-xbox-360_videogames, Or the equivalent of World Of Warcaft.
2.CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK!!! (Escape from butcher bay on Xbox was f**kin AWESOME!! excuse my French. One of the best for the Box.)
3.GTA Lost And Damned ( DLC for 360.)
4.Halo Wars (Halo FTW!)
5.Diablo III (O.G Original gamester)
6.??????? unfortunately even though I did research release lists for the 360 in 09, either anything good this year has been released, left 4 dead for example, or the release lists thus far suck.
i got rid of the wii and 360 so whats my piddly ps3 line up gonna be like? killzone 2 gran turismo 5 heavy rain gow 3 drake 2 resistance retribution infamous tekken 6 fat princess dc universe ffxlll and verses plus the usual xross platform re5, sf 4, bio 2, fear 2 etc free online as 2 boot wii? 360? anybody?
Since I only have a Wii and DS, here's mine: Wii Sports Resort Sonic and the Black Knight Mario Power Tennis-Play on Wii Mario and Luigi 3 Rumoured new Mario game Punch Out!! Mario Super Sluggers New Virtual Console Stuff The DSi (I know it's not a game, but I still really want one!!)
1)assassins creed 2 (reckon they'll altinate assassins and prince of persia) 2)bioshock 2 3)zelda Wii (hopefully wont be casual) 4)mario (need more mario) 5)mass effect 2 (hopefully get some solid details soon) 6)alan wake (been waiting for years) 7)dead rising 2 (should be at least announced this year) next elder scrolls (if they haven't got the next one in development with the combat (mele and magic) issues fixed then i'm a monkey's uncle) 9)halo 3dst (this will be bungies first true open world game so i reckon it's a pilot for a new franchise. they left microsoft because they didn't want to make halo games anymore then they go ahead and make a halo game so there has to be a reason behind it all.) 10)call of duty 6 (should be awesome)
if i had a ps3 then the list may be better as they seem to have more exclusives but i'm not that worried at all (never had a crimbo where i haven't been able to get enough good games for my xbox) and i dont get much chance to play games so i'm not so worried if the pickings are a little thin this time of year. still have 5 games to properly play through.
Silent Hill: Homecoming (UK release February - got it a few weeks early and it's much better than the reviews suggested) Godfather 2 Sacred 2: Fallen Angel Resident Evil 5 Dragon Age: Origins Uncharted 2 Mafia 2 The Divine Divinity sequel on XBox360 Alan Wake Splinter Cell Conviction Gran Turismo 5 Alien Breed
Plus some of the others mentioned above, although I am sure they are coming out in 2010.
Having played the Resident Evil 5 demo, i was personally left feeling frustrated that the shooting system has not been altered in any shape or form. Therefore with the undead beginning their assault on Chris and Sheva, it gets frustrating when not being able to aim and move, as the undead eventually pile up, resulting in a foot race through the African shantytown. Although arduous, the attention to detail of the scenery is impeccale and possibly rivals that of Assassins Creed. The question though about whether Resident Evil 5 is not just Resident Evil 4:HD remains open until the full game is released, but nevertheless even if my opinions were not of the positive variety, this game will sell!
Therefore it would not be one of my top 10, but instead the hype around Alan Wake is so intense, that if we're honest, it is either going to be THE smash hit game of 09, or something that ultimately falls short of huge expectations. I'll still buy it anyway however, regardless of quality.
1.yakuza 3. 2.street fighter iv 3.heavy rain 4.uncharted 2 5.god of war iii 6.killzone 2 those are the best games of the year imo.expansions don't count as games and resi 5 is an on the fence scenario for me...
HONESTY is the best way so let the games speak for them selfs.You guys get games before us and test there good and bad points then give us a score!So here is a point lots of scores over diffrent magazines ect.Equals a equalibriam of the score, open your eyes and look to the middle for an average.Add the level of personal intrest and then make a calculated guess and part with the cash.ONE tip shop around for the game and take the cheapest then if the game fails to satisfiy you not a major loss.
I spend a few dollars on my games and get through a lot so here is my list of 9 for the next purchases for myself (multi formats and my consoles own)
1 (paid for and coming) Skate 2 2 SF4 3 Killzone 2 4 Colonial marines (aliens) 5 Resi 5 6 Gran turismo 5 7 M.A.G. 8 Bionic commando 9 Fight night R4
money is tight and my dvd collection is exploding coz there so cheap, so games are taking it the same way.Most of Sony's games are realy good priced compared to third party devs.And most good games in potential are multi format.
Jeez! I would've thought that Uncharted2 was worth some kind of mention as , action wise, it's the game I'm most excited about this year.
What about MAG? Is it dying a death as I thought it was a 2009 release when Sony talked last E3 and at TGS?
Anyway I hope ODST(why drop Recon? better than some arbitrary letters(I know what they stand for but still-crap))is better than Halo3 in general as I felt it was below par for the series and that Bungie are bored with the franchise-maybe just me but I wasn't happy with it.
Still MS need to get some games announced soon as Sony have a lot already talked about AND others that aren't announced as well(loads of first and second party studios that haven't said what their projects are)and even the Wii has some good looking stuff coming(starting with HotD Overkill,Madworld, Conduit, Fatal Frame 4, Tenchu4 etc etc). Personally I hope Alan Wake makes an appearance as I'd really love to see which game out of AW and the sumptuour looking Heavy Rain turns out best!
Good year to be a gamer -now we just need MS to join the party and Nintendo to tell us the new Zelda will be here pre Xmas and to find out just which PS3 exclusives will make it out in 2009.
These are by far the most exciting/interesting and alternative games this year, at least on PC they are. Can't believe they haven't been mentioned yet. Check the 'faction' videos if you haven't seen them yet: http://www.arma2.com/
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next elder scrolls (if they haven't got the next one in development with the combat (mele and magic) issues fixed then i'm a monkey's uncle)
dst (this will be bungies first true open world game so i reckon it's a pilot for a new franchise. they left microsoft because they didn't want to make halo games anymore then they go ahead and make a halo game so there has to be a reason behind it all.)
