2008: The Gaming Year Ahead

Grand Theft Auto IV
Next year's gaming scene should finally mark the arrival of Rockstar's next addition in the famed GTA series. Grand Theft Auto IV takes place in Liberty City and follows the story of an Eastern European immigrant named Niko Bellic. With a great portion of the game already completed, the developers are aiming to launch the game some time during spring 2008 for the PS3 and Xbox 360. Rockstar has yet to prove if this one will live up to the reputation of the GTA franchise, but from what was shown so far, GTA IV appears to have nearly everything that made its predecessors fun to play and more.

Also on the horizon
Ninja Gaiden 2, Alone in the Dark, Ghostbusters: The Video Game, Devil May Cry 4, Prototype, Assassin's Creed, Splinter Cell: Conviction

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Hideo Kojima and the folks at Kojima Productions are still not ready to release their long-awaited title, MGS 4, which will finally wrap up the tale about Solid Snake. With a variety of new moves, an assortment of new weapons, new features, improved overall design, Kojima Productions is definitely on the right track with this one. Sony also expects this to be one of the top PS3 franchises next year and the kind of game that will tempt people into buying the console, which has been in a slump pretty much since its launch. Good luck Sony. And good luck Hideo. (They're gonna need it. - 2Lions)

Also on the horizon
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway, Killzone 2, Turok, Battlefield: Bad Company, Far Cry 2, Borderlands, Mercenaries 2: World in Flames, Condemned 2: Bloodshot, Bionic Commando, Haze, Iron Man, Frontline: Fuels of War, Rainbow Six: Vegas 2, Army of Two, No More Heroes (Wii)

Fallout 3
After its successful title, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Bethesda Softworks turned towards reviving the popular sci-fi RPG franchise, Fallout. When we witnessed Fallout 3, the gameplay had that distinct Oblivion-ish feel. The setting looked quite good, but there's a long road ahead. Last we checked with Bethesda, the production of the game was in full sway, with around 70 people working intently on the very meat of the game. So, while the designers, artists and programmers are filling out the world of Fallout 3, we twirl our thumbs in anticipation for one of the most promising single-player RPGs, slated to launch during Q4 2008.

Also on the horizon
Lost Odyssey, Sacred 2: Fallen Angel, Space Siege, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky, Fable 2

StarCraft 2
For a lot of people, seeing the name "Blizzard" imprinted on a game box is a good enough reason to buy it. That's okay with us. When it comes to new titles, Blizzard seldom disappoints and we have a feeling StarCraft 2 will be no exception. Witnessing the game in action left us very optimistic. SC 2 is showing elements of superb design quality and first-rate production values; of course, we expected nothing less. Solid RTS gameplay mechanics are already in there, the kind that made earlier Blizzard strategies so good. Another encouraging fact is that the game is being crated by the crew that worked on the original StarCraft, Brood Wars, WarCraft III and WC III: Frozen Throne. The setting also has a huge fan base, especially in Korea, so there's next to no chance of the game flopping financially.

Also on the horizon
Civilization Revolution, Empire: Total War, C&C 3: Kane's Wrath, Disciples 3: Renaissance, Sudden Strike 3

Gran Turismo 5
As it stands, GT 5 is one of the most highly anticipated racing games (yes, even if it's a PS3-exclusive). It features a variety of improvements since the previous game. Earlier complaints regarding GT games were related to the relatively steep learning curve and shabby AI. Polyphony, the makers of GT 5, are looking to fix this, so the AI now senses the cars around it and reacts to the player's driving style. The game will also entail two levels of realism - Standard and Professional. There's a decent selection of trendy car brands lined up, including Alfa Romeo, Audi, Nissan, Ferrari, Lotus, Mitsubishi and more. Relying on the advantages of HD, the game is going to support full 1080p, supposedly running at 60 fps. Specifically referring to cars, Polyphony mentioned that each model in Gran Turismo 4 featured 4,000 polygons, whereas those in GT 5 have an average poly count of 200,000. Currently, GT 5 Prologue, which serves as sort of a tease test for the full game, is already available on Japanese PSN. Word has it that "you can buy the import edition of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue and play it on a regular US PlayStation 3 with no modifications." The full GT 5 game still hasn't got a firm release date, but fans are hoping for mid-2008 and so are we.

Also on the horizon
Burnout Paradise, GRID (Codemasters), Mario Kart Wii