The 48 Best Games of 2008 (page 5 of 8)
- December 04, 2007 16:55 PM PST
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20. God of War: Chains of Olympus
PSP * March 2008
Why you should care: Set before the events of the two PS2 God of War games, Chains of Olympus features the overviolent warrior Kratos in servitude to the gods. That means he'll be traveling to Hades, battling with the Persians, and performing sweeping, multihit combination attacks on such mythological creatures like Cyclopes and basilisks. Developer Ready at Dawn is preparing new combination hits for Kratos, including a wide arcing windmill hits that damages one opponent greatly, but also injures nearby foes-and then leaves the hero vulnerable at its conclusion.
Why you shouldn't: A lot of the game's fighting controls had to be reworked for the PSP, so you'll need to adjust accordingly.
19. Unreal Tournament 3
X360, PS3, PC * Early 2008
Why you should care: Remember Gears of War? This is the other shooter from that developer. As Unreal Tournament 3 glides in on a cushion of post-Gears cool, it's nice to see that this online shooter can back up at least some of its hype. Compared to Gears, UT3 is both similar (note the robot suit and oversized gun motif) and different (Gears is slow and suspenseful; UT3 is a whirling dervish of death and chaos). Otherwise, the plot is simple: kill stuff online using sweet guns like the Flak Cannon and the always entertaining Bio Rifle. You can also drive one of those hulking tripods from War of the Worlds.
Why you shouldn't: It's entirely likely you'll still be wrapped up in Halo 3. And Call of Duty 4. And Team Fortress 2...
18. Borderlands
X360, PS3, PC * Late 2008
Why you should care: The subtle art of extraterrestrial diplomacy plays out in Borderlands, by which it is meant you can blow the crap out of a host of aliens, alien monsters, and other humans who may remind you of aliens. A first-person shooter with lots of weapon customization and role-playing elements, Borderlands shifts to the third person for vehicular manslaughter and Mad Max-style raids. Four-player cooperative play sounds groovy, too.
Why you shouldn't: It's uncertain how the mishmash of shooting perspectives and RPG elements will mesh in the final package, but it's worth finding out.
17. Alan Wake
X360, PC * TBA 2008
Much is still unknown about Alan Wake, but the character is a writer thrust into a paranormal experience.
Why you should care: Horror writer A. Wake (get it?) finds himself trapped in one of those nightmarish situations that video game characters so often get themselves into. As Wake, players will have to use light-what little there is-to good advantage, as the game's monstrous enemies are susceptible to it. Wake will also have to piece together what's happening to him in the creepy, haunted world of Bright Falls.
Why you shouldn't: If A. Wake is simply dreaming, someone is going to get punched. In the neck.
16. Legendary: The Box
X360, PS3, PC * Early 2008
Why you should care: Because, as a cautionary tale, Legendary teaches each and every one of us not to open Pandora's Box. Opening Pandora's Box is a bad thing, and unleashes great evil on the world, evil that must then be shot, in the first-person perspective, with guns, repeatedly, until it is dead. And we're talking about huge rampaging Minotaurs, snarling, ceiling-climbing werewolves, and other hideous monstrosities. So keep the box closed.
Why you shouldn't: Using reverse psychology, you should totally open Pandora's Box. We heard there's candy inside.
15. Indiana Jones
X360, PS3 * TBA 2008
Why you should care: Everyone's favorite archaeologist/Nazi puncher Indiana Jones returns to video game glory to coincide with his new flick, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. LucasArts is big on showing off the game's realistic physics engine, which has bad guys desperately trying to grab on to the sides of the San Francisco cable cars they've been thrown off of, or hurling right through store windows after receiving a right hook to the jaw. Expect adventure, far-flung locales, and lots of Nazi punching.
Why you shouldn't: Nazis are people, too.
14. Mario Kart Wii
Wii * Early 2008
Why you should care: The classic kart-racing franchise returns for a Wii iteration, one that comes bundled with a "Wii wheel" controller. Once again, Mario and his friends and enemies will gather for epic races with cool weapons, and this time around it will be possible to drive motorcycles and compete in 12-player online races via Nintendo's WiFi Connection.
Why you shouldn't: You're probably still playing the older, still magnificent versions of Mario Kart on other platforms.
13. Little Big Planet
PS3 * Early 2008
Why you should care: Because this cute little game-making simulation lets you create your own worlds. You can decorate them however you choose, and then take delightful, expressive little cloth men and women and run through the levels you've created. Players can also upload the levels they've created and download other people's creations online. Little Big Planet is big on the grand triumvirate of Cs: customization, creativity, and coolness.
Why you shouldn't: You possess no creativity whatsoever and genuinely dislike fun.
12. Fable 2
X360, PC * TBA 2008
Why you should care: So far, creator Peter Molyneux's grand innovations for Fable have been: 1) A dog and 2) a one-button combat system. But in doing so, he's allowed for lots of emotion in his role-playing game, and for players to learn a combat scheme that's simple yet remarkably deep for those who care to master it. This time around, players will literally be able to buy every building they see, and use guns on their various quests through Albion.
Why you shouldn't: A lot of Peter Molyneux's crazy ideas sound better on paper than they play within the context of a game.
11. Halo Wars
X360 * TBA 2008
Why you should care: You probably already like Halo. Or, conversely, maybe you want to like Halo but you hate first-person shooters. In either case, Halo Wars is noteworthy because it takes the ultra-hot shooter to a strategy setting, with players sitting God-like over the battlefield while pitting tiny Warthogs and Pelicans against Covenant Scarabs and Ghosts. Early gameplay actually looks quite good, with spot-on sound effects and enemy behaviors. Though it's a strategy game and not a shooter, Halo Wars seemingly performs the impossible: it looks and feels like a Halo game.
Why you shouldn't: With this being an Xbox 360 exclusive for the moment, you'll be stuck fiddling with analog sticks when you really want a mouse. Ensemble Studios is promising the easiest RTS control scheme yet, but you know how these things often turn out.
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