Feature: The 48 Best Games of 2008 (page 4 of 8)
27. Frontlines: Fuel of War
X360, PS3, PC * Jan. 2008
Why you should care: THQ gives the Nazis a rest in the first-person shooter Frontlines. Instead, the war pits East versus West, with each side using vaguely futuristic weapons such as armed drones (some of which can see through walls) and player-controlled precision airstrikes. Customizable warriors and online play for 32 players (64 people on PCs) flesh out this war. Battlefield fans, take note -- many members of the development team hail from DICE.
Why you shouldn't: There are some cool touches here, but they might not be enough to distinguish Frontlines from all the other upcoming war games.
26. Prototype
X360, PS3, PC * Summer 2008
Why you should care: New York takes it on the chin in Prototype. As the mysterious Prototype, players can tear through the city, hurl cars, wreak havoc, and blend in with the crowd by eating a hapless victim and then assuming his form and memories. You see, the Prototype isn't just incredibly agile and able to form weapons from his own body tissues, but he's also very, very hungry for human flesh.
Why you shouldn't: The Prototype seems like a neat character, but who can empathize with a city-wrecking cannibal?
25. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
X360, PS3 * Summer 2008
Why you should care: A third-person adventure, Unleashed has players hunting down Jedi Knights as a bad-ass apprentice for Darth Vader, giving them the opportunity to, say, hurl a giant Star Destroyer around like so much garbage. Unleashed's mass-carnage ambitions are backed up with impressive tech, so when you force-throw Stormtroopers through walls, a physics engine ensures that characters flop and twist in cool, but realistic, ways.
Why you shouldn't: Who wants to serve as Darth Vader's lackey? Here's a wild idea: Let us play as D. Viddy himself for once.
24. Midnight Club: Los Angeles
X360, PS3 * Spring 2008
Why you should care: A gigantic Los Angeles awaits, and you can race through it to your heart's content. This time around, Rockstar Games is adding weather, time progression, a quick repairs option for people too busy to drive into a service station, and realistic traffic patterns. Rockstar also thinks menus are for chumps, so you'll be able to change objectives and access online races without so much as leaving the game world.
Why you shouldn't: Battling "realistic" Los Angeles traffic doesn't sound like very much fun at all.
23. Secret Agent Clank
PSP * Fall 2008
Why you should care: The beloved robot from the Ratchet & Clank series leaps into his own adventure, learning the mysteries of Clank Fu and trying to clear his falsely accused friend. Not much about this title is yet known, but sequences have shown Clank dodging lasers in a rhythm-style minigame, and the goofy hero Captain Quark battling gangsters with-no lie-a vacuum.
Why you shouldn't: There's a reason why sidekicks are relegated to background roles and comedic relief.
22. Saints Row 2
X360, PS3 * TBA 2008
Saints Row sold over a million copies, and the sequel is well into production.
Why you should care: THQ will improve on its crime drama in a host of ways in Saints Row 2. The city of Stillwater has been expanded to include new locations, and within its borders, players will be able to access motorcycles, boats, helicopters, and planes. The entire game will be playable online in a true cooperative mode, and THQ promises competitive play through Xbox Live and the PlayStation network as well. Also, the first game was pretty damned good.
Why you shouldn't: Saints Row is universally regarded as a Grand Theft Auto knockoff. And Grand Theft Auto IV comes out in 2008, too...
21. Mercenaries 2: World in Flames
X360, PS3 * TBA 2008
Why you should care: As a mercenary in Venezuela, you won't be sipping tea and reading the London Times literary supplement. Instead, you'll be blowing stuff up, killing folks, stealing vehicles, and generally creating mayhem. The third-person perspective Mercs 2 also offers the unique opportunity for players to set up shop and recruit mercenaries to join the company. Because, in the end, it's all about family.
Why you shouldn't: The paranoid Venezuelan government has stated Mercenaries 2 is a tool to drum up support for an invasion of its country. True story!
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