With many of us heading to college, our student loans are going to be spent a whole lot less on books and a whole lot more on video games. With that, I give you a list of the top 11 upcoming Playstation 3 games which have left us dazed and drooling:
1. God of War III - Perhaps one of Sony’s most successful franchises ever is scheduled to make its much anticipated debut in the next-gen arena March 10th 2010. Gameplay footage revealed at E3 2009 shows just how nitty and gritty the virtual world has become. As bloodthirsty and unrelentingly gory as ever, God of War promises to deliver non-stop action in finely tuned HD. With tighter combos, smoother controls, a wide array of weapons (some new and some old), bigger and badder bosses, the game will easily silence critics of the Playstation 3 and give Sony fan boys something to drool over. In the latest installment, Kratos is more of a god than ever and seems to relish his role as the enactor of all things unholy; the more war torn Kratos gets, the more we simply eat it up.
2. Modern Warfare 2 - Imagine trekking through the frigid nether regions of a mountain, the wind whipping your camouflage as snowflakes whiz past you. You stare vacantly down the scope of a high-powered rifle as a head gently slides its way into your scope. Bang, headshot. Enter Modern Warfare 2, Infinity’s latest installment of its hugely popular franchise. The game features much more gameplay variety than in previous installments, with the same amazing voiceovers and sounds as the previous game with added environments, weapons and improved A.I. Battles now range from deserts to snow covered alps, with weapons ranging from high powered rockets to carbines. A.I no longer shoots, covers and repeats, rather, they strategically aim for an advantage over the player. The game is absolutely gorgeous, more so than the previous installment, with the game resembling more a multi-million dollar interactive feature length production than a video game. If the game resembles its predecessor in the slightest, it will be guaranteed a spot on our wish list.
3. Assassins Creed 2 - Set in the scenic country of Italy, known more for its wine and mobsters than its aristocratic turmoil, the second Assassins Creed promises to rectify all that was wrong with the first game. The developers have added an engaging story; you play a young man whom adversity has turned into an assassin, rather than an assassin by trade. The game aims to develop emotion surrounding the main character, Etsio, something which was majorly lacking from the first game. A notable change in game play is that you are given many new perks and weapons- such as dual hand blades, smoke bombs and a flying machine which adds depth to the overall game. The same dynamics which defined the name “Assassin’s Creed” have been fine tuned, as you now can climb higher, faster and fight harder than before. Although the game still focuses on stealth, combat has been improved. There are new enemies, ranging from bandits to templars and their weapons are all fair game with each new weapon bringing a new finishing move with it creating countless possibilities and scenarios. Assassin’s Creed was filled to the brim with potential and we hope that Assassin 2 can capitalize.
4. Guitar Hero 5 - Once the giant of the video-music fusion genre, Guitar Hero now finds itself in stiff competition with Rock Band. For some time, Rock Band has been diversifying and changing what we’ve come to expect with music themed games. Activision’s answer to Rock Band is Guitar Hero 5. Guitar Hero 5 runs smoother and more polished than its predecessors with revolutionary game play being the focus of its development. So far, it has been released that players can load up a playlist of up to 128 songs in a mode known as Party Play, where the songs are streamed continuously. The most interesting feature of this game play mode is that all instrument combination's can play, and one can never fail- allowing 4 singers to play at once or 4 drummers irrespective of their talent level. All instruments previously released for Guitar Hero are compatible and the game comes equipped with 85 songs, providing plenty of fun straight out of the box. The artists featured range from Kings of Leon and The White Stripes to Stevie wonder, Elton john and Bob Marley. The momentum mode allows for 8 online players at one time or 4 locally. The graphics have been updated, with realistic crowds, intelligent lighting and an overall more “party” atmosphere . Focusing more on accessibility, the game is not over when a player fails- a player can be revived after failing, if the band they are playing with is adequate enough. Contrasting this, in the previous versions of Guitar Hero, the success of the band was measured by a band meter. Thankfully for our wallets, the game is compatible with Guitar Hero 4 track lists, which give a total of over 230 songs.
5. Final Fantasy XIII Versus- Square Enix is perhaps the most prominent RPG developer in all of videogamedom, famous for titles such as Final Fantasy 7 and Final Fantasy 9. Anything with the name Final Fantasy has earned our hard earned dollars and our attention. However recently, the latest installments in the series from Square Enix, have left gamers with disappointment and a surprisingly high level of malcontent. Final Fantasy XIII shows promise albeit it is still too early to decide. FF XIII seems to take an approach similar to Final Fantasy 10 with updated graphics acting as a backdrop for an engaging story which utilizes spunky characters with riveting personalities, impressive voice acting and action filled battles to warrant its namesake. It is clear that Square Enix is aware of what needs to be done, although Final Fantasy XIII seems to have adapted to the changing times. Following what many modern-era RPGs have taken from the original Final Fantasy titles, the game comes equipped with combo centred game play, explosive spells, massive boss fights, a smooth and easily navigatable interface and jaw dropping graphics similar to those found in games such as Lost Odyssey. In a market that is already heavily saturated, we are left to wonder how Square intends to innovate and how they are going to deliver to the fans, what they have waited so long to receive.
6. MAG - Previously known as Massive Action Game, developed by Zipper Interactive, the game certainly has set its sights high. A FPS with layers of mystique surrounding the game and more questions than answers, the game practically markets itself. Set in a time period not too far from our own, you play as a soldier dropped into a war fought to maintain private companies and government interests- a mere pawn rather than a King. The game takes “massive” to a whole other level with 128 vs. 128 multiplayer. How the developers intend to pull this off, lag free, is something that is unknown, though it is an issue which must be ironed out or an imperative feature will be rendered useless. The screen at almost all times is riddled with explosions, tanks, bullet fire and bodies, with gun fire exploding out of your speakers. As the leader of a squad of 8 soldiers in the campaign mode, the potential for split screen multiplayer and for over the top battles is definitely there. There are different classes, similar to Call of Duty 4- with heavy weapon proficiency, medic skills and demolition skills all key features of multiplayer. The game intends on capturing the essence of the military, where in large 256 person battles there are set ranks which dictate how the battle plays out. On each side, there is an officer in charge of all of the platoons. There are 4 platoons, each with its own unique platoon leader. Platoons can receive commands from the officer- making the game as strategic as it is action packed.
7. I am alive - Although no game play footage has been released, this game developed and produced by Ubisoft, has us extremely excited. From what we’ve seen, we can confidently say that this game is the first of its kind. Set in a post apocalyptic Chicago, you play as Adam, a man who has survived a major earthquake which has destroyed most of civilization as we know it. What is left of it, can hardly be called civilization as the most kind of human beings have become violent bandits- eager to kill for a bottle of water. The goal of the game, is to survive for 17 days until help arrives and to find your girlfriend, who was separated from you during the earthquake. Along your way, you must face what lives in the remnants of the disaster, both human and non-human. As you develop as a character, you discover the dark secrets behind the earthquake, and why exactly Chicago has been sealed off from the rest of the world, an interesting tale, indeed.
8. Heavy Rain - More of a mystery movie than a game, Heavy Rain developed by Quantic Dream seems to be the first game of its kind. A game which focuses mostly on plot development and investigation rather than exciting gameplay, you are plunged into a story of conflicting interests. You play as four playable characters, one a journalist, one known at this point, one connected to the focal point of the story and the other an FBI agent. As all four characters, you set out to find information and track a unique murderer who has affected each character differently. The story, much like Fable had promised, molds around the characters actions- if a character dies, the story changes entirely. The game is developed to be action sequence intensive with context sensitive controls which thrust players into Saw like scenarios- time limits imposed to carry out an action. With such importance placed on the story, actions by gamers will hold much more impact than simply a way of gaining achievements.
9. Gran Turismo 5 - The leader of the racing industry and the recipient of consistently positive reviews, the Gran Turismo series developed by Polyphony Digital, is scheduled to release another sure fire success December 1st 2009. Gran Turismo 5 is scheduled to be released with graphics which push the limits of the Playstation 3, realistic controls, crisp audio and a rare effective use of the rumble pad installed in the Playstation 3 controller. Weather conditions will be variable and the speeds, break neck; just how we like it. Gran Turismo will be supported by online downloadable content in addition to a strong matchmaking function allowing for exciting online play. Now what we'd like to see, are Gran Turismo clans!
10. Quantum - Based solely on the trailer released at E3 2009, Quantum developed by Team Tachyon, looks intriguingly unique. As two main characters, one a heavy hitting barbarian-esque and the other an agile assassin-esque female, you fight your way through a tower filled with enemies which would make Marcus from Gears of War, **** his pants. From the gameplay videos released, we can ascertain that team play will be a huge factor in the game and how the developer incorporates (whether A.I only or human controlled) will be interesting. Although why exactly you are attacking a tower is unknown, it is obvious the game is more action oriented than story driven. The graphical polish in the game is exceedingly remarkable. Often times the only decorations visible are the entrails of slain enemies literally adorned on every wall. The only downside we’ve noted so far is that the game play resembles many of the titles already out in the market, just with bigger enemies, bigger guns and eye candy which we think, makes it a must-have.
11. Mafia II - Taking you right into the heart of the mob, Mafia 2 developed by 2k Czech, attempts to immerse the player in the life of a gang member. The game is set in a New York themed metropolis in the 1950’s, the height of the mob era. You play as Vito Scaletta, a war veteran who sets out to become a high ranking member of a crime family. Similar to Grand Theft Auto, Mafia II promotes exploration and encourages diverging off the beaten path. Mafia 2 focuses mainly on the mob lifestyle, with Vito frequenting strip clubs, extorting small store owners and murdering whoever gets in his way. Along with the gritty aspects of the mob, there is humour galore, making this game a shoe in for our hard earned bucks.
There you have it folks, p8i's list of our 11 most anticipated ps3 games of 2009 and the first quarter of 2010. While we can't be sure that these games will deliver all that they've promised, we can be sure they will deliver more than your money's worth. Take it from us.
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