Games to Watch in 2008

With 2008 under way, we look ahead to pick out some of the promising games due over the next 12 months.

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Killzone 2
(PlayStation 3)

Spare a thought for Guerrilla. Not only is Killzone 2 for the PlayStation 3 one of the most hyped (some would say over-hyped) games coming to the PlayStation 3, but it's also arriving in a market that's brimming with high-quality first-person shooters. Needless to say, there's a fair amount of pressure on the team.

Armed with the biggest budget ever for an entertainment project made in the Netherlands, developer Guerrilla is returning to the world of the PlayStation 2 shooter with a new story that sees the goodie ISA faction bring their war faces to the home world of the beastly Helghast. Expect vicious ground battles that show off the game's new artificial intelligence systems and graphics that will push the PlayStation 3 even further.

After the stir created by the first artificially enhanced trailer for the game, Killzone 2 has a lot to live up to. We'll have to wait until later in the year to see whether the team can deliver.

For more, see our exclusive Killzone 2 interview.

Street Fighter IV
(Arcade, consoles)

The biggest relief for long-time fans of the Street Fighter series is that this new game, for the arcade and unnamed home consoles, will play in 2D. It's a deliberate decision on Capcom's part to help Street Fighter IV appeal not just to the faithful but to lapsed Street Fighter players too.

Much has changed in the series for this new game. The graphics have been completely overhauled, presenting the game in a pseudo-3D perspective and a hand-drawn look that shows off the ripped stars and bustling backdrops. There's online played and also a new gameplay system called the Revenge bar that allows you to build up stronger moves, giving tactical players who want to go beyond the basics a whole new system to learn.

Capcom is still far from finishing the game but there's an undeniable buzz in the air. Street Fighter is back and it's looking better than ever.

Alan Wake
(PC, Xbox 360)

Developer Remedy Entertainment is better known for its Max Payne games, but in 2008 (if we're lucky) the company will reinvent itself in this new psychological action thriller called Alan Wake coming to the Xbox 360 and the PC.

As the title suggests, the game tells the story of Alan Wake, a man with a world of problems. Distraught after the death of his family and haunted by nightmares, he tries to reboot his life by moving to the tiny city of Bright Falls to resume his career as a horror author. Once there, he begins to write about his nightmares. Then things start to go wrong again.

Remedy has been quiet on the game's progress, but the praise Alan Wake has garnered in the two-plus years since it was first introduced is reason enough to be excited about it. If the promise of cerebral gameplay mixed with tense situations plays out like it we hope it will, Alan Wake could turn out to be one of the best games of the year.

Final Fantasy XIII
(PlayStation 3)

While most of the games on this list are certain for release in 2008, this is more of a long-shot. Still, some retail listings have suggested that Final Fantasy XIII could actually make it to the West this year, so the game is worth a mention.

The big draw here is that Final Fantasy XIII is the first game on the series built for the PlayStation 3. Everyone is wondering how Square Enix, a developer that has managed to make some technically impressive games in the past, will do with the new hardware.

Specifics are more abstract. The creators have hinted at a story that centres on crystals, objects that have played an important role in the series since its early days on the NES. Exactly how the game will play is less clear, since Square Enix hasn't been showing the game off much. And that is why, though it's possible, it's unlikely you'll be seeing this one in stores before Santa arrives.

Updated: We also can't wait for...
(Games we forgot from the original list - but equally worthy).

• Tomb Raider: Underworld (Eidos - PS3, Xbox 360 - Q4 2008) - We're getting an advanced look at the game this week and, we'll be honest, we're pretty excited about Lara's next big adventure.
• Soul Calibur IV (Namco - PS3, Xbox 360 - Summer 2008) - One of the most popular 3D fighters around should look brilliant on next-gen, and we're more excited about this than Tekken 6.
• Resident Evil 5 (Capcom - PS3, Xbox 360 - TBA 2008) - Obvious contender for Game of 2008, if Resi 4 was anything to go by.
• Splinter Cell Conviction (Ubisoft - PC, Xbox 360 - April 2008) - Splinter Cell is a series that just gets better with every iteration, and there's no reason it shouldn't be true of this 360 console exclusive.
• Far Cry 2 (Ubisoft - PC - Summer 2008) - Ubisoft has its work cut out to make this relevant in the sea of FPS games, especially with the stunning competition that is Crysis. But first impressions are good.
• Midnight Club: Los Angeles (Rockstar - PS3, Xbox 360 - TBA 2008) - astonishing reinvention of the series that will force you to forget whatever you thought you knew about this street racing series. This looks hot.
• Fracture (LucasArts - PS3, Xbox 360 - Summer 2008) - FPSes need a unique selling point these days, and Fracture's is that you terraform the ground. Shaping the environment is as fundamental to gameplay here as portals are to... er, Portal.
• Prototype (Sierra - PS3, Xbox 360, PC - Summer 2008) - a rich story line of conspiracy, deception and deadly shape shifting action, from Radical Entertainment - it caught our eye when announced last year.
• Ghostbusters (Sierra - Various - Autumn 2008) - How could you not be looking forward to this? It's got Stay Puft in it.
• Fable 2 (Microsoft - Xbox 360 - Probably 2008) - It may or may not see release this year (Peter didn't sound so sure when we last spoke to him) but there's no doubt it'll be a huge RPG.

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