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Top 20 Most Anticipated Console Games for 2007 January 02, 2007 |
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Summary: Over the next two days, JCal will be taking a look at the most anticipated games that are set to be released this year. Up first are the console games. See JCal's top 20 most anticipated console releases in this article!
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Please note that this is a list of our 20 most anticipated console games, not our predictions of what will be the best games of 2007. We are very excited about the prospect of playing these games but we also know that the final product might not be as good as we are hoping it might be. Another note; some games that are scheduled for release in 2007 have not yet been released and are thus not on our list.
Now lets look at our top 20 picks. As always feel free to state your views on our picks in the comments:
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20 – Forza Motorsport 2 (Xbox 360; Microsoft – First Half Of 2007): While the Gran Turismo developers are still working on a version with online multiplayer, Microsoft is getting ready to release their second detailed online supported racing sim game. Forza Motorsport 2 is also the first game in the series for Microsoft’s Xbox 360 console so expect a big leap in graphical power along with lots of cool cars, tons of customization features and of course more choices for online racing. Add in the possibilities of downloadable content via Xbox Live and you have a racing sim that might bring in people that don’t normally care for the genre.
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19 – Stranglehold (Xbox 360-PS3; Midway – First Half Of 2007): Midway’s first major entry for next-gen consoles is this third person action game that’s based on Hong Kong movie director John Woo’s classic film Hard Boiled. Using Epic’s Unreal Engine 3, Midway has already made people get excited with some previews that show lots of Woo’s trademark high octane action with akimdo handguns firing, fluid energy and lots of destructible environments as a long Hong Kong police officer takes on that city’s underworld. If Midway can bring Woo’s style of movie making to Stranglehold, this could be one of the best action games not only of 2007 but of all time.
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18 - Crackdown (Xbox 360; Real Time Worlds-Microsoft-February 2007): Developer Real Time Worlds takes on the much copied open world action game in a new direction with Crackdown. Developed exclusively for the Xbox 360 for publisher Microsoft, Crackdown not only has a vast city to explore and lots of vehicles to drive but has the added feature of giving the playable characters special powers and abilities. There are also plans for multiplayer and co-op in the game as well. Will this game make us forget about GTA? Most likely not but this could keep us busy until GTA 4 is due for release later in the year.
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17 – Heavenly Sword (PS3; Sony-Sometime In 2007): It impressed us at May 2006 back at E3 and this year we can expect Sony to finally release this one time PS3 launch title for its next gen console. The early gameplay footage is one of the few that really looks like it’s using the PS3’s hardware with some impressive graphics as we see the heroine take on a horde of enemies with combo moves combine with sword and blade melee attacks. Sony hasn’t revealed much more about the game since its E3 debut but that hasn’t stopped us from wanting to play this game and that’s saying something about how it impressed us back then.
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16 – The Darkness (PS3-Xbox 360: Starbreeze-2K Games- First Half Of 2007): Based on the Top Cow comic book, this action game about a mafia hitman who discovers he can change to a powerful supernatural form has generated a ton of excitement already. Starbreeze Studios has shown the game to be a graphical powerhouse using their own tech but they have also shown with their last game, Chronicles of Riddick, that they can also make the game entertaining and unique in addition to pretty. Hopefully this game will be one of the few exceptions to the poor reputation of most comic book based games.
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15. Mercenaries 2 (PS3-Xbox 360: Pandemic –Sometime In 2007): Get ready to go to war again (and get paid) with this sequel to the military open world action game. The brief demo at E3 last May showed off some great looking visuals and physics effects (there’s actually a way to have fuel flow from a leak and then set it on fire that blows up the source). With the promise of co-op gameplay, a storyline set in Venezuela that’s based on real life headlines and even a way to recruit more mercs by your side, Mercenaries 2 looks like it will be a huge improvement over its predecessor.
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14. Virtua Fighter 5 (PS3-Xbox 360: Sega-February; Late Summer 2007): Sega enters the next generation of consoles for their latest game in the long running fighting game series (which also marks the series’s first appearance on Microsoft’s console). Long considered by many to be the best fighting game series ever made, Virtua Fighter 5 will add two new characters to add to the mix of long time fighters in the series along with more character customization moves. While the PS3 version due in February won’t have online multiplayer we are still hoping that the Xbox 360 version (due for release this summer) will add that feature to the mix.
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13. God of War 2 (PS2-Sony: First Half Of 2007): It’s the only current gen console game in this list but it’s a huge one. Sony’s Santa Monica Studios returns to their 2005 best selling third person action game that once again has you controlling Kratos against a highly adult and violent version of the Greek myths. Expect lots of blood, lots of cool boss battles, some puzzles and maybe even more sex in this sequel, which will likely be the last major game for Sony’s PS2 machine.
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12. Devil May Cry 4 (PS3-Capcom: First Half Of 2007): You may not be playing Dante again but that won’t matter much to fans of this long running third person action game series. Appearing exclusively for the PS3, this game is supposed to introduce a new character, Nero, who has a powerful right arm that he uses as a weapon. Fans will be expecting to see a very tough game with lots of combo moves, weird enemies and more. Will Dante make a return appearance? We will have to wait and see.
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11. Motorstorm (PS3-Evolution Studios-Sony: First Half Of 2007): Owners of the PS3 have already played a demo of this off-road racing title from developer Evolution Studios and Japan has had a version of the game released to stores. The US version of the game is expected to have even more content including online multiplayer, along with impressive graphics, physics and more. We are hoping the final version will fulfill the promise that we have for it.
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10. Assassin’s Creed (PS3-Xbox 360: UbiSoft-Sometime In 2007): For a while it looked like Assassin’s Creed was going to be a period piece with a Middle Ages setting as the player controls a character that uses stealth and action to take out enemies. But thanks to a interview with one of the game’s voice actors, Kristen Bell, it looks like the Middle Ages setting is in fact just part of a larger sci-fi storyline involving memory and the brain. That makes us want to play this UbiSoft game even more. It helps that the visuals are some of the best we have seen for next-gen console titles.
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9. Lost Planet (Xbox 360: Capcom-January 2007):This is likely the first big console game of 2007 and it’s coming in just a couple of weeks. Capcom’s third person sci-fi action game set on an ice planet and featuring tons of wild creatures to fight has generated excitement since the E3 demo that was released to the public last May. With support from both single and multiplayer and some terrific looking graphical effects, we are hoping this Xbox 360 exclusive will be as fun to play as the demo was.
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7. Mass Effect (Xbox 360: BioWare-Microsoft:-First Half of 2007): First revealed nearly two years ago, this BioWare action-RPG will be the company’s first next-gen console project. Using Epic’s Unreal Engine 3, this game uses BioWare’s experience with Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic in their own unique setting. With an expansive universe to explore, tons of customization features plans and perhaps some downloadable extra content via Xbox Live, Mass Effect is looking to be perhaps the premiere RPG for consoles in 2007.
6. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii: Nintendo-Sometime In 2007): It’s a no brainer to put this game on the list. Nintendo’s fighting-brawling series heads to the Wii with as usual a bunch of characters from Nintendo’s library fighting it out. Nintendo has already revealed that Konami’s Solid Snake from the Metal Gear Solid series will be joining the cast but there is little that is known at the moment about new gameplay features, including if there will be online play for the first time in the series. Neverless we have high hopes that Super Smask Bros. Brawl will use the unique features of the Wii controller to great effect and make a great game out of it.
5. Metroid Prime 3 (Wii: Nintendo- First Half Of 2007): Retro Studios has made two great games in this series for the GameCube and at E3 last May we got a chance to briefly play a small part of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption for the Wii. The first person portion of the sci-fi action-adventure series is still there but the Wii controller will allow for some interesting gameplay additions such as new ways to move the morph ball form around. The game was supposed to be a Wii launch title but Nintendo delayed it to 2007 and while the company hasn’t confirmed this it’s likely that the delay was due to adding online multiplayer to the game. We have our fingers crossed that this will be the case.
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4. Super Mario Galaxy (Wii: Nintendo-Sometime in 2007): He’s one of the most well known video game characters of all time and hopefully sometime in 2007 the Italian plumber will be heading to Nintendo’s new Wii console. At E3 last May the game was shown in playable form with the Wii controller interacting with the familiar platform format in new ways. Will the full game please all those Mario fans and bring in new ones thanks to the controller? It’s hard not to bet against Nintendo in this case.
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3.Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS2 Kojima Studios-Konami - Late in 2007): The first trailer blew people away back at the Tokyo Game Show in 2005 with a much older Solid Snake, some weird looking mech like vehicles and most of all the best looking PS3 game we have seen so far. As usual with this series little is known about Metal Gear Solid 4 at this early stage (although we do know that MGS 2’s Raiden will reappear in some form) but again we don’t think it’s wise to bet against Kojima and his team. Expect some social commentary along with cool stealth action and an old man kicking some butt.
2. Grand Theft Auto 4 (PS3-Xbox 360: Rockstar Games - October 2007): This is an odd entry since there is little info that has been revealed on this game, other that it will be released in October for both the PS3 and Xbox 360 and that the Xbox 360 version will get some additional content after its release. However, Rockstar’s massively selling open world crime action game series is already one of the best ever for console titles and with the game’s first next-gen entry we expect a quantum leap in graphics, gameplay and (hopefully) online play. Jack Thompson may not be in line to get this game but we certainly will be.
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1. Halo 3 (Xbox 360: Bungie-Microsoft: Late 2007): Bungie’s first person shooter franchise has resulted in making the original Xbox a must have for any gamer and helped Microsoft solidify its base as a console game hardware and software maker. Now Microsoft and Bungie are teaming up again for Halo 3, which is the first game in the series for the Xbox 360. Master Chief is set to “finish the fight” against the alien race attacking the Earth and it should be interesting how Bungie will wrap up what is essentially a trilogy. One big difference is that Microsoft is set to release a multiplayer beta test for Halo 3 which should give players a chance to check out the game several months before its release late in 2007. Bungie’s track record and the prospect of a multiplayer beta test before its release makes Halo 3 our most anticipated console games of 2007.
That’s it for the console games but what about the PC platform? As it turned out we are even more excited for the upcoming PC games coming out next year. Tomorrow we will reveal our picks for the top 20 most anticipated PC games of 2007. See you then.