CrunchArcade: Fall Game Preview
It is hard to believe that this coming weekend is Labor Day. Next week kids (who aren’t already unlucky enough to be back in school) head back to the classroom. So it is a happy time for parents around the country. For those of us who never really grew up however, the end of summer is a bittersweet time. The days of fun in the sun are winding down, but this just means more time to load up with the latest games. Fall continues to be the time when the major companies roll out their heavy shooters (and some of the biggest games this season will in fact be first-person shooters). Here is a look at a few of those upcoming games for the fall.
Halo 3
Microsoft Game Studio
Platform: Xbox 360
ESRB: Mature
Release Date: 9/25/07
What we like: It’s Halo. What’s not to like. More action with Master Chief, more multi-player options, it’s Halo!
What we’re worried about: There might not be anywhere to go up but down for this series. The original Halo was a masterpiece, even if it took a little longer than expected to arrive. Halo 2 was very good, but the unresolved ending was lamer than that trend in movie trilogies to leave Part II hanging. We better see something resolved, because as much as we’d love to hear about Halo 4, we need some conclusion already!
While you wait: Check out the recently released game footage.
John Woo’s Stranglehold
Midway
Platform: PlayStation 3/Xbox 360/PC
ESRB: Mature
Release Date: 9/5/07 (SURE IT IS!)
What we like: That it might actually come out in September. That and the bullet time, and the fact that Chow Yun Fat looks as ready for action as he did before he ventured to America full time. It is almost like the British never gave Hong Kong back to China!
What we’re worried about: Well, first and foremost we’re worried about another delay. At this point the over/under on whether this comes out on September 17 is even money. But… if it does ship, we’re worried that the game might not live up to the hype. Few lengthy delays have been good news for games.
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars
Activision
Platform: PC
ESRB: Teen
Release Date: 10/2/07
What we like: The environments look mighty fine. Many games use the Quake engine, but obviously this team really knows how to get the most from it.
What we’re worried about: Do we need a Battlefield clone with aliens? It looks good, but it also looks like a mod of Battlefield 2142. That’s not a good thing.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Activision
Platform: PS3/Xbox 360/PC
ESRB: Rating Pending
Release Date: 11/5/07
What we like: The game looks fantastic. The details with weapons, character classes in the multi-player mode and diverse settings is top-notch.
What we’re worried about: “Johnson (or whatever the character’s name might be), snipe that sentry. Johnson, go take out that guard. Johnson go plant that bomb.” The CoD franchise had one of the most linear storylines possible, and it felt that whomever you played you got to do it all! This one has the same sort of feeling. Being an army of one is one thing. Being an army of the ONLY one is another.
Assassin’s Creed
Ubisoft
Platform: PS3/Xbox 360/PC
ESRB: Rating Pending
Release Date: 11/5/07
What we like: Finally something different. No sci-fi mercenaries. No genetically modified super warriors. Just a simple story about a simple guy who happens to be a top-notch assassin. Plus, the fact that the game has a whole mode that looks at the character’s home life… OK, we made that last part up.
What we’re worried about: That this game could start a new Holy War! Other than that, we’re just hoping to get our hands on this one by the holidays. Seriously, what could be a better game for the Christmas spirit than a game about a guy who runs around medieval Jerusalem killing people!
World in Conflict
Sierra
Platform: Xbox 360/PC
ESRB: Rating Pending
Release Date: 9/13/07 (PC), 11/13/07 (Xbox 360
What we like: It has been a while since there has been a good strategy game that didn’t rely on silly super-sonic tanks and über weapons.
What we’re worried about: This is an extremely ambitious game, and it tries to do a lot. Did the developers pull a Napoleon, and bite off more than they can chew?
Crysis
Electronic Arts
Platform: PC
ESRB: Rating Pending
Release Date: 11/13/07
What we like: Well, this is the first game to really get a boost from Vista and DirectX10. Let’s see what this game can do.
What we don’t like: Bioshock ran like crap on many older systems, as well as many new machines too. Crysis is going to put many gamers into crisis mode trying to get this one to run!