Eye On '07: PlayStation 3
What you'll be wanting when (if?) it gets here.
Honourable Mentions
Here's a quick look at everything else that's on the way...
Alone in the Dark
- Developer: Eden Games;
- Publisher: Atari
- Also Available On: PC, Xbox 360
- Gamepage
The venerable franchise that launched the survival horror genre returns on next-generation consoles - and while the likes of Resident Evil and Silent Hill have overshadowed Alone in the Dark in recent years, early looks at this update to the series suggest that its fantastic atmosphere and focus on short, tightly plotted episodes may well propel it back to the cutting edge of videogame horror.
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway
- Developer: Gearbox;
- Publisher: Ubisoft
- Also Available On: PC, Xbox 360
- Gamepage
In the crowded World War II shooter market, Brothers In Arms stands out not just for its tactical nature - where commanding your squad is as important as shooting straight - but also because it's one of the few WWII games which focuses heavily on characters and relationships rather than on guns and explosions. Hell's Highway continues the story through Operation Market Garden, and promises to be the thinking man's WWII game - with civilians to consider, clever AI to outsmart, and missions that require careful thought rather than just rushing towards an objective marker on the map.
Burnout 5
- Developer: Criterion;
- Publisher: EA Games
- Also Available On: Xbox 360
- Gamepage
Arguably the first really "next-gen" showing for the high octane, crash-tacular arcade racer. While I do have sympathy with those who argue that Burnout 2 was the pinnacle of the series (it was 3 for me, personally), this latest update is still promising enough to get us excited all over again. Smashing our way through free-roaming city environments? Yes, please.
Devil May Cry 4
- Developer: Capcom;
- Publisher: Capcom
- PlayStation 3 Exclusive
- Gamepage
One of the most polished games we saw at TGS last September, DMC4 looks like being a worthy addition to Capcom's exceptionally slick and stylish action franchise. The graphics are nice, the premise (which chucks you into the shoes of new boy Nero, fighting against former protagonist Dante) is enough to hook in fans of the series, and the promise of a game which has more content than the previous three games combined is certainly interesting. First looks suggest that the gameplay hasn't changed enormously - but DMC wasn't broken, so we're happy enough to see little fixing in this case.
Final Fantasy XIII / Versus XIII
- Developer: Square Enix;
- Publisher: Square Enix
- PlayStation 3 Exclusives
- Gamepage
They may be two of the most important titles on the PS3 release schedule, but we don't exactly rate the chances of seeing them in Europe in 2007 - even if they appear in Japan this year, the notoriously slow conversion and translation process at Square Enix could take months. It's a shame, because not one but two enormous, interconnected and visually stunning FF titles would be a real triumph in the PS3's first year on the shelves - and the decision to hand production of one of them over to the creative team behind Kingdom Hearts II makes us very, very interested indeed.
Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2
- Developer: Ubisoft;
- Publisher: Ubisoft
- Also Available On: PC, Xbox 360
- Gamepage
The first GRAW was a stand-out hit for the Xbox 360, and we know plenty of people who are still playing it months later - so the team knew that for the second game (or the fifth in the Ghost Recon series, but who's keeping count?), they couldn't afford to rest on their laurels. GRAW2 is promising dramatic real-time weather effects, even more stunning lighting, realistic smoke and gas effects and a host of other visual changes - but more importantly, it's also going to beef up the tactical side of the game, especially in terms of how you select your squad and the impact that has on the success of your mission.
Haze
- Developer: Free Radical Design;
- Publisher: Ubisoft
- Also Available On: PC, Xbox 360
- Gamepage
Most famous for being "the guys who did Goldeneye" when they were at Rare, Free Radical have proved their worth with the comical but beautifully balanced TimeSplitters games, and the more recent departure into seriousness, Second Sight. Haze is another "serious" first person shooter; set in the near future in South America, it sees you fighting as part of a band of mercenaries against an insane rebel leader who wears the skins of his captives as clothing. Nice. The graphically stunning Haze remains largely under wraps for now - but great things are expected.
Heavenly Sword
- Developer: Ninja Theory;
- Publisher: SCEE
- PlayStation 3 Exclusive
- Gamepage
The hack and slash genre is one the PS3 won't be short of a few games to fill, from decidedly mediocre launch title Genji through to the eagerly awaited Devil May Cry 4 - but Heavenly Sword looks like it will stand out from the crowd thanks to superb combat mechanics, lots of things to destroy and interact with in the environment, a feisty heroine and great presentation (including a contribution of vocal and motion capture talent from Andy "Gollum" Serkis). Plus, the team behind it made Kung Fu Chaos, arguably one of the most underrated Xbox games ever.
Lair
- Developer: Factor 5;
- Publisher: SCEA
- PlayStation 3 Exclusive
- Gamepage
Still very much in the realms of "could be amazing, could be awful," Factor 5's aerial combat dragon-'em-up is an intriguing prospect. The demo we've played was graphically stunning and had plenty of fantastic moments, with cinematic dragon combat and majestic swooping and strafing over an epic, Lord of the Rings style battle - but the game will need a lot more variety and a consistent level of visual quality if it's to win a place in our hearts on release. Stroking our chins in a manner we hope makes us look intelligent, we tag this one as "hmm, we shall see."
Medal of Honor Airborne
- Developer: EA Los Angeles;
- Publisher: EA Games
- Also Available On: Xbox 360, PC, Wii, PS2
- Gamepage
The next version of EA's massive Medal of Honor franchise, as the name suggests, focuses on the airborne units - placing you in the boots of a paratrooper who is dropped into various war zones across the European theatre of World War II. Updated graphics are a given; the chief innovation that's been revealed so far is that you can control your descent in the parachute, and where you eventually land will affect how your mission plays out significantly.
MotorStorm
- Developer: Evolution Studios;
- Publisher: SCEE
- PlayStation 3 Exclusive
- Gamepage
Released shortly after launch in Japan, and due in the US and Europe this year with added online modes, Evolution Studio's muddy, violent racer faces the difficult task of living up to hugely optimistic target render footage from E3 two years ago. However, it meets this trial in style; it may not look the same, but it certainly looks excellent, and plenty of painful looking crashes and impressively dynamic physics for the churned up tracks make this into arguably the most promising launch title. Tom's playing through the Japanese version at the moment, and has had some nice things to say - look out for an import review soon.
Resident Evil 5
- Developer: Capcom;
- Publisher: Capcom
- Also Available On: Xbox 360
- Gamepage
It's all gone quiet in the Resi 5 camp in recent months, leading to widespread speculation that either Sony or Microsoft has constructed a money hat sufficiently impressive for Capcom to commit to an exclusive release - either way, we wish they'd just hurry up and finish the game, whichever platform it's destined for. The follow-up to the genre-busting Resident Evil 4 has massive expectations to meet, both in terms of visuals and gameplay - but if the team manages to keep the quality level up, watching them cut loose on next-gen hardware should be a fantastic ride.
Resistance: Fall of Man
- Developer: Insomniac Games;
- Publisher: SCEA
- PlayStation 3 Exclusive
- Gamepage
Insomniac, the chaps behind Ratchet and Clank, don't make bad games - and Resistance is unquestionably a good game, and uncommonly well polished for a console launch title. However, the company seems a little out of their depth with a hardcore FPS title, and early promise of really innovative weapons and scenarios doesn't quite deliver - but really good online play does, which means that this is a good investment for new PS3 owners who fancy a bit of online action.
The Darkness
- Developer: Starbreeze Studios;
- Publisher: 2k Games
- Also Available On: Xbox 360
- Gamepage
The last game from Starbreeze, Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, was one of our top games of all time on the Xbox - so it's no surprise that we're watching their next-gen debut, The Darkness, like a hawk. Based on a comic series of the same name and featuring a young man with frightening demonic powers, The Darkness looks like being another massive success for the talented Swedes - and ever since he saw it earlier this year, Kristan hasn't stopped banging on about how great it looks.
Unreal Tournament 2007
- Developer: Epic Games;
- Publisher: Midway
- Also Available On: PC
- Gamepage
Epic's latest instalment in the Unreal Tournament series will be a showcase for the Unreal technology on PS3 - and given the new benchmark which the Unreal-powered Gears of War set for the Xbox 360, it's likely that console war followers will be keeping a close eye on how UT2007 turns out. As, of course, will fans of the most extensive and finely tuned series of multiplayer FPS games ever - if UT2007 continues the progress the series made with UT2004, this should be a really exciting game for the online multiplayer fraternity.
Virtua Fighter 5
- Developer: Sega;
- Publisher; Sega
- Also Available On: Xbox 360
- Gamepage
It may not have the accessibility of something like Soul Calibur or Dead Or Alive, but the Virtua Fighter series is arguably the beat-'em-up of choice of hardcore fighting game fans. Stunningly well-balanced and intricate control mechanics make it into a game which is perfectly suited for tournaments and grudge matches, and VF5's superb graphics also make it into a showcase for Sony's hardware which is likely to find a devoted following among fans of pretty people hitting each other in the face in lush environments.