2008 has been a little different from the standard industry year, in that we’ve seen a lot of major titles released outside of the holiday shopping season. Mario Kart Wii, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Grand Theft Auto IV and Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots were all released in the first half of the year. One would think that that might make for a less than stellar holiday line up, but the game publishers of the world (bar Nintendo) are inclined to prove otherwise.

Over the next two weeks (due to the sheer number of releases), The Warp Pipe will be boldly predicting the quality of new games in the next quarter.

The Games of Q4, 2008 Part I

As discussed in the intro, 2008 has to be the first time where the industry has done a reasonably good job of spreading quality releases throughout the year, proving that games can be runaway successes without being released at Christmas. They’re still not shying away from the holiday season though, with well over 200 games due to be released in the next three months. Of course, like any other year, there will be a handful of great games and a torrent of putrid crap, so I thought I’d save you all a little time and make broad assumptions as to the quality of some of these releases. Not all games listed here are guaranteed to be released in the fourth quarter; invariably something good always slips to March next year, or beyond. We’ll be examining October this week, finishing up with November and December next week.

BioShock (PS3 version) Hype: Low Impression: Excellent Well, just about everyone else played BioShock last year, and the feeling that the game kicks arse is pretty much universal, so PS3 owners that haven’t played the game should make sure this one gets a spot on their list this year. Not exactly sure the extra content will be worth it for those who’ve played it on the PC or Xbox 360, though. Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia Hype: Low Impression: Good Castlevania is always a pretty consistent performer when it’s on the 2D plane, but the “Metroidvania” formula is wearing a little thin after 11 years with no major overhaul. Heck, some of the sprites have been in use since 1993’s Rondo of Blood. It’s meant to be set after Symphony of the Night, focusing on the disappearance of Richter Belmont with heir-apparent to the Vampire Killer. Some folks that have played it say it’s a bit like Symphony of the Night crossed with Simon’s Quest, which sounds promising. Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3 Hype: Medium Impression: Good I was pretty terrible at real time strategy games, but the setting and cheesy presentation of the Red Alert games was always memorable. It looks like EA is sparing no expense on the live action cut-scenes, with JK Simmons, Tim Curry and George Takei playing major roles, but I think the gameplay will be another matter. I’ve yet to give Tiberium Wars a thorough playthrough, but I understand that some folks were disappointed in it, so that could serve as a bit of a warning for Red Alert 3. Dead Space Hype: Medium Impression Good Dead Space looked like a cheap BioShock ripoff when it was first revealed, but has proven to be more promising with each appearance. The third person shooter has obvious streaks of Resident Evil 4 and Gears of War, but looks to have a pretty dense atmosphere and a lot of scary moments. British graphic novelist Warren Ellis (Transmetropolitan)did a lot of the backstory and planning for the game, which should make it a bit more meaningful than the standard fare. Disaster: Day of Crisis Hype: Low Impression: Average It was one of the earliest Wii games Nintendo showed off, but Disaster dropped off the radar pretty quickly. It has recently re-emerged as what looks to be a mini-game compilation crossed with a rail shooter, intended for the more hardcore side of the Wii audience. That might disappoint those of us expecting a better version of the PlayStation 2’s S.O.S. Final Escape. It might not look so sharp in the videos, but there must be something in there that was good enough to inspire Nintendo to plonk down the change to buy developer Monolith Soft. Fable II Hype: High Impression: Good Peter Molyneux promised the world with Fable, and delivered a game that was roughly equivalent to Tasmania, in that it was okay for a quick visit, but you wouldn’t want to go back again. Realising the error of his ways, Peter put a sock in it, and he and his team put their heads down and worked their buttocks off. Fable II finally realises features promised for the first game, like having a family, while adding a larger main quest, and new things such as the dog, and guns. I’m still not fond of the absoluteness of the game’s good and evil system, though. Fallout 3 Hype: Intense Impression: Great Fallout 3 is already the most divisive game due to be released in Q4, with a whole bunch of folks really impressed by what’s been shown off so far, and a lot of really disappointed people. I sit in the former group, but am cautious of the technology Bethesda is using as in some footage, the game has very much looked like The Elder Scrolls: Wasteland, which is a little worrying. They also seeing to be taking the 1950s stuff a little too far. Still, the videos have looked great, and the hands-on reports are very positive, so we’ll just have to wait and see. Far Cry 2 Hype: High Impression: Great With Crytek having moved on from Ubisoft, and leaving the Far Cry IP behind, the crew at the Montreal studio are producing the sequel. They seem to realise what went wrong with the first game (the Trigen), and are setting out to ensure they deliver a game just as immersive as the first, without any of the shortcomings. The game is beautiful, and the videos make it look like an absolute blast. The map editor should provide extra long term value. Only thing to worry about is the overemphasis on realism – gunjamming and wear-and-tear seem like they will be an absolute pain in the arse. FIFA 09 Hype: Medium Impression: Great For the last decade, FIFA’s pretty much been Pro Evolution Soccer’s foot stool, but FIFA 08 made some serious leaps forward while PES2008 sat on its arse. UEFA Euro 2008 was a real shock to the system, proving just how good EA football could be. That got us all excited for FIFA 09. Leaps and bounds have been made with the on-field play; all FIFA 09 needed to do is give the players a bit more weight. EA seems to be adding more than that, with 10 on 10 online play using the Be A Pro feature, expanding Be A Pro single player out to 4 seasons and making much needed improvements to weather, stadium atmosphere and match presentation. Should be the best sports game of the year. Fracture Hype: Low Impression: Needs Work Day 1 Studios “groundbreaking” third person shooter looks rather dull. It’s another case of a developer trying to base an entire game around a single technique or piece of technology. There really needs to be a lot more to Fracture than playing with dirt. Golden Axe: Beast Rider Hype: None Impression: Bomb Sega’s got this massive treasure trove of IP from their arcade and console days, but rather than big budget, high quality revivals, they simply go for whoever can get the job done cheaply and quickly. Altered Beast and Alien Syndrome have had this treatment, and now it’s Golden Axe’s turn. Looks a bit like Viking, but with mounts, which means it’ll be fun for about 10 minutes and drudgery for 7 more hours. Legendary Hype: Low Impression: Bomb After the awful experience that was Turning Point: Fall of Liberty, I don’t have a whole lot of hope for the output of Spark Unlimited. While Legendary’s quest to pit you against mythical creatures in modern times sounds pretty cool, I’m betting that, based on their previous effort, the game will be really awesome for a single level before falling head-first into the septic tank. LittleBigPlanet Hype: High Impression: Excellent What can you say about LittleBigPlanet that hasn’t already been said? Charming little platform game with unprecedented (on console, anyway) customisation of characters and levels. Physics-based platforming should be an absolute blast, and I can’t wait to see what kind of whacked out levels people will make. Midnight Club: Los Angeles Hype: Medium Impression: Good I didn’t care too much for Midnight Club before, but the other Matt’s preview made it sound pretty promising. It’s driven by the same tech as Grand Theft Auto IV – maybe it will seem more at home in a fully fledged racing game. Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Hype: Low Impression: Good Anime licenses have a tendency to suck, yet Naruto has largely avoided this trend so far. The PS3 Naruto title features some pretty amazing cel-shading, so as long as the gameplay stays up to the standard of the series so far, it should be a winner. Bit disappointing that it will only cover up to the Sasuke retrieval arc, though. NBA 2K9 Hype: Low Impression: Great NBA 2K is one of the most consistent series in gaming, and this year’s game looks like it will continue the tradition. Most of the new additions revolve around the game’s visuals which have been seriously overhauled this year. If it can bring a more balanced defensive game to the court, then it will be the only basketball game you will ever need to own. NBA Live 09 Hype: Low Impression: Needs Work NBA Live has yet to recapture the magic of its last generation equivalent, and this year’s version doesn’t show a whole lot of promise. Janky animation, ridiculous looking players and too much focus on off-court events (like that whole DNA thing) show that EA isn’t really all that interested in glory on the basketball court. Pure Hype: Low Impression: Good Black Rock Studio have a bit of pedigree with racing titles from their days at Climax, having produced the ATV Offroad Fury and Moto GP titles for THQ, and Pure is looking like it’s got the goods. A trick focused ATV racing game, Pure is showing more in common with the likes of SSX and Tony Hawk than Motorstorm. If there is enough variety in the tricks and tracks, then it should be a winner. Saints Row 2 Hype: High Impression: Good Saints Row was the definition of shameless rip-offs. The sequel looks like it’s going for over-the-top mayhem, rather than the pasty white programmer’s interpretation of gang culture. Heck, I’ve received pictures of Gary Busey kissing a chimpanzee from THQ’s promotion for this game. Hopefully the action and variety fills the gaps left by the more serious Grand Theft Auto entry this year. SOCOM Confrontation Hype: Medium Impression: Average I’ve never really cared for Sony’s brand of online squad shooter, given that there were always many superior options to choose from. The game is in the hands of Slant Six, who produced the much improved Syphon Filter sequels on the PSP, so this one has a little bit of a chance of being better than Zipper’s efforts, but faces the very real possibility of its player base being obliterated within a month by Resistance 2. Spider-Man: Web of Shadows Hype: Low Impression: Average Activision’s Spider-Man games have never quite been consistent. The potential is there, but the developer seems to think that it’s more fun to make the player want to bang their head against the wall out of frustration. Web of Shadows looks like it fits somewhere in the middle – it looks like they’re trying to do significantly expand the combat side of things, and give players more to do. Spider-Man 3 was so bad that I am not sure I am ready to face another round. Wii Music Hype: Low Impression: Average I was one of those suckers that sat up to all hours of the night during E3 to see Nintendo’s press conference, only to see this glorified music box be demonstrated for far too long. Though the “game” is not exactly intended for our demographic, it’s impossible to ignore as it is the major release from the world’s leading publisher. It’ll be a hit, but nobody will be thinking about it in a positive light in a year’s time.	Someone should stomp on IGA’s head for using the same sprites for 15 years
	Using lightning on water doesn't sit right with me
	Ohh, burrrrrn!
	Laser eye surgery; not always the wisest choice
	Scenes from the Fallout 3 launch party
	Not the corn! Paul Newman’s gonna have my legs broke
	In the world of Golden Axe, a bikini offers you all the protection you need from swords and spells.
	Come October, you’ll love the Sack
	Naruto takes cel-shading to new heights
	Obligatory Shaq/Free Throw joke
	I wasn’t joking
	Who goes to a war zone in a bucket hat? Seriously
	Wii Music is even simpler than it looks

Next Week

We’ll look at what games November has to offer. Hide those wallets and chop up the credit cards.