Eight promising games for '08

9:15am Tuesday 29th January 2008

Last year, video gamers were greeted with a bounty of top-notch titles, from Halo 3 to Super Mario Galaxy. Can enthusiasts expect more of the same? Here's eight promising games for 2008.

Grand Theft Auto IV

Publisher: Rockstar Games

Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Expected release: April 29

Details: Rockstar's controversial crime drama returns with its most ambitious effort yet. In this fourth chapter, gritty action and open exploration takes place in a sprawling metropolis modeled after New York. Battles will center on the shoot-and-find-cover style popularized by such titles as Gears of War. And GTA jumps online with multiplayer modes and downloadable episodes.

Killzone 2

Publisher: Sony

Platform: PlayStation 3

Expected release: To be announced

Details: If Sony's promise to take full advantage of the PS3's processing power comes to fruition, this first-person war epic could become a major sales tool for the system. You lead a Special Forces squad to the enemy planet of Helghan, where the planet's climate is one of your biggest foes. Expect fully destructible environments and artificial intelligence that adapts as you progress.

LittleBigPlanet

Publisher: Sony

Platform: PlayStation 3

Expected release: Autumn

Details: Another potential PS3 sales tool, Media Molecule's whimsical platform-jumper goes beyond conquering levels. Once you've mastered challenges and explored the game's levels, you'll begin modifying and creating your own environments, which you can later share via the PlayStation Network. Levels can be built on your own or with a group of up to four players. .

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

Publisher: Konami

Platform: PlayStation 3

Expected release: Spring

Details: Another potential PS3 sales tool, Media Molecule's whimsical platform-jumper goes beyond conquering levels. Once you've mastered challenges and explored the game's levels, you'll begin modifying and creating your own environments, which you can later share via the PlayStation Network. Levels can be built on your own or with a group of up to four players.

Spore

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Platform: PC

Expected release: TBA '08

Details: Forget about fostering civilizations. Sims creator Will Wright takes the concept one step further in Spore. Players start the game in a tide pool phase, creating creatures from the most basic of organisms and helping them evolve into a civilization capable of exploring or colonizing other worlds.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Publisher: Nintendo

Platform: Nintendo Wii

Expected release: March 9

Details: A hit on GameCube, the fighting franchise debuts on Nintendo's Wii, in what could become the console's first stellar online offering. Mario, Sonic, Link and Zelda are among 24 characters who put up their dukes in a variety of locales entrenched in Nintendo lore. If fists aren't enough, each fighter boasts his or her own set of special moves and weapons to add to the action.

Too Human

Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios

Platform: Xbox 360

Expected release: To be announced

Details: Microsoft will attempt to continue its momentum from 2007's impressive software lineup with this action/role playing game. The focus is on Baldur, a cybernetic god who must save the universe from an ancient machine. If the battles turn too intense, players can opt to complete the campaign in an online co-op mode.

Wii Fit

Publisher: Nintendo

Platform: Nintendo Wii

Expected release: First half of the year

Details: Nintendo's push for the casual gamer resumes with Wii Fit, a fitness training title complete with Balance Board. Players can perform aerobic exercises, yoga poses and games to test your balance. Results are later measured to determine a body mass index and Wii Fit age.

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