Video Game #1: Saints Row 2

Original Saints RowThe critically acclaimed Saints Row was released in August of 2006, and this sought after sequel is due out sometime late in 2008. It will be released simultaneously, as announced by THQ on May 10th 2007, on both the PLAYSTATION 3 and Xbox 360 in 2008. This game continues the fun that was packed into the original Saints Row, allowing players to navigate the fictional city of Stilwater at your own whim, doing almost anything that you wish. In addition to all the features of the first game, you will also be able to control and navigate the city on motorcycles, helicopters, and planes, and be involved in missions revenging the events of the first game. This game will be one of the biggest hits in 2008, and many fans of the sandbox game genre will be looking forward to both this game and Grand Theft Auto IV.

Video Game #2: Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway

Brothers in Arms: Hell’s HighwayThis World War II game is the 3rd entry in the Brothers in Arms series, and will be more explosive and exciting than any of the previous games in the series. The game follows the events of the Market Garden campaign during World War II, and will allow you to navigate a photorealistic and action packed environment using realistic squad based tactics. The game will feature the 101st Airborne, and will play through the events of Operation Market Garden, which was executed on September 17th, 1944, in the Netherlands (enemy controlled territory at the time). Because the player is dropped in behind enemy lines, the action will be non-stop and ferocious, two very needed aspects of the first person shooter genre. The game will most likely be one of the best of the genre to come out during 2008, and will be released on Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3.

Video Game # 3: Splinter Cell: Conviction

Sam FisherThis stealth/action game will be released sometime in 2008, using the crowd interaction abilities that Ubisoft used in Assassin’s Creed. While previous installments of the game pitted Sam Fisher against enemies that he could typically hide from in the dark, this game will have the renegade Sam Fisher running from the authorities, and to do so, must use the people and crowds within the game to conceal himself. Continuing directly from the ending of the previous game, Splinter Cell Double Agent, the story is sure to be captivating, the graphics stunning, and the gameplay superior to many other 3rd person action games coming out in 2008.

Video Game #4: End War

Tom Clancy’s EndWarEndWar is another Tom Clancy game (as is Splinter Cell), but this time publisher Ubisoft is entering a new genre entirely. Using the engine from Ghost Recon, the Ubisoft team is creating an RTS (Real Time Strategy, a game that allows the control of a larger battle, and many aspects of the battle, in real time) game that will throw players into the action like no other game ever has. The game focuses on action rather than the resource gathering of many other games in the series, and allows you to fight in a massive online war that will span across the world. The game takes place a little over 10 years from now, in 2020, when the United States launches a space station that will house three companies of Marines, who are able to deploy to any location in the world in 90 minutes. When a terrorist action at the location of the launch occurs, Russia, the United States, and the European Federation are cast into a global scale war. Ubisoft hopes this is a successful game for the RTS genre, a genre that has not been the most successful on consoles to date. Gamers should look forward to this innovative console game that will be released in mid-2008.

Video Game #5: Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

This PLAYSTATION 3 exclusive will be released sometime in 2008, and will be one of the biggest hits of the year. Even before the game has been released, media has already discussed the possibility of the game being a “Game of the Year” candidate. The game features Solid Snake from the previous installments, albeit rapidly aging, appearing in the game with gray hair and wrinkles. Despite this fact, the player will continue to be able to stealth around the levels in the game with unparalleled ease, having more gadgets and abilities at their fingertips than ever before. The player will be able to stealthily navigate locations spread around five different regions of the world, including the Middle East, South America, and Eastern Europe. The game has been heralded as the biggest release of 2008 for the PLAYSTATION 3, and will receive heavy media attention when it is released in the second quarter of 2008 exclusively for the PLAYSTATION 3.

Video Game #6: Grand Theft Auto IV

Possibly one of the biggest and most popular franchises of all time, publisher Rockstar will release Grand Theft Auto IV sometime in 2008 for both the Xbox 360 and the PLAYSTATION 3. The game will take place in the fictionally created Liberty City, which is heavily based on New York City and New Jersey. The game will be a sandbox game that will allow you to freely travel around Liberty City, completing missions and objectives at your free will. The popular draw of this game was previously seen only on Playstation consoles, but this game will be the first to be released on multiple platforms, including the Xbox 360. Grand Theft Auto is a series that has broken many sales records, and has caused massive controversy over the violence in video games. Despite this, the game will reach the top of the charts in sales this year, and will also be a heavy contender for Game of the Year at the end of 2008.

That’s my 8 Games You HAVE to Play in ‘08. While there are many, many other great games that are coming out in 2008 for all consoles, these are the best of the best, and will receive huge exposure on television, in magazines, and many other media outlets. While these games are heavily hyped, I expect at least one of these games will not be as good as they are expected to be. Given that information, these games are the eight most likely games to entertain any gamer in the year 2008.

Note: The video used in front page teaser is an official trailer from UbiDays ‘07, and is cut unofficially to the musical theme from the film “Requiem of a Dream.” The song is called “Lux Aeterna,” the latin phrase for “eternal light.” The piece was composed by Clint Mansell, and can be found in many stores and in the iTunes Store under the name “Lux Aeterna.”