It's that time of year again, when obligatory lists must be wheeled out and paraded in front of an audience, poked at with sticks and forced to do tricks for the laughing crowd, whilst salty tears streak down the list's face as it realises it could have been so much more, it could have done something with its life, and so forth. The Game Developer's Conference is always a happy time of year, and 2011 is very special due to Gamer's Guide to Life.com's list of games likely to be revealed. We've thunk real hard about these ones, to try and bring you the most realistically viable eight games that could see the light of day.

Assassin's Creed III

Well, this is a given. Ubisoft have confirmed that the final part of the trilogy will hit stores in 'fiscal 2011', but the developer also have Splinter Cell 6 in the wings, being developed by Jade Raymond and company. How do you balance two heavyweights like that? For our money, Desmond will swoop in late 2011, with Sam going back to basics in 2012. A good start to the decade for stealth, then.

Far Cry 3

It's been three years since games took to the plains of Africa and found nothing bit bitter disappointment. Don't let ridiculously high review scores fool you; Far Cry 2 was ham-fisted, broken and unfinished, despite the wonderful graphics. Antarctica has been suggested as a new setting, while others claim the series is staying in Africa (because you can't get enough of that sweet, sweet malaria), but expect a headline-grabbing feature to blind you with beauty - last time it was realistic flames, so maybe for the third outing it's... really awesome water?

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2

PC gamers, rejoice! Fans of the Soviet era, rejoice! People who like mutants, rejoice! Finally, after three whole spin-offs, the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series is getting a proper sequel, and this time Dualshocks and Gamepads are invited to the party. GSC Game World announced the title last year, but all's been quiet on the Eastern Front. What are they hiding? Well, after seeing the graphical prowess of Metro 2033, worked on by various ex-GSC employees, expect Chernobyl to look lovely. Albeit in that post-apocalyptic way. Think terrifying mutants; think atmosphere and new locations like the monstrous 'Russian Woodpecker'. The announcement could get shouted down in the busy booths of E3, so GDC is the perfect time to unleash the first gameplay.

Brothers in Arms: Savage Seven

Ousted by GAME last year, it's about time the ace Hell's Highway got a follow up. For those who want their killing a little more refined, Brothers in Arms not only has gameplay that's half-FPS and half-puzzle, but a superb story reminiscent of Band of Brothers. The 'Savage Seven' has prompted a lot of speculation, but the seven roads coming together in Bastogne is the best guess so far. It was also hinted in Hell's Highway (by a ghost, no less) that the series is headed for a snowy setting. Just so long as we're popping Nazis, then we're happy.

a Rainbow Six reboot

The Rainbow Six series burned brightly and then fizzled out in Vegas (twice), with its raffish charm the only thing working in its favour. Expect a Medal of Honor-style reboot, complete with gritty realism involving shady terrorists and a greater focus on online co-op, all in a near-future dystopia of corruption and crime. Ubisoft have a strong line-up anyway, so it might be shelved for E3 or even Spike, but no doubt they're itching to get the hype-train rolling. Down a hill. Full of hostages you must rescue.

Burnout 8

Criterion have been oddly quiet for a studio the makes games about really loud cars, so they must have something up their sleeves. With Shift 2: Unleashed gearing up for release, and Gran Turismo 5 an almost distant memory, it's the perfect time for Burnout to reclaim its crown and sit on the throne of racers that have it all: looks, speed and destructive power. Don't expect a gritty reboot - just lightning fast vehicles, beautiful visuals and the ability to T-bone anything stupid enough to get in your way.

Resident Evil 6

After that quick trip to Africa produced mixed results (bit of a theme, no?), Resisdent Evil needs to go back to basics; namely, shooting the faces off badass zombies. Go back to the dead of night, stop being so racist, and just let me shoot things that bleed! A European, urban setting seems right on the books, and Capcom have a thing for bringing back old characters, especially if they're emo (oh, hey, Leon), and with the Wii versions turning out to be a success, expect Move and Kinect compatibility.

The Chronicles Of Riddick 3

Have you noticed how stealth is pretty much dead? Some games ask you to stay in the shadows, but it's only until you burst out and gun everyone down. Riddick not only provided valuable work for Vin Diesel (the man has a family to feed), but was also incredibly empowering: stalking an unlucky soul in the hallowed corridors of Butchers Bay or Dark Athena before jumping out, slicing his throat and retreating back into darkness was uniquely moreish, and despite the lack of a film to go with, gamers would snap it up regardless.

GDC 11 starts tomorrow, so get ready for reveals galore. Follow our Twitter for more delicious content from our Michelin-star writers.

Labels: 2011, Assassin's Creed, Assassin's Creed III, Brothers in Arms, Burnout, Chris, Chris Hawke, Far Cry 3, GDC, GDC 2011, Rainbow Six, Resident Evil, STALKER, The Chronicles of Riddick

The thought of cars that can fly, midget drivers on midget motorcycles and generally messing about on the roads with your mates are ones which might not be the most pleasing. However, if you add virtual onto the beginning of each of those sentences, things begin to look a whole lot brighter.

Criterion, being an intelligent developer, chose to keep these driving manics within the confines of their latest title, Burnout Paradise. With the release of new DLC vehicles – their ‘Legendary’ and ‘Toy’ cars packs – on the PlayStation Store and Xbox Live Marketplace, Burnout shows no signs of stopping it’s reign of racing quite yet.

The Legendary cars, on first look, tend to impress. Including the Jansen 88 Special, the Manhattan Spirit, the Carson Nighthawk and the Cavalry Bootlegger, the Legendary Cars pack can be downloaded from the PlayStation Store for £6.29, or individually at £1.59 each (that’s about 734 and 186 Microsoft Points, for you Xbox users).

The cars are all impressive in their own way. The Jansen’s amazing flight capabilities, the Spirit’s blaring sirens and stunt agility, the Nighthawk’s strength and speed and the Cavalry’s wonderful horn. Each of their individual attributes is fun and quirky, with each of the cars feeling responsive and fun to drive.

The Toy Cars pack includes nine downsized versions of original Paradise classics, including (but certainly not limited to) the Carson GT Concept P12 and the Hunter Manhattan. In fact, the pack comes stuffed with nine mini versions of old favourites, which can be yours for £9.99 from the PlayStation Store or 1000 MS Points.

The main advantage to having the toy cars pack is the fact that you are almost guaranteed bucketloads of fun. However, for those of you who are a little more bothered about the mechanics of your driving, response times are going to be much quicker than in larger vehicles, and you’ll be able to pull off stunts you couldn’t before, just because of the amount of speed you can get from one of these tiny beauties.

However, both packs have their downfall, which is the price. For what you get in each pack, the prices don’t really seem justified. If you are desperate for a mini version of your favourite car or are just someone who likes to have everything a game can have, then you might feel prepared to hand over the cash for these packs, but for those of you who merely play Burnout Paradise for an hour here and there, there is no real reason to get these two expansions – you can have just as much fun in one of the default cars.

Linford

Labels: Burnout, DLC, Review

I know the original plan was to do this on video, but I decided that it would be little more than me talking to a camera for 5 minutes, holding game boxes if I didn't do it this way. Anyway; 2008 was a great year. Here are my top 5 from it:

#5 Resistance 2


Resistance 2 should be used as an example for all game developers. Easy to pick up and play, hard to master. Great online mode, no lag. Amazing co-op gameplay with classes that actually work together; Resistance 2 does it all. Well maybe not, it has all of the fundamentals of a classic…but at times it feels like that’s all it has, fundamentals.

#4 Mirror’s Edge


Mirror’s Edge is the most unique game I have played all year. Even though combat is a big let down, and at times the missions can be frustrating (see boat level), the times when you run from rooftop to rooftop being chased by the police, are among the best of the year. Just as a note, ME has my favourite art style in a game ever.

#3 Grand Theft Auto 4


GTA 4 represents a more mature GTA series in times to come. I welcome this change. Whilst other games can boast of “amazing” character creation or “ground-breaking” user generated content, GTA 4 is one of the only games in history that have ever captured the feeling of a real city.

#2 Burnout Paradise


This is what racing games should be like. I don’t want to tune a car’s engine; I want to smash it to hell while jumping off a car park roof. I don’t want boring tutorials; I want to smash a car to hell, while jumping off a car park roof. I don’t want to change my car’s tyres, I want to smash it to he- OK, you get the picture. Burnout shows racing at its very best.

#1 Fallout 3



Fallout 3 has a great setting. Sure, at first it looks like a bunch of rocks and debris scattered around a wasteland, but if you dig deeper, what you find is an immersive world full of rich characters with good voice acting (at times), and a fun combat system. However, the thing that made this my game of the year was all of the little finishing touches. Stumbling on an exhibition in a museum that contains a replica vault complete with car salesman-like voiceover? Amazing.

Matt

Labels: Burnout, Fallout, Game of the Year 2008, Grand Theft Auto, Matthew, Matthew Meadows, Mirrors Edge, Resistance 2

This is how it should be done. Cross-console development for the PS3 has traditionally been shoddy, however, this game sets a bench-mark for how these games are ported from console to console. Anyway, let's get down to business.

The first thing that strikes you in the game is the quality of the graphics. Cars look detailed compared to their real-life counterparts (car models/brands are not licensed), without taking themselves too seriously; a caricature of the original you might say. The streets look nice, with a moody tint on the textures, but nothing too special.

Gameplay is fun, with ultra-tight controls and fun drifting that makes the game easy to pick up and play. An interesting mechanic brought in involves there only being 6 finishing lines, with about 100 starting lines. The effect of this idea is that while the game's streets are that bit easier to get to know, some races start to become a tad repetitive towards the end of the game. The free-roaming element adds a lot to the game, but it feels like it lends a lot to Need for Speed 1+2 in terms of this.

Longevity wise, to complete the game up until the credits you will probably get 20 hours worth of play. To get the Elite/Criterion Elite will probably take another 30 and then if you add on all of the co-op (2-8 player) online challenges then you probably get another 30 hours.

The online system has a few innovative features to talk of. First things first, the online is VERY easy to go into. A simple click of the right d-pad 3 times will have you speeding around the same 1-player map, but with your friends (or strangers if you wish). Playstation Eye owners will be pleased to find out about 'Mugshots'. This feature allows the player to make a pose/get nude/swear after being taken down by another car and while this was a good idea, sometimes I'd rather not crash into flashers that will leave me mentally scarred.

As often in racing games (Gran Turismo withstanding) the soundtrack is mixed. Some brilliant songs from 'Guns n Roses' and 'The Pigeon Detectives' are overshadowed by songs like 'Girlfriend' from Avril Lavigne. Car noises are as good as you would expect and a 'Picture Paradise' mode lets you escape, even momentarily, from the hustle of the large world.

Overall, this game is technically sound. This well ported game provides a base for future editions of the series to excel over their predecessor, and while this game does not have any big 'set-pieces' as seen in most modern games, you could still do a lot worse than doshing out £40 for a trip to paradise.

9/10

(Footnote: DLC has been confirmed with new cars and a new island)

Matt

Labels: Burnout, Matthew Meadows, Review