360: 2007's Most Wanted

By Simon Parkin Published 26 July, 2007

What will you be getting for Christmas?

A Most Wanted list you say? Cripes, whatever next: a Tips and Cheats pamphlet to go with Eurogamer's promotional Pacman Beach Ball cover mount? Still, it's the summer, there are precious few games around and, with an awful lot of new titles coming up towards the end of the year you might quite reasonably want to know which ones to keep an eye on.

So here are the rules: each game on this list will, at time of writing, be released this side of Christmas day as a full release boxed title. Sadly these restrictions mean we can't mention forthcoming Live Arcade treasures such as John Hare's beautiful game Sensible World of Soccer or Jeff Minter's psychedelic but under - no - circumstances - point - out - it - looks - a - bit - like - Tempest, Space Giraffe. Nor are we able to salivate (at least on this page) over Namco's Beautiful Katamari, Mistwalker's Lost Odyssey or Treasure's new and as yet unnamed action game, all titles that demonstrate the Xbox 360 has more to offer than just guns, football, guns, driving and guns.

Anyhow, what follows is a quick rundown of the videogames coming to 360 that are promising the most and which are, crucially, backed by developers who seem to be mostly staying abreast of those promises. These are the games which, if all goes to plan, will be uplifting and glorious experiences rather than those all too frequently visited digital playgrounds of missed opportunity and buyer's regret.

Halo 3

Everything that is successful and critically-lauded enjoys something of a backlash but the Internet has been especially vicious towards the Halo series of late. Despite accusations, history testifies to how the original game sold the Xbox with effortless style and grace to a furiously sceptical videogaming world. Buoyed by the first game's success, the sequel saw Bungee drunk on whim and spectacle but, despite the game's many successes, swollen and unfocused ambitions meant in some crucial ways, the game failed to match its forbear.

'360: 2007's Most Wanted' Screenshot halo

Now, with an enormously successful multiplayer beta test behind it, the third game in the series - the first to grace the 360 - appears to have simultaneously upped the stakes while regaining focus, character and, dare we say it, a little humility. The game's mechanical evolutions, such as the new control scheme and myriad special items, will keep the formula fresh. Likewise, a single-player campaign that is, by most accounts, built less around grandiose set-pieces and more on the on-the-fly tactics which made the first game so great, ensures Halo 3 is deservedly the brightest star on 360's studded horizon.

Rock Band

The videos 'leaked' onto the Internet earlier this summer allayed what slim fears gamers might have had that publisher EA's Midas touch might have drained Harmonix of their rhythm and style. The sight of four players, cramped into a rehearsal room, singing, plucking and drumming their way through Guns n' Roses' Welcome to the Jungle in glorious harmony was enough to prove Guitar Hero's natural evolution is near complete.

'360: 2007's Most Wanted' Screenshot rock

With so much GUI splayed over the screen much of the cod-rock style of the Guitar Hero series is diminished - a good thing for those tired of that wearying parody. Big free-for-all outro sections allow room for some much needed user creativity in an otherwise immovable rhythm action framework. The chance to form and compete in bands online seems a feature too grand to be true - especially for a genre where lag and latency spell out-of-time nightmare. But with all of these considerations in the hands of the most competent rhythm action developer currently at work, the only question mark really hangs over the final cost of the thing.

Call of Duty IV: Modern Warfare

There are too many videogames set in World War II cried the masses and, in response, Infinity Ward set their sights upon Tom Clancy and Ubisoft's domination of the contemporary console war-game. Much of what has defined the previous titles in the series appears to have been dropped here. A cinematic plot will thread together the lives of various soldiers playing various roles for various countries.

'360: 2007's Most Wanted' Screenshot cod4

One moment you'll be the pilot of a Cobra helicopter offering air support to ground troops, while the next you'll be pairing up with a sniper as a marksmen unit. Such disparate experiences (albeit united under the wide theme of 'Modern Warfare') could mean the game lacks focus and mastery in its tackling of all war trades. Nevertheless, it's rare for a developer to respond to consumer cries for something different, especially when it means shifting the direction of a hugely successful IP, and for that their bravery is to be applauded.

Bully: Scholarship Edition

Despite Jack Thompson's best efforts it wasn't so much a media storm as a media breeze that billowed, all hot air and empty accusation, ahead of Bully's (Canis Canem Edit to Eurogamers) PlayStation 2 release. In actuality the game is a relatively tame adventure in which you play as young delinquent Jimmy Hopkins as he endures something of an education at the correctional Bullworth Academy.

Perhaps it was because the game failed to deliver the shocking scenes of victimisation promised by both its US and European title that the game sold relatively poorly. Indeed, despite the solid design of the game's various missions there was little to shock that you wouldn't find going on in the shadier corridors of Hogwarts.

This update of the original game, which our own skew-whiff-capped Bramwell described as being 'an empire of fun' in his 9/10 review (that was the score he gave the game, not our retrospective appraisal of his criticism, although it's probably a fair mark there too) adds in various, as yet unspecified features. But with the inevitable promise of achievement points, hi-definition visuals and possible online content, Bully: Scholarship Edition will surely open Bullworth's doors to a fresh and larger intake.

Bioshock

As if being the 'spiritual successor' to the geekier-than-thou PC gamer favourite System Shock 2 weren't pressure enough, Bioshock's lofty claims of 'emergent gameplay' and 'unprecedented interactivity' threaten to break its back under hyperbole and expectation. Unquestionably the most important release on any console this August, Bioshock is set, unusually, on a seabed in 1960.

'360: 2007's Most Wanted' Screenshot bio

The underwater city Rapture, once the utopian project of an industrialist entrepreneur, forms a backdrop of disrepair and weary history. The antagonists who inhabit this forgotten world are effortlessly intriguing; the upgrade systems of plasmids, which are used to enhance and grow your character in unique ways, appear to allow customisation and creative approach that is rich and involved. Finally, Ken Levine's imaginative and original story should comfortably achieve the bar-raising success at which it so clearly grasps.

Grand Theft Auto IV

Being pencilled in so close to Halo 3's release we'll have to wait and see if this, the 360's second biggest catch of the year will slip closer to a Christmas store date. Set in a contemporary and redesigned Liberty City, Rockstar's latest instalment to a series which only really found favour once it popped into 3D, casts players as Eastern European immigrant Niko Bellic.

'360: 2007's Most Wanted' Screenshot gta

While the game will certainly build upon the template that has proved so successful in the past, Rockstar have assured players that the lines between in-mission and out-of mission activities will be blurred, hopefully furthering the developer's exploration of how narrative and interactivity can more seamlessly interface.

The first words anybody heard Bellic utter (in March's hotly anticipated trailer) were: "Life is complicated; I killed people, smuggled people, sold people. Perhaps things here will be different." With GTA's mechanics and rhythm so firmly established and with Rockstar playing employer to some of gaming's most competent designers, players hoping for something a little different this time can only echo the sentiment.

Assassin's Creed

Despite flutters of concern following Ubisoft's clunky demonstration at E3 earlier this month, fears that this was all Unkle-soundtracked style over substance were dampened once we spent some time playing Assassin's Creed ourselves. For a setting Ubisoft Montreal have settled upon the cities of Jerusalem, Acre and Damascus at the time of the Third Crusade. You play as Altaïr, a member of the Hashshashin sect who is working towards eliminating the nine western figures driving the crusades.

As well as introducing some new game-speak in the form of 'social stealth' (a.k.a. walking around in crowds) the game is also championing a context sensitive control scheme. Here buttons generally map to the character's limbs and perform actions appropriate to situation and environment at any given time. While the game's themes and setting might seem a little incendiary right now, numerous clues as to a possible heavy science-fiction reveal as well as the fact Altair is, conveniently enough the son of a Christian mother and a Muslim father might seek to take any sting out of this tale.

Mass Effect

Players who fell in love with Bioware's treatment of the Star Wars mythology in the RPG Knights of the Old Republic will be pleased to see the similarities in Mass Effect. The big and pleasant surprise at E3 this month, both Bioware and Microsoft clearly have high hopes for the game billing it as the fist in a trilogy of titles of the 360 that will also enjoy episodic content over Xbox Live. Set in 2183 you assume the role of a veteran elite human soldier, Commander Shepherd, the man in charge of halting the armies of a megalomaniacal former colleague.

'360: 2007's Most Wanted' Screenshot mass

Featuring twelve different character classes Mass Effect will, in all likelihood, mirror the successful template of Bioware's previous form: action (invisibly based upon traditional RPG dice rolls) and intricate narrative decision making. Indeed, Bioware have stated that protagonist Shepherd, as a veteran commander has carte blanche to 'get the job done in whatever way he sees fit'. Therefore every choice and decision you make in approaching the problems thrown at you will have narrative and mechanical implications further down the line. For Western action RPG fans this is certainly a game to watch with keen interest.

Sega Rally

Ostensibly this is a long way from Tetsuya Mizuguchi's original 1995 white-knuckle arcade rally game with which it shares a name. Developed in Solihull under the watchful eye of a man named Guy (Wilday - Director of SEGA Racing Studio) the circumstances surrounding its development hardly echo those of its neon-blinking, tub-thumping Japanese ancestor. But while the game is aimed at a western audience for whom the realism and range of automotive geekery in the likes of Forza and Gran Turismo is key, Sega Rally has a lot more in common with Sega Rally than you might expect.

'360: 2007's Most Wanted' Screenshot rally

The emphasis is again on accessibility and fun, that combination of Sega blue skies, streaking snow capped hills and fifty metre gravelly powerslides. For gamers concerned that this will just be a paper thin, five minute arcade-a-thon there will be thirty vehicles, 6-player competitive racing online (possible between 360 and Vista players) and, more importantly, the kind of accessible but deep racing that made the original so very inspirational.

LEGO Batman

  • Release Date: TBA

In all likelihood, of all the games on this list Lego Batman is the least likely to make it out this year. But that won't stop us from slipping it in here in the hope that kind of announcing it might make arive sooner. In their approach to the Lego Star Wars franchise, Traveller's Tales demonstrated that, with time and freedom, they could make an astonishingly robust, appealing and successful movie-tie-in videogame.

The move to Gotham seems perfectly natural, with the Batman mythology providing just as many opportunities for the developer to take the gameplay in the creative and compelling ways that so characterise the Lego Star Wars games. Brilliantly, for a hands-on preview of the characters, vehicles and environments to expect you need only pop into your local Lego store.

Half Life Episode 2

The game opens with idiosyncratic geek protagonist Gordon riding the very same train carriage that took him and Alyx off into the end credits of Episode 1. This feeling of continuity and uninterrupted narrative defines Half Life Episode 2, the second game in a trilogy of episodic releases now spread across PC, PlayStation 3 and 360.

'360: 2007's Most Wanted' Screenshot half

Boasting a new 'cinematic physics system' which presumably improves on the astounding physics system which saw items bouncing and flying around so gracefully in its predecessor, Episode 2 promises to build an as yet unrivalled suspension of disbelief in players' minds. New enemies, such as the tripod walking 'Hunter' can be defeated with new weaponry and Valve is promising more emphasis on the puzzles which were so scarce in Episode 1. As a counterpoint to Halo, the Half-Life games offer a different weight and flavour of First Person Shooter but one which is no less enthralling in style or substance.

Stranglehold

'360: 2007's Most Wanted' Screenshot strangle

Stranglehold is the Hollywood collaboration between Midway and John Woo that aims to put Hong Kong cinema in our hands. The game is based around Woo's film Hardboiled, and Chow Yun-Fat will be reprising his role as tough cop Tequila, who you'll control as you attempt to take down an entire crime syndicate.

Expect things to blow up, lots of things, as you twirl gracefully through the air and hammer out magazines of bullets from your twin pistols. Slow motion camera, stuns, explosions, noise, mess, guns, action – it is all going to combine to knock you out of your seat, apparently. And it will look cool doing it. Has a big budget and is shaping up well, and ticks all the right third-person action boxes. With a few months to go there's plenty of time for polishing what could turn out to be John Woo's biggest hit for a while.

Eternal Sonata

Atari recently snaffled up the rights to publish this Japanese role-playing game across Europe in November. Bizarrely, it's based around the last moments in famous composer Frederic Chopin's life. He was suffering from tuberculosis and apparently drifted off to a fairy-tale land a few hours before he died, where people with incurable diseases had great magical powers.

'360: 2007's Most Wanted' Screenshot eternal

Despite its strong musical integration and focus, Eternal Sonata is largely a traditional JRPG fair, with deep strategical elements and an engrossing storyline. We had a chance to play it nearly a year ago at the Tokyo Game Show, and felt we came away having only just scratched the surface.

The game is known as Trusty Bell across the US, and is already out in Japan, where it has received extremely high critical praise. Eternal Sonata is cheerful, colourful, and beautiful, and helps fills the Japanese-style void Microsoft's portfolio has lacked to date.

Project Gotham Racing 4

'360: 2007's Most Wanted' Screenshot pgr4

Bizarre Creations created the third instalment in the series to launch alongside the Xbox 360, and has since come out and admitted to having rushed the title so it was ready in time. It won't make the same mistake again, this time we're promised a from the ground-up next-gen experience that's done when it's done. Which is September, according to Microsoft.

Featuring this time around is a gorgeous and dynamic weather system that effects the track and cars as real conditions would; motorbikes, which you lot will like; hordes of shiny cars, and a heavy emphasis on fun over realism. Kudos points are back again for those who like to do dangerous things, and this time you will be able to record all of your races ever. So if you get knocked out of a tournament you can still watch all the action and maybe stick pins in voodoo dolls of people that have beaten you in the hope they'll lose.

The best of the rest

Picture of Simon.

About Simon Parkin

Simon Parkin is an author and journalist on video games. A regular contributor to Eurogamer since 2005, his work has also appeared in Edge, The Telegraph, Gamasutra and Boing Boing.

Read more articles from Simon by visiting the Simon Parkin archive page.

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Comments (148) Latest comment 5 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • GamesConnoisseur #1 5 years ago

    Plenty to look forward to and will be keeping my X360 occupied!

  • Killerbee #2 5 years ago

    Nice. Seem to be mostly the "usual suspects" there though - it'd be nice to pick out some unexpected (potential) gems for us to keep an eye on.

    I presume there'll be a PS3, Wii, PSP and DS version of this coming soon?

  • Xerx3s #3 5 years ago

    Halol.

  • smoothpete #4 5 years ago

    No Call of Duty 4, not even in honourable mentions?

  • Fab4 #5 5 years ago

    No mention for BIA:HH? It still is coming out in 2007, isnt it?

  • souljacker2000 #6 5 years ago

    Mass Effect is top of my list... i want it now

  • Darren #7 5 years ago

    The Xbox 360 certainly has the lion's share of must-have games this year... personally I'm gagging for Blue Dragon, BioShock, PGR 4 (why no mention of that?) and Mass Effect but far less excited about Halo 3 (could be a disappointment for me if the beta and E3 trailer are anything to go by) and GTA IV.

  • kincaide #8 5 years ago

    "promotional Pacman Beach Ball " - how cool would that be

  • groovychainsaw #9 5 years ago

    Wow - i think, for the first time ever in reading a 'most wanted', i actually want to buy all of those games....
    /Puts on balaclava - enters bank

  • Wayne #10 5 years ago

    Lego Batman? Really?

  • Darren #11 5 years ago

    Personally I think Rock Band looks boring and possibly requires a second mortgage to be able to afford to buy it but then I hate rock music anyway so :p

  • lambtron #12 5 years ago

    Please let Halo3 be as great as the first one and all will be well in the world :).

  • LOLLERS #13 5 years ago

    What's happened to Alan Wake? Not heard anything of it for ages, it's listed as 2008 on Play now.

  • alpha-0ne #14 5 years ago

    ZONG too many games

    "What's happened to Alan Wake? Not heard anything of it for ages, it's listed as 2008 on Play now. "

    Like you said its 2008 MS are giving remedy all the time they need to make at a AAAAAA title
    Edited by 1 at 26/07/07 @ 14:29

  • SniperWolf #15 5 years ago

    Halo 3 looks totally average, I will be looking forward to COD4 and GTAVI on 360 instead.

    Bungie are old news.

  • tjlazr #16 5 years ago

    Mass effect looks like it could swallow a dangerous amount of time during the christmas period. One of my favourites on my 'box has been fight night - is this getting a sequel anytime soon?

  • menage #17 5 years ago

    BURNOUT 5???

    I can understand Lost Odyssee (not everyones cup tea)

    But come on, No BURNOUT 5??
    Edited by 1 at 26/07/07 @ 14:32

  • mcmonkeyplc #18 5 years ago

    Halol 3 will suck!

    This article is hype.

  • aldo_14 #19 5 years ago

    What's happened to Alan Wake? Not heard anything of it for ages, it's listed as 2008 on Play now.

    MS have confirmed it as 2008, I think in response to a question as to why it wasn't featured at E3 (answer being they only featured 2007 games).

  • Aretak #20 5 years ago

    No mention at all of Eternal Sonata. Lame.

  • Dizzy #21 5 years ago

    Killer lineup.... gonna cost me.

  • orakio #22 5 years ago

    Crap it all, I want it!! but then I'd need a new TV I think :-(

    Does the 360 provide an agreeable experience on 1st generation non-HD LCD televisions? My Wii does, but meh, that's an entirely different console.

  • zozart #23 5 years ago

    I want so many of the games on that list. I've barely bought any games this year; Crackdown was the only 360 game really. I'm glad there's a massive influx of games in a few months. :D

  • Zomoniac #24 5 years ago

    Bungee??

  • Britesparc Verified Creative, ITV #25 5 years ago

    Come on, PGR4 should be higher than that! After H3 and Mass Effect, it's the only full-price 360 game I'm really bothered about this year (as I'll get BioShock and Half-Life for PC).

  • joeking #26 5 years ago

    You know what's scary about this list (in a good way)? There's SO much they've left out, as evidenced by all the "why no mention of game X" comments already.

    Truly, it is a good time to be a (Xbox 360) gamer.

  • richardiox #27 5 years ago

    I've noticed that Half Life 2: Orange is rarely mentioned anymore when talking about Q4 360 releases. Knowing that alot of people will never have played HL2 and you get that, Eps 1&2, Portal and TF2 all in one it surely deserves a place on that list.

    No COD4 either....

  • RexRunti #28 5 years ago

    I actually pre-ordered 11 games yesterday, and that's only because they didn't have Eternal Sonata and Rock Band on their list - all for the 360 and all expected 2007. I'm guessing my friends and family will be getting pretty crappy christmas presents this year.

  • andromeda #29 5 years ago

    "announcing it might make arrive sooner."


    that fuddled me for a minute or two

  • RexRunti #30 5 years ago

    @as702ecs

    Hey I wanted to pre-order 13 and that's not including all my "maybes" like Strangle Hold, Burnout 5, Kane and Lynch etc.

  • Wayne #31 5 years ago

    They can't mention every Xbox 360 game that everyone wants to play. So can we stop the "what about blah blah" posts?

    Bloody nerds!

  • Mr_Bogus #32 5 years ago

    Too Human should be an honoroury life member of the annual "20xx's Most Wanted" articles.

  • Toothball #33 5 years ago

    What's up with the subtitle, by the way. I nearly exploded when I thought I'd missed an announcement about Radiant Silvergun. The rest of the article was a harsh comedown.

  • Dizzy #34 5 years ago

    For me:

    Left 4 Dead
    Halo 3
    Mass Effect (OMFG)
    Bioshock
    Orange Box

    God what an awesome XMas!!!

  • dom6918 #35 5 years ago

    My god..thats a whole lot of cool games...im glad i bought my Xbox now...

    Just bought a samsung TV LE46m87BDX..its the nuts and is full 1080p..virtua tennis (1080p support) looks top doggin!! Gears of war makes me weep...but Forza 2 doesnt look so great..alot of jaggedy lines!

    im still going to buy a PS3...when they release a rumble pad! i have to admit GT5 looks stellar! and killzone 2 looks very impressive too...

    Does anyone know why the Top Spin 2 demo refuses to work?? keeps saying i need to change my refresh rate to 60HZ...its the reason why i didnt buy..all other games work beautifully!!

    What happened to GTR..and when are we gonna see an F1 game on a platform other then Ps3..I miss Geoff Crammond and the GP series :(

  • goz #36 5 years ago

    Toothball: cf Treasure game mentioned in introduction

  • RexRunti #37 5 years ago

    For me in no particular order:

    Halo 3
    PGR 4
    Mass Effect
    Virtua Fighter 5
    Eternal Sonata
    Blue Dragon
    Lost Odyssey
    GTA IV
    Bioshock
    Assasins Creed
    COD 4
    Naruto: Rise of Ninja (does the trailer remind anyone else of Jet Set Radio)
    Rock Band

    Can anyone think of any i'm missing?

  • RexRunti #38 5 years ago

    To be honest, I wasn't a huge fan of Lego Star Wars so unless the mechanics change I won't be interested in Lego Batman.

  • The-Bodybuilder #39 5 years ago

    >"a member of the Hashshashin sect"

    I'm I the only one that though "hashshashin" was a real word? And tried to say it in an arabic-type of tone?

  • Toothball #40 5 years ago

    @goz

    Toothball: cf Treasure game mentioned in introduction

    Yeah, I spotted that after I had to stop and search the article for things I'd missed. Being mentioned in the paragraph that stated that it didn't count got me all conflicted about the article. Thought there was going to be something about a Treasure game.

    I'm just easily excited really.

  • The-Bodybuilder #41 5 years ago

    I've got over £400 (and counting) worth of vouchers for GAME (from work), all left till christmas time.

  • SEVQA #42 5 years ago

    if its 25 quid over 400 you know what to get! a PS3 offcourse!

  • Monkey_Puncher #43 5 years ago

    No Stranglehold, Mercenaries 2 or Ace Combat?

    Personally can't wait for those games along with all the usual suspects like GTA 4, mass Effect, Bioshock etc etc

  • lost_soul #44 5 years ago

    Good lineup, but I'm still waiting for a pricecut before I'll buy a 360.

  • lennon #45 5 years ago

    No xmas presents for the kids this year then! Unless they want one of the games on that list of course!

  • BadDevotions #46 5 years ago

    "guns, football, guns, driving and guns."

    /homer hmmmmmm
    Edited by 1 at 26/07/07 @ 15:47

  • RexRunti #47 5 years ago

    You know out of the 13 games I'm getting only 4 are shooters (and that's including GTA). Now all the 360 needs are few more (boxed) party games.

  • glaeken #48 5 years ago

    No Barbie Horse adventure 2 ?

  • SniperWolf #49 5 years ago

    All the best games involve shooting things so I have no problem with the 360 line up.

  • The-Bodybuilder #50 5 years ago

    >"if its 25 quid over 400 you know what to get! a PS3 offcourse!"

    What's funny is that I never even considered that. But there's no games for it that I want at the moment.

    I'll probably won't spend it all on games, and keep maybe £250 towards a ps3 by next spring (just in time for MGS 4). I'm sure I'll get up to £425 by then (if there's no price cut).

  • neuroniky #51 5 years ago

    I just hope my 360 gets back from Germany before August 24th, or I'll go medieval on Bill Gates.

  • patchbox360 #52 5 years ago

    halo3 online - virtua fighter 5 online - gta 4

    im set

  • Dizzy #53 5 years ago

    >"guns, football, guns, driving and guns."

    Maybe...

    Halo 3 (guns)
    Mass Effect (RPG)
    SEGA Rally (Driving)
    BioShock (Guns)
    Grand Theft Auto IV (Sandbox)
    Half-Life 2: Episode 2 (Guns)
    Assassin's Creed (Stealth action)
    LEGO Batman (Action / platforming)
    Rock Band (Rythm action)
    Bully: Scholarship Edition (Sandbox)

    The only thing they are missing is party games and sports it seems. Maybe Viva Pinata party animals? Sports should be plenty ;)

  • afghan_jones #54 5 years ago

    GTAIV
    Halo 3
    Kane & Lynch
    Stranglehold
    Army of Two
    Assassains Creed
    COD4


    Basically all the ones with shooting and killing. Oh and also Lego Batman.

  • Dizzy #55 5 years ago

    >Basically all the ones with shooting and killing. Oh and also Lego Batman.

    I think there are some consoles with big red and green buttons that have NO killing games. Get one of those.

    Or play on PC...

    http://www.giggles.net/

  • miiiguel #56 5 years ago

    Guns, guns, guns, I wish we could just play those nice Japanese titles like: "Spiked-hair Kid and Side-Kicks vs the Pink Monster part XXV", that we all love so much.

  • Sid-Nice #57 5 years ago

    Nothing to get excited about here; where are all the up and coming AAA titles that the Xbox 360 fan boys have been raving on about?

  • miiiguel #58 5 years ago

    Sid Nice: what's a AAA title ? CoD with aliens? DiRT without rumble or Live ?

    If Halo IP isn't a AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA title, or GTA IV, I really wonder what is a lots of A's title ?
    Edited by 1 at 26/07/07 @ 16:51

  • The-Bodybuilder #59 5 years ago

    >"Guns, guns, guns, I wish we could just play those nice Japanese titles like: "Spiked-hair Kid and Side-Kicks vs the Pink Monster part XXV", that we all love so much. "

    Me too.

    Doesn't make you feel real special that we're different from those mainstream scum, who buy shooters, footy and racers?
    I mean. It's not like millions of japanesse people view "spiked-hair kid & co XXXIV" as mainstream to them, or anything.

    I just like spiked-hair kid & co because it's different. It's not like there are loads of those games like that, with people going on a MASSIVE ADVENTURE".

  • Sid-Nice #60 5 years ago

    @miiiguel

    By 2020 there won't be any COD; Halo 1 was good apart from the library, Halo 2 was great online yet I thought that the single player was lacking. Don't talk to me about GTA the game peaked at III and has went down hill ever since.

  • Kiigan #61 5 years ago

    Nice list. I'd add Orange Box, and PGR4, and Call of Duty 4.
    And I'd remove Rock Band, Lego Batman, Sega Rally and Bully.

  • afghan_jones #62 5 years ago

    @Sid Nice,

    There are tons of great games coming out for 360 this christmas. Flatly stating that you personally think they will all somehow be shit and boring is just silly. the fact remains that lots of them will be very good and very popular. If you genuinely dont see anything on xbox you like over the next few months i thinks its entirely possible that you dont actually like games at all. That being the case, I put it to you that you would do well to just, oh, I dont know...fuck off?

  • Xerx3s #63 5 years ago

    Nothing to get excited about here; where are all the up and coming AAA titles that the Xbox 360 fan boys have been raving on about?

    Glol. Come on, you can do better than that.

  • Azazel #64 5 years ago

    It must be getting world weary, when not one fanboi comment even raises a chuckle any more... *sigh*

  • EmiliasHorse #65 5 years ago

    So glad Splinter Cell slipped, thats a fat list of joy. I plan to buy most of them, plus the usual annual updates Tiger Woods, NHL, Sexy Beach and Pro Flower arranging.

  • souljacker2000 #66 5 years ago

    PS3 SUCKS.... LOOK AT THIS AMAZING LINE UP

    :p KEEP YOUR SHODDY PORTS

  • Xerx3s #67 5 years ago

    What amazing lineup?

  • afghan_jones #68 5 years ago

    Ive got an amazing line-up for you.


    In my pants!


    WAHEY! Hows that for triple-A you mothers?

  • Cloudane #69 5 years ago

    It isn't a bad list but not the Holy Grail (Q3 / Q4) that some people claim it to be.

    I will await the PS3 and Wii 'most wanted' article from Eurogamer before making my mind up to which system I will buy later in the year as I have yet to purchase a 'next-gen' console yet except playing on my Brothers Xbox 360 from time to time.

  • afghan_jones #70 5 years ago

    @Cloudane

    I can save EG the time. The PS3 & Wii 2007 most wanted lists look like this:



    "1. Some games. Any games really, just something to make us dust off our consoles and distract us form the nagging feeling we've been ripped off"


    AHAHAHAHA. I laugh bitterly at your game-less plight.

  • HarryB #71 5 years ago

    im not fussed about halo 3, i want gta4 to be amazing like gta3 was and i cant wait for assassins creed....JADE

  • Wyrm #72 5 years ago

    So, next to nothing of any real worth is exclusive then...

  • betahoven #73 5 years ago

    Post deleted at 09:36:16 17-12-2011

  • zuljin #74 5 years ago

    @afghan_jones
    "Ive got an amazing line-up for you.

    In my pants!"

    Todd, isthatchu?

    PS: Lego Batman ftw!

  • Feanor #75 5 years ago

    Not having COD 4 anywhere in this article makes me wonder just what is wrong with the author.

  • Dr.Mott #76 5 years ago

    I really want to see Jade's Ass...
































    ...assin's Creed!

  • menage #77 5 years ago

    "So, next to nothing of any real worth is exclusive then... "

    What the hell are you talking about? Halo, Mass Effect, Bioshock (for consoles), PGR. What the hell do you want? Exclusive shovelware or 4 big motherf....

    Edited by 1 at 26/07/07 @ 19:21

  • TheBard #78 5 years ago

    My personal must-buy-list includes Skate.

    I think I'll pass on Halo 3 for a few months though ... Mass Effect and GTA4 have priority.

  • The-Bodybuilder #79 5 years ago

    Why is it that a 1 year old ps2 port (bully) gets a look over more so than a sequel to one of the most successful racing IPs of all time, (Pgr4, the TRUE sequel to the great PGR2)?

  • Decap #80 5 years ago

    "Not a bad list, hopefully you'll be able to enjoy them without your console breaking down."

    These comments make me laugh so hard. I love how desperate you ps3 fanbois are when u have nothing else to say than "Red R1nGz 0f De@th!!1"

    "Yeah, well my dad can beat your dad!" hows that for a change?

  • joeking #81 5 years ago

    (Potentially) quality Xbox 360 console exclusives out in the next few months:

    Halo 3
    PGR4
    Mass Effect
    Lost Odyssey
    Blue Dragon (Yeah, yeah, yeah, demo schemo. Metacritic score 89 bitches! ;))
    BioShock
    Have I missed anything....?

    Just for the bitter Sony fanboys who are trying to pick holes at all the multiplat games in EG's list. Of course there'll be a few. That's the reality of the industry today. The point is that you don't need a PS3 because the Xbox 360 has got the lion's share of its worthwhile (multiplat) games anyway, as well as a smattering of potentially awesome exclusives to complement the third party riches being bestowed upon MS' box this season.

    So there! :D

  • convercide #82 5 years ago

    On Mass Effect: "both Bioware and Microsoft clearly have high hopes for the game billing it as the fist in a trilogy of titles of the 360."

    Kinky.
    Edited by 2 at 26/07/07 @ 20:08

  • matrim83 #83 5 years ago

    Wait a minute. Hold the phone.

    They are re releasing Bully? When was that announced? That was a fantastic game and if it has even 25% new content they can consider one copy sold.

    \o/

    Fantastic list BTW.

  • Scimarad #84 5 years ago

    Mass Effect is fantastic, Halo 3 will be great for the co-op and Bio-Shock will be probably be worth it for the atmosphere. Couldn't really care less about the rest, though.

    My 360 most wanteds not already mentioned are Ace Combat 6, Eternal Sonata and Lost Odyssey.

  • Calgon #85 5 years ago

    You know its a good sign when people are asking why some of their most anticipated games didnt make the list...(360 has a belting line up for christmas best of the 3 IMO by a long way) but seriously - put PGR4 in there and take that lego shite out. :) surely PGR4 is more anticipated than Sega Rally?(both good games but sales wise and existing fanbase wise...). I dont see why Bully made the list over some of the other more promising titles either.... aside from that, nicely done article.
    Edited by 3 at 26/07/07 @ 21:03

  • Scimarad #86 5 years ago

    Oh! Add PGR4 to my most wanteds - Assuming it still has the split screen...

  • JackB #87 5 years ago

    @RexRunti, "You know out of the 13 games I'm getting only 4 are shooters (and that's including GTA). Now all the 360 needs are few more (boxed) party games. "

    Isn't Scene It with the 4 custom controllers coming out before Xmas?

  • LeSpank #88 5 years ago

    How does Radiant Silvergun/Be attitude for gains come in to this!?

  • smelly #89 5 years ago

    Lego Batman is the only game on that list that i really really want.

  • onyxbox #90 5 years ago

    all these games + stuff for the ps3 all at once really pisses me off... they're like buses.

    I wish these game publishers would spread the love over the whole year.

  • spongebob #91 5 years ago

    Of the top ten games, I am most interested, before reading reviews, in the following:

    * Bully
    * GTA IV

    (Would have mentioned HL2: Ep2, but I am getting that on PC).

    Of the honorable mentions, I am most interested, before reading reviews, in the following:

    * Kane & Lynch
    * The Club
    * Stranglehold

    I am sure my thoughts mattered to you. Great! Thanks for reading!

  • Wyrm #92 5 years ago

    "So, next to nothing of any real worth is exclusive then... "

    "Halo"
    The Halo series is very average, finished it on X-Box, never understood what the fuss was about.

    "Mass Effect"
    I said next to nothing, this is one of the few games the X-Box has to sell itself.

    "Bioshock (for consoles)"
    So, not actually an exclusive title then. I'm talking software that makes you want to own the console along-side your £400 graphics card.

    "PGR"
    Is this really going to be much better than what the X360 already has in Forza 2?
    And it is only a driving game afterall, they're ten a penny, every platform will have a top drawer one.

    I've had a 360 and alongside a PC, there is very little to play on it. Dead Rising, Forza 2.... Mass Effect... maybe Crackdown... and now I'm struggling. (GoW, Pinata on the way to PC remember). This list doesn't make me think I made a mistake in selling it.

    The PS3/Wii combo smells much sweeter.

  • menage #93 5 years ago

    Good luck to you then. I don't care. I can see why people want a PS3. It offers a lot of classic videogaming moments. But if you don't care about these titles why pick on a console that's making a lot of gamers very happy (and some not, I'm not denying it's flaws). Probably enough threads around where you could be much happier.

  • bodypopper #94 5 years ago

    Isn't CoD4 being only being omitted because it's a PS3 exclusive (this year anyway)?

  • Overlush #95 5 years ago

    I'll admit it's a good list, but only 30% exclusive. Let's see what Wii and PS3 have in relation.

  • Yossarian #96 5 years ago

    CoD4 is not a PS3 exclusive this or any other year

  • Xerx3s #97 5 years ago

    Ive got an amazing line-up for you.


    In my pants!


    WAHEY! Hows that for triple-A you mothers?

    Meh. Have seen better. 1/10 for trying.

  • Xerx3s #98 5 years ago

    I'll admit it's a good list, but only 30% exclusive. Let's see what Wii and PS3 have in relation.

    It's puzzling why EG completely fails to mention the superior exclusives and mentions so-so 3rd party games.

    Surely a <a href='http://ga mers.eurogamer.net/most_wanted.php'>top 10 most wanted</a> article would be more logical. (as that is where the attention obviously is)
    Edited by 1 at 26/07/07 @ 23:56

  • figaro7 #99 5 years ago

    Should have included blue dragon and cod4, otherwise a great list. But shouldnt this list be labeled, 360s 2nd half of 07 most wanted. Either way im pretty much broke with the 360 and the wii in the later half of the year. With all these great games, some are definately going to get neglected.

  • NegativeZero #100 5 years ago

    What the hell? Not even a mention of Ace Combat 6?

  • Sid-Nice #101 5 years ago

    afghan_jones,

    I stopped getting carried away with all the hype years ago; too many games have promised so much and delivered very little. I don’t even read previews or interviews concerning games that I’m interested in; due to the fact that many gaming journalists go over the top especially if the preview or interview is an exclusive.

    I believe in some cases I’m playing a 6/10 game that some journalist told me was a 10/10; all because the same guy in a preview said “This game is going to be the best thing since sliced bread.” Rather than eat his preview words and be left with egg on his face; he’ll review the game with the same enthusiasm as the preview and then it’s all down to the old ‘personal opinion’ bullshit.

    There will be games that will go undetected on our radar’s that will probably deserve more recognition than Halo 3 or GTA IV; if the next Halo and Grand theft Auto are genuinely 10/10 games then I’ll suck my own cock, which is something I haven’t needed to do since I was 19.

  • Fairlane #102 5 years ago

    Sony is not gonna like this comment. My PS3 will only be used for exclusives (or in the case my 360 goes on vacation :-) and movies. 3. party games will be played on the 360, and the exclusives coming up for that - well it will only leave time for 1 maybe 2 Sony exclusive

  • Scimarad #103 5 years ago

    At the moment that's sensible but what if the lead platform is the PS3 - The crappy ports thing isn't a problem with PS3 but with the PS3 trying to run a game designed for the 360. I'm sure the 360 would choke on a game designed for the PS3...

  • RexRunti #104 5 years ago

    I'm sure someone said the Darkness lead on PS3. Could be wrong but there really is no difference apart from longer loading times on the PS3 (from what I understand).

  • Scimarad #105 5 years ago

    No difference? The Darkness sucks on the PS3...

    That said I'm not to taken with the 360 version, either. The PS3 was definitely in serious need of AA, though it was better off without all that OTT motion blur.

    As far as I know it wasn't the lead platform, though.
    Edited by 1 at 27/07/07 @ 08:50

  • RexRunti #106 5 years ago

    @Wyrm

    Out of my 13 pre-orders 6 are exclusive, 1 is a console exclusive (I'd prefer Bioshock on my 360 anyway even though my PC's easily powerful enough), and 1 has exclusive extras. Don't think anyone can claim that any other machine will look this good this christmas.

  • RexRunti #107 5 years ago

    @Scimarad

    You maybe right we'll just have to wait for Haze (meh) and VF5 (woot).

  • Scimarad #108 5 years ago

    Funny, I'm the other way around on those two;-)

  • Overlush #109 5 years ago

    There's only two games I'd want a 360 for - PGR4 and Halo3. Thing is, I totally did PGR2/3 and Halo 2 TO DEATH online and offline, so y'know, I think I'll cope.

  • afghan_jones #110 5 years ago

    @Sid Nice

    "if the next Halo and Grand theft Auto are genuinely 10/10 games then I’ll suck my own cock, which is something I haven’t needed to do since I was 19."

    This raises several queries.

    1. DO games have to be 10/10 to be considered any good? isnt a 9 or 8 worth getting?

    2. Are you really able to suck your own cock?

    3. Why is this something you 'needed' to do?

    4. What occurred when you were 19 that mean you no longer 'needed' to do this?

    5. Isnt sucking your own cock a bit gay?

  • The-Bodybuilder #111 5 years ago

    >" but only 30% exclusive"

    Are you a statistician by any chance? Where did you come up with such a figure?

    Looks like your post is 99.3657% crap.

  • smurphs #112 5 years ago

    It's all good

  • sinco #113 5 years ago

    GTR where are you!?? :D

  • Sid-Nice #114 5 years ago

    afghan_jones

    1) Games don't have to be high scoring to be worth a purchase; I've had more fun with games that have had average scores than the perfect 10/10. When a game does score a perfect 10 I feel that the gaming experience is marred due to the fact that you notice every little flaw; then everybody agrees that the reviewers got carried away with the high score and the game should really have been an 8/10. When a gaming franchise has a 3, 4, 5 in the title; I find it very hard to get excited even though the previous games in the series were good.

    2) Yes.

    3) I didn't need to do it; but it did save on the wear and tear of socks and curtains.

    4) I found a woman to do it.

    5) Only if you think of other men when you do it.

  • afghan_jones #115 5 years ago

    @Sid Nice

    That all sounds 'fine' I guess with the exception of the socks and curtains thing. that made no sense to me. Please explain.

  • miiiguel #116 5 years ago

    Sid Nice: the question is, for you what's a AAA title then?

  • miiiguel #117 5 years ago

    "Isn't CoD4 being only being omitted because it's a PS3 exclusive (this year anyway)?"

    ahahahahahahah!!!! Where did you read that m8? Wishful thinking peak!

  • afghan_jones #118 5 years ago

    "Sid Nice: the question is, for you what's a AAA title then?"

    Something he can play while he bolts his load into his own mouth. Dirty beggar.

  • peeetah #119 5 years ago

    Wouldn't put bully up there, just a last gen rehash.

  • Sid-Nice #120 5 years ago

    miiiguel,
    To me a triple A title is something that is new, original and innovating; Zelda OOT, Super Mario 64, GTA III, MSR, Jet Set Radio, Jet Force Gemini, Beyond Good & Evil, The Wind Waker, Pikmin, Halo, Metroid Prime, Burnout, Shenmue, Motorstorm and many more games that have set the benchmark in their genre. You don’t have to be a fan of a certain company or genre to appreciate that classics like Halo, Zelda OOT, GTA III and Mario 64 were masterpieces.

    If Mario Galaxy, Halo 3, GTA IV and Metroid Prime Corruption can take the crown away from the original games; then I’ll be a very happy hedgehog.

  • ChromeMud #121 5 years ago

    It's gonna be a Merry Merry Christmas for 360 owners as long as you've got the cash.Games Developers are gonna be celebrating their Christmas bonuses too I should imagine.Halo3,The Orange Box,GTAIV,COD4,PGR4,BioShock and Mass Effect are amongst my top choices.It's just too good a choice this year for the 360,some titles will have to wait until the bargain bin for a purchase.

  • Feanor #122 5 years ago

    I think this story about upcoming games (for all platforms) was pretty good. They were controversially harsh on Bioshock, which was interesting.

    http://te ch.msn.com/products/slideshow.a...

  • miiiguel #123 5 years ago

    Motorstorm isn't a benchmark in any aspect. DiRT does everything better.

  • smelly #124 5 years ago

    who the fuck cares if a game is exclusive or not? (unless you want to play it and it's not on your platform)

  • menage #125 5 years ago

    "I think this story about upcoming games (for all platforms) was pretty good. They were controversially harsh on Bioshock, which was interesting.

    http://te ch.msn.com/products/slideshow.a... "

    I'll not say Bioshock will be good or not. Ít still has the potential to be average. But those words are clearly of a person who doesn't like the look of it, not a real vision of what it's trying to do.

  • Scimarad #126 5 years ago

    "I think this story about upcoming games (for all platforms) was pretty good. They were controversially harsh on Bioshock, which was interesting."

    They were controversially harsh on Bioshock AND they didn't mention Ratchet and Clank or Mass Efffect - Losers;-)

  • anamenos #127 5 years ago

    For me only FIFA08.......................
    Edited by 1 at 28/07/07 @ 09:04

  • Overlush #128 5 years ago

    Anyways, is it just the 360 that gets a most wanted list?

  • captainrentboy #129 5 years ago

    Sid Nice, you almost had the perfect list of examples as to what makes a AAA title, but then you chucked Motorstorm on the end of it, that was a joke yeah?
    I mean surely if you're going to chuck a racing game on there it would at least have to have some bloody cosmic AI, something Motorstorm really doesn't have.
    Going from that list and the many curious omissions, the 360 is going to cost me a fooking fortune this Chrimbo, infact I might leave a few until next year, there's only sooo many games I can be attempting to complete at once.

  • Yossarian #130 5 years ago

    Nearly all multiplatform games. No reason to buy a xbox 360 for.

    yeah, Halo 3, Bioshock, Mass Effect, 'complete' GTAIV... these are worthless titles.

  • TRUTH #131 5 years ago

    Bioshock, Mass Effect, Halo 3, Lost Oddysee, Fable 2, Alan Wake, Splinter Cell Convection, PGR 4, Halo Wars, Blue Dragon, Naruto: Rise of a Ninja Hands (Ubi Soft), Too Human (Looking excellent now)...are a few 360 exclusives coming soon & ARE NOT coming to PS3.

    Then there's: Gears Of Wars 2, Crackdown 2, Vina Patna Party Animals, Banjo & Kazooie, Cry-On (by ex Final Fantasy, who is now working on 3 rpg's exclusives to 360), Ninja Gaiden 2, Dead Or Alive 5...just another few coming a little later. Also not coming to PS3

    Oh! Haze and Unreal ARE coming to 360. Along with VF5 (improved over the PS3), Assassin Creed, GTA (With extra features not on PS3), Merch...2, DMC 4, just a few NOW-EX PS3 exclusives coming to 360.

    Edited by 1 at 28/07/07 @ 17:49

  • davisorle #132 5 years ago

    This is pointless.. this is nothing to do with my most wanted games for the 360... Batman and some other shit mentioned was NOTHING that i would even want to know that came out. ffs... Sega Rally? no lots of those games have nothing to do with the top 10.

  • menage #133 5 years ago

    "Then there's: Gears Of Wars 2, Crackdown 2, Vina Patna Party Animals, Banjo & Kazooie, Cry-On (by ex Final Fantasy, who is now working on 3 rpg's exclusives to 360), Ninja Gaiden 2, Dead Or Alive 5...just another few coming a little later. Also not coming to PS3 "

    How many of those are actually confirmed? DOA5, NG2, GoW2 even. Nevewr heard anything but rumors.

    Crackdown 2 seems a given.

  • Xerx3s #134 5 years ago

    GoW has been a confirmed trilogy. There is a next gen DOA in the making that has not been revealed. NG2 seem pretty obvious the way it was received & the PS3 remake. The others have already been on the net for some time.

  • Yossarian #135 5 years ago

    poor frod

  • Calgon #136 5 years ago

    There is a next gen DOA in the making that has not been revealed.

    NG2 is a given anyway I would have thought(not a new franchise and wont be a surprise when it is announced)... maybe Code Chronus was what you were thinking of? How long have we been waiting to see what it is? Surely it will be time to reveal it soon if he was talking about it last gen, I wonder if it will still be an MS Exclusive though?

  • Xerx3s #137 5 years ago

    Another testosterone fuelled lineup.

    Awwwww, you poor thing. Come here and let me give you a hug! Come on everybody, frod needs lot's of love here! ;)

  • TRUTH #138 5 years ago

    No my name is not Peter....But! why does it bother you so much that XBOX360 is the best gaming console at present, and by the looks of it the future. I wish I was on MS bank account, as they are providing us with a great gaming platform. Unlike Sony. Oh! sorry if that bothers you: bike_bob.
    Edited by 3 at 30/07/07 @ 18:05

  • Verwandlung #139 5 years ago

    I just want peace and a new sexdoll

  • TRUTH #140 5 years ago

    ...also where the hell was: Too Human, Cry-On, Lost Oddysee, Fable 2, Halo Wars, Alan Wake, Left 4 Dead, Project Impact (by Tecmo), Dead Or Alive 5, Splinetr Cell Convections...EG seems to miss all the main excusives!
    Edited by 1 at 11/08/07 @ 10:26

  • krudster #141 5 years ago

    This refers only to games coming out in 2007, that's why.

  • captainrentboy #142 5 years ago

    I wasn't that bothered by Mass Effect a few weeks back, then I watched one of the E3 trailers, and holy sheeeet, it looks bloody grand. Now I can't wait for that bitch to arrive.
    Ohh, and PGR4 is a kind of strange omission from this most wanted list :/

  • Vin #143 5 years ago

    GTA's gonna have to blow my fucking face off to even match Crackdown.

  • slickster #144 5 years ago

    where do you think the 360 will be in 5 years time with no blu-ray just dvd9.so stop bitchin the ps3 because i now and you now it will be king of the consoles...killzone2 will destroy the 360 you will see..

  • SomaticSense #145 5 years ago

    ^^^ Are you for real? You're not are you? If you are, then I suffer deep, deep sympathy for your parents. And I'm sure you'll impress all the girls when you grow up what with your wonderfully open-mind.

  • slickster #146 5 years ago

    im sorry if what was abit harsh but im pistoff with all the bitchin.let's just injoy all the good games whats out soon..

  • TRUTH #147 5 years ago

    Urm!... Bluray sales have already been a flop with movies esp in Japan/Europe and also the U S of A...within/about the next 5yrs Super Hi-def will be reaching us (PCs have already experienced this and is fast catching)...So if you bought the PS3 for Bluray, I'm sorry but the fact is everything from dual layered HD DVD, Super Hi Def disc, Hi Def (inc Super) downloads, larger and faster HDD downloads becoming easier and faster, cheaper to get hold of. Also mega HDD drives to soon be hitting the market. Bluray will have already been skiped or lived a short life span just like: Betamax, Minidisc, Artec, Super Cd, Video cd etc...at least with 360 you have a choice to go with HD DD, if you wish.
    Edited by 1 at 12/08/07 @ 19:20

  • afghan_jones #148 5 years ago

    @slickster

    You are an idiot and type like a mentally deficient child.

    Your thicko comments set the Sony Fanboi cause back another five years and reinforce the stereotype that you are a horrible little chav.