Coming Attractions: Action & Adventure

By Tom Bramwell Published 16 January, 2009

Get juiced and get thinking.

We've had indie and esoterica, sports and music, MMOs and RPGs, and fighting and strategy, which just leaves the glamour girls of action, adventure, shooters and racing to strut their stuff.

Action

Action is an expansive term, and for the purposes of this list encompasses games that combine a number of elements to dazzle you with violence and tragedy, usually in an openworld setting - like Grand Theft Auto and Mafia II - along with games traditionally lumped into the equally hazy "action adventure" bracket, like Bionic Commando, Assassin's Creed 2, and other sub-genre fare. Two things unite them, though: they aren't specifically anything else, and they're packed with action.

Star Attraction

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
On: DS / Developer: Rockstar Leeds, Rockstar North / Publisher: Rockstar Games / Release: 20th March

Microsoft tells us we should be most excited about GTA IV's downloadable The Lost and Damned, and we certainly haven't lost our appetite for cruising around Rockstar's glorious update of Liberty City nodding along to Goodbye Horses, but it's Chinatown Wars that we find ourselves increasingly excited about - especially after a recent visit to Rockstar's West London headquarters to play through a number of missions.

'Coming Attractions: Action & Adventure' Screenshot 1

We can't be too specific about the things we saw for the moment or Rockstar's lawyers will honk their horns, sleep with us, take our money and then run us over, but enough of the good things are already in the public domain: the action, which takes place on the top screen, is viewed from an elevated, almost top-down vantage point, but the dinky polygon characters and cars are typically charismatic, and comparisons to the oldest of the GTAs would be wide of the mark. This is closer to Grand Theft Auto IV in playset and production values, and pleasingly inventive, particularly during its numerous cutaways to the touch-screen for brief, amusing use of the stylus.

It's not exactly tame, either, although as one rep put it, "When it comes to the censors there's a difference between baiting and bear-baiting." Which, we wonder, is the drug-dealing strategy sub-game? Whichever, it's a moreish sideline that makes good use of the game world - Liberty City from GTA IV, with Alderney cut away to make space on the cart - and the new PDA system that replaces its predecessor's mobile phone. Overall the game looks vast and assured, and very much a part of the modern GTA canon. Don't be surprised if it's one of the first third-party games to perform as consistently as Nintendo's own money-printing DS output.

Supporting Cast (in alphabetical order)

Bayonetta
On: PS3, Xbox 360 / Developer: PlatinumGames / Publisher: SEGA / Release: 2009

Former Devil May Cry director Hideki Kamiya regularly says he hasn't bothered playing other action games, so we have no idea where he got the inspiration for an acrobatic, ultraviolent witch with guns and magic coming out of her feet and hands to shoot monsters in the face. We're not arguing with it though.

'Coming Attractions: Action & Adventure' Screenshot 2

The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena
On: PC, PS3, Xbox 360 / Developer: Starbreeze / Publisher: Atari / Release: March

We visited Starbreeze during the making of the original Chronicles of Riddick, and had pizza with banana and artichoke toppings. The idea of this calmly savage and empowering stealth cool-'em-up dazzling again in its new guise is much less bizarre.

inFamous
On: PS3 / Developer: Sucker Punch / Publisher: Sony / Release: Spring

The Sly Raccoon games were like Jak and Daxter and Ratchet and Clank's forgotten siblings, but they were no less colourful and imaginative. inFamous takes a much darker turn, but its electro-superhero-in-a-moral-vacuum openworld guise is a promising match to a developer of Sucker Punch's skill.

Resident Evil 5
On: PS3, Xbox 360 / Developer: Capcom / Publisher: Capcom / Release: 13th March

It's coming, racist or not, in just two months' time. Zombies on fast-forward may be as cliché nowadays as slow zombies were before 28 Days Later, but few approached Resident Evil 4 with enormous expectations either, and look how that turned out.

Other Players

'Coming Attractions: Action & Adventure' Screenshot 3

Rockstar's GTA: The Lost and Damned could be the biggest thing yet to happen to downloadable content on 17th February; Uncharted 2: Among Thieves will focus on the things the excellent original got slightly wrong later in the year; The Godfather II is looking surprisingly assured and EA's Dante's Inferno is nothing if not adventurous; as is the former Sierra game Prototype; Atari has Afro Samurai and Ghostbusters due out in the first half; Capcom plans to follow up the enjoyable Bionic Commando Rearmed with the real next-gen deal, and its US-developed cover shooter Dark Void and ambitious Wii port Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop; Midway's up for fighting, racing, gambling and partying in This is Vegas; Just Cause 2 and Mafia II are still quietly in development; we keep hearing good things about 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand (even though we can't quite believe them); A2M won't give up on its unsigned Lara-with-blades-'em-up, Wet; and Codemasters has Damnation and Rise of the Argonauts on the way. Plus, there's the possibility of Assassin's Creed 2, and whatever you thought about the first one, that's an intriguing prospect.

Adventure

Ambitious adventures often swerve into action or RPG territory these days and rarely leave, but not everyone has given up on thoughtful and slow-building games where players walk rather than run and the dialogue is something to be savoured rather than skipped or discarded. In fact, of all the genres covered by this year's Coming Attractions, we're pinning a disproportionate number of hopes in the adventure category.

Star Attraction

I Am Alive
On: PS3, Xbox 360, PC / Developer: Darkworks / Publisher: Ubisoft / Release: Second quarter

The premise is simple: Chicago's been crippled by an unexplained earthquake, and you've got to cut across it to try and find your girlfriend. But this is no platformer and no shooter. Instead you fend off other survivors fighting for bottled water by tricking them onto disintegrating glass panels, hold looters at bay by waving an empty shotgun in their direction, and avoid confrontation, despite the first-person perspective.

Ubisoft has been responsible for some of the most ambitious game-worlds of the last few years (Assassin's Creed, Far Cry 2 and Prince of Persia most notably) but there's often been a tension between the technology and the increasingly predictable gameplay overlaid upon it - a trend the unpredictable landscape of a post-disaster Chicago will hopefully arrest in I Am Alive.

It might not work out - and the developer's previous game, Cold Fear, was a bit spotty - but Ubisoft's permanent determination to do something different is beguiling, despite a few missteps, and the thought of a disaster scenario built on restraint rather than reflexes is enough to propel this to the top of our most-wanted list.

Supporting Cast (in alphabetical order)

'Coming Attractions: Action & Adventure' Screenshot 4

Beyond Good & Evil 2
On: PS3, Xbox 360 / Developer: Ubisoft Montpelier / Publisher: Ubisoft / Release: TBC

It's Michel Ancel back doing his thing. The first game was beautiful, elegant and charming beyond its means, and deserved the success the first Prince of Persia reboot, launching at the same time, found instead.

Brutal Legend
On: PS3, Xbox 360 / Developer: Double Fine / Publisher: EA / Release: Third quarter

It's Tim Schafer back doing his thing, this time with a little help from manic funnyman Jack Black. The story - a roadie dragged into a fantasy world based on rock culture - is straight out of a Tenacious D record. As Psychonauts proved, the game could be anything; it'll certainly be something.

Heavy Rain
On: PS3 / Developer: Quantic Dream / Publisher: Sony / Release: Second half

It's David Cage back doing his thing. Fahrenheit was inventive but a bit divisive and grew increasingly ludicrous towards the end, but you couldn't not finish it. Heavy Rain is even more ambitious, and strives to provoke a similarly kaleidoscopic emotional response.

'Coming Attractions: Action & Adventure' Screenshot 5

Yakuza 3
On: PS3 / Developer: Amusement Vision / Publisher: SEGA / Release: 2009

It's Toshihiro Nagoshi back doing his thing. The Yakuza games' bare-knuckle scuffles may be pure action, but their appeal is really all in the whisky-sodden melodrama, hostess-bar seductions and street-strutting cool. The first PS3 instalment wowed TGS with virtual actors to match Heavy Rain's and an actual drunk karaoke mini-game; here's hoping SEGA gives Yakuza a louder Western voice this time around.

Other Players

The interminable development of Alan Wake rumbles on at Remedy, but we vaguely expect to see it this year; Telltale persists with its impressive episodic adventure efforts by calling upon Nick Park's lovable Wallace & Gromit for Grand Adventures; and Tecmo manages to stop re-enacting a Neighbours episode in the courtrooms long enough to put out Project Zero 4 on the Wii, with a bit of help from the excellent Grasshopper Manufacture.

Coming Attractions concludes on Monday with the long-awaited Shooters & Racing.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (52) Latest comment 3 years ago

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

  • BadgerFiend #1 3 years ago

    A nice bag o' tricks that lot. Of course.. I would have mentioned the forthcoming Hydrophobia. Adventure game + realtime water simulation? Thatsa spicy meatball!!! :D

  • muscleblade #2 3 years ago

    We all know that Rise of the Argonauts isnt very good. It has been released here in Norway btw.

  • Tomo #3 3 years ago

    What ever happened to LA Noire? Anyone?

  • TessaTickle #4 3 years ago

    Beyond Good And Evil 2 ?!?!?!?! Wooh ! Didn't the guy actually say that no one wanted to make a sequel ? Or was that him being clever and staying away from the hype machine ?

  • khaz #5 3 years ago

    Beyond Good & Evil 2.

    If people dont buy it this time i'll beat them with Jade's stick personally.

  • Fixxxer #6 3 years ago

    What about that Indiana Jones game, when's that due?

  • Pac-man-ate-my-wife #7 3 years ago

    I'd whack Cold Mountain for the Wii in the list too as it's shaping up to one of the most interesting titles on the platform.

  • M_Spitz #8 3 years ago

    Hope Brutal Legend isn't swamped by Jack Black's ego. He's the king of vanity projects.

  • ChadSexington #9 3 years ago

    That's a shot from Ryu Ga Gotoku Kenzan!, not Yakuza 3. Idiots.

  • Thunderbolt #10 3 years ago

    So awesome games coming out

    But my GOTY has to be 50 cent: Blood on the sand ;)

  • Spiral #11 3 years ago

    The first game was beautiful, elegant and charming beyond its means, and deserved the success the first Prince of Persia reboot, launching at the same time, found instead.

    Ooof, harsh. I thought Sands of Time was great myself. Could see why people liked BG&E but never got on with it myself. Didn't even bother to finish it in the end.

  • JohnnyWashnGo #12 3 years ago

    I played BGaE on the Gamecube over and over. Its a fantastic game which seemed, at the time, to be a little too short to be honest. But that didn't make it any less brilliant.

    A sequel would be warmly welcomed.

  • NunianVonFuch #13 3 years ago

    Everytime I see something about Heavy Rain I keep thinking it's the spin-off game of Chubby Rain the film-within-a-film in Bowfinger. Someone should get on that!

  • PanStre #14 3 years ago

    'long awaited' shooters and racing...erm this sentence does not exactly make sense

  • Zomoniac #15 3 years ago

    Where the FUCK is God Of War 3?

  • hello_fi #16 3 years ago

    "I'd whack Cold Mountain for the Wii in the list too as it's shaping up to one of the most interesting titles on the platform. "

    not exactly hard though is it

  • Golgo #17 3 years ago

    "Fahrenheit was inventive but a bit divisive and grew increasingly ludicrous towards the end, but you couldn't not finish it."

    Funny, I found I could quite easily...shortly after it turned into a game of Simon.

  • Daxside #18 3 years ago

    The adventure part of this article is really poor, we know next to nothing about any of these projects and a western release for Yakuza won't happen this year if it happens at all.

  • hannibaldave #19 3 years ago

    Must fill page space... must post empty pointless articles...

  • Pac-man-ate-my-wife #20 3 years ago

    "I'd whack Cold Mountain for the Wii in the list too as it's shaping up to one of the most interesting titles on the platform. "

    not exactly hard though is it

    There's quite a few interesting titles coming up if you take off your blinkers.

  • JahB #21 3 years ago

    That's a shot from Ryu Ga Gotoku Kenzan!, not Yakuza 3. Idiots.

    isn't that the just the japanese title of yakuza3?

  • ChadSexington #22 3 years ago

    "There's quite a few interesting titles coming up [on the Wii] if you take off your blinkers."

    I think it's you Pac-man who is wearing the blinkers.

  • space_ace #23 3 years ago

    there's "yakuza spin-off in old times" and "yakuza 3", two different games.

  • FenderMaster #24 3 years ago

    God of War 3 should really be in there somewhere, seeing as how its prequels were pure win

  • hannibaldave #25 3 years ago

    Yeah, my pants have had more interesting releases than the wii

  • DavidBoring #26 3 years ago

    The first PS3 instalment (Yakuza 3) wowed TGS with virtual actors to match Heavy Rain's
    i really like the art style of yakuza, but the characters look nowhere as good as in heavy rain

  • Starkillah_79 #27 3 years ago

    I wanna get my hands on Prototype & Infamous - which will be the better sandbox game? Resi 5 is a no brainer... i also like the idea of playing with Altair again, maybe in Co Op with other Assasin's ;)

  • wellsie #28 3 years ago

    Arkham Asylum?

  • QotSAfan #29 3 years ago

    Hmm was expecting Uncharted 2 to be placed higher or be in the adventure section.

  • Pac-man-ate-my-wife #30 3 years ago

    @ ChadSexington

    Not sure how being interested in what's upcoming on a platform can be considered being blinkered.

    On my list of things to watch out for are MadWorld, The Conduit, Cold Mountian, Monster Hunter Tri, Another Code R, Fatal Frame IV, House Of The Dead: Overkill, No More Heroes 2, Punch Out, Captain Rainbow, Muramasa Youtouden, Tatsunoko vs. Capcom, Sin & Punishment 2 and Endless Ocean 2.

  • Sean.Aaron #31 3 years ago

    @Pac-man ate my wife:
    "Captain Rainbow"

    You really think this will get a release outside of Japan? I would certainly buy it, but I'm doubtful...

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #32 3 years ago

    What about that Indiana Jones game, when's that due?

    Apparently [link url=http: //kotaku.com/5130132/indiana-jones-canned-[update]]Lucas arts are implying that it's been cancelled[/link].

  • mrmonkey1980 #33 3 years ago

    I can't believe I haven't played the first Beyond Good and Evil yet. I really should get to it cos i know I'll love it. I think I'm going to check out GTA Chinatown Wars, and I'm intrigued by Assassin's Creed 2. The only run fun in the first one was the rooftop running and climbing and I don't see how they will believably put that in French Revolution setting so I'll be intrigued to see what they do with it.

  • tomnol #34 3 years ago

    I didn't finish AssCreed and I sold FarCry 2 after being run over by rampant jeeps for the umpteenth time, but it's true that Ubisoft is trying to do some new things, so I don't regret 'supporting' them with my money. I am genuinely excited about 'I am alive'. Who would have thought that in our day and time an action game could be constructed around the idea of NOT shooting someone...

    BTW, Where is Duke Nukem Forever? ;-)

  • secombe #35 3 years ago

    I think it's you Pac-man who is wearing the blinkers.

    Did you overlook the Indie and Esoterica Coming Attractions? Quite a few promising Wii titles on their way in 2009.

  • ChadSexington #36 3 years ago

    "On my list of things to watch out for are MadWorld, The Conduit, Cold Mountian, Monster Hunter Tri, Another Code R, Fatal Frame IV, House Of The Dead: Overkill, No More Heroes 2, Punch Out, Captain Rainbow, Muramasa Youtouden, Tatsunoko vs. Capcom, Sin & Punishment 2 and Endless Ocean 2."

    @ Pac-man: so you list a load of shit games, a few that won't ever be released outside of Japan and one interesting one (MadWorld) and that's supposed to validate your argument? Face it, the Wii is shit as a gamer's machine, even Nintendo has abandoned it, preferring to release crap like Wii Fit and Wii Music.

  • Kaspar #37 3 years ago

    @BadgerFiend

    Hydrophobia? Seriously? A game so appealing, they haven't been able to find a publisher for it and are putting it out themselves?

    It just stinks of tech demo - a paper-thin game premise bolted around water sim effects.

  • ASHBERY76 #38 3 years ago

    It's back to those silly commie eurogamer comments about Res5 again..

  • Ged42 #39 3 years ago

    I didn't realise that I am Alive game was being made by the same lot as Cold Fear.

    Even though at first sight Cold Fear looked far to much like Resident Evil 4 for it's own good, it was still quite a fun game and the effects used to create the ship crashing through the storm were awesome at the time.

  • Doctor_What #40 3 years ago

    Woohoo! I think EG just compiled a complete list of nearly everything I'm excited this year (including quite a few that I'd forgotten I should be excited about). All you need to add is God Of War 3 and that's 2009 set up for me.

  • AOFanboi #41 3 years ago

    BRÜTAL LEGEND! Get them umlauts right! Dämmit!

  • Spekingur #42 3 years ago

    Go Ubisoft!

    Assassin's Creed predictions: The series will end in a fourth game - in which you will play a parkour-trained Jedi... (!)

  • Baranga #43 3 years ago

    Yo, add Collapse to the action list. That game seems to be da bomb.

  • coomber #44 3 years ago

    @ Spekingur - No, in Game 4 you'll wake up as Solid Snake and realise it was all just a dream....

  • TravisTouchdown #45 3 years ago

    House of the Dead: Overkill. Let's talk about that. Oh, hold the phone. Inevitable dog shit.

    I can't remember what my next point was. Possibly that there are actually loads of wonderful games coming out, and anyone that moans about the state of things is a fanny.

    Possibly. But God's wounds, you people.

  • TravisTouchdown #46 3 years ago

    And also notable: ChadSexington is a cock knocking fuck nut.

    Seriously.
    Edited by 1 at 16/01/09 @ 22:48

  • Rash' #47 3 years ago

    "Where the FUCK is God Of War 3?"

    I second that. Final Fantasy XIII was never going to make this year and that took RPG so the lack of God of War on this list is poor on your part EG.
    Edited by 1 at 16/01/09 @ 23:18

  • Grayvern #48 3 years ago

    Beyond Good and Evil 2 /hyperventilates.

    Looking forward to uncharted: amongst thieves too, looks like it could be a good games year after all.

  • fantabulo #49 3 years ago

    LA Noir should be coming out in the next few months, I believe

  • Dan234 #50 3 years ago

    @ChadSexington

    @ Pac-man: so you list a load of shit games, a few that won't ever be released outside of Japan and one interesting one (MadWorld) and that's supposed to validate your argument? Face it, the Wii is shit as a gamer's machine, even Nintendo has abandoned it, preferring to release crap like Wii Fit and Wii Music.

    If you're going to be like that (it's all shit because I say it is), I'm going to post a link to an interview with Maddox, if you want you can read it and tell us where he's wrong.

  • secombe #51 3 years ago

    so you list a load of shit games

    Played them all, have you!? As an example, I imagine most people wrote PES 2007 Wii off from day one, little did they know it turned out to be one of the most original and in-depth sports games released in a long long time.

  • stallion185 #52 3 years ago

    @ Dan234

    That interview was so damn true. Thanks for the link.