Coming Attractions: Shooters & Racing

By Oli Welsh Published 19 January, 2009

What's gunning down the straight in 2009.

After indie and esoterica, sports and music, MMOs and RPGs, fighting and strategy and action and adventure, we conclude our look at what's coming this year with two fields which tend to put refinement ahead of innovation. Can shooters and racing shake themselves up in 2009?

Shooters

We love to have a go at a genre that never seems to tire of depicting a brown monster's face at the end of your gun, but there's more going on in the world of shooters than you might think. As well as spinning off into hybrids so removed they belong elsewhere - Mirror's Edge, Portal, Borderlands, Riddick - the simple Doom-defined gameplay template is being used as a launch pad for new subject matter, new business models and new technologies. The question is, can web games like Battlefield Heroes do enough to break the link between FPS and high-end graphics so that we'll start seeing big shooters for formats other than PS3, 360 and PC? Not this year, it seems.

Star Attraction

Halo 3: ODST
On: 360 / Developer: Bungie / Publisher: Microsoft / Release: Autumn 2009

Strange to think of a Halo game as an unhyped, unheralded underdog. More than strange - unthinkable - for its announcement to be leaked, postponed, teased out, fumbled and eventually made to a Tokyo Game Show audience that didn't particularly care. Once the victor, with ODST Halo finds itself the victim: of an awkward name change, of an unfortunate child-abduction gaffe, of franchise fatigue, of dampened expectations, and mostly of an undignified divorce spat between Microsoft and Bungie. But forget all that.

'Coming Attractions: Shooters & Racing' Screenshot 1

Yes, it's only a brisk three to five hours' entertainment, not counting the new multiplayer maps. That didn't stop Portal topping game of the year lists, including ours. Surely, in 2009, we no longer measure quality by the yard. It's not the contraction in length that interests us, but the contraction in scale.

Halo has always been the ultimate in sci-fi bombast, the epic tale of an invincible superhero and insurmountable odds against the backdrop of a raging interplanetary war. ODST is a side-story, a vignette about a future paratrooper picking cautiously through the rubble of a ruined city after the Covenant leave Earth, looking for his lost comrades. Part shooter, part mystery, the tone of the narrative and the gameplay are necessarily going to be worlds away.

Expect open-world map design, storytelling through playable flashbacks of multiple characters, player-defined waypoints, and even a little light detective work. Oh, and the great Nathan Fillion in the voice cast. Bungie's outrageous talent with muscular, unpredictable combat can be relied on, but this is the super-developer stepping quietly - almost surreptitiously - into new territory for the first time in eight years. That automatically makes Halo 3 ODST the most intriguing and exciting prospect in the shooter genre this year.

Supporting cast (in alphabetical order):

Battlefield Heroes
On: PC / Developer: DICE / Publisher: EA / Out: 2009

Delays to this small-scale freebie reboot of Battelfield are surprising in theory, but not in practice - combining social network website, strategy meta-game, MMO advancement and RPG skills with an ebullient cartoon deathmatch shooter is a tricksy and ambitious project. Battlefield Heroes is an important tactical play for EA too - along with Sony Online's Free Realms and id's Quake Zero, we expect it to revolutionise free-to-play gaming this year.

'Coming Attractions: Shooters & Racing' Screenshot 2

BioShock 2: Sea of Dreams
On: PC, 360, PS3 / Developer: 2K Marin / Publisher: 2K Games / Release: late 2009

The prospect of a combined prequel and sequel to 2007's sumptuous arthouse shooter is appropriately thrilling and mysterious. Quite how you expand its vacuum-sealed, snow-globe world and the perfect parable of its story is beyond us, but we'll find out soon. Can't wait, although the move away from ideas hothouse 2K Boston and creator Ken Levine is a cause for concern.

Killzone 2
On: PS3 / Developer: Guerrilla Games / Publisher: Sony / Release: 25th February

After the gratifying extravagance of last year's Resistance and Gears sequels, Killzone 2 comes across almost like an anti-blockbuster: a grim, claustrophobic, demanding tactical shooter that just happens to have sky-high production values. Less sci-fi extravaganza, more gritty future war movie, Killzone 2 leads PS3 shooter fans somewhere other than the 360's coat-tails.

Rage
On: PC, Mac, 360, PS3 / Developer: id / Publisher: EA / Release: we can dream, right?

One of the longest shots for 2009 release that we've included in our Coming Attractions series (and there have been a few). But we love Rage for being everything FPS gaming used to be: a nerd-storm of new engine technology, virtuoso coding, willy-waving texture resolutions, wild promises of untold gameplay freedom, ugly mutants and a Linux version. Plus it will probably beat Duke Nukem Forever to the shops.

Other players:

'Coming Attractions: Shooters & Racing' Screenshot 3

Call of Duty 6 (or Modern Warfare 2) is unlikely to surprise but will deliver - this is a "good" (Infinity Ward) year after all; Operation Flashpoint 2 fights it out with bastard brother ArmA II for the military sim crown; no such problems for F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin, as spiritual sequel becomes actual sequel next month; Quake Live shakes up browser shooting; Gearbox's Aliens: Colonial Marines is still coming in the first quarter, apparently; Nintendo waves The Conduit's Wii graphics in your face, but it remains an unknown quantity; Red Faction: Guerrilla explores new ways of making things fall over; Rebellion does more psycho 'Nam horror in Shellshock 2; there's Tribes-style, sci-fi team shooting in Section 8; Wolfenstein might just resurface; and we wouldn't rule out a new Clancy or two, with Rainbow Six and Ghost Recon both due back on shelves.

Racing

One thing that really surprised us when putting these lists together was the paucity of racing games due out in 2009 - and this after a less-than-stellar year for the genre in 2008. Another surprise was how narrow the selection is, with arcade and kart racers thin on the the ground, a glut of proto-simulators clogging the grid, and a handful of companies dominating the scene. And yet, it was still painful narrowing the choice to five; with experts like Bizarre, Codemasters, Turn 10, Polyphony, SimBin and Sumo weighing in, quality is bound to make up for quantity this year.

Star Attraction

Formula One
On: TBC / Developer: Codemasters Racing / Publisher: Codemasters / Release: 2009

Selling its videogame licence to a small enclave of engineers in the British Midlands - which, come to think of it, is exactly the kind of organisation that builds most of the sport's racing cars - might be one of the better decisions F1 governing body the FIA made last year. We can barely remember a time the world's top motorsport had a game worthy of the name (it would probably the last time Bizarre made one), and Codemasters is bound to change that.

There is no developer with more experience of turning real-world racing into virtual entertainment and evoking the drama of the track. Last year's Race Driver GRID showed Codemasters can add mass market accessibility, an innovative career structure, personal rivalries and presentation that shames games with far bigger budgets to its high-octane brew.

Now the GRID team has been tasked with delivering a world championship experience that can match the excitement of the 2008 season, and a handling model that most people can actually enjoy. We don't know what they're planning, but we wouldn't be surprised to see a few lesser formulae turn up as supporting acts, too, TOCA-style.

The bigger question marks hang over the source material. Can Formula One survive recession, and will the sport's penny-pinching retreat from the technological cutting edge generate the excitement Codemasters needs to feed off? Only one thing is certain - we'd never bet against Bernie Ecclestone.

Supporting cast (in alphabetical order):

Bizarre's mystery racer
On: TBC / Developer: Bizarre Creations / Publisher: Activision Blizzard / Release: 2009

If we knew anything about this at all - beyond the teasing soundbite from an advertising conference, "Mario Kart meets Forza" - it would probably have come top. Bizarre's blend of sensual handling, mouth-watering car porn and smart score-attack mechanics made Project Gotham the world's greatest racing series for four straight games. Activision Blizzard has bought its way straight into tarmac royalty.

Forza Motorsport 3
On: 360 / Developer: Turn 10 / Publisher: Microsoft / Release: 2009

This one isn't officially announced yet but leaked images, a regular two-year schedule and some large holes in Microsoft's 360 line-up for the year make it more than likely. Forza has nosed ahead of Gran Turismo in the eyes of handling aficionados now and the custom-paint trade is one of gaming's most fascinating subcultures. That said, we'll certainly be looking for a more diverting structure from this next instalment.

'Coming Attractions: Shooters & Racing' Screenshot 4

Fuel
On: 360, PS3, PC / Developer: Asobo / Publisher: Codemasters / Release: Summer 2009

In the absence of a sequel to the wonderful Test Drive Unlimited (Atari has ruled it out for 2009), this will have to do. Also French, and also open-world on a massive scale, Fuel presents vast tracts of procedurally-generated wasteland for off-road exploration and racing. It's an unknown quantity, but it's different, and you have to assume Codemasters knew what it was doing when it signed this.

Gran Turismo 5
On: PS3 / Developer: Polyphony Digital / Publisher: Sony / Release: 2009

Really? Yes, really. Kazunori Yamauchi is coy, but Sony suits in the US and Europe are confident we'll see this at the end of the year. And say what you like about AI or damage - as a tech demo, the latest Gran Turismo is always hair-raising, eye-disbelieving stuff, and as a fastidiously detailed love letter to the automobile, GT5 will surely be peerless. As for the PSP version? Who knows.

Other players:

'Coming Attractions: Shooters & Racing' Screenshot 6

A very special mention for Bizarre's "racing and driving" Bond game, due in September - now that's what we call smart licensing; ditto for the arrival of SimBin's superb sims on console with the 360's Race Pro; ditto again for OutRun Online Arcade, hopefully another brilliant Sumo home version in high-def and download form; Burnout Paradise gets an "ultimate box" (cheap, all the DLC) and a PC version; Need For Speed needs to go back to the drawing board (again); System 3's Ferrari racer goes non-denominational with Supercar Challenge; maybe Vin Diesel's magic grunt can enliven Midway's The Wheelman; which reminds us, what's Reflections up to for Ubisoft?

Picture of Oli.

About Oli Welsh

Oli is Eurogamer's acting deputy editor and reviews editor and likes to take things one word at a time. He is among the best dressed people in South London.

Read more articles from Oli by visiting the Oli Welsh archive page.

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Comments (109) Latest comment 3 years ago

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

  • DFawkes #1 3 years ago

    Strange choice to bunch in together, but still nice read :)

  • Moonprince #2 3 years ago

    lol at star attraction. Halo? Seriously..? As much as I love it... common...

  • stevetuck #3 3 years ago

    sooo some really bad GTA and a Halo 3 exspansion are the 2 best games to look forward to this year? :/ lets hope MadWorld is good cus its not looking too great :D
    Edited by 1 at 19/01/09 @ 14:23

  • Ignatius_Cheese #4 3 years ago

    Bioshock 2 is a sequel AND prequel, or did I miss something completely there...?

    Surely The Chronicles of Riddick deserves more than a fleeting mention, seeing as its been pimped to the Nth degree over the past few weeks ;o)

  • OnlyMe #5 3 years ago

    Huh, I'm not even an FPS fan, and I would put Killzone 2 as the star attraction in shooters. Probably because it's the only FPS I eagerly await.

    It's either Bioshock 2 or Killzone 2, but I don't think we know enough about Bioshock 2.

    Bizarre's "Mario Kart meets Forza" sounds like the Virtual Karting games on the Amiga - which were bloody good, if I dare say. http://hol.abime.net/1580
    Edited by 1 at 19/01/09 @ 14:32

  • b00n #6 3 years ago

    Truly looking forward to Forza 3 and Race Pro. I couldn't get into the handling of GRID, no idea why.

  • Rash' #7 3 years ago

    Outrun Online FTW! Oh and maybe Killzone...

  • penhalion #8 3 years ago

    Halo 3zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....wha! uh must have dozed off there!

    Only interesting ones so far have been Killzone 2 (cos it's nearly out at least and looks entertaining) and bioshock 2 (thank thew gods for 360 hard drive installing)

  • Miths #9 3 years ago

    I still find it a bit strange that Eurogamer keeps calling Killzone 2 a tactical shooter, when all the gameplay videos I've seen so far pretty much just shows the player running and gunning, while occasionally ducking behind cover for a second or two.

    Anyway, whether it's a "tactical shooter" or more straight forward it can't be released quickly enough :). I'm mostly in it for the multiplayer though.

  • YobRenoops #10 3 years ago

    You honestly expect us to believe that Halo 3:oDST, an x-pack, is your most anticipated shooter? Really? I mean really? The standouts for me are Killzone 2 (which has seen hype levels hit intergalactic since New Year) and Bioshock 2.

    Admittedly its a year a bit thin on the ground for shooters, which can only be a good thing!

    Agree with the Racers though, F1 and GT5 all the way.

  • Oli Verified Reviews Editor, Eurogamer.net #11 3 years ago

    Ignatius: Riddick was highlighted in our action section on Friday. Bit of a toss-up which section it went in, but the adventure and stealth elements made it not just a pure shooter, we thought.

    And it's precisely because Halo 3 ODST and GTA Chinatown Wars are being dismissed as an expansion to an old game and a "really bad" DS spin-off that we chose to highlight them as star attractions. We think they're both going to be a bit special (we KNOW Chinatown Wars is going to be special), and they deserve more recognition than they're getting.

  • muscleblade #12 3 years ago

    Halo 3 ODST deserves to be on top of this list imo. 3-5 hours of quality gaming sounds good to me.

  • Marshall2008 #13 3 years ago

    Seeing as the original Killzone was a complete abortion of a game I can't see why anyone would be excited by a sequel. Same with RtFoM the first game was crap and the sequel equally as crap.
    Edited by 1 at 19/01/09 @ 14:37

  • Miths #14 3 years ago

    "Truly looking forward to Forza 3 and Race Pro. I couldn't get into the handling of GRID, no idea why. "

    Because it's horribly arcadey? In the bad way with pivot point physics that made you feel like you were rotating rather than turning around corners.

    Oddly enough, despite those very severe flaws, the game still managed to keep my attention for quite a few hours - probably because the actual racing was quite exhilarating and the graphics and damage model pretty spectacular.
    I really do wish Codemasters would get their act together and use a decent physics engine - which is possible even in an arcade racer.

  • muscleblade #15 3 years ago

    "we no longer measure quality by the yard. It's not the contraction in length that interests us, but the contraction in scale"

    I absolutely agree. I hate when games drags on for too long.

  • Xerx3s #16 3 years ago

    As usual, it's as entertaining as ever to see the halo haters squeel in agony.

  • KujiGhost #17 3 years ago

    Is Outrun Online Arcade really coming out at the end of this month? If so, goodbye February!!

  • woodyrulesok #18 3 years ago

    I really hope the new formula one game is good.
    I didn't like the last one.

  • BadBoyBonner #19 3 years ago

    What's happened to Kart Attack?

    [link url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=17 7909
    ]http://ww w.computerandvideogames.com/art...[/link]

    As it would surely have been a must have purchase on Live/PSN - would appreciate a little digging on our behalf Oli.

  • Dizzy #20 3 years ago

    Oh dear. This will get ugly.

    That being said Halo 3 ODST might very well be the biggest release for the hordes of multiplayer fans (on Live).
    Edited by 1 at 19/01/09 @ 15:03

  • Altrezia #21 3 years ago

    Race Pro?
    rFactor 2?
    Sigh, come on guys...

  • Eighthours #22 3 years ago

    terrible single player campaign with no stand out moments...

    Facing off with a Scarab was massively boring, obviously.

  • spekkeh #23 3 years ago

    And it's precisely because Halo 3 ODST and GTA Chinatown Wars are being dismissed as an expansion to an old game and a "really bad" DS spin-off that we chose to highlight them as star attractions.
    Well fair enough, but I reckon you shouldn't call them star attractions then. More like anticipated biggest surprise. Because I have pretty a strong feeling that for most people Killzone 2 will be the star attraction in the FPS genre.
    Edited by 3 at 19/01/09 @ 15:18

  • spekkeh #24 3 years ago

    I remember when Eurogamer was run by Sony fanboys who thought Halo was shit and scored it shit. How these people have changed their tune.

    OH NOES Eurogamer becoming unbiased, call in the SDF, attack their weak spot for massive damage.

  • cyber_nicco #25 3 years ago

    The handling sucked in GRID because there was an almost consumer-friendly amount of understeer dialed into almost every car. I believe they did this to encourage full-throttle, breakaway oversteering, but this is not what you want to do while racing (except in the drift portions). Try the Chevrolet Lacetti is an example of a car that was tuned a bit better in the game, but most every other car understeered like a Volvo road car.

    TOCA 3 suffered from the same thing, while TOCA 2 was somewhat better. I think modeling production cars correctly (understeer and all) is the way to go, but when you give me a (supposedly) race-prepped car complete with splitter and wing, make it untuneable, then you better make the handling model one that I can race with.

  • ligurmatic #26 3 years ago

    At a push, I'd say F1 is the game I'm looking forward to the most this year.

    The prospect of non-F1 racing is interesting (especially the European-based GP2, Formula BMW and Porsche Supercup), but what would be fantastic are some of the forgotten circuits (Magny Cours, Montreal, A1 ring etc) as (let's be realistic) DLC.

  • Xerx3s #27 3 years ago

    Coin-Op: Squeel piggy! Squeel! :D

  • Lemon Project #28 3 years ago

    I've played and finished Killzone 1 and while it's broken it's definitely not an abortion. I enjoyed it overall. Story, the cohesiveness of the world from section to section, the pacing of the game, weapons (as in how loud and violent they are), art style, music, cut scenes and voice work is all top notch. Where it's broken is the platforms' capacity to execute the game. It's no Half Life 2 but it's not as bad as many who've likely not played the game would want to have you believe.

  • Moonprince #29 3 years ago

    Because Halo won't get enough exposure? Common Oli, who the fk you trying to kid?

  • ryohazuki1983 #30 3 years ago

    "Is Outrun Online Arcade really coming out at the end of this month?"

    Where did u read that? good news if so!

  • Ignatius_Cheese #31 3 years ago

    @ Oli - Cheers mister. I've got a brain like a sieve today... o_O

  • Petulant_Radish #32 3 years ago

    Halo’s multiplayer is the most fun multiplayer around, much more fun than COD’s. So I am looking forward to the expansion quite a lot, should be very interesting. I find all the hate for it quite funny really, it must be absolute pony if it is still in the top games played on Live after all this time hey?

  • Dizzy #33 3 years ago

    >I believe most old school PC gamers, FPS lovers, see Halo as just a "better than average" shooter.

    Maybe so.. but the strength and uniqueness of Halo FPS is obviously that it has drawn in a big crowd of not-so-hardcore players. Just like COD4 BTW. Besides that it is just great fun.

  • M4RKYB #34 3 years ago

    Anyone know where the next Battlefield BC style multiplayer shooter will come from for the 360? My buddies and I have played that to death this year and loved every minute but need something new. Much prefer the wide open maps and vehicle combat of Battlefield compared to the relatively close quarters arenas of COD. Not that we didn't play COD4 to death of course.

  • KujiGhost #35 3 years ago

    ryohazuki1983: I read it here. I hope that poster is accurate!

  • Widge #36 3 years ago

    Halo IS better than COD

  • Rash' #37 3 years ago

    I'm sorry, ordinarily I wouldn't have a bad word to say against Halo but this new expanse (for that is what it is); how much do we know about it and Bioshock 2? Nothing. No God of War 3, but these games we haven't had any concrete info or pics of are "Star Attractions"? hmmm. My cynical mind is working overtime.

  • Dave52 #38 3 years ago

    "And it's precisely because Halo 3 ODST and GTA Chinatown Wars are being dismissed as an expansion to an old game and a "really bad" DS spin-off that we chose to highlight them as star attractions."

    This just doesn't make any sense whatsoever... Why didn't you make Wii Music game of the year then - because everyone was slagging it off... Killzone 2 has to be the most anticipated shooter of 2008. And you wonder why Eurogamer is thought of as biased towards XBox...

  • Krelle #39 3 years ago

    What are those GTAs and Halos you speak of Oli? Thanks for putting such indie-like titles into light (y)

  • Yossarian #40 3 years ago

    Halo 3: ODST is absolutely the right pick for those who have been paying attention, although Bungie never really said it would be "three to five hours' entertainment".

  • El_MUERkO #41 3 years ago

    the halo expansion gets more love than CoD6?! where are your priorities?!

  • ryohazuki1983 #42 3 years ago

    Cheers KujiGhost, hopefully we'll have a confirmed date, as it's approaching end of the month!
    Edited by 1 at 19/01/09 @ 15:49

  • HolyJebus #43 3 years ago

    God ye are a bunch of moaning idiots.

  • Yossarian #44 3 years ago

    "the halo expansion gets more love than CoD6?! where are your priorities?!"

    One of the most dynamic, replayable, and sandbox-oriented shooters in existence introduces hub-and-spoke exploration and new storytelling mechanics, all the while drizzling it with glorious gobs of fanservice (ODST is basically a love letter to those who follow the Halo fiction). Meanwhile the masses clamour for more glorified, 'realistic' shooting galleries. Gaming's in the toilet.

  • sneetch #45 3 years ago

    I'm very interested in Halo 3: AD&D, wait, ODST? Screw that then, I thought I'd finally be able to roll my fighter/cleric to take on the covenant. ;(

    Only the single player portion would be of interest to me, I don't play Halo multiplayer so whether or not I bite depends on the overall cost. I'm not spending that much on a glorified expansion that takes three to five hours to complete (which is most likely towards the three hour mark).

    Mind you as Bungie seem to think that three maps are worth $10 I'm not betting on good value for money here, particularly as "Bungie has previously told us that Recon will have plenty of replayability in the form of Achievements and four-player co-op, plus new multiplayer maps and perhaps modes". Anyone up for grinding the same game again and again for Achievements? Didn't think so.

    [link url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/halo-3-recon -only-3-5-hours-long
    ]http://ww w.eurogamer.net/articles/halo-3...[/link]

    Either way a light game with some multi-player maps seems an odd choice for Star Attraction. Oh well, to each their own.

    Call of Duty 6, Operation Flashpoint 2, Aliens: Colonial Marines and The Conduit would be above it in my list. And Battlefield Heroes, depending on how much they try to nickle-and-dime us.

  • miiiguel #46 3 years ago

    "And you wonder why Eurogamer is thought of as biased towards XBox..."
    If you look carefully the whole world is biased towards Xbox games-wise (like it was towards PS2 in the '90s). The world must be wrong..., right?

  • Petulant_Radish #47 3 years ago

    “Anyone up for grinding the same game again and again for Achievements? Didn't think so.”

    Hmmmm…

  • Dave52 #48 3 years ago

    @ miiiguel: "The world must be wrong..., right?"

    That's not what I said, if a Halo Expansion deserved to be above KZ2 in the list - no problems, but you can't tell me that it is a more anticipated release for 2008, because it just isn't. As someone has already said, COD6 probably deserves to be above the new Halo. I have no problem with the popularity of the Xbox, I just think Eurogamer has it wrong in this instance...

  • septimus #49 3 years ago

    I love the 360 coat tails comment. FFS EG, ffs. Especially after Halol3. Just hope ODST can redeem it a bit. Funny how the series went in order of shitness (Halo being awesome).

    Anyway, Riddick is the one I'm still looking forward to most out of that little lot.
    Edited by 1 at 19/01/09 @ 16:11

  • ryohazuki1983 #50 3 years ago

    lol, its obvious what's going on, EG put halo as the "star" to ensure the article gets hits! Didn't anybody read those editorials?

    These articiles are always good for a laugh though. Does it really matter what EG put in the "star" section, surely they should of just produced a list but that wouldn't of caused the controversy.

  • Widge #51 3 years ago

    Why on earth is this bickering about list placing. Its hardly certifies "best shit ever" in the history of mankind. Its a list saying "here is some stuff coming out this year".

  • Gurrah #52 3 years ago

    Battlefield Heroes, wasn't that supposed to go live last summer?

  • miiiguel #53 3 years ago

    "lol, its obvious what's going on, EG put halo as the "star" to ensure the article gets hits! Didn't anybody read those editorials? "
    That's probably true, but one should admit that Halo popularity is due to, maybe, more to haters than lovers. You (*they*) brought that that upon yourselvs, imo.
    Edited by 1 at 19/01/09 @ 16:18

  • Dave52 #54 3 years ago

    @Farticus: "We get it. We get that all PS3 owners have an irrational fear and hatred of Halo."

    Not true, I have Halo 1 and 2 (admitedly for the PC), and I thought they were both excellent games. I appreciate that there is an army of Halo Fans, but I still cannot believe that EG put it before KZ2 in this list. Plain and simple...

  • Isere #55 3 years ago

    Nicely done EG, good boy.

  • Yossarian #56 3 years ago

    "It's just an expantion packaged as a stand-alone game."

    In this, or any other year, an expantion (sic) to Halo 3 is more interesting to me than any other shooter you care to name that isn't made by a studio called Valve. This is an interim pet project from some of the longest-serving Bungie staffers, rounding out a piece of the fiction that has been speculated about but never previously revealed; it's a loving, elegant piece of fan service with new mechanics (hub-and-spoke, 'slick' vision, new health mechanics, new weapons, new protagonist, new characters, new story, new storytelling, new multiplayer maps, new multiplayer modes, and maybe more), the idea for which Bungie brought to Microsoft and not the other way around. It's a labour of love for those who care ("Love, Bungie" indeed). It's absolutely my star attraction, and I'm pleased it's EG's too.

  • Dave52 #57 3 years ago

    @Farticus: "If KZ2 was on the 360 you would not have batted an eyelid"

    Untrue. If KZ2 was on 360, I would still be very excited about it and would probably consider getting a 360 just for that game. It looks truly amazing - it really does. Please don't assume to know what I think...

  • miiiguel #58 3 years ago

    Well, next year when Bungie goes multi-plat with some sort of Halo-ish game, we'll live happily ever after, after all ;)

  • Lujo #59 3 years ago

    you....you...you called...Halo 3: ODST as star attraction...before Killzone 2?

    ...

    .....

    I'm at a lack of words.

  • assache #60 3 years ago

    "lol at star attraction. Halo? Seriously..? As much as I love it... common... "

    Totally agree!

    I'm personaly hoping Killzone 2 finally makes me buy that damned PS3.

  • Dave52 #61 3 years ago

    @Farticus: "Double standards are never attractive"

    Touche... I think "Tactical" has been attached to KZ2 because it's not just run and gun and the AI is shaping up to be a little more intuitive than your avarage FPS. We won't know for sure until we play it Iiguess...

    Still think it should be the Star Attraction..

    "Nicely done EG, good boy" - LOL...!

  • Tetsuo_Shima #62 3 years ago

    "It has the absolute best gameplay ever in an FPS"

    Not to denigrate Halo 3, it was fun (in small doses), but please explain to me how it has the 'absolute best gameplay ever'. As far as I could tell, it consisted of POINT, SHOOT, RUN with the occasional refreshing POINT, SHOOT, DRIVE, and none of those three actions were realised particularly well. The guns felt like cheap plastic crap, the vehicle sections were all too fleeting and there was a hell of a lot of running. Admittedly a decent game overall, but hardly the towering benchmark to which all FPS games must aspire.
    Even as a 360 owner, Killzone 2 interests me more; I enjoyed the first one, and, with any luck, KZ2 (coupled with GT5) will be good enough to persuade me into buying a PS3.

    On the subject of GT5, surely that must be the most eagerly anticipated racing game of 2009? Forza 2 was a mere pretender to the GT crown, and I've never heard anything about this Formula One game in my puff. Also, why EG anticipate a 2009 release for Forza 3 is beyond me; Forza 2 took an age and a day to finally come out.

  • Widge #63 3 years ago

    Gameplaywise, HalfLife 2 has been the best I've come across. Storytelling wise it sucked though.
    Ah, I was playing on PC though and apparently that owns all when it comes to FPS.

  • Widge #64 3 years ago

    Oh and RE: killzone 2. I think the tactical tag has come from the mouth of Mr Whitehead here. Considering he's played the thing and probably isn't shitting it for the japes, I'll go with him. Best opinion will be mine once I get it in my hands next month.

    I know nothing of this new Halo so can't comment on that.

  • Moonprince #65 3 years ago

    Farti - I've played all the Halo's, even read all the books. Games great. But ODST as star attraction, even above OF2? And the rest on top? That's just bs.

  • muscleblade #66 3 years ago

    "I know nothing of this new Halo so can't comment on that."

    Then you dont know what youre missing out on. Good for you i guess.

  • FooAtari #67 3 years ago

    "Race Pro?
    rFactor 2?
    Sigh, come on guys..."

    +1

  • niteninja #68 3 years ago

    Halo 3.5 main shooter of 09 no chance.
    Killzone2,operation flashpoint2,fear2 all better than halo

  • DrDamn #69 3 years ago

    @Tetsuo_Shima
    "On the subject of GT5, surely that must be the most eagerly anticipated racing game of 2009? Forza 2 was a mere pretender to the GT crown, and I've never heard anything about this Formula One game in my puff. Also, why EG anticipate a 2009 release for Forza 3 is beyond me; Forza 2 took an age and a day to finally come out."

    Oh now you've done it... you seriously can't complain about the Forza development times can you? GT5 - how long? GT PSP?

    "Then I saw the gameplay videos. Tactical my arse. It's just like any other WWII shooter."

    It is very difficult to judge tactics from game play vids where you have no idea about the skill of the player and difficulty settings. Early gameplay vids were from show floors and were all set to play on easy for example. Halo really comes into it's own tactically when you up the difficulty levels no? Otherwise you can plod on through like any other shooter - I know cos I've plodded :).

  • mikeck #70 3 years ago

    "We get it. We get that all PS3 owners have an irrational fear and hatred of Halo. Hell, the first thing a PS3 owner gets fed into their freshly washed brain is how much they hate Halo, it's not even a choice. "

    Not true. I have a PS3 and 360, I do enjoy Halo 3, sure I don't think it's as awesome as some people think, but it's a competent shooter certainly, and good fun, but there is no 'irrational fear' of Halo from me. I've contributed to three rounds of closed beta for KZ2 and the multiplayer is excellent, best multiplayer shooter fun I've had to date, so it's my most anticipated shooter of the year, but I don't see anything wrong with EG stating ODTS is their most anticipated no.

  • GamesConnoisseur #71 3 years ago

    Anyone remember how Resistance 2 turned out? More to the point long before the playtests and previewers get in their words, there was a lot of 'ohh its looked cool and just you wait...'.

    I did enjoy Killzone 1 but was well known that they tried to do a Halo killer but failed big time due to the hardware limitation, still it was a fun game but only played it once. Killzone 2 is certainly on my radar and a must buy but have a fear of its not matching expectations.

    Will be glad to be proven wrong, Halo on the other hand is a known quantity and have a good following, seem to me its cool to bash halo in the same way its currently cool to bash PS3! Dont like it then dont buy it! Halo 3 was great fun but its just didnt make me get back to it enough. Halo3 did overtake COD4 in XBL after a long while of strong dominance from COD4. Both are a great multiplayer games with their fans.

  • Widge #72 3 years ago

    I'm sure I can live with it you know, not world ending stuff

  • Rash' #73 3 years ago

    i'm not that bothered about this list either, i would really appreciate an explanation for GoW3's omission.

  • Numbat #74 3 years ago

    DIRT 2! I've checked twice and can't see Dirt 2 mentioned! Maybe I've gone blind. I'm really looking forward to this and can't believe it hasn't been mentioned ahead of Fuel etc. Dirt 1 was good and have played it a lot, so have high hopes for this.

  • Dizzy #75 3 years ago

    "As far as I could tell, it consisted of POINT, SHOOT, RUN with the occasional refreshing POINT, SHOOT, DRIVE, and none of those three actions were realised particularly well"

    Oh man... the tears are flowing. QQ

  • dryden555 #76 3 years ago

    I'm not convinced Bungie is interested in making good games after the waves of cash came in for the higher-ups for Halo 1 and 2.

  • merkdot #77 3 years ago

    No way I'm going near that F1 game.

    Codemasters will take the money and use it to sue people.

  • bad09 #78 3 years ago

    LOL at all the Halo haters, I'm sure EG knew what they were doing there! :)

    "As far as I could tell, it consisted of POINT, SHOOT, RUN with the occasional refreshing POINT, SHOOT, DRIVE, and none of those three actions were realised particularly well"

    Hmmm, the Halo I played became quite a tactical shooter which made you think about how you tackled the levels, did you play on legendary mode? It makes a world of difference to the AI and how you play.

    Anyway, looking good with plenty of decent shooters (FFS PLEASE someone, anyone put the guns on a craft or something. Please just SOMETHING that doesn't involve watching a shotgun bob up and down on the screen!) and racers.

    Can't say I'd put that expansion pack top though, for me Aliens is mostly the star attraction, mostly....

  • roz123 #79 3 years ago

    Nice list, looking forward to most of it. But where is Half-Life 2: Episode Three?

    I dunno if it will be out this year. Maybe but i think they are going to take some time with it.

  • hiddenranbir #80 3 years ago

    No wonder deserving games that don't have as much financial muscle just slip right past us. They could be the best damn games of their genre. FFS.

  • secombe #81 3 years ago

    Any news on the "Ferrari Project" being worked on by the original SimBin guys (now Blimey!), been in development for years.

  • Dodgymat #82 3 years ago

    I wouldn't be surprised one bit if Formula 1 ends up just like DiRT or GRiD. All looks, auto brakes and zero handling. Definitely a case of style over substance. Last time I played an F1 game was F1 '97.... and I'm an F1 nut. No surprise it was made by Bizarre, they truly are gods amongst men when it comes to driving games.

    Just Outrun Arcade & Bizarre's mystery racer for me then :(

  • spudsbuckley #83 3 years ago

    I didn't even know about the Halo 3 expansion pack till this feature. Can't wait for another 5 hours of running to the end of a level, hitting a switch and running back to the beginning of the same level with The Flood attacking me. Revolutionary gameplay -_-

    CoD4 shat all over Halo 3 and CoD6 will shit all over Halo3:ABC123babyyouandmegirl

  • TheComedian #84 3 years ago

    I'm looking forward to Colonial Marines and Riddick mostly, but I'm not too fussed about ODST being top. Although I have no idea how they're going to tackle a stealthy Halo, I'm sure they'll do a great job.

  • El-Dev #85 3 years ago

    "If you look carefully the whole world is biased towards Xbox games-wise (like it was towards PS2 in the '90s). The world must be wrong..., right?"

    Wasn't the ps2 released in 2000?

  • ChadSexington #86 3 years ago

    "Forza has nosed ahead of Gran Turismo in the eyes of handling aficionados now"

    I'm sorry, what? Who are these 'aficionados'? People who have never driven a car? Do they play with a pad for a more authentic experience? Or use the retarded 360 wheel?

    Eurogamer spouts some shit, but this really takes the biscuit.

  • aphexstwin #87 3 years ago

    gt5 is gunna have to be good in order to upset the forza applecart, and i say that as a gt fan too. but f3 is gunna need to be more substantial in its offline game than f2 was. adding circuits and cars is okay for dlc to keep the online side happy but they should be on the disk imo. i also felt that while the handling was great on f2, the real-world circuits were miles better on gt4 (the last proper gt), especially the ring; bumpy and challenging on gt4 to surprisingly flat and featureless (and not true to the circuit either) on f2. i make these judgements as a ms wireless/logi ff ex wheel user btw

    no tdu2 atari? for shame.

    codies, f1 to be a sim please. you make it like grid and alqaeda'll be round.

    and kz2 for the shooter win please euroflamer. after bigging it up for weeks you really neednt pander to the green side thats got its sights set elsewhere. dont know where that may be, but you can all see the comments made about it!

  • ChadSexington #88 3 years ago

    I liked Forza 2, but to say that its handling is in anyway realistic is to not understand how cars or physics work.
    Edited by 1 at 19/01/09 @ 22:27

  • Diomedes #89 3 years ago

    So Halo 3 DLC is the Star instead of Killzone 2 uh ?
    Oh Eurogamer ,why are you such a bunch of fanboys ?

  • Corben_Dallas #90 3 years ago

    Race Pro should be top.(potentially)

    Codemasters once had the balls to put out GT5/ Forza 'sim' racers like the early Colin McRaes, but they've been 'americanised' putting out too user friendly muck with very dodgy arcade handling Read GRID

  • Spekingur #91 3 years ago

    Just pointing out that Halo 3 multiplayer is the most played game on the XBox Live.

    [sarcasm]
    That obviously makes the game extremely bad! All those players are just wrong!
    [/sarcasm]

  • Pro_Gamer #92 3 years ago

    LOL at Sony fanboys. You bought the wrong console hehe.

  • tomnol #93 3 years ago

    We can barely remember a time the world's top motorsport had a game worthy of the name

    F1 CE was rather excellent. I know EG didn't think so, but it was.

    As for that Halo game: Seems MS's and Bungie's little 'They did not allow us to tell you about our awesome new game' publicity stunt worked after all. Still nice to see Halo evangelists get all riled up about a little piss taking again. You guys are so touchy.

  • Widge #94 3 years ago

    I'd rather DiRT2 than Forza or GT5. I end up buying these racing sims because they are so raved about, playing about 25% of them before getting bored. Much more fun taking it all off road!

  • FooAtari #95 3 years ago

    GT5 and Forza can't compete with the best sims on the PC.

    But I would say GT5 has a better physics model than Forza. But until it includes damage and half-decent AI Forza will have the edge as a complete game. However I expect Race Pro to easily better them both.

    As for codies and their F1 game, if it follows the same model as GRID and to some extent DIRT I don't expect much from it. The excellent user created mods for rfactor are better than any F1 games that has been released for the 5+ years. It's pretty shameful for these large professional studious to be outdone by some amateur (although very talented) modders.

  • mkreku #96 3 years ago

    No mention of White Gold, Dead Island, Chrome 2, The Precursors, Cryostasis, Ground Branch, They Hunger and so on and so forth.

    Great research guys. Really great. Keep reading those big company hype press releases. Much easier than actually doing any research on your own, huh? Why bother with anything but EA/Ubisoft/Atari, right?

    Yeah, an expansion pack to one of the most overhyped games ever must really be the highlight of the year. Right.

  • DrDamn #97 3 years ago

    @Spekingur
    "Just pointing out that Halo 3 multiplayer is the most played game on the XBox Live."

    The stat was actually based on the most indiviual players who played Halo 3 whilst connected to Live in 2008 - so single player and multiplayer. Not on time played or specifically multiplayer. In terms of time played I would be very surprised if it managed to beat CoD4 as that was getting top of the monthly charts so much MS stopped releasing the stats.

    Whilst I can see the point that Halo ODST looks to be just DLC to some it is a significant enough release to warrant it's place atop of the list. It is an extension of the best selling game on the 360. It is also an interesting switch from the normal franchise and so anticipation and promise is high. It will out sell just about everything else - plain and simple. The only other title which has a chance of selling more is the return of Infinity Ward with CoD6 but that is spread across two+ formats.

  • spudsbuckley #98 3 years ago

    No mention of White Gold, Dead Island, Chrome 2, The Precursors, Cryostasis, Ground Branch, They Hunger and so on and so forth.

    If any of those were being produced by indie devs then they'd get a two page feature to themselves. That's what Eurogamer has become.

  • TheTingler #99 3 years ago

    YobRenoops: "which has seen hype levels hit intergalactic since New Year"

    I think that's another reason why Eurogamer didn't choose it as top. Every games website seems to be picking it for their Most Wanted FPS, so I'm glad Eurogamer is different. Moreso, which I'm glad a couple of people pointed out before me, Killzone was very mediocre, and the hype is in real danger of running away with itself.

    That said, I agree that Halo WTF shouldn't have been the top spot, for pretty much the same reasons.

    I'd personally pick either Wolfenstein, FEAR2, Rage or Bioshock 2, and FEAR2 would probably get it because it's the only one that I've seen more than a vague trailer and a few screenshots for.
    Edited by 1 at 20/01/09 @ 10:15

  • Machetazo #100 3 years ago

    "Star Attraction

    Halo 3: ODST"

    Come on, please, I'm begging you now, to look at the stupidity in what you've just typed. I can barely think of anything "colder" in the genre than the Halo, um whatever that thing is supposed to be.

  • Widge #101 3 years ago

    I do hope Bioshock 2 turns out to be good, the first is about the only interesting FPS I've played this gen.

  • Dizzy #102 3 years ago

    TBH I don't think there should be a sequel to Bioshock. The game was done. Closure.

    For me more L4D DLC is probably the highlight of the year (together with Halo DLC and the new Wolfenstein)

  • ChadSexington #103 3 years ago

    "GT5p is an arcade racer, pure and simple. Forza is as close to a sim as a console has ever had. They are not even in the same genre so comparisions are pointless."

    Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha...

    Ahem. You sir, are an idiot.

  • TheTingler #104 3 years ago

    Dizzy: I'm glad someone else is looking forward to the new Wolfenstein. It's just the break I need from all these serious WW2 games...

  • Tetsuo_Shima #105 3 years ago

    DrDamn - "you seriously can't complain about the Forza development times can you? GT5 - how long? GT PSP? "

    I never said the GT5 development time was acceptable, in fact it's even worse than Forza 2s (I'm sure I saw GT5 - Prologue Spec 3 as a top seller in japan. 3???), I was just pointing out how ridiculous it is for EG to speculate a 2009 release for Forza 3.

    And Dizzy, yes there are tears. Tears that I payed 40 odd squid for a mediocre game.

  • FooAtari #106 3 years ago

    "If it had ANY pretentions to be a sim whatsoever it would not let you railride or bounce off other cars as a cornering strategy, it would have some form of damage modelling and it would not have such dire opponent AI.

    GT has not changed in the last 3 or 4 iterations, and has become very tired and old-fashioned."

    I did say it had a terrible damage model, and even worse AI.

    But the cars handle more realistically than they do in Forza.

    And I agree in GT not changing in 3 or 4 iterations. It has essentially been the same game since GT3. It badly needs more than yet another face lift and another 100 cars, many of which are iterations of the same model.

    Still, doesn't exactly make it an arcade game.
    Edited by 1 at 20/01/09 @ 15:44

  • aphexstwin #107 3 years ago

    Foo - forza IS the more complete game, when its against gt5p. but i still prefer gt4 but only slightly, because i think the circuits have real texture - a feel to them. nurburgring in real life is really bumpy and using a wheel, you can feel cambers affecting the front wheels. in f2 the ring is smooth, even the runway straight on sebring, known to be a car breaker, feels like you float around it. then you have the nissan speedway. the corners are cambered to keep from turning the wheel, but if, when using the ms 'effort' you leave go of the wheel, straight ahead you go. drive on daytona on the 'inferior' gt5p with a racing wheel and let go round a corner, the car steers itself. granted, the corner has a maximum 'no hands' speed but at least the element of RL fizzicks are there

    but i still stand by my OP which was gt5 is gunna have to be spectacularly super awesome to lure fans away from forza 3, let alone race pro

  • Tetsuo_Shima #108 3 years ago

    It's not the quality of the driving experience that makes me prefer GT over Forza 2 (not entirely, anyway) but just that the format and layout of the game, the way the tournaments are arranged and the car class system, feel a bit strange. Mostly, it lacks the enterprising nature of the GT games; no used car market, far too many prize cars and overly generous cash rewards take all the excitement out for me. Forcing you to race through the seemingly limitless number of variations on the test track when you start out doesn't win it any favours either.
    Also, the most glaring weakness is the dire shortage of tracks to race on. GT4 had about 50 odd tracks, Forza 2 has about 7 and means you end up racing on the same track every other tournament.
    It's a shame, because the driving experience, whilst not 'better' than GT's, was really fun in itself. Plenty of wheelspin and sideways movement makes for really hairy races (especially online), it's just a shame the car and track restrictions make it a limited experience.

    Bring on the GT5.

  • Law07 #109 3 years ago

    farticus you are a hypocrite. I seriously think you just go and bash every single PS3 exclusive regardless. You say you lost interest in Killzone 2 because it was just "run and gun" then go onto to praise Halo 3 for the "best gameplay" when it is much like you say Killzone is?

    mhm, makes sense.