Eurogamer Expo: Top 10 Games
As voted for by you.
=2. Resident Evil 5
And...
=2. Killzone 2
- Guerrilla
- PS3
- Out in February
We told you it was tight at this end of the table. Despite a huge percentage of attendees putting their names to a favourite game, there isn't a single vote to spare between Resident Evil 5 and Killzone 2. Very different games, the one thing that unites them is that you won't be able to buy either until next year, and we're very grateful that Capcom and Sony were prepared to let you get your hands on them so early. After the critical success of Resident Evil 4, the fifth game seems to have lost little of its appeal to series fans despite being transplanted to a new African setting and - gasp - daylight gameplay. Familiar, oppressive controls and atmosphere, and some promising co-op elements, were among the things our conversations around the pods suggest are appealing to you lot, but we suspect the series' nearly 35 million sales have built up a bit of loyalty too.
Killzone, of course, has nothing like that to fall back on, but with nearly 17 million PS3 owners around the world desperate for Guerrilla to deliver on the promise of that CG trailer back in 2005, there's a comparable sense of excitement. The multiplayer components are elaborate and extensive, binding discrete sessions together through customisation and reward systems. It's an evolution of principles embodied by Call of Duty 4, to some extent, but the single-player game arguably owes Infinity Ward a greater debt, from our experience, as it assembles a tightly-staged succession of dramatic in-game events and drives you through the middle of them with a fancy gun. For those of you who played it at the Expo, you might be interested to learn that the build of the game on display was several months old. We'll be heading to Holland soon to catch up with the latest tweaks.
1. Mirror's Edge
We're surprised. Not because Mirror's Edge is a dull game - it's a fascinating attempt to repurpose mechanics in a way that nobody else has dared. Not because Mirror's Edge is a risky proposition - after all, last year's biggest games included Portal, BioShock, Crackdown and Mass Effect, and this year looks to be ruled by the likes of LittleBigPlanet, so new IP is definitely hitting home. But we are surprised, because Mirror's Edge is the sort of game that you have to really work with to get. No doubt you'll be filling in more of your impressions now that the demo's available on PlayStation Network and Xbox Live, but if the game's reception at the Expo is anything to go by, the new-look EA is not just delivering on John Riccitiello's aim to produce new games in addition to the usual rush of sequels, but capable of turning out original ideas in the process. Whether or not the finished game stands up to extended inspection, we want more of this please, EA. Thanks.
And thanks to all of you who voted.