I'm not purchasing a 360 or stepping into the next generation until I feel the time is right. Ordinarily, you'd expect to be seeing the remnants of the current generation drying up as the industry gears up to move on, but there's a surprisingly large amount of high quality software due from now until the end of the year.
Are there any other people who are embracing the current generation while everyone else and the media goes potty for the 360, PS3 et al?
While I realise some of these games will feature on the next-gen machines, all of them included will mainly be for the generation we have now (PC included).
What games are you looking forward to in the next three months? I'd like to know.
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These are mine over the next two and a half months (formats listed are those versions I'm aiming for):
Shadow of the Colossus (PS2) (Little needs to be said about this. We all know the deal. It has the potential to provide another dreamlike world to exist in)
Liberty City Stories (PSP) (breaking new ground for handheld gaming in perhaps being the most technically-able game to exist for the PSP, its also covering new areas for the series through the introduction of several multiplayer modes, and of course, offering up a single-player which is reported to be up to the standards of what we'd expect from Rockstar)
Fable: The Lost Chapters (Xbox) (I never got around to fully playing the original after a busy 2004, so with the refinement and extra content promised, I'm looking forward to moving beyond the first two hours I saw)
Pro Evolution Soccer 5 (PSP) (I know this has got a mixed reception on the forums and elsewhere, but I'm hoping Konami improve matters for the UK release of the finest football series around)
Genji (PS2) (a game that was announced at the same time of Colossus to the world, ever since its intrigued me, and with Capcom not releasing anything Onimusha-related this winter, I'm looking forward to another action-adventure Samurai a-thon)
Fear (PC) (Along with a certain other first-person-shooter expansion/sequel, this is the big PC release of the year, and from the trailer I saw, it really does look like it could do what Doom 3 promised and failed to deliver. Provide a chilling and scary first-person experience)
The Warriors (PS2) (Being a big fan of the film I've been hearing good reports on this, and the recent previews over the last few weeks in Eurogamer have whet my appetite. Rockstar are usually on top of their game when it comes to referencing film material, so I'm expecting this to be well above the usual licensed tat)
Psychonauts (Xbox) (If THQ ever decide to realise Psychonauts, I'll get to see what all the fuss is about, and why people are saying that this, along with Fahrenheit, is the future of the evolved graphic adventure. After reading Spatial's review a number of weeks ago, I really can't wait)
The Movies (PC) (I've read a number of interesting reports on this, and having seen a recent trailer, I contain hopes that this is going to rise well above the usual Molyenux inflated hype. I've always wondered what it would be like to play a caricature take on the wheeling and dealings that go on in the film world, and this looks like it's going to be the business -painful pun-)
Half-Life 2 (Xbox) (After having my enthusiasm for Half-Life 2 somewhat diminished by the stuttering I've experienced with it over the last few months, I'm looking forward to playing through the game nice and smoothly, even at the cost of maximum technical flare. After the wonders that Ubisoft pulled with the development of Far Cry on the 'box, it'll be interesting to see how Valve, arguably the genre's masters, respond.
Half-Life 2: Aftermath (PC) (This has to be the biggest direct gaming sequel of the year, and returning to City 17 to meet familiar faces -hello Alyx-, and watch it fall into chaos is a highly enticing prospect)
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (DVD/UMD) (Not strictly game-related I know, but I've still not seen the fan-subbed renditions of the film, so I'm hoping to hell and back SquareEnix don't employ terrible voice actors and mess the English release up, a la every other spoken-word Final Fantasy game you care to mention. VII is one of my most treasured gaming experiences, and I can't wait to return to its world)
Soul Calibur III (PS2) (I thought the series lost it's way with II, but after recently playing a demo of this, there are signs Namco may be getting back on track)
Elder Scrolls: Oblivion (PC) (Could be the sleeper-hit blockbuster of this year. Everyone knows about it, but as of now, no one is truly aware of how good it's actually going to be. A free-form, luscious fantasy world, which you can lose yourself in, coupled to a truly next-generation engine could be the alternative for those looking for GTA-styled gubbins without the modern day content)
Resident Evil 4 Special Edition (PS2) (The Gamecube's star title makes it to the PS2 relatively intact. With the extra content, a generous five hours worth, there's enough here to justify a re-purchase)
King Kong (Xbox) (Jackson and Ancel have teamed up to produce something they're promising will be above the usual film-to-videogame adaptation tosh. Early word has been mixed, though on the positive side. It'll be interesting to see if this, along with The Warriors, will mark a turning point in recent licensed adaptations)
The Sims 2 (PSP) (I never got into the sequel to The Sims when it was released last year, though the chance to play it on the PSP on the go sounds a very appealing prospect. One that's slightly microcosmic too. Deal with the bitchy back stabbing family at Christmas while dealing with the bitchy back stabbing family at Christmas on a screen. Sounds fun)
My My Katamari (PSP) (Having recently completed the original Katamari Damacy, news of the PSP rendition's release this year couldn't have arrived at a better time. More Dung Beetle-style insanity is fine by me, especially when it's on the move)
Prince of Persia 3 (Xbox) (I really couldn't stand Warrior Within. I couldn't get past the goth angst cheese... after the delightfully breezy The Sands of Time, it was a real let down. Unforunately, Ubisoft don't appear to have dropped the hunched-shoulder stubble chinned Prince, though with level design promising to be non-linear, I'm hoping for a return to the explorative driven content that marked Persia's reintroduction to the gaming masses)
Black (Xbox) (I haven't seen a lot of this, bar a brief trailer and a few screens. But it looks amazing. Criterion seem to be one of the most technically adept developers milking the remains of current hardware, which they've coupled to a seemingly unwavering ability to create no nonsense fun. I have high hopes for this)
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Apart from Oblivion, who needs the next console generation yet, eh?
Are there any other people who are embracing the current generation while everyone else and the media goes potty for the 360, PS3 et al?
While I realise some of these games will feature on the next-gen machines, all of them included will mainly be for the generation we have now (PC included).
What games are you looking forward to in the next three months? I'd like to know.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
These are mine over the next two and a half months (formats listed are those versions I'm aiming for):
Shadow of the Colossus (PS2) (Little needs to be said about this. We all know the deal. It has the potential to provide another dreamlike world to exist in)
Liberty City Stories (PSP) (breaking new ground for handheld gaming in perhaps being the most technically-able game to exist for the PSP, its also covering new areas for the series through the introduction of several multiplayer modes, and of course, offering up a single-player which is reported to be up to the standards of what we'd expect from Rockstar)
Fable: The Lost Chapters (Xbox) (I never got around to fully playing the original after a busy 2004, so with the refinement and extra content promised, I'm looking forward to moving beyond the first two hours I saw)
Pro Evolution Soccer 5 (PSP) (I know this has got a mixed reception on the forums and elsewhere, but I'm hoping Konami improve matters for the UK release of the finest football series around)
Genji (PS2) (a game that was announced at the same time of Colossus to the world, ever since its intrigued me, and with Capcom not releasing anything Onimusha-related this winter, I'm looking forward to another action-adventure Samurai a-thon)
Fear (PC) (Along with a certain other first-person-shooter expansion/sequel, this is the big PC release of the year, and from the trailer I saw, it really does look like it could do what Doom 3 promised and failed to deliver. Provide a chilling and scary first-person experience)
The Warriors (PS2) (Being a big fan of the film I've been hearing good reports on this, and the recent previews over the last few weeks in Eurogamer have whet my appetite. Rockstar are usually on top of their game when it comes to referencing film material, so I'm expecting this to be well above the usual licensed tat)
Psychonauts (Xbox) (If THQ ever decide to realise Psychonauts, I'll get to see what all the fuss is about, and why people are saying that this, along with Fahrenheit, is the future of the evolved graphic adventure. After reading Spatial's review a number of weeks ago, I really can't wait)
The Movies (PC) (I've read a number of interesting reports on this, and having seen a recent trailer, I contain hopes that this is going to rise well above the usual Molyenux inflated hype. I've always wondered what it would be like to play a caricature take on the wheeling and dealings that go on in the film world, and this looks like it's going to be the business -painful pun-)
Half-Life 2 (Xbox) (After having my enthusiasm for Half-Life 2 somewhat diminished by the stuttering I've experienced with it over the last few months, I'm looking forward to playing through the game nice and smoothly, even at the cost of maximum technical flare. After the wonders that Ubisoft pulled with the development of Far Cry on the 'box, it'll be interesting to see how Valve, arguably the genre's masters, respond.
Half-Life 2: Aftermath (PC) (This has to be the biggest direct gaming sequel of the year, and returning to City 17 to meet familiar faces -hello Alyx-, and watch it fall into chaos is a highly enticing prospect)
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (DVD/UMD) (Not strictly game-related I know, but I've still not seen the fan-subbed renditions of the film, so I'm hoping to hell and back SquareEnix don't employ terrible voice actors and mess the English release up, a la every other spoken-word Final Fantasy game you care to mention. VII is one of my most treasured gaming experiences, and I can't wait to return to its world)
Soul Calibur III (PS2) (I thought the series lost it's way with II, but after recently playing a demo of this, there are signs Namco may be getting back on track)
Elder Scrolls: Oblivion (PC) (Could be the sleeper-hit blockbuster of this year. Everyone knows about it, but as of now, no one is truly aware of how good it's actually going to be. A free-form, luscious fantasy world, which you can lose yourself in, coupled to a truly next-generation engine could be the alternative for those looking for GTA-styled gubbins without the modern day content)
Resident Evil 4 Special Edition (PS2) (The Gamecube's star title makes it to the PS2 relatively intact. With the extra content, a generous five hours worth, there's enough here to justify a re-purchase)
King Kong (Xbox) (Jackson and Ancel have teamed up to produce something they're promising will be above the usual film-to-videogame adaptation tosh. Early word has been mixed, though on the positive side. It'll be interesting to see if this, along with The Warriors, will mark a turning point in recent licensed adaptations)
The Sims 2 (PSP) (I never got into the sequel to The Sims when it was released last year, though the chance to play it on the PSP on the go sounds a very appealing prospect. One that's slightly microcosmic too. Deal with the bitchy back stabbing family at Christmas while dealing with the bitchy back stabbing family at Christmas on a screen. Sounds fun)
My My Katamari (PSP) (Having recently completed the original Katamari Damacy, news of the PSP rendition's release this year couldn't have arrived at a better time. More Dung Beetle-style insanity is fine by me, especially when it's on the move)
Prince of Persia 3 (Xbox) (I really couldn't stand Warrior Within. I couldn't get past the goth angst cheese... after the delightfully breezy The Sands of Time, it was a real let down. Unforunately, Ubisoft don't appear to have dropped the hunched-shoulder stubble chinned Prince, though with level design promising to be non-linear, I'm hoping for a return to the explorative driven content that marked Persia's reintroduction to the gaming masses)
Black (Xbox) (I haven't seen a lot of this, bar a brief trailer and a few screens. But it looks amazing. Criterion seem to be one of the most technically adept developers milking the remains of current hardware, which they've coupled to a seemingly unwavering ability to create no nonsense fun. I have high hopes for this)
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Apart from Oblivion, who needs the next console generation yet, eh?
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