What are the next big games out there? Here are the 5 games to watch...

Now obviously I could include Halo 3 in this list, but everyone is already watching out for that or playing the Beta as we speak, plus everyone knows it'll sell millions of copies. I'm going to leave out GTA IV as well since again, it's already a guaranteed hit so I'm going to leave some big titles out in order to delve into some others. I probably should leave all sequels but every sequel I include will have some factor why it may not be a "guaranteed" hit despite that it will surely be a great game.





1. Metal Gear Solid 4 (ps3)
This guy is going to be amazing looking and will absolutely showcase the PS3's power. The big question is will anyone have a PS3 to enjoy it. Sony is surely hoping that MGS4 sells some PS3s but the title is rumored to come out sometime after Xmas in 2008. That delay is not going to help sell PS3s, plus there's a rumor (which is gathering steam) that it's being developed for Xbox 360 as well. Metal Gear is a great franchise and I'm glad Kojima is not rushing it, but it has got to be pissing Sony off that this game is taking so long.




2. Assassin's Creed (xbox 360 / ps3)
This game looks incredible, plus it looks to have some cool new game mechanics / stealth elements(crowd pushing/pick pocketing, etc). The fighting (the worst part of Prince of Persia) seems to be vastly improved as well and actually looks...dare I say it...fun...plus the whole concept is cool. Sneak up and kill your target and then escape by running, jumping and bounding around ancient cities. Sick.





3. Super Smash Bros Brawl (Wii)
In the spirit of covering several different consoles, I think this is the best pick as a game to watch because expectations are really high. If Brawl goes all Wii-mote on people, the hardcore smash fans will be really upset...and that's probably an understatement. If it is not broke don't fix it.

4. Band of Bugs (XBOX LIVE ARCADE)
Hopefully this game will be the first to be released on this list. It has been in the works for awhile and was previewed as a coming Spring 07 release along with Catan, Eets, and all the other games that have recently come out. I'm sure it will be worth the wait though since this game will feature a complete campaign mode, intense strategic multiplayer battles, a level editor, and a cool new celshaded look. The only questoin is when? Hopefully next Wednesday.



5. Mass Effect (XBOX 360)
I tried to look at PSP, DS, etc for something but mentioning the DS Zelda, or next big Nintendo sequel didn't seem right. There's a ton of stuff coming late summer and fall (Mercenaries 2, Too Human, Bioshock, Dirt) but I felt Mass Effect was the best choice. My guess is that Mass Effect will overshadow the incredibly popular (in Japan) Blue Dragon due to its more Western friendly action/RPG feel. Plus it is a Bioware release, looks gorgeous and has tremendous freedom.

so there's my 5 games for now (though I cheated and mentioned a lot more). Only time will tell how good these games actually end up being.