A casual gamer's top 10 most anticipated PC games of 2008

2007 was a monumental year for video games in general, attributable mostly to the addition of the 'next gen' consoles that came onto the market that year. The PC still faired pretty well that year and seems likely to, again, be consistently good this year as well, despite the consoles' attempt to dominate genres the PC is generally known dominate and work well with given the keyboard and mouse interface (FPS, RTS, etc). Keep in mind that we're already 4 months into this year and certain exceptional titles that have already been released this year will not be included on this list (Assassin's Creed, Sins of a Solar Empire).


10. Spore, Empire: Total War (tie)

Release Date: Sep 7, 2008
OK, I'm blatantly cheating over here, but I just couldn't bring myself to leave out either game, they're both worth mentioning this year. However, I think Spore's expectations overrate its potential, and I think the game's crazy expectations are going to lead many people to be disappointed. There seems to be a lot of interesting concepts, but I don't think they'll pan out as smoothly as a lot of people are expecting they will. The mmo-like features of the game which, like most MMO's, might also require monthly payments seems to be a potentially shitty feature of the game. It might simply be a matter of taste though, especially if you consider the fact that I thought 'The Sims' was wildly overrated, despite its popularity and critical acclaim. And despite my pessimism, the game could turn out to be one of the most innovative and ambitious games of all time. I personally would not bet on that being the case, however.





Release Date: Q4 2008
The other game I couldn't leave out is Empire: Total War. I wasn't a huge fan of the genre, but found it quite fun after discovering a large array of cheat codes at my disposal, then it was less frustrating and more playable. I find that there many games I normally would never play enjoyable once I start using cheats and manipulate the game, thus, I'm able to play the game however I wish. Another game I enjoy doing this with is Europa Universalis III. I find that any game that has a fairly steep learning curve is much easier to learn and more fun to play when cheat codes are involved. From what I gather Empire: Total War will be very similar to the previous entries (aside from improved graphics and new weaponry) with one significant exception, the inclusion of naval warfare. The inclusion of naval battles doesn't seem all that enticing to me since there isn't a huge variety of ship types from which to choose, it seems like it will simply be cannons vs. cannons. So, I'm not sure how well this will work out, doesn't seem like it could be too much more fun to play than previous entries, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and hope for the best.





9. Age of Conan: Hyborian
Release Date: May 20, 2008

As someone who has leveled more than one character to level 70 in World of Warcraft, it should be no surprise that I am looking for the next big MMO, the supposed WoW-killer to come onto the MMO Market. I haven't played World of Warcraft in quite a while, but remain a huge fan of what the MMO genre is capable of. The graphics look pretty impressive which is definitely important to me since WoW's graphics are incredible dated at this point. The thing that seems to be the biggest deterrent is the lack of variety in the classes, after looking through the screenshots it seems as thought the majority of the combat will be melee based. The hype revolving around this game seems to be pretty high, hope it can deliver.





8. Mass Effect
Release Date: May 28, 2008

I'm not a huge fan of any of the Star Wars movies, but I am a huge fan of what Bioware did with the franchise when it released Star Wars: Kngihts of the Old Republic. As a huge fan of the Star Wars: Knights of the Old republic games, I was happy to see that the next game in the same vein by Bioware would be released on the PC. I do not own any of the 'next-gen' consoles, so I'm really looking forward to playing this game next month. I should also note that the first batch of downloadble content 'Bring Down the Sky' will be free on the PC version. The game has already received quite a lot critical praise, so I pretty much know what to expect from this title. Looks like it'll be the best single player PC RPG title since Oblivion came out a couple years back.





7. Far Cry 2
Release Date: Q3 2008

In terms of gameplay, it doesn't seem likely to depart too much from Crysis. But, how many times can you re-invent the wheel at this point? The FPS genre hasn't changed too much since Duke Nukem 3D, Quake, and Half-life were released a decade or more ago. So the thing I'm looking forward to most is the graphics and the new environment. I like that the setting seems to be in the open plains of Africa. Should be an interesting experience in that regard. I hope the graphics themselves will immerse me into the game. Even so, my expectations aren't too high for yet another FPS, I never even managed to finish Crysis, despite the incredible graphics.





6. Starcraft 2
Release Date: TBA

Like the FPS genre, I feel that what can be done with the RTS genre has been nearly exhausted. There hasn't been a better RTS game on the market since the first Starcraft and I'm hoping Starcraft 2 will trump the original in many ways. There have been many RTS's since Starcraft that have garnered quite a lot of attention and praise, but I found them to be quite boring. For example, despite all the accolades the game, World in Conflict, was given I found it to pale in comparison to old classics like Command and Conquer and Starcraft. Looks like Starcraft 2 will simply be Starcraft one with some new units and better graphics, it won't be terribly innovative, but it'll have the best formula and gameplay of any RTS since the original came out about a decade ago.





5. Fallout 3
Release Date: Q4 2008

I'm not a "hard-core" gamer by any means, so unlike most serious gamers I have not really played the original Fallout games. I hear they are much like the pen-and-paper RPG games of old. I tried playing them a few years back and quickly lost patience with the game, it just seemed too old fashioned for me. I feel the same way about some of the older Final Fantasy titles released in the early 90's. Games have come a long way, and I have quite a bit of faith in Bethesda Softworks, since Oblivion was one of the most ambitious games that actually lived up to its expectations. Nevertheless, they have been consistently exceptional, and this is not the franchise to fuck around with. I'm expecting big things from this title, that is, if it manages to make it out this year.





4. Mafia 2
Release Date: TBA

Along with Shenmue, I think the original Mafia (PC version only) was one of the most underrated games of all time. I think it got sort of a bad rap due to its similarities with the now famous Grand Theft Auto series, but I think in many ways it was the superior game. The thing that set it apart from the grand theft auto series was how god-damn immersive the game was. Instead of feeling like your roaming around a miniature, toy-like world, Mafia really felt like a whole city had been re-created for you, circa 1940whatever. The story was much more involving as well, I hope the next Mafia will live up to its predecessor. It looks as though 2k has taken over the franchise, hope they don't pull out something shitty like Scarface. I should also note that the release date is set as TBA, so there's a good chance it might not make it out this year.





3. World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King
Release Date: TBA

I'm not sure I'm ready to get back into WoW once this is released, I haven't played the game in months, and I'm kind of reluctant to get back into it due to its addictive nature. The only reason why I might is because I'll be back on an even playing field with everyone and might compete fairly well in the Arena. Also, I'm not a big fan of end-game raiding, so I might just get back into it for a few months. Though, I'm not looking forward to the subscription fees and lost hours I'll never have back again, but it definitely passes the time, especially if you don't have many friends in RL.





2. Alan Wake
Release Date: TBA

Some games I like because the gameplay is addictive, but the games that really get to me are games that make me feel as though I've been transported to another life and have actually experienced some crazy adventure ala Shenmue. I hope Alan Wake can do what few games have been capable of doing, and that is, set me on an adventure, make me feel like as though I've read a really great book or watched a really great movie, but better, more immersive, more exciting. This could be one of the few games that potentially proves that the video game medium is the best medium in which to be entertained. Hopefully this game does what Shenmue did for me several years ago. This is another game that might not make it out this year, I'll be pretty pissed if it doesn't manage to make it out. I'll be extra-pissed if it's exclusive to Windows Vista as well, I don't want that P-O-S.





1. Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning
Release Date: Q4 2008

Da-da-da-DAA, Warhammer Online is my MOST anticipated game of the year simply because I'm sick of playing WoW but still am a big fan of the genre. In other words, I'm looking for the next WoW-killer. Looks like this is the only title coming out this year that stands a chance. RvR Sounds very fun, and is already a proven gameplay mechanic introduced in DAOC. Additionally, the graphics are a welcome improvement to WoW's dated graphics. The huge downside is of course the fact that the source material and style is too much like so many games of the genre, including WoW. I'm kinda sick of swords and magic or futuristic guns and plasma-things or whatever, I wish someone would invest a LOT of money in something new and innovative in the MMO genre, but that would involve quite a bit of risk, so there's almost no chance of that happening. Nevertheless, this may be the game I will end up dedicating most of my free playing over the coming months.





Other games worth mentioning (and why they failed to make the list):

Brothers in Arms Hell's Highway - I wasn't a huge fan of Road to Hill 30 because it seemed to be too much like the Call of Duty games except not as good. Also, I'm not looking forward to yet another historic shooter.
Release Date: August 2008

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky - I recently attempted to play S.T.A.L.K.E.R., and it has some similarities in terms of gameplay mechanics with Deus Ex. For whatever reason, it just seemed too difficult to get into to. A lot of people disagree, especially experienced PC gamers on this point, however, as the title of this blog suggests, I'm not a genuine game fan in many ways. Many times, I'm very impatient and spoiled when it comes to games and want to be entertained immediately. I don't want to sit there and read through text after text and learn jargon about technical information pertaining only to this fictitious world all day. Unless it's presented in a very cinematic way, I probably won't have the patience to stick with it for more than a few minutes. That being said, the prequel looks pretty interesting, and I'll definitely give the game a chance when it's released.
Release Date: Q2 2008

Half-Life 2: Episode 3 - With the exception of a World of Warcraft expansion pack, it's very difficult for me to get very excited about expansion packs in general, I more or less know what to expect from an expansion pack.
Release Date: TBA

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 - I was a huge fan of the original C&C back in 95', it was one of the most innovative games for it's time, however, I wasn't very pleased by subsequent releases by Westwood Studios and don't expect too much from Red Alert 3. I feel the same way about Quake as well, I've played the first two to death, there seems to be less and less to get excited about as new games from the franchise are being released.
Release Date: TBA

Deus Ex 3 - I tried playing through the original Dues Ex on several occasions but never managed to get myself to stick with it, perhaps because by the time I decided to play it the game was somewhat dated. Even though the first entry did not hook me in I decided to give the second entry in the series a try, it turned out to be one of the most unplayable games I've ever tried playing. In any case, the first one was highly-praised enough to look forward to the third entry. My expectations aren't very high, but I could be in for a pleasant surprise.
Release Date: TBA

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction - Along with the Theif series, Splinter Cell has been the innovator in the stealth sub-genre and has done the best job of focusing on the stealth aspect of video games. This game won't blow me away like when I was first introduced to this style of FPS gameplay, but I think it's going to add enough new innvations into it to make me come back for more. With the addition of crowd blending, most likely borrowed from last years hit, Assassin's Creed, this could easily be #12 on my list.
Release Date: Q4 2008

Project ORIGIN - This sequel to FEAR should get a lot of people excited, but not me. It will most likely be just another shooter, a well done shooter granted, but a shooter that will most likely lack enough new shit to get me hooked. Having the remarkable ability to move quickly and effectively slow time around you is not as fun as it used to be. Maybe I'm just too jaded at this point.
Release Date: Q4 2008

Games worth mentioning that I don't know enough about to comment on: Rage, Left 4 Dead, Dragon Age, Demigod, Borderlands, The Agency, Tiberium, Rise of the Argonauts, Jagged Alliance 3, Shattered Suns, White Gold: War in Paradise, Divine Divinity 2, Sacred 2: Fallen Angels, Tomb Raider: Underworld, Alone in the Dark, Prototype, Mythos, Aion, Codename Panzers: Cold War, Machinarium, The Path, Mirror's Edge, The Swarm, LotRO: Mines of Moria, Stargate Worlds, Huxley, Darkfall, Turok, This is Vegas, GRID

Results

1. Empire: Total War (13%)

2. AOC: Hyborian (12%)

3. Deus Ex 3 (9%)

4. Spore; Mass Effect; Starcraft 2; Warhammer Online: AOR (6%)