GamerNode: Columns - Top 10 most anticipated games (non-sequels) of 2008

Top 10 most anticipated games (non-sequels) of 2008

The year 2007 was an incredible year for the videogame industry. I'd even be willing to go out on a limb and say that it was one of the best ever. Our year-end awards here at GamerNode weren't decided over tea and crumb cakes - it was more like acid-edged blades and baseball bats wrapped in barbed wire. There were even horses, and a man on fire. Kyle killed a guy (but let's just keep that between us).

Needless to say, 2007 had many great games, but 2008 may very well be set to top it. As a matter of fact, this article started as a list of just about 30 titles. I can't begin to tell you how much difficulty I faced trying to narrow it down to only a third of that, but I probably would never have completed the task without setting some requirements.

1) Unless the game has been distinctly labeled as a 2008 release, it didn't make the cut (or else you know Resident Evil 5 would take the number one spot).

2) The second requirement was imposed late in the article-writing cycle, not only to make things easier on myself, but also because I thought it'd make for a more interesting, less predictable list of games. Original IP only; No sequels! That's right, there go all of my "safe" answers like Metal Gear Solid 4, Final Fantasy XIII, GTA IV, or Super Smash Bros Brawl. Not even Star Wars was exempt from this mighty ban.

Anyway, get your own weapons ready (preferably flamethrowers), because I'm sure each and every one of you will find some reason to hate me over the course of the next couple of pages. Ready...aaaaaannd...GO!

10) Army of Two (360, PS3) -

I've said it before, and I'm sticking by my story; cooperative play enhances the gaming experience in nearly every situation. EA's Army of Two shows that at least somebody agrees with me. The game is based entirely off of tandem combat and obstacle navigation, making players rely on each other much more than your standard co-op game. Gone are the days when a shout of "cover me" or "I'll take the left" encapsulates the entire tag-team strategy. In Army of Two, the team must act as a unit...or fail. As a bonus, interactions between the leading duo can be pretty funny, even in the game's somewhat grim setting.

9) Saboteur (PC, 360, PS3) -

Pandemic Studios have certainly shown the gaming community that they know how to deliver open-ended gameplay in a sandbox of warfare. Although Pandemic's Mercenaries 2 (a sequel) has been hogging the spotlight as of late, it's their OTHER 2008 offering that has landed on today's countdown. Set during WWII, Saboteur tells the tale of Sean, an Irish race car driver and general tough guy seeking revenge on a particular group of Nazis. The stealth action will take players from the city of Paris to the coastline, and into the mountains of Germany on a free-roaming tour of Europe. Film noir and pulp action influences are evident throughout, and the war serves only as a backdrop to a completely original story, so don't worry about playing the same old WWII game yet again.

8) Left 4 Dead (PC, 360) -

Turtle Rock Studios has a vision. That vision is to take the near-perfect competition found in Counter-Strike and apply it to cooperative zombie warfare. Left 4 Dead pits a team of four players against an ocean of zombies who are just dying to munch on your gray matter. It's up to these survivors to protect each other long enough to escape the outbreak. Additionally, four other players can join in as beefed-up, commanding members of the zombie hordes. This is a game of true survival, with limited ammo, creepy locales, and a massive amount of enemies. It's like Dawn of the Dead...on the Source engine...with co-op...and counter-op. Need I say more?

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