[Slestak]

Blame the Flood. I do. You see, if Earth hadn't needed saving last month, we could have published THE GAMERS' EYE in a more timely fashion. But, no -- the Brutes decided to raise hell on our planet, and then that infected ship crash landed right in the middle of everything, and ever since then we've been leaving no stone unturned looking for an extra plasma grenade or clip for our battle rifles. Nevertheless, we hunkered down and swore to each other that we would FINISH THE EYE. And holy moley what an EYE it is -- thirty games previewed for you pleasure. Some will suck, some will be awesome, but all will cost you money.

For those of you that may be new, each month THE GAMERS' EYE takes a look ahead to the impending future and examines upcoming game releases. Without further ado, let's begin . . . THE GAMERS' EYE!

October 2


NBA 2K8 (2K Sports)

The NBA 2K series has been the best franchise in sports for years. Whether it's the graphics, gameplay mechanics and features, AI, or the online play, 2K has always made their NBA game the class of the sporting video game genre. This year they've made improvements to the franchise mode and finally taken Shaq off the front of the box, however they also tweaked the defensive controls to allow slow plodding centers defend even the quickest point guards out on the perimeter.

The Bread Line: New defensive blunders aside, there is no reason to believe this still isn't the finest sports title out there. If you are looking to hoop it up you should only be looking here.



Crash of the Titans (Sierra)

Every console needs a mascot, right? At least that's what Sony thought when they started shoving Crash Bandicoot down our throats about ten years ago. And though the games were pretty decent, Crash failed to capture the imaginations of gamers in the way that Mario or, to a lesser extent, Sonic the Hedgehog were able to do. Well, Crash is back, and this time he's platforming his way through an island of giant mutated monsters in a quest to stop the mefarious Neo Cortex.

Slestak's Take: Why not resurrect the Crash Team Racing series? How would that not be fun on Xbox Live? Anyway, Crash of the Titans is getting a wide platform release, but strangely it's not making it's way to PS3. So, yeah, it's a port, and though I like platformers, this one is for acheivement whores and Crash cosplayers only.


October 9


The Orange Box (Electronic Arts)
If this were a podcast I would cue up the ending of Se7en and play the line "what's in the box?" Well you don't need to be the severed head of Gwyneth Paltrow* to know you are getting the gaming world's best value: Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2: Episode One, Episode 2, Portal, and Team Fortress 2. That's 5 amazing games with killer multiplayer and tons of variety for only $60.

The Bread Line: PC snobs- sorry, enthusiasts- will be quick to tell you that they have already been playing these games for years and will snicker at you and your mouseless control scheme. Don't let them spoil your fun. Whether you're late to the party or a longtime fan of the series you should jump on this deal without hesitation.

*It's been 12 years. If you haven't seen it by now you deserve to have the movie spoiled!



FIFA Soccer 08 (EA Sports)

EA Sports' latest soccer game is like an international soccer fan's orgy: 30 leagues, 620 teams, and 15,000 players. Oh, and that dreamy Ronaldinho is the coverstar! What sets this one apart from the 12 other soccer games on the Xbox 360 is their new "Be a Pro" mode. This will lock you into one player and you'll be hassled by coaches, players, and fans depending on how well you perform.

The Bread Line: Does the irony of the soccer video game controls bother anyone else? Hands are illegal in soccer but I can only use them to control my videogame. Even the Wii doesn't give you a footstrap for the Wiimote. Anyways, if you dig on international soccer and think having only 27 leagues in FIFA 07 was lame then you should give this version a try.


October 15


Beautiful Katamari (Namco Bandai)

The King of All Cosmos needs your help! To set things right in the universe, you need to start rolling up everything you see into giant balls of ... stuff! Start off small, picking up flowers and magazines and such. As you grow larger, you'll pick up people, cars, buildings, even mountains, and all the action is set to an infectious J-pop soundtrack.

Slestak's Take: I've gushed plenty over the demo, so my feelings aren't exactly secret here. Beautiful Katamari seems like the perfect antidote to the gravity hammer/plasma grenade/battle rifle overdose most of us are subjecting ourselves to. It's unique, it's fun, it has online multiplayer, and it's only forty bones. Would you kindly buy this game?



Tony Hawk's Proving Ground (Activision)

After last year's under-appreciated Project 8, the Hawkman returns with Proving Ground, one that appears to be less jokey and more focused on customization. Equipped with a Create-A-Skater mode, a video editor, a Skate Lounge (customizeable online pad), and a promise of seamless integreation between online and single player modes, the crew at Neversoft is doing it's damndest to keep the Tony Hawk series not only relevant, but vital.

Slestak's Take: For all its steps in the right direction, this series still has a foot planted firmly in the outrageous. For instance, one area is set in the Air & Space Museum and has you grinding space shuttles and tricking off of moon craters. Hey, I love the Hawk games, and you should too, but I have a feeling that the dastardly EA may have seized the throne this year with the innovative, realistic, and satisfying Skate.


October 23


Clive Barker's Jericho (Codemasters)

This is a story (true storeeeee) of seven members of a supernatural Special Forces squad, picked to assault an evil-infested lost city that mysteriously reappears in the desert, and have their lives risked, to see what happens when Satan stops being polite and starts being real. The Real World - Jericho!

Slestak's Take: By letting you swap between your squad members, who each have different abilities, strenghts, and weaknesses, you could think of this game as Kameo in Hell. The graphics look hot, the gameplay seems interesting, and Clive Barker's name on the box guarantees a gruesome time. Horror junkies should give this one a spin.



Conan (THQ)

Finally, gamers will have a chance to crush their enemies, see those enemies driven before them, and hear the lamentations of the women! Conan is a hyper-violent, no holds barred beat-em-up that puts you in the shoes of the blood-thirsty Cimmerian on a quest to reclaim your magic armor from an evil wizard.

Slestak's Take: Hi, kids! Do you like violence? Conan hopes to raise the bar in both the arterial spray and dismemberment departments. Gameplay is a mashup of God of War and the newer Prince of Persia games, with tons of combat moves and combos and humongous boss battles. Throw in a handful of naked maidens to rescue and it sounds like a perfect recipe for 10-12 hours of over the top, button mashing fun.


October 28


Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Red Octane)

Oh my god it's a new Guitar Hero game!!! I think I'm going to trash my hotel room in giddy anticipation!!! This time I can even play online multiplayer with a wireless, miniature plastic toy guitar. Damn that's hot! Maybe they'll even resell me the songs I enjoyed on Guitar Hero II at an inflated price! Awesome! I can't wait for my first boss battle against digital fabrications of formerly relevant rock stars. It's going to rock!

The Bread Line: Nobody cares what I think. Billions of people think it's the greatest game ever, you're going to buy it, and I obviously just don't know what I'm missing. All I know is this is that game where you rhythmically press multicolored buttons on a plastic, child-sized toy guitar to the tunes of Kiss, Heart, and Bachman Turner Overdrive. Doesn't sound so glamorous anymore, does it? True Legends of Rock get laid, you get carpal tunnel.


October 30


Naruto: Rise of a Ninja (Ubisoft)

RED ALERT! RED ALERT! Licensed game approaching and heading directly towards your Xbox! "Sir, it appears to be based on a popular anime series!" Redirect all power to front shields! Brace for impact! "But sir, it appears to be coming from Ubisoft, and it features crazy-fast combat and cel-shaded graphics!" Hmmmm ... cel-shaded graphics, you say?

Slestak's Take: I doubt most Fivers will bother with this title, but after viewing some gameplay, I must admit I am intrigued. The combat looks pretty nuts, and the game seems to be pretty adventure-based without being mired in typical JRPG nonsense. The graphics are beautiful, and gamers will almost feel like they've stepped inside their television sets and into an episode of Naruto. It looks fun. Did I really just type that?



The Simpsons Game (Electronic Arts)

Games developed from beloved movies and television shows rarely succeed and the various Simpsons games haven't done much to shatter that perception. While each one has never been as bad as the Superman games, the Simpsons have never had a big critical hit either. EA looks to break the family out of a rut by breaking them into more successful franchises, spoofing on Medal of Honor, Everquest, Grand Theft Auto, and more!

The Bread Line: EA doesn't have far to go to make the best Simpsons game ever, but if the premise of mixing crazy video game powers, video game cliches, video game levels, and Simpsons humor works then they might have made one of better games of all time- period.



TimeShift (Vivendi Games)

For a long time it's been a GAMERS' EYE punchline, but it appears that somebody at Vivendi finally had enough and threw a bunch of cash at developers Saber Interactive and told them to fix this mess. Suprisingly, it looks like Saber may have accomplished something here -- by improving the graphics considerably, altering the story, and tightening up the controls, Timeshift is no longer the ugly duckling of FPS games.

Slestak's Take: What a difference time and money make. The game looks and feels nothing like the craptastic demo that was foisted upon us nearly two years ago. The online multiplayer actually looks pretty weak, but as a single player experience Timeshift might acutally be worth your, uh, time.



Virtua Fighter 5 (SEGA)

Sega's popular fighting franchise goes online on Xbox Live. They've had 8 months since it's offline PS3 release to polish the game, add more items to dress up custom players, and prepare downloads for the microtransaction avalanche. It's ported from the latest arcade build which makes me wonder why there are still arcades- and where the Hell are they?!

The Bread Line: Dead or Alive and Virtua Fighter have always been the Coke and Pepsi of the 3-D fighting game genre. You prefer one but you'll reluctantly take what their serving at the time. Since Def Jam Icon is undrinkable and it's going to be many months before Soul Calibur IV releases this one is the only water in the Xbox desert if you want to get your fight on.



Viva Pinata: Party Animals (Microsoft Game Studios)

If the title didn't clue you in, Party Animals is a party game set in the Viva Pinata series universe. If you've ever suffered through the horribly obnoxious television program, you'll be displeased to learn that the game is set in the TV world, and all the characters will behave and be voiced as they are on the Saturday morning stinker. There are mini-games and more mini-games.

Slestak's Take: I hate to play this card, but there's no reason you should be playing this unless you are seven years old. It looks pretty, as Rare handed over all their assets to developers Krome Studios to poop out this game for them, and while I doubt the game will be completely terrible, it is a kiddie game and even Tupacolyte has better things to do than waste his time with this one.


Also coming in October

Mobile Ops: The One Year War (10/1)
It's some first person shooter mech battling type game that I swear has come out twice already. You don't care and neither do I. It would go big in Japan, but they don't like FPS or Xbox 360s. If you are interested just get LOST PLANET instead.

FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage (10/2)
It's Full Auto without guns, but with ragdoll physics thrown in. This game has a flat tire. (Slestak)

NBA Live 08 (10/2)
The only reason to play this game is for some quick, cheap achievement points. You may debate on the better soccer, hockey, and football games, but when it comes to the Association, 2K is in a league all by itself. (Bread)

Spider-Man: Friend or Foe (10/2)
I don't even have to play the demo to be able to answer this question -- FOE. (Slestak)

SEGA Rally Revo (10/9)
Race around the world over all kinds of terrian because it's some sort of rally type race game. It probably offers online multiplayer and a bunch of different cars. (Bread)

Avatar: The Last Airbender -- The Burning Earth (10/16)
When I was hunting last month I ate nothing but hot and spicy brats wrapped in tortillas. Unfortunately, this game is not about this earth-scorching dump I took in the woods. (Slestak)

Elder Scrolls IV: The Shivering Isles (10/16)
It's that huge $30 Oblivion expansion that can now be bought retail for $30. Since it also comes with the $20 Knights of the Nine quest this is cheaper than the Marketplace, but you'll need a copy of the game too- so just grab the Game of the Year edition of Oblivion and get it all for $60. (Bread)

Thrillville: Off the Rails (10/16)
Theme park sims are usually pretty tedious, even when you throw in XTREME COASTARZ. No thanks. (Slestak)

Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation (10/23)
Fly around in supersonic jets and blow the hell out of everything. For only $149 you can buy the version bundled with the flight stick controller. No living room should be without a toy jet cockpit, toy guitar, and toy drum set. (Bread)

America's Army: True Soldiers (10/23)
Instead of paying $60 for an interactive recruitment video, just head down to the recruitment office next to the comic book store. They'll pay YOU instead! (Slestak)

Cars Mater-National (10/23)
It's another game based on that movie "Cars," because there were too many questions left over from the last one. Apparently with all new international characters this time. (Bread)

Chessmaster: Grandmaster Edition (10/23)
Yo, poopie! It's tha illest chess joint in da world! Bobby Fischer 4 life! This shit is off tha hook! (Slestak)

Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Anniversary (10/23)
It's a 10th anniversary release of the first Tomb Raider game rebuilt from the Tomb Raider: Legend engine. You can download the game as 4 separate episodes from the Marketplace or raid the whole thing from a store for only $30. (Bread)

Bee Movie Game (10/30)
Cutesy licensed platforming pap, based on the movie you will be dragging the shorties to see this fall. (Slestak)





See you next month!
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[Joe Dirt]

Looks like I'm taking a pass on October (good thing). w00t.

Orange box is mighty tempting, but (like bioshock) if I can resist for the first week, I should be all set for November.

[Astronaut Bread]

Really? You're passing on Guitar Hero? Or are you just counting it as a November game.
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[Joe Dirt]

I was really excited for Guitar Hero, but honestly, I had more fun playing it in the store (call me an attention whore) than I did alone at home. I dunno, GHIII is tempting, but there's just too much else. Halo 3, NHL 08 and Tetris still have me hooked for now, in November I'll get COD4 and Mario Galaxy. Assassins creed is a potential purchase still. I just don't have the passion for Guitar Hero anymore. I'm considering selling my axe....just not ready to do that yet. I'll probably rent Guitar Hero III now that I have the guitar and see how much I still like it after the week or 2 is up.

[killermonkey]

I loved GH II, but I'm passing on GH III. I'm over it.
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Nobody can clean up body secretions like Angry Bald Man.

[malliabu]

Already grabbed The Orange Box. Should be getting GH3 (disc only).

The rest of the month looks like a rental.
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[DoMiNaTioN 02]

Are you able to use your GH2 guitar for GH3, or you have to buy a whole new bundle?

[malliabu]

The GH2 guitar will work with GH3 and Rock Band and vice versa.
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