ure, 2007 was a phenomenal year in video games. But to be honest, that’s so almost last year. We’ve got a long break ahead of us which means we’ll be blowing through everything for 2007. So we’re looking to 2008 to be an even bigger year in video games than this year. Don’t believe us? Take a look at what’s coming down the pipe next year. Sure there are a lot of games that haven’t been announced yet, but add a little speculation, a sprinkle of hope and you get our grand list of the Top 10 Games for 2008.
We decided to mix it up this year for our annual feature and talk directly to the developers and find out why they’re excited about their game, and why they feel gamers should be excited. Special thanks to all the developers who took the time out of their busy holiday development schedule to talk with us!
Games are in alphabetical order. With out further ado, we give you our picks for the Top 10 for 2008 – Sony.
The Agency is an interesting mashup of an FPS and MMORPG, though it leans more toward the action end of the spectrum. Players sign up as members of two initially available rival factions, U.N.I.T.E. and ParaGON. The United Nations Intelligence and Tactical Experts have the technological upper hand, being one of the best-equipped forces worldwide—which comes in handy when taking down rogue states across the globe. What the privately funded Paramilitary Global Operations Network may lack in cutting-edge gear it makes up for in resourcefulness and professionalism. Players can form guild-like organizations in the game, which trigger special missions, or spend time playing several casino-themed minigames. Mostly, we’re looking forward to taking on human opponents and building up our character in an action-oriented setting.
Hal Milton, lead designer -- The Agency:
“The one thing the team is the most excited about is opening the doors for the public to join the Agency. We are building an elaborate spy and mercenary experience, complete with a deep world story, exciting encounters, espionage, and a wide variety of non-combat activities, mini-games, social and collection mechanics – we can’t wait to see players engaging in. We are crafting the Agency to be a game about real people, playing together in a persistent world that never stops. From the serendipitous Operative interactions that will occur between players who have never met, to the meta-game political shenanigans that go along with guilds, we hope folks have us much fun exploring our world as we’ve had building it!”
For fans of the classic PlayStation RPG Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core is a long time coming. The PSP game fills in Cloud’s memory gaps, including his time with former nice guy Sephiroth and fellow SOLDIER soldier Zack. Rather than stick with the series’ familiar turn-based combat system, Square-Enix has opted for a real-time combat system—Kingdom Hearts players will feel right at home. The Materia System and all-important summons are included in Crisis Core, as well. We found the import to be a bit heavy on full-motion video sequences, but they’re so well done and the story is so interesting that we’re willing to let it slide.
