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Crysis, Assassin's Creed, Super Mario Galaxy all give gamers early holiday cheer

The holiday season is witness to the biggest game release schedule of the year. Publishers collectively target the last two months of every year to release their biggest games in hopes of capturing the most consumer dollars.

This new feature on DailyTech will highlight the biggest and most notable releases for each major platform every week. This week, each platform gets a stellar game that is considered a “must have.”

PC
Undoubtedly the biggest release of this week for the PC is Crysis, the game that makes even the most impressive systems feel like midrange hardware. Crysis earns an impressive 9.5/10 from GameSpot.

Other notables for the PC this week include:
  • BlackSite: Area 51
  • EverQuest: Secrets of Faydwer
  • EverQuest II: Rise of Kunark
  • Kane & Lynch: Dead Men
  • Need for Speed ProStreet
  • Sim City Societies
  • Soldier of Fortune Payback
Xbox 360
Another heavy hitter arrives on Xbox 360 (and PS3) this week: Assassin’s Creed from Ubisoft Montreal. Originally this game appeared to be a PS3-exclusive, but Xbox 360 owners can now share in the joys of one of this year’s most ambitious genre-bending titles. GameTrailers gives it 9.1/10, while 1UP is a bit cooler on it with a 7/10.

Other notables for the Xbox 360 this week include:
  • America's Army: True Soldiers
  • BlackSite: Area 51
  • Kane & Lynch: Dead Men
  • Need for Speed ProStreet
  • Soldier of Fortune Payback
  • WWE Smackdown vs. RAW 2008
PS3
PlayStation 3 owners, like their Xbox 360 counterparts, will also be spending time with Assassin’s Creed – and many of the same other games.

Other notables for the PS3 this week include:
  • Kane & Lynch: Dead Men
  • Need for Speed ProStreet
  • WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2008
Wii
The Wii gets what will likely be the most significant game for the system this year with Super Mario Galaxy. The game really needs no introduction other than it’s the best 3D platformer since, well, Super Mario 64. It’s a fine return to form after the disappointing Super Mario Sunshine, scoring an average of 97 percent on Game Rankings.

Other notables for the Wii this week include:
  • Need for Speed ProStreet
  • Rayman Raving Rabbids 2
  • Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles
  • Tomb Raider Anniversary
  • WWE Smackdown vs. RAW 2008
DS
The Nintendo DS will be home to many, many games throughout the holiday. Some good, most bad. Bigger titles this week are:
  • Contra 4
  • Cooking Mama 2: Dinner with Friends
  • Orcs & Elves
  • Ultimate Mortal Kombat
PSP
The PSP gets a few new releases this week, and those who have yet to pick up Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops should pick up the new Plus edition releasing this week.

Other notable releases for the PSP include:
  • Alien vs. Pedator Requiem
  • Medal of Honor Heroes 2
  • Sonic Rivals 2
  • Warhammer 40,000: Squad Commander
  • WWE Smackdown vs. RAW 2008
PS2
Yes, the PS2 is still relevant. Those who don’t have any other system to play Puzzle Quest may want to see this RPG take on Bejeweled on the PS2 this week.

Other notable releases for the PS2 include:
  • Boogie
  • Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3
  • The King of Fighters XI
  • Need for Speed ProStreet

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Crysis... meh
By Master Kenobi (blog) on 11/14/2007 9:53:21 AM , Rating: 1
Not impressed with Crysis, other than its ability to create eye candy, the gameplay is stale. Obviously they budgeted the graphics and art department much higher than the programming and gameplay department.




RE: Crysis... meh
By OrSin on 11/14/2007 11:07:56 AM , Rating: 1
How does the same old game play and crippling graphics mean a 9.5/10. I just dont get why games that overtax systems get so much hype. Truely a game that looks as good as this could have been done years ago, but systems could not handle it. So now you release something taxes ssytems you get praise for it. I remember when good game sthat work on low end systems got all the praise.


RE: Crysis... meh
By christojojo on 11/14/2007 12:40:04 PM , Rating: 2
Master Kenobi Please elaborate on the "stale" comment.

Have you and OrSin played the game. I was/ am a big fan of Far Cry but I am not able to even think of buying Crysis until I get yet another Job (5 lay-offs in 7 years (Yes, I wish I could move out of Buffalo right now.))

That said and done some people who played the game and can give me intelligent opinions (most game site posters seem to have the IQ of their genitals) would be greatly appreciated.


RE: Crysis... meh
By Cheapshot on 11/14/2007 4:59:11 PM , Rating: 2
I played the demo for a bit and it plays very similar to farcry with obvious exceptions... There are also many different ways to just mess around in the game like "skeet Shooting items and animals in and around the maps" Toms Hardware did a little video on it.

Graphics are the best of any game no doubt, but if your looking for evolutionary or revolutionary then you may be dissapointed. Call of Duty 4 made some great strides with its new look and gameplay and I think if you like "That" type of game you would be better off.

I may get the full Crysis game, but to be honest the best game ever made will be out next week... oh yes... Unreal Tournament III. By far the fastest paced, balanced, fun to play shooter to date. Check out the demo if you don't believe.

Though no where near as much Hype as Crysis, and on Par graphics with all other titles - with some Gears of War feel to it - BUT BETTER! UT3 will just own all shooters to those few who can handle the speed, movements, and pace of the game.


RE: Crysis... meh
By christojojo on 11/15/2007 11:54:11 AM , Rating: 2
Thank you for your feed back.

To be honest I am a fan of the unfortunately 'buggy' Battlefield franchise I enjoy the sniping, knifing, C4ing and vehicles slaughter (sans Air vehicles which I only use to lower my K/D ratio). A little slower than UT Franchise. I always feel like I'm having an epileptic fit playing those games.


RE: Crysis... meh
By jazkat on 11/18/2007 2:05:09 PM , Rating: 2
im behind you on that, cod4 modern warfare is the game for me, you feel involved and there isnt a dull moment, physics are good also but there is one thing i will say, for the multiplayer if they added vehicles it would have been a battlefield killer. with crysis you walking around being impressed by scenary, crysis also seems a bit slow, i think the reviewers will give it high score even if they are not that impressed by gameplay, to much hype has been created for crysis and i hope reviers give it a true rating based on gameplay, physics (which are amazing)and other things and just not let the graphics over shadow the review.


RE: Crysis... meh
By jazkat on 11/18/2007 2:15:57 PM , Rating: 2
sorry forgot to add if i had the choice between the 2 games i would pick cod4 modern warfare everytime, the game has everything you want in shooter even the storyline grabs you, even my misses plays it and she doesnt play pc games.
if they made a addon pack for cod4 or in the next cod mw that included more open eviorements and vehicles (choppers, jets,tanks, etc)then i would probably find myself playing multiplayer cod4 rather than bf2.

seriously if you havent got cod4 modern warfare get your ass out and buy yourself a copy you wont regret it.


X-com
By wordsworm on 11/13/2007 8:46:41 PM , Rating: 3
I keep hearing rumours that my favorite game of all time, X-Com, might one day be updated. Does anyone have some reliable gossip concerning that?




RE: X-com
By murphyslabrat on 11/13/2007 9:28:23 PM , Rating: 2
No official updates, but there are some games out there that mimic the style. Check the Wikipedia article on X-com for more info.

On another note, I was working on designing a game that expanded on the features of X-Com Apocalypse, but I have abandoned it due to work and school. Maybe I will pick it up somewhere down the road, though I certainly hope someone manages to mimic the cityscape of the third game. The only attempt, as far as I know, was a game called "Overlords", but that was horrendous.


RE: X-com
By GaryJohnson on 11/13/2007 10:44:21 PM , Rating: 2
I like Altar Games' UFO: After-xxxx series (UFO Aftermath, UFO: Aftershock, UFO: Afterlight).

I think they really stand out from other X-Com clones because of their unique story and game mechanics.

But, I know some diehard X-Com'ers that hate em though, so to each his own.


RE: X-com
By Houdani on 11/14/2007 11:17:27 AM , Rating: 2
I have no first hand experience, but apparently UFO: Extraterrestrials with one or more of BMan 's mods turns the game into something closely resembling the original X-Com.


RE: X-com
By SavagePotato on 11/14/2007 12:04:22 PM , Rating: 2
Extraterrestrials was very X-Com, but it was almost too X-Com. Other than higher resolution it didn't look much better than the original game. It caught the spirit of X-Com, but it didn't give it a modern day polish that I would like to see added to a good remake.

The thing that made the first X-Com so good to me was it was set in the current day. Memories of setting wheat fields on fire in the European countryside with incendiary ammo, or blowing buildings apart with the blaster launcher are just all still so vivid.


Assassins Creed flops
By robinthakur on 11/14/2007 10:51:58 AM , Rating: 2
I find it really sad that Assasins Creed is officially considered to be a massive flop now. I cancelled my PS3 pre order of it with Mario Galaxy (keeping Galaxy of course!) Considering how monumentally expensive this game was to produce and the pure hype we've had on it, for months on end, its turned out to be even more mediocre than Halo 3 with better, albeit flawed, graphics.

I've noticed the trend recently on how many 'big hitter' and exhalted games are just massive let-downs on release. Heavenly Sword, Lair, Haze (Not released yet, but...let's face it...the writing's on the wall), Halo 3, Kane and Lynch and the list is bound to continue. Even Crysis's gameplay is a bit stale with a general lack of innovation particularly jarring next to its bleeding edge graphics. All of these games has been in development for years and cost many millions of dollars to produce and market (some even cost hundreds of millions of dollars) Did nobody think to add on top of this a negligable cost of a impartial testing team to actually say what they think about the product? Although Galaxy was probably not a cheap game to produce by any stretch of the imagination, I'd be willing to bet that it cost big N less than any of those aforementioned big 'hitters' and makes more money at the end of the day...Sadly most of them seem to be on Sony's console (I own all three consoles so no cried of favoritism please)

R
T




RE: Assassins Creed flops
By clovell on 11/14/2007 11:40:05 AM , Rating: 2
I wouldn't say it's officially considered a massive flop. Most reviewers gave it 9.0/10 or higher, although a few gave it a 7.x I don't let my buying decisions fall to the hands of some folks with an obvious chip on their shoulder (read/watch the bad reviews - they're not very objective).

All the same, there are going to be games that other people appreciate more than me. I haven't played all the games on your list of letdowns, but Halo 3 is a good game, and it had plenty of testing.

That said, Mario Galaxy looks like it will be a good title. Personally, I'm waiting on Mass Effect.


RE: Assassins Creed flops
By SavagePotato on 11/14/2007 11:58:53 AM , Rating: 2
Reviews of 95 and 100% with 2 reviews coming in around 7 constitutes a massive flop?

The game released yesterday and there are no sales numbers whatsoever yet to be making sweeping judgments that something is a massive flop.

Excuse me if I say this sounds like some serious talking out of ones ass, particularly when you categorize a game that single handedly made the Xbox division profitable as mediocre in the same breath.


Alien Wars 2?
By chrispyski on 11/13/2007 8:16:58 PM , Rating: 5
I can't believe I never heard about Contra 4 until now!

I can only hope it brings back my love of side scrolling shooters.




PC Gamer
By Omega215D on 11/13/2007 11:02:43 PM , Rating: 3
I got the holiday issue of PC Gamer with its Crysis review. Apparently Crysis set quite a standard for FPS and that it still looks good on low settings. They managed to get the game running on an AMD Athlon 3500+ with a GeForce 6800.

Can't wait. Tomorrow Circuit City will have Crysis for $40 the same goes for Sim City Societies. Then there'll be Unreal Tournament 3 which is oddly not mentioned but according to Gamestop it should be here around the 19th.




RE: PC Gamer
By 3kliksphilip on 11/14/2007 9:35:06 AM , Rating: 2
Since Half Life 2 came out I've been saying that graphics in games no longer needs updating, as the Source engine does the job perfectly. Crysis has made me think otherwise. Of all the features, in my opinion the best are the 3D water effects and the rays of light. They transform a detailed game to a fanastic desktop background where if you squint, you can just about believe that it's a photo. I wouldn't say that an AMD athlon 3500+ and Geforce 6800 are that old, especially as most people are stuck with P4's or low end dual core processors and some mid range card like a 7600 or 8600.
Even when games look real, they'll still find ways of getting you to upgrade, especially with physics and larger scale environments with more rubbish everywhere. My Geforce 8800 doesn't feel powerful enough any more...


What about?
By gaznmj on 11/14/2007 7:52:07 AM , Rating: 2
Why doesnt anyone mention games like Army of two or Lost Odyssey for Xbox 360?

Also, thank god assasins creed is out on the 360 :)




RE: What about?
By clovell on 11/14/2007 3:22:04 PM , Rating: 2
Army of Two was delayed until March. I know Circuit City had it in the Sunday Sales Ad, but every website I've check says it won't be released on any platform until 3/4/08.