It’s that time again, dear readers! Meeeeerrry Christmas!

What’s that? It’s summer, you say? Haven’t you ever heard of the time-honored tradition of celebrating Christmas in July? It’s the perfect time for stores to gear up to sell you your Christmas necessities and for everyone to celebrate the holiday season while lounging in the sun sipping on some delicious iced tea.

It’s also the perfect time to take a look at some great releases we’re going to see around the real holiday season this year. Let’s take a look into Santa’s big red bag.

There is a plethora of games set to be released from now until December, and no matter what kind of gamer you are, there’s going to be something for everyone. I’ve rounded up a few of my favorites that would make great gift ideas. We’re looking at a mammoth release schedule this year, so let’s hop right in! But first, make sure you slip some milk and cookies out on the table for Santa. I’m sure he already knows all about these games. We wouldn’t want to bore him.

Dead Space
Genre: Third-person shooter, survival horror
Release Date: October 28, 2008
Platform(s): PS3, Xbox 360, PC

Dead Space throws you aboard an interstellar mining ship as one Isaac Clarke. He and two other employees of the Concordance Extraction Corporation (C.E.C.–a mining corp) get wind of a distress call coming from a fellow ship. They take it upon themselves to investigate, and of course a hostile alien race is waiting. As if that weren’t enough, Isaac is separated from the team.

These aliens aren’t your garden-variety scaly green things with megalomaniacal intentions, either. These things are ugly. They’re also mad. The icing on the cake? Simply pumping these “Necromorphs” full of lead won’t get you too far. Instead the game has employed a tactic known as “strategic dismemberment”, meaning that instead of shooting wherever you think will kill, you will need to incapacitate your enemy by shooting off appendages such as tentacles, heads, and anything else you can think of that could possibly hurt an alien. Don’t worry, though, if you feel like that’s too much Necromorph-abuse, they can grow things back. That’s right, they can regenerate lost body parts. So choose your shots wisely, as the Necromorphs can grow into new forms that work completely against you. I don’t know about you, but they don’t sound like anything I want to mess with.

The prospect of Resident Evil 4-style gore excites me, however, and that has been one aspect of the game that has been continually praised as of late. Some segments of the game will also force you to traverse weightless environments, where you will find floating debris, bodies, and pretty much everything else that had previously been on the floor. Never fear though, Isaac will be equipped with magnetized boots and a pressurized suit so that he will be able to jump from walls to ceilings and back again. This will create an entirely new dimension for puzzles and turning the genre upside-down, literally.

Dead Space has been scheduled for an October release, right before Halloween, so you can get your scare on right on schedule. Can’t wait until October to see this game in action? Check out some different gameplay videos here.

Resistance 2
Genre: FPS
Release Date: Fall 2008
Platform(s): PS3

For PS3 owners, Resistance: Fall of Man was Sony’s answer to Halo and Gears of War. It was a beautiful blend of FPS elements that cemented its status as a “must-buy” for FPS-loving PS3 fans. Well, Insomniac takes care of its fans, as Resistance 2, a direct continuation from where the original left off, has been projected for a fall 2008 release. Rather than following Nathan Hale this time around, you are actually playing through in his shoes. You journey to Iceland where he discovers that others like him (immune to the Chimera virus) are being held by the Special Projects Research Administration Base. This collective group of people, known as “The Sentinels”, fall under siege by the Chimera and escape to the good old US of A. Of course, that wasn’t such a good idea, as the Chimera have begun attacking the USA.

Along with sharp, lush PS3 graphics and two campaign options, Resistance 2 will feature a multiplayer mode that will support up to 60 players. Both campaigns will feature colossal boss battles, but you may choose to play by your lonesome or in a co-op storyline with 1 other friend or up to 8 for your campaign-crashing pleasure.

It isn’t a stretch to say that this sequel could very well top the first, as it is considered by many to be quite the stellar FPS experience. As one of the big FPS/action releases this year, I’m sure it will put smiles on many a gamer’s face as they gun down 12 new Chimera types with their new weapon choices. Resistance: Fall of Man remains one of the biggest reasons why I need and want a PS3. I’m sure this will only cement my decision.

Itching to see a trailer? You know where to look.

Samba de Amigo
Genre: Music, rhythm
Release Date: September 28, 2008
Platform(s): Wii

In case you missed its Dreamcast release, Samba de Amigo is going to be released for the Wii! I know I am excited because I was never privileged enough to get a Dreamcast. I missed a ton of awesome games. Now I can finally experience one of the quirkiest music games of all time.

Samba de Amigo is a Sonic Team creation where you shake maraca peripherals (in this case Wii remotes) to the beat of a variety of Latin or Latin-inspired music such as “El Ritmo Tropical” (some of you might recognize that from DDR), the infamous “Macarena”, and “Soul Bossa Nova”. If you’re an Austin Powers fan like me, that should get you excited. The gameplay is simple–you are a dancing monkey wearing a sombrero named Samba. There are six circles on the screen, each pair corresponding to high, medium, or low. Of course this means you will shake your Wii remotes in one of those areas in tune to the music. It’s basically the same premise as every other rhythm game out there, but with its Latin spin and colorful peripherals that it’s famous for, this one’s just a lot more fun.

The Wii edition is going to come packed with 40 songs. Mii fans can rejoice, as you will be able to import your Miis into the game. There is the usual choice between modes like single player, multiplayer, and Love Love/Couples. So what’s the great part? It’s been announced that the game will feature “pay-to-play” downloadable content such as new songs. My favorite part? Gearbox is going to be responsible for this version. They’re the very reason I ever got into Halo thanks to my parents’ decision to pass on buying an Xbox until two years ago. They did Halo right, and I’m sure they’re going to make Samba de Amigo into the best it can be for its new home.

If you think that all sounds pretty wacky, and you’d like to see it in action, you can check out the trailer here.

Lego Batman
Genre: Action, adventure
Release Date: September 1, 2008
Platform(s): PC, DS, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360

Batman is awesome.

Legos are a staple of my childhood.

Lego Batman, therefore, must be awesome. With the success of the previous Lego incarnations for Star Wars and Indiana Jones, it seemed like a seamless transition into comic book heroes. We’re being given one of the greatest heroes of all time in adorable Lego form!

The game will feature 36 levels. 18 of them will have you playing through as Batman heroes, and the other half will let you wreak havoc as villains. Confirmed heroes you will be able to play as are Batman, Robin, Nightwing, Nighthawk, and Commissioner Gordon, though I don’t see Gordon doing much in the way of crimefighting. As for the villains? This is where it gets fun: The Joker, The Riddler, Catwoman, Harley Quinn (my favorite), Poison Ivy, Bane, Mr. Freeze, and more. Just thinking about how small and devious the Lego villains will be is getting me excited for this game already!

It will combine the same partner-swapping puzzles and Lego-exploding action that was made famous in Lego Star Wars. One can only hope that there will be little comic-style word bubbles popping up when you lay into someone. BIFF! WHAM! ZOT!

Just check out how adorable the game is gonna be!

Major Minor’s Majestic March
Genre: Music, rhythm
Release Date: Holiday 2008
Platform(s): Wii

Parappa the Rapper was my very first introduction to the music genre. I would not put that game down until I finished all six stages. That was years ago, and it took longer than it should. These days I can have it done in about 15 minutes, simply from playing it SO MANY TIMES. I graduated to Um Jammer Lammy, which amazed me, and then to Parappa the Rapper 2, which fell short of the classic original. I’ve been feeling such a dry spell for Masaya Matsuura and Rodney Alan Greenblat’s artistic direction that I almost jumped for joy when I got wind of this game.

Your very own Wii remote will be transformed into a special baton that will be put to use leading a marching band. You’ll direct the band, recruit new musicians, and keep up with the tempo much like in Mad Maestro. Of course, there will be obstacles to avoid and enemies to defeat. There is very little information available about the title so far, but it’s an exciting endeavor that I will keep a close eye on, as it is scheduled for a holiday release. I am so starved for another experience like Parappa or Um Jammer Lammy. They were staples of my PS1 days, and as it just so happens I just dragged Parappa out a little earlier. One can only hope that music will be HALF as catchy as those in Parappa or Lammy. I’m keeping my fingers crossed, because you gotta do what? You gotta believe!

Gears of War 2
Genre: Third-person shooter, action
Release Date: November 2008
Platform(s): Xbox 360

The ending of the smash hit Gears of War pretty much sealed the game’s fate as far as having a sequel. For this I rejoice, as Gears of War was one of my favorite experiences in the short time I have owned a 360. As much as I enjoyed all the hacking Locusts to bits with the chainsaw bayonets, neckless beefcakes and “Yeah! Whoo! Bring it on, sucka!”, I was often left to wonder why exactly the Locusts were invading, and why pretty much anything was going on. Not only that, but when I would be able to spend more time with Fenix and the gang, because that game was freaking sweet.

Gears of War 2 is finally coming, and it’s in the cards for November. Taking place six years after the Lightmass bomb was planted in the original game, we discover that the use of such a weapon indeed comes with a price. A disease has emerged–Rust Lung–due to the vaporization of the Imulsion deep within the planet . Humans just can’t win for losing. Long story short, the Locusts are back, and they’re meaner than ever. What does that mean? Fenix, Dom, and a brand new team are going to have to go in and take them down, for the good of humanity. As you can see, it’s as dramatic as ever.

A deeper, more involving storyline has been promised, along with new characters, new weapons, and (you guessed it) more enemies. Perhaps the most interesting addition is the ability to use a downed enemy as a shield. How deliciously deviant. If only more games implemented such. I know I’ve always wanted to use a Brute corpse in Halo to defend myself from pesky little Grunts. I wonder what they’d say to that?

Do you remember the Brumak? You’ll be matched with those, and also an even bigger monster that, according to Cliffy B, “makes the Brumak look like a baby panda bear.” Sweet.

The multiplayer of the original game left much to be desired, and I can vouch for that. This looks to be remedied, as there will now be at least three new modes to contest with up to 10 players in: “Wingman”, “Guardian”, and “Meatflag”. The latter seems to be the most interesting of the bunch, as it involves using an AI-controlled enemy’s carcass as a flag instead of an actual, you know, flag.

Gears 2 looks to be a promising addition to the legacy of Marcus Fenix and Delta Squad, and I am finding it a pretty long time until November.

Wanna see more? Hold A down to run on over here.

Is it November yet?

With all those games and more being cranked out in the coming months, Christmas as a gamer is going to be pretty sweet. Of course, these aren’t ALL the great ones coming out! Our very own Gloria previewed Silent Hill: Homecoming here for your reading pleasure. I can’t wait for it either! Monique has also gotten us very excited about Left 4 Dead, which is shaping up to be a heaping pile of zombie goodness. Check her preview out here.

Due to time constraints and/or lack of information, here are a few games that I am excited for that I did not list: Infinite Undiscovery, Too Human, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky, and OF COURSE the recently announced Chrono Trigger for the DS. I’ve been waiting for that for as long as I’ve had a DS. I’m willing to bet it sells like hotcakes.

I know everyone has a different game that they’re all anxious to get their hands on. So how about it? What new releases would you like Santa to bring you this year? Personally, if I got a PS3 I think I’d be just fine, since I can’t partake in any of the goodness that is MGS4, Uncharted, FFXIII, or anything awesome to come.

P.S.: I’m sorry, but your Diablo 3 is in another Christmas.

This entry was posted on Friday, July 4th, 2008 at 12:27 pm and is filed under Video Games, Previews, New Releases, Holiday Themed. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.