HOT SHIT: the BIG 8.

Why the big 8? Because, that's why. Only two of these forthcoming games are sequels (BiosShock doesn’t count although it’s a successor to the System Shock series) so it’s refreshing to see original games triumphing on next-gen consoles: these are the ones we want the most.

Haze (Free Radical, Ubisoft): We’re looking forward to pumping ourselves full of performance-enhancing Nectar and marching headfirst into Haze’s frenetic gun-toting action. Free Radical’s new first-person project leading on PlayStation 3, is really starting to take shape, its detailed, lush jungle environments giving Far Cry a serious run for its money. You play as a trooper for the shadowy and morally dubious Mantel Corporation. As such you have all the best kit at your disposal, the best weapons, dropships dropping off reinforcements and an unlimited supply of tasty Nectar. Administer yourself with a shot of said drug and the odds become stacked heavily in your favour. Members of the rebel Promise Hand group that you’ve been sent to root out glow like neon lights whilst you simultaneously receive a hefty boost to your strength and agility making melee attacks fatal. Additionally, Nectar has you develop foresight which means you're able to see grenade blast radiuses before they go off amongst other 'spider sense'-type abilities. Overdose on Nectar though and you’ll become engulfed in a drug-induced haze and begin to lose a grip on reality and your trigger finger. Hence the snappy title.
We’re going to say something real controversial now, but we think Haze could be the Halo-beater PS3 owners have been waiting for. No pressure then Free Radical.
PlayStation 3 gamers will be able to get their hands on Haze 28th September with the 360 version following March 2008.

Kane & Lynch: Dead Men (IO Interactive, Eidos): A genuinely compelling title from the makers of the Hitman games. Its mature, adult content should make for an unparalleled cinematic narrative as you take control of two thoroughly dark, depraved, mentally unhinged criminals. Kane is a traitorous diamond thief who's fleeced his old mob, The Seven. Kane’s agenda is to keep hold of the loot he’s hidden, which is where Lynch comes in. As Kane, you’re supposed to be leading Lynch to the hidden diamonds, so he’ll be keeping a beady eye on you. Hired by The Seven to have Kane retrieve the stolen booty, Lynch is a proper psychopath lacking any kind of moral code. His lack of ethics means that he’ll rock his shotgun whenever he likes, even populated areas like clubs. Being unstable, Lynch is capable of unspeakable acts of violence, which may make for some unsettling, disturbing scenes. So, a game starring a heavily scarred career criminal and a certifiable maniac should be truly intriguing. This has shot right to the top of our most wanted list.
Kane & Lynch: Dead Men is out on 360, PS3 and PC November 9th.

Beautiful Katamari (Namco Bandai): We fell in love with We Love Katamari on PS2, so naturally we’re dying to play its next-gen sequel. Visually it looks like its business as usual, albeit with a hint of next-gen HD sheen. For the uninitiated, Katamari Damacy (as it’s widely known) is the worlds only roll ‘em up. Katamari’s premise is a simple but fiendishly addictive one. You play as the King Of All Cosmos’ son The Prince and it’s your job to push around your katamari (a big ball) and roll up as many objects as you possibly can whilst adhering to a time limit or set of rules. There’s no limit to what you can roll up with your katamari, and in We Love Katamari on PS2 one of the game’s final stages tasked you with rolling up landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and Big Ben. Ultimately, you ended up rolling up all of your previously rolled-up katamaris accumulated throughout the game into one uber ball, then roll it right into the sun. Obviously. Mad as a baboon with rabies, the Katamari games are consistently brilliant standing out as both unique and eminently playable, which is why Beautiful Katamari can’t come soon enough. Roll on!
Beautiful Katamari is due for UK release on PS3 and 360 early next year.

Stranglehold (Midway): Showing off the much vaunted ‘Massive D’ engine (the D is for destruction) that will also feature in Blacksite: Area 51, Stranglehold is the digital sequel to John Woo’s Hong Kong action classic Hard Boiled. Reprising his iconic role as cocktail stick chewing super cop Tequila, you play as a flawlessly replicated Chow Yun Fat, able to recreate Woo-style gun scenes complete with trademark doves. Cool. Leaping with twin pistols blazing, you can string together some spectacular combos using various props and pieces of the surrounding scenery, such as banisters, tables, trolleys, chandeliers and more. One notable scene sees Tequila interacting with a T-Rex skeleton in a museum. It’s a perfect example of the kind of balls-out action we can expect to see in Stranglehold. Combine this with the ability to destroy almost anything in your environment and Stranglehold is set to be the premier action title that is going to rock your world.
Look out for Stranglehold on 360, PS3 and PC, September 7th.

Burnout Paradise (Criterion, EA): Burnout has arguably the finest pedigree when it comes to balls-to-the-wall arcade racing. No other racer offers such lightning-fast racing and such explosive, pornographic, automotive carnage. Burnout makes its next-gen debut offering an expansive, free-roaming city for you to explore at your own pace. Online, you can pull up beside someone you want to race, rev up and then go. In the middle of a race, if you think you’re going to rack up a huge crash junction score, you can seamlessly abandon the action and go for a record-breaking crash score instead. Genius!
Burnout’s vehicles look shinily desirable as always and this time Criterion say that they’re far more satisfying to handle. Handling physics look and feel more realistic as cars now have suspension allowing for accurate body-roll which means flipping your car may become a real danger when taking sharp corners at high velocity. Crashes will be more spectacular too as for the first time you can twist or break you car’s chassis which means you can potentially tear your vehicle in two or bend it into an unrecognisable heap of scrap metal. Nice.
Burnout Paradise will be pulling up on 360 and PS3 September 30th.

Mass Effect (BioWare, Microsoft): Elder Scrolls IV in space? Maybe. BioWare’s epic sci-fi RPG looks simply breathtaking. Create your own version of Commander Shepard: the game’s hero (or simply be Jack) then jump straight into what promises to be a uniquely immersive space opera. Have a meaningful chat with alien races with the best dialogue this side of Deus Ex, blast alien races or destroy alien craft. Travel to far off planets and destroy alien races or just explore. The edge of the universe is the only limit here, Mass Effect is going to be one of the biggest games on 360 this year along with, um, what’s that other big game called? The one with the Master Chef? Sorry, Master Chief… Check out Landon’s ‘Why I Hate RPGs’ for more.
Mass Effect is set to be released for 360 on October 5th.

BioShock (Irrational Games, 2K Games): Eerie FPS set in the drowned art deco city of Rapture, opening with your character lost at sea, you descend into the dark, submerged city ignorant to the unique horrors that await you. Rapture is utterly unsettling, scary and macabre, featuring some of the freakiest inhabitants this side of the Big Brother house: it’s that horrifying. Decaying ‘30’s style décor, accompanied by crackly, old records from a bygone age indicate to you immediately that all is not what it should be in the murky depths. Body harvesting little girls accompanied by their guardian ‘Big Daddies’ stalk the claustrophobic corridors along with the shambling, corpse-like freaks wielding rusty hooks and other welcoming tools designed solely to inflict gruesome lacerations. Chilling.
Adding depth to the game is a unique risk/reward dynamic in the form of Rapture’s energy-based currency Adam. Adam is a precious force, which can be gleaned from dispatching the creepy ‘Little Sisters’ and can be used to enhance your supernatural powers. Leaving ‘Little Sisters’ alone though means avoiding gruelling battles with ‘Big Daddies’ and can lead to greater rewards later on in the game…decisions, decisions. BioShock will undoubtedly be one of the best First Person Shooters available this year and is already looking absolutely essential.
Lucky PC and 360 owners can have BioShock induced nightmares August 24th. The PS3 faithful will have to pray for a release date. Seriously. PRAY.

Alan Wake (Remedy, Microsoft): Another game that Billy Gates has plundered from a multi-platform release, Alan Wake is yet another ambiguous title that has piqued our curiosity. In short, it looks amazing and coming from the people that brought us Max Payne it’s bound to be overtly cinematic and above all, very, very good. A mysterious, psychological thriller Alan Wake tasks you with investigating some mysterious goings on in a small town in Middle America. From what little we’ve seen, it looks like Remedy is going for a Silent Hill vibe, but without the gibbering flesh-bags.
Will be ace although PS3 misses out once again, which is a damn shame. Here’s hoping it finds its way to Sony’s baby sooner rather than later.
Alan Wake is slated for a July 30th release on PC and 360. In a mystery befitting of the game itself Alan Wake is available for PS3 pre-order on Amazon and will hit the console on September 30th despite the official site claiming exclusivity to PC and 360. Most curious…