Midnight Club: Los Angeles

Publisher: Rockstar Games
Developer: Rockstar San Diego
Release Date: Q1 2008
Genre: Racing Game

Midnight Club: Los Angeles is the fourth video game in the Midnight Club racing series. It was officially announced on May 16, 2007 by Rockstar Games. The game is being developed by Rockstar San Diego, the same studio behind Rockstar's first iteration into the seventh generation of video games, Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis. The game will be set in the city of Los Angeles, again providing the option to free-roam on roadways quite larger than all the cities combined from Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition.

New additions are a day-to-night cycle and weather effects, adding a realisitic aspect to the game. After races, if any damage is inflicted upon the vehicle, the player doesn't necessarily have to drive back to the garage for a full repair, but instead can choose the Quick Fix option with which shoddy and old parts will be added to the car. To get the nice look back, they must drive back to repair at a garage. The Los Angeles map is considered one of the most detailed and accurate versions of L.A. yet.

The RAGE system is being used for this game, the same system being used in Grand Theft Auto IV, traffic level will vary upon time of day. Morning and afternoon times will have heaviest traffic, whilst nighttime will have less. This encourages less experienced players to race at night and more experienced to race at day. Another great feature is the game camera. Now a camera is available from within the car, which indicates that Rockstar will be adding steering wheels, car seats, etc. as available parts of purchase. Motorcycles will be returning to the series however no specific names have been released.

Horror / Psychological Thriller Games:

Silent Hill V

Publisher: Konami
Developer: Konami
Release Date: TBA 2008
Genre: Psychological Horror Game

I got really excited when I watched the E3 2007 announcement trailer, Silent Hill is finally coming to the Xbox 360. Silent Hill V will move away from preset camera angles, giving you full control of the visuals. Konami announced that Akira Yamaoka (Sound Director, PC version "Silent Hill 3" Producer) who will have a great role in the making on Silent Hill V. Silent Hill V is using the Havok engine in a unique way. The middleware is being used in the same capacity as it was in Saints Row and Halo 3. Now when you bump into chairs or tables or open doors, the game will register that action in the in-game environment which may alert your enimies of your presence.

Silent Hill V thrusts players into a shadowy world of chaos and terror with atmospheric high definition graphics and an original storyline that sheds new light on the desolate, fog-shrouded town of Silent Hill.

You are Alex Shepherd, a war veteran returning home from an overseas tour of duty to investigate the mysterious disappearance of his younger brother, Joshua. His travels will lead him through the small, insular community of Shepherd's Glen and eventually through the hauntingly empty streets of Silent Hill.

Alan Wake

Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Developer: Remedy Entertainment
Release Date: TBA 2008
Genre: Psychological Thriller

An intense psychological thriller from Remedy, the creators of Max Payne, Alan Wake looks to raise the bar for future games, creating a true cinematic experience. Alan Wake is a single-player game which reminds me a lot of Condemned: Criminal Origins because of its scary atmosphere. Just looking at screenshots and watching trailers of this game gives me the creeps. Alan Wake also has one of the biggest environments and greatest weather effects ever seen in a console game.

Fill the shoes of one Alan Wake, a man who makes his living from the terror of others as a best-selling suspense novelist. Trapped in the deceptively peaceful Washington town of Bright Falls, where he came to escape the trauma of losing his fiancée, Alan must piece together a mystery to prevent himself from being trapped inside a nightmarish world forever.

Explore an expansive world filled with missions, unique puzzles, intense combat, and horrifying enemies. Dig into a twisting and multi-layered story filled with suspense, engaging characters, and shocking revelations.

Resident Evil 5

Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
Release Date: TBA 2008
Genre: Horror / Third-Person Action Game

Produced by Jun Takeuchi, this follow-up to the terrifying series introduces the theme of escape as its core survival instinct. Few details have been released about the game's storyline other than the fact that the setting will have a similar feel to the movie Black Hawk Down. Takeuchi added that the developing team is composed of staff members who worked on the first Resident Evil.

As Chris Redfield (former S.T.A.R.S. member and now part of the BSAA unit), your life is in danger as you strive to complete your most dangerous mission yet in a sweltering desert colony where a new breed of evil has been unleashed. Swarms of marauding evil beings will charge at you when your pulse is racing at a heart-shattering pace. Environments will play a bigger factor than ever here, using the power of next-gen systems to create a world where terror might lurk in any alcove or shadow. Powerful lighting effects overwhelm the player with mirage movement and blinding brilliance, and even in the light of day, there is no safe haven in this Resident Evil.

Fighting Games:

Soul Calibur IV

Publisher: Namco Bandai
Developer: Project Soul
Release Date: Q3 2008
Genre: Fighting Game

Soul Calibur IV is the fourth chapter in the critically-acclaimed series. Delivering new gameplay modes, characters and enhanced features with unprecedented 3D modeling and animation, Soulcalibur IV aims to be a definitive fighting game experience. The unrelenting pursuit of two legendary swords continues when Soulcalibur IV is released in 2008. Developed by Project Soul, (the legendary team behind Soul Blade and Soulcalibur I - III), Soulcalibur IV re-introduces classic warriors from the series as well as introduce new characters that bring new conflict and intrigue.