10. Unreal Tournament III (360, release: 4 July)
In the world of the online deathmatch, few games can hold a candle to the awesomeness of Unreal Tournament.
Admittedly, it’s taken a little longer than expected for the 360 version of UT’s latest iteration to turn up (and even then, without the joys of user-generated maps). But either way, the 360 version is nearly upon us.
And this should be music to the ears of deathmatch fans everywhere. With a combination of smooth controls, slick visuals, incredibly balanced level design and even some decent bots for a change, the game should prove to be a hit on Live.
Admittedly, the iron fist with which Microsoft governs Xbox Live means that 360 owners will have to do without the wealth of user-generated maps we’ve seen on the other versions (although there will be additional maps released for it), and those looking for a fulfilling single player experience will wind up being disappointed.
But if deathmatches are your thing – or you’re just really desperate to check out that Gears of War 2 video – this’ll be worth a look.
9. Battle Fantasia (360/PS3, release: Out Now (import), UK: TBC)
While publishers will try to hype pretty much anything to the rafters these days, a game will occasionally come along that truly takes you by surprise – Battle Fantasia being one such game.
Developed by Guilty Gear coders Arc System Works, Battle Fantasia arrived in the arcades back in 2007, and has just hit the PS3 and 360 in Japan – and despite a lack of hype, it’s a rather brilliant game.
Best described as a combination of traditional 2D beat-’em-up gameplay (albeit with 3D graphics) with JRPG style characters, this has allowed Arc to really go to town with the game. Rather than the usual assortment of martial artists, ninjas and kung-fu chicks, Battle Fantasia features knights, flag-waving soldier princesses, cowboys, pirates and even wizard rabbits in strange hats.
The RPG theme also means those same characters can call on some seriously impressive special moves. Forget fireballs and spinning kicks, as Battle Fantasia’s cast can fly across the screen, attack one another with bear traps and even drop church bells on enemies.
There may only be 12 characters on offer, but make no mistake – learning how best to use the Gachi button to parry attacks, the heat system to charge your own strikes and how to string together devastating moves will take you an age.
It’s not been officially confirmed as coming out over here yet, but we’re expecting a Western release sooner rather than later. Although given the lack of language barriers and the quality of the game, those who are au fait with the import scene may want to go right ahead and import it.
8. Civilization Revolution (360/PS3, release: Out now)
Strategy games have a bad rep on consoles. You get the odd one or two exceptions, but their complex nature and plodding controls tend to be at odds with the fast, flowing nature of most console games.
Civ Rev is very much a response to that. Rather than tying you up with endless options and a huge world, Civ Rev condenses and simplifies things to create a more fluid experience.
While there’s a danger that the series’ traditional fans may be left somewhat unimpressed by the scale of the game relative to the PC versions, that’s not to say Revolution isn’t deep, requiring you to still strike a balance between conquest, defence and the way you run your empire.
If you’re new to the series – or are just looking for a decent console turn-based strategy title – then Revolution has everything you need to consume hours of your day at a time.
7. Ferrari Challenge (PC/PS3/Wii, release: 4 July)
In these days where developers proudly crow about how many cars they’ve been able to cram into their latest racer, developing a game that revolves around a single spec championship is a bit brave.
But that’s what System 3 and Eutechnyx are attempting with Ferrari Challenge – and by the looks of it, it’s going to pay off. Although the game will principally be based on the titular Ferrari Challenge – which forms the basis for several championships around the world, using modified Ferrari F430 cars – the game will also feature a selection of the marque's most famous models as well.
With driving game specialists Eutechnyx on the job and Bruno Senna (nephew of legendary triple F1 world champion Ayrton, and himself a front runner in Formula One’s GP2 feeder series) on hand to offer a few pointers, System 3’s bold promise that this will be “the Ferrari of videogames” looks set to come true.
6. Top Spin 3 (360/PC/PS3/Wii, release: out now)
With rivals such as SEGA Superstars Tennis, Smash Court Tennis 3 and Virtua Tennis 3, any new tennis game will need to be good – which Top Spin 3 most certainly is.
Rather than going down the same primary-hued arcade road that its rivals have gone down, Top Spin 3 has gone for a more realistic approach, attempting to deliver a realistic portrayal of the sport in all its gritty glory.
As such, there are no fruit dodging, robot destroying mini-games or elaborate shots here. Instead, what you get is a hardcore sim that places the emphasis on making sure you make the right shot at the right time, and ruthlessly punishing you if you don’t.
Coupled with a cast of contemporary stars and some of the all-time greats of the court, a huge career mode and the obligatory make-your-own-player facility, and those tennis fans looking for a serious tennis sim should be well catered for long after Wimbledon is over with.
5. Battlefield: Bad Company (360/PS3, release: out now)
First person shooters have gotten a bit ‘samey’ of late. Set in some near future setting, they normally revolve around some religious fanatic or political extremist throwing a wobbly and taking on the world and you having to go in and save the day.
But not here. Rather than going in to liberate a besieged non-descript nation, Bad Company puts you in control of a squad of men who set out with the intention of pinching some gold from some equally dubious opponents.
In usual Battlefield style, the levels are huge and feature plenty of natural flashpoints where fire fights can occur. With the majority of buildings and cover being destructable, you can’t rely on those to give you cover forever, and the AI is impressively ruthless and accurate.
Throw in some seriously impressive visuals, even better sound and the usual smattering of vehicles, and you’ve got yourself a cast iron classic.
4. Race Driver: GRID (360/ PC/PS3, release: out now)
As you’ll probably know, we’re huge fans of GRID. We knew Codemasters was onto another hit when we first played it back in February, and the finished article didn’t disappoint.
Despite having a list of cars that is dwarfed by other racers, no other racing game out at the moment boasts the same degree of variation as GRID does. The key to this is the sheer number of classes on offer, and the way GRID’s wonderful handling engine captures the individual style of each.
For instance, something like an American muscle car – heavy and cumbersome - will wallow through corners, whereas a Formula Three car – quick, agile and grippy – will eat them up, requiring completely different approaches.
Throw in some simply stunning visuals and a varied selection of motorsports from around the globe, and you’ve got a simply amazing game that will swallow up those summer blues in a cloud of tyre smoke.
3. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii, release: out now)
Whether you’ve been patiently waiting for the PAL version, or you’ve accidently updated your Wii’s firmware and found your Freeloader no longer works, the wait is now over – Smash Bros. Brawl has finally been released in Europe.
As with the previous Smash Bros. games, Brawl combines elements of both a traditional 2D beat-’em-up and a platform game. The side-on battles take place in multitier arenas, with the idea being to knock your rivals off the various platforms these make up.
Thanks to the usual series of tweaks and the uniqueness of its underlying concept, Brawl has lost none of the series’ very particular charm, and is superbly rounded out with a awe inspiring selection of characters.
Brawl’s cast of characters reads like a who’s who of gaming’s heavyweights. All the usual Mario characters are present, alongside other Nintendo stars such as Link, Kid Icarus, Kirby, Zelda, Pikachu, Diddy Kong and many more besides. These are joined by a select cast of characters from outside of the Nintendo universe, such as Solid Snake and Sonic.
With each character using his, her (or indeed, its) own special ability as part of their fighting routine and the highly polished nature of the gameplay, this is the Wii game to have this summer.
2. Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3, release: out now)
It’s slightly ironic that we’re bidding farewell to one of the PlayStation’s undisputed heroes, just as the PS3 is getting into its stride. But nevertheless, Metal Gear Solid 4 has managed to ensure that Solid Snake has gone out with a bang.
The fourth and final chapter in the Solid Snake series of Metal Gear games, Hideo Kojima’s latest doesn’t disappoint. Sure, it might go a bit weird at times – such as the bizarre commercials and TV shows to start with – the cut scenes are lengthy at times and there are some strange new technologies at work. But at heart, it’s still a Metal Gear game.
As such, this means that you’ll be spending most of your time sneaking about, judging when best to attack and when best to remain lurking under objects and hiding in corners – and while it’s not quite perfect, it’s still the best reason to own a PS3 right now.
1. Rock Band (360, release: out now)
Yes, we know we’ve been banging on about Rock Band for ages. Yes, we know it’s expensive. And yes, we know the sequel’s out in September. But we can’t help ourselves – Rock Band really is that good.
Although we could wax lyrical about how long it will take you to work your way through the game’s list of songs, or how the steady stream of downloadable tracks will keep it fresh thereafter, it’s the social aspect that really shines with Rock Band.
Through a combination of the different instruments and some well balanced difficulty settings, even the most sceptical of gamers will find it nigh impossible not to be drawn in by Rock Band’s considerable charms. And because novices and experts can happily play alongside each other, everyone has a good time.
Sure, the full kit is pricey. But once you’ve spent an evening rocking out with a few mates, there’s no denying that this hefty investment is still money well spent. Indeed, we know people who have rushed out to buy the game and kit after being reluctantly roped into a lengthy session.
The fact Rock Band 2 is coming in September will inevitably see many of you questioning the point of buying the first game now. But even though two or three months isn’t a long time to wait, the hours of fun it will give you during that period still makes it worth picking up.
And those that didn’t quite make it…
If you’ve been through the list above and are thirsting for more, then look this way. Although not quite worthy of our list, there are still a few other games that could be worth checking out.
Those with a bit of a thing for ninjas will want to check out Ninja Gaiden 2. Although it’s not without its faults, Tomonobu Itagaki’s Tecmo swansong is still fast, flowing and bloodier than a butcher’s apron.
If you found Battle Fantasia’s pace to be too quick or Brawl to be a little too far from the beat-’em-up norm, then you’ll probably want to check out Soul Calibur IV, which is due out on PS3 and 360 soon. Indeed, with an HD port of DC hit Soul Calibur 1 now out on Live Arcade, it should be a good summer for fans of Namco’s weapons wielding fighting series.
Those looking for some musical action on the cheap may want to check out Guitar Hero: Aerosmith. While it’s not quite as big as the full Guitar Hero games that are already available, it does feature one of the greatest rock groups ever.
PS3 owners into social gaming will almost certainly want to check out Buzz! Quiz TV, while those of you who missed the surprisingly decent Overlord last year can make amends by snapping up Overlord: Raising Hell on PS3.
And finally, there's Spore’s Creature Creator. While not technically a full game, crafting animals from scratch is far more fun than it should be.
