It really is no secret that 2007 is going to be a huge year for PC gaming. Already we have seen the release ofThe Burning Crusadeexpansion forWorld of Warcraft— so that definitely sets the stage quite nicely for PC gaming in ’07.
But who are the true standout players going to be this year? Who will step up to the plate and deliver gaming experiences that will be talked about (and played) for years to come? It’s hard to say, really, but I’ve compiled a small list of five games that I feel will shape this year in PC gaming (Burning Crusadeexcluded.)
Hit the jump for the inside line on the best that is yet to come.
Hellgate: London
Hellgate: Londonis on the minds of many gamers who fell in love with theDiabloseries of games. The main reason why is because the majority of the development team who are spearheading this project over at Flagship are former team members of theDiablodev crew. Many crave the release ofDiablo III, but this is certainly the next best thing based on the team at work here.Hellgate: Londonfeatures first and third-person action with a large emphasis on character development and dungeon crawling through randomly-generated areas.
Crysis
Crysisis obviously being developed by Crytek, featuring the beautiful, robust and downright jaw-dropping CryEngine2 which produces by far some of the best visuals in a first-person shooter. Ever. However, until some serious tweaks are made to said engine, we might be looking at a beautiful slideshow lagfest if our computers are not being pumped full of anabolic steroids. Regardless, Crysis will easily be one to watch in ’07.
BioShock
Do you remember playingSystem ShockandSystem Shock 2years ago? Do you remember how afraid you were alone awaiting your inevitable meeting with Shodan? If you don’t, well… you missed out on some good times. But fear not!BioShockis here to be somewhat of a spiritual successor to theSystem Shockseries. It’s graphics may not be as ridiculous asCrysis, but this game is definitely a pleasure to look at.System Shockwas also known for its incredible gameplay depth, which I’m sure thatBioShockwon’t skimp on in the least. And for you Xbox 360 owners out there who don’t have a buff enough PC, you can also score this game, too.
Unreal Tournament III
Yep, we were waiting for this one.UT2007is now known officially asUnreal Tournament III. There’s not really much more that needs to be said about this one except for get your trigger-fingers ready for the ultimate break-neck shooter to be reborn using the Unreal 3 engine. You can snag this one for your PC, Xbox 360, and for the six of you out there who actually own and play the PS3, you can get it on there, too.
…And I’ve saved the best for last…
Tabula Rasa(“Clean slate”)
Richard “Lord British” Garriott, the mastermind and legendary creator of the Ultima series, has a new treat for us.Tabula Rasais the upcoming MMO masterwork that features some of the most promising gameplay that I’ve seen. The game has not gained a lot of press because of how secretive the dev team has been about keeping a large majority of the details locked up nice and tight. However, I honestly seeTabula Rasadoing to MMOs what Ultima did for RPGs. If you haven’t already read every tidbit of info that has found its way to the internet on this game by now, I suggest youget started.
In summary, it looks like the entire theme of this list was sci-fi inspired shooters with RPG influences (well, except forCrysis.) However, no one can deny that all of these games look outstanding regardless of the coincidence that they tend to revolve around post-apocalypitc warfare. Nevertheless, I still believe that ’07 will be an amazing year for the PC gamer, including these games and many others that are not on this list.
