To say that 2008 has been a phenomenal year for gaming would be an understatement. We've seen more top games this year than any year past. I won't drone on, here is a small selection of what made this year great, and what more we have to look forward to.
A selection of the games that are still to come this year.
Many that love real time strategies have fond memories of playing Red Alert and Red Alert 2. These games were fast paced, well balanced and full of variety. One can only assume that RA3 will continue that tradition with better graphics and even more unique units.
What's hot:Let's hope it doesn't suffer from the 'EA' effect.
The brain child of Peter Molyneux, the fable series are an example of 'accessible' RPG games that you can't help but love. The original introduced some new concepts such as 'Good vs Evil' choices and helped redefine the common RPG. Fable 2 continues that trend and takes it a step further.
What's hot:The success of the Guitar Hero franchise is quite frankly astonishing. But we can't help but feel that GH3 was just a stop gap measure while they worked on something much bigger.
What's hot:Bethesda have somewhat of a cult following - probably because their games have been universally awesome. Fallout 3 will almost definitely follow that trend. It's been described as Oblivion in an apocalyptic world (basically a simulator for if McCain is elected).
What's hot:Will Wright couldn't decide what game to make when he designed Spore, so he's rolled every game genre he can think of into one! We've got a Sim game an RTS and an RPG all in one package.
What's hot:The original Far Cry set the standard for computer graphics when it was released in 2004. Far Cry 2 will do that again.
What's hot:Another 'create your own' type game, LittleBigPlanet will mainly get its content from the community.
What's hot:The original Starcraft has long considered to be the best RTS ever made. Perfectly balanced, it is still used in tournaments worldwide (but particularly in Korea). The game may be showing its age, but people are still playing it. I will be very surprised if Starcraft 2 does not repeat this success.
What's hot:One of the very few games to ever get a perfect 10 from top reviewers such as GameSpot and IGN, Metal Gear Solid seamlessly integrates an amazing storyline with amazing gameplay.
What's hot:Another perfect 10, GTA4 follows the GTA series' success with an epic storyline that you never want to end.
What's hot:Finally an MMO to rival WoW! Age of Conan is a much more mature type of MMO. It has an interesting quest line and the graphics are fantastic.
What's hot:Lets hope they can iron the remaining bugs and issues out soon!
A puzzle game that really put things in perspective. A game where you have to guide a character through a world by using perspective to your advantage. This game takes the theory of "What you can't see can't hurt you" literally.
What's hot:A free racing game that has plenty of tracks and makes an excellent multiplayer game.
What's hot:A good example of what the PS3 can do, GT5 Prologue has some of the best graphics seen on a console to date. It's also an awesome racing game!
What's hot:A turn based RPG for the 360 that has some pretty amazing graphics and an epic storyline.
What's hot:An excellent RTS that made headlines for an unexpected reason - it had no copy protection.
What's hot:I can only describe this as the best racing game ever made. An open world racing game where you never stop driving.
What's hot:A new type of rhythm game where you choose the music. Play over your music with a spacecraft.
What's hot:The last 12 months have been awesome, and many games that were not published in the year 2008 but are within the last 12 months are also fantastic, so lets run down these as well!
A bunch of really great games in a box, some new, some old. Episode 2 continues the fantastic HL2 story, Portal mixes it up with something totally unique and Team Fortress 2 spruces up an old classic and adds a fresh sense of humour.
What's hot:An awesome platformer which clearly takes inspiration from Pixar.
What's hot:Another Mario classic to add to the collection.
What's hot:Love it or hate it, it’s a great shooter that has a fantastic single player campaign and multiplayer.
What's hot:It looked to be yet another sequel, and then out of nowhere a classic was born.
What's hot:Featuring a compelling storyline and unique characters, Bioshock could have been an average shooter, but it wasn't.
What's hot:A Zelda game for the DS, Phantom Hourglass makes good use of the DS's unique hardware.
What's hot:The Witcher is an RPG which deserved a lot more attention than it actually got. Appealing more to hardcore RPG fans, The Witcher is a very gritty game that gives a fairly 'realistic' view of the middle ages with a well written story.
What's hot: