threevue

Let’s face it, there are so many game coming out this holiday season that it’s impossible to play them all, let alone afford them. So today I did you a great service and looked through all the games that are coming out in the next couple months, and provided arguments as to why or why not they deserve your hard(ly)-earned $60. The decision about the game itself is up to you, but none of us here on staff want you making an uninformed choice.

In no real order:

Mirror’s Edge
Why you should get it: It’s a first-person, 3D action/platformer with a neat artistic vision and feel that has seen a lot of buzz by insiders for months now. In a world of browns/reds/browns, the game’s color really stands out, and it may be one of the most unique titles of the year.
Why it can wait: First and foremost, it’s a new franchise, which means I’ll wait for the reviews to pour in before taking a chance on it. For all we know, it could be another Haze or Lair. Secondly, I have a feeling that the campaign will end up being a little short, so it may not be worth the full $60.

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Left 4 Dead
Why you should get it: Valve is making it, and they made Half-Life 2, Portal, and CounterStrike. If you’re looking for a totally new franchise with a high-quality assurance, look no further. Plus, zombies.
Why it can wait: I would strongly recommend picking up The Orange Box if you haven’t already – it’s five Valve games in one (including Half-Life 2 and Portal), and is probably more worth your money than Left 4 Dead. If you’ve already played through (and loved) The Orange Box, then you pretty much have to get this guy, too.

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Rock Band 2
Why you should get it: This game boasts 84 songs, along with weekly downloadable content and the ability to transfer your RB1 songs for a $5 fee, too. The guitar and drumset have been tweaked, and the single-player careers are more fleshed out.
Why it can wait: If you already have RB1, RB2 might not be worth it unless you’re really hurting for 84 instantly new songs or different gameplay. For me, the weekly downloadable songs (which will work with both RB1 and RB2) add enough fresh blood to the game that I don’t see myself picking up RB2 until it’s nearing the bargain bin.

Fallout 3
Why you should get it: A huge, immense world to traverse, with at least 20 hours of storyline (but 100+ hours of gameplay, should you want to explore everything). It’s a post-apocalyptic mix of first-person combat and RPG gameplay, and it’s getting rave reviews left and right.
Why it can wait: Maybe you don’t like RPGs. Maybe you don’t like open-world games. Yeah, I don’t really, either. But the fact that there’s 100 hours of gameplay means that I’m getting more bang for my buck than any other single-player game out there today. If you do like RPGs, you might be more inclined to pick up Bethesda’s previous outing, Oblivion, for about $15.

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Fable 2
Why you should get it: Another open-world RPG, this one is much more traditional and colorful. It has a deep moral system, where the decisions you make affect the world around you.
Why it can wait: It’s not as long as Fallout 3, which also has a moral system. Also, it’s a little on the boring side, and feels geared more towards non-gamers.

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Dead Space
Why you should get it: Not often do entirely new games come out that are awesome. This is one of them. It is beautiful, scary, and fairly long at around 12 hours for the entire campaign. And like Resident Evil 4, it’s good enough to warrant several playthroughs.
Why it can wait: Because it’s not online or anything, you’re not missing anything by waiting until its price drops before experiencing the story. And with Resident Evil 5 coming in March, you might be able to hold off for its big brother.

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LittleBigPlanet
Why you should get it: A “social platformer”, it allows you to create levels for your character to play through, and to show to the world. Alternately, you can visit other people’s levels and so on. Essentially, it’s a platformer that never gets old.
Why it can wait: I haven’t played it yet but I’m a little intimidated by the sheer fact that I can create things out of scratch. That in itself sounds like it’ll consume my life a little more than your typical game. Plus, the longer you wait until you get it, the more (and more interesting) levels will be made for you to play around with.

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Call of Duty: World at War
Why you should get it: It looks to have all the same online gameplay as last year’s COD4, but set in WWII again. It features the same COD4 engine, a zombie mode, the same perk system, and online co-op. And like 60+ online maps, too.
Why it can wait: COD4 is still an awesome game, and if you haven’t played it yet, I’d go with that one first. Also, I was not a huge fan of COD3 (created by the same developers as this one, but not COD4), so I’m waiting on the reviews before I make a decision.

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Resistance 2
Why you should get it: Following immediately after the first game, this one has a HUGE multiplayer system (60 players), 8-player co-op with a class structure, 12 new enemies, 10 new weapons, and PS3 trophies.
Why it can wait: The first Resistance is still a solid game, and about 1/3 of the price. Also, in a sea of FPS titles, this one feels a little unessential to me alongside Call of Duty: World at War and Left 4 Dead.

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Gears of War 2
Why you should get it: More guns, more bad guys, more muscles, more juice. Like Gears of War, but more.
Why it can wait: We here at Threevue weren’t huge fans of the first game, and I’d have to be plenty bored before picking this one up for full price.

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Guitar Hero: World Tour
Why you should get it: It’s Guitar Hero, but with more instruments.
Why it can wait: Rock Band does almost everything better, and has much more content. Granted, this GH allows you to create your own songs, but from what I’ve heard it’s nothing to shake a stick at. And it’s getting pretty mediocre reviews.

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Prince of Persia
Why you should get it: It looks beautiful (cel-shaded, too), and will feature all the same puzzles, acrobatics and combat that the series is known for.
Why it can wait: It’s an open-ended game, which sometimes isn’t enough to pique my interest. Some games do this well, while others suffer from it. Little is known about this game, so again we’ll have to wait on the reviews before we know if it’s worth $60.

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Runners Up:

Far Cry 2
Looks pretty, and it’s an open-world FPS. But there’s just too many other good comparatives out there.

Quantum of Solace
Built with the COD4 engine, and it’s James Bond! Not enough to warrant a full-price purchase, sorry. See you in the bargain bin, buddy.