Everything's always better the second (or third or fourth) time around
Playing a sequel is a lot like buying a street-vendor hot dog: You know how it's going to taste, but you don't know how it's going to make you feel until an hour or two later. Here are 10 next-gen sequels, due out this year, all guaranteed to keep you from doubling over with a nasty case of buyer's remorse.
If seeing Tara Reid star in the Alone In The Dark movie didn't scare the Fruit Rollups out of you, then nothing probably will. Set in (and apparently underneath) New York City's Central Park and starring Edward Carnby (the guy from the original AITD game), this things-that-go-bump-in-the-night boo!fest promises mystery, mayhem, and monsters with incredibly high polygon counts. Aaiiieeeee! Is that Uwe Boll behind that tree? Aiiiieeeeeeeee!
If you played the original, then you know that it borrowed heavily from Grand Theft Auto III's sandbox-style gameplay and added a fairly dull Cold War-style narrative. No matter. The game was all about driving fast, blowing the holycrap out of everything, and damaging as much property as possible. Best of all, ordering a Humvee is still easier than ordering a pizza. Except we still have no idea what to tip the Humvee delivery boy...
What has floating appendages, can't talk, and has a nose that rivals even Gerard Depardieu's beacon of hope? We're talking about Rayman, a.k.a. "What Mario Would Look Like If the French Made Mario Games." In Rayman's fourth quirky platformer, slated to be a launch title for the Wii, this time around our favorite mute must match wits with-ready for this?-a pack of insane bunny rabbits.
OK, so maybe this one isn't a spiffy 360/PS3 next-gen retina-burner. But chances are, this will be the last really good reason to dust off the fading PS2 and that plastic guitar. And what a swan song it will be! More tracks (around 55 total), more venues, more characters, more long, unwashed hair. Pity our next door neighbors; they still haven't forgiven us for all of those late night "Smoke On The Water" sessions.
Sonic has fallen on hard times. His spiked hair and penchant for gold rings feels so 1984 (and not in a cool retro way, either). So what's in store for next-gen Sonic? This much we know: He still runs fast and he still wears Payless sneakers. And this time, he has his very own princess to save (something Mario's had for the past 20 years). Just keep the Dramamine handy for those vertigo-inducing loops.
The motto for this Metal Gear game is "No place to hide." That's what we'd like to say to MGS creator Hideo Kojima for making us sit through hours of pointless Codec conversations in the last three games. (Colonel: "Snake, what'd you do last night?" Snake: "I fell asleep in my La-Z-Boy until I farted so loudly that I woke myself up." Colonel: "Well, my wife baked a kugel...") We'll get you for this, Kojima!
The Rainbow Six squad takes a much-deserved vacation in Sin City. Think Ocean's 11, only with more character-specific specialties and casino-infiltrating strategies (and less George Clooney putting his big, smug face in front of the camera every two seconds). And apparently, lukewarm buffets and Celine Dion aren't the only evils in Las Vegas. You'll also find terrorists who have taken the city hostage! And David Copperfield! Just remember, what happens in Vegas...well, you know.
Platform: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Playstation 2, Xbox, Gamecube
Otherwise known as The Dark Side of That Goody-Goody Sam Fisher., in Double Agent, Sam must infiltrate a terrorist group and destroy it from within. As usual, Sam will face many ethical dilemmas: Should he kill a few innocent people so he doesn't blow his cover, thus risking a bazillion deaths in a terrorist attack? Or should he go to McDonald's to see what's new on the Dollar Menu? Decisions, decisions...
Platform: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Playstation 2, Xbox, Gamecube, PC
Each of Airborne's missions begin-surprise!-in the air. After your mediocre in-flight meal and a screening of Cheaper by the Dozen 2, you're airdropped out of a plane behind enemy lines. You pick where you want to land by guiding your parachute. Once you hit the ground, bust out your weapon and start shooting. Forget old-fashioned scripted events; this WWII shooter lets you choose your own path of mayhem.
Hats off to Atari for running something new up the flagpole. The result: a driving game that features what Atari calls Massively Open Online Racing (M.O.O.R.). Translation: Unlimited is a lifestyle sim. Collect cars. Buy property. Dress up in nice duds. All on a tropical island from the comfort of your living room. Put a lei around your neck and a pina colada in your hand, and you can cancel your trip to Cabo.
Bald has never been more beautiful than on a next-gen gaming system. Just imagine: Agent 47's big, shiny pate in 720p! This assassin sim tweaks the traditional Hitman formula (it's now easier to battle bad guys in hand-to-hand combat) without changing the core sneak-and-kill gameplay. And you can still strip the dead and wear their clothes. New "outfits" include a French Secret Serviceman, a country farmer and a giant chicken. No, we're not joking.
If you skipped fourth-period history with Mr. Loblaw, then you may not know that a) Canada is not our 50th state, and b) Operation Market-Garden was the biggest single airborne operation of WWII. It's up to our favorite "Brothers," Joe Hartsock and Matt Baker, to use a mix of action, strategy and sheer guts to open Hell's Highway and release Ozzy Osbourne.
