The Low Down On Microsoft's 10 Big Games

Microsoft went all out at their conference earlier today, as they gave details about ten games that will be coming exclusively to the Xbox 360.

Instead of talking about multi-platform titles like last year, Microsoft spent the majority of the time talking about titles that nobody else have. Many people were scepital about Microsoft's line-up for this year, and this article hopes to take a look at all the new titles, while revealing a bit more information about some that we already knew about.

Metal Gear Solid: Rising

Kojima snuck up on Don Mattrick during the E3 Media Briefing and had a little surprise: Metal Gear Solid: Rising. Little is known about this game at the present time, and it's believed that the title will be an Xbox 360 exclusive. However, in an interview with Famitsu, Kojima didn't exactly sound pleased about releasing the game:

I won't say "please release this", but if it's going to be released I guess there's nothing I can do.

Alan Wake

Very little was shown about Alan Wake prior to this E3, so Microsoft decided to give fans a treat was they showed Alan Wake gameplay footage for the first time. It actually looked quite interesting, as in the demonstration, a large focus was placed on light, and how enemies react to it.

Forza 3

Although it was leaked a couple of weeks ago, Forza 3 can't come soon enough for motorsport enthusiasts. The game is going to feature over 400 cars, and is set to have a load of new community features, such as the ability to make hi-def videos which can be shared with friends.

The damage looks quite impressive, but gameplay shown made the game look more like an arcade racer than a serious simulator. It's probably too early to tell though at this point, and more should become clearer as the game approaches its October 2009 release.

Crackdown 2

The original Crackdown was a surprising success, as it offered an interesting take on open world sandbox games. It's debatable how many people purchased it purely for the Halo 3 beta invitation, but few who did were disappointed with their purchase.

Only an FMV trailer was shown for Crackdown 2 and it didn't really give much away, other than some new potential foes for security forces to battle with.

Halo 3: ODST

Announced a while ago, Halo 3: ODST is a prequel to Halo 3 and focuses on the events that take place at New Mombasa. However, at this year's E3, Bungie showed off gameplay footage for the first time, announced a new mode called Firefight and outlined that the story will allow players to control multiple ODSTs.

It was difficult to follow the Modern Warfare 2 demonstration earlier in the show, and Halo 3: ODST didn't look overly impressive. The main features announced seemed to be a visor that increased light density, as well as a new pistol; hardly exciting.

Halo: Reach

Announced shortly after the Halo 3: ODST demo, Halo: Reach is still shrouded in mystery. The trailer showed a planet suffering from serious explosions on the surface. It's presumed that the game will focus on events that take place prior to the original Halo, that coincides with some of the novels.

Left 4 Dead 2

This announcement caught quite a few people by surprise, mainly because the first one hasn't actually been out that long. As mentioned in our announcement story, Left 4 Dead 2 will also be coming to the PC and is scheduled to come out at the end of 2009. No gameplay was shown at the time, although some was released after the conference; it looks like will be set in New Orleans and will feature some daytime missions.

Splinter Cell: Conviction

Splinter Cell: Conviction was dead in the water for quite a while, but it looks like Ubisoft have been busy, as it looked great. A new way of story-telling has been adopted, as objectives are displayed on surrounding scenery instead of in generic hud locations or loading screens. It makes for a much more integrated experience and definitely involves the player a lot more.

The action also looked pretty impressive, as the demonstration showed both stealth gameplay and "all guns blazing". A release date was also announced, as Fall 2009.

Joy Ride

The first game from newly acquired Big Park Studios, Joy Park is a cartoony driving game that focuses on doing tricks and having fun. It's free to play, although it will probably work with a micro-transaction model, as new tracks will cost money. However, once one person has purchased something, they're free to share it with their friends for free!

Shadow Complex

This is a newly announced game being published by Epic Games for Xbox Live Arcade. It's a 2D side-scrolling action game that is set to have stunning boss battles and loads of hidden items - over 120.