5 Games Xbox 360 Owners Must Buy Before Christmas

In game making land, the summer never really brings many high profile console game releases. Although we were lucky enough to have GTA IV and a few other minor titles, this autumn/winter is shaping up to leave Xbox 360 drooling in front of their wide-screen LCD TV’s.

I’m going to push the originality angle here and post yet-another-list of games that any self respecting Xbox 360 owner should take heed of when deciding what games to buy in the next few months.

1. Gears of War 2

Excuse the pun but Gears of War 2 looks to be a lot more EPIC. Different weapons, bigger bad guys and improved gameplay will contribute to an all out gore fest of immense proportions. Early indications are that it will be a 4 player co-op allowing some fantastic campaign missions but also the matchmaking system will be modified so teams can play maps together similar to Halo 3.

This game will set all the little kiddies scampering back onto their Xbox Live mic’s, I don’t care, I was pretty good at annihilating them the first time, I expect it will be the same on November 7th.

Release Date:
Worldwide: 7th November

2. Fallout 3

Fallout 3 is the latest outing from the creators of Oblivion; Bethesda Game Studios. Set in 2277, two hundred years after the nuclear war that destroyed the world, this game focuses on a man who survived the war in a bunker known as Vault 101. He lives with his father and wakes up one day to find that he has left the safety of the shelter and ventured out into the wastelands. As any would-be hero does, he ventures out after him and that is where the real heart of the game begins.

Fallout 3 features breathtaking visuals, an improved targeting and attacking system and fantastic character interaction. It’s less than a week until it’s release, I suggest you take the plunge and get this game, it’s gonna be a good one.

Release Dates:
US: October 28, 2008
UK: October 30, 2008

3. Dead Space

For our US readers, Dead Space may already be on your shelves and our UK readers may be interested to know that this game is released tomorrow.

Dead Space is a third person shooter which is set in (yep, you guessed it!) deep space. The player takes control of Isaac Clarke, an engineer tasked with getting a stricken mining ship back online that also (rather surprisingly) has his ex-girlfriend onboard. The player takes charge just as his crew are savagely killed and mutated into evil beasts.

Dead Space not only boasts stunning visuals, it features an over the shoulder camera view (a la Gears of War) and without a HUD, shows life meters on the space suit of the games main protagonist and visualises ammo levels on holographic displays.

Depending on it’s popularity, you could see this game dropping in price after it’s release but I would recommend getting it as soon as possible.

Release Dates:
US: October 14, 2008
UK: October 24, 2008

4. Fable 2

A massive hit on the first generation Xbox, this game looks to have taken all the good points from it’s prequel and extrapolated them a hundred fold. With huge dynamic level designs and an improved weapon base, it’s truly upto the player to decide how his/her character will materialise. You can be the hero of Albion but also a legend for being an evil villain, it’s all dependant on how you deal with your quests.

Release Dates:
US: October 21, 2008
UK: October 24, 2008

5. Mirror’s Edge

Mirror’s Edge looks to be truly unique in it’s gameplay. You play a character named Faith who is a renegade against an oppressive government that controls her people. Faith, a free runner, attempts to rescue her sister while running messages for the criminal underworld, she gets caught up in a series of events which lead to her being pursued by the totalitarian government.

Mirror’s Edge employs a first person view with no HUD, only showing the flailing arms and legs of the character you control. This helps the player keep a sense of momentum as they guide Faith over rooftops and down buildings, as is shown in the video above.

It’s certainly a different concept but one that looks to be a sure winner.

Release Dates:
US: November 11
UK: November 14

Conclusion

So there you have it, a little rundown of the best looking games coming to us in the next month. Agree or disagree, why not leave a message in the comments?