Coming Attractions: Shooters & Racing
What's gunning down the straight in 2009.
Racing
One thing that really surprised us when putting these lists together was the paucity of racing games due out in 2009 - and this after a less-than-stellar year for the genre in 2008. Another surprise was how narrow the selection is, with arcade and kart racers thin on the the ground, a glut of proto-simulators clogging the grid, and a handful of companies dominating the scene. And yet, it was still painful narrowing the choice to five; with experts like Bizarre, Codemasters, Turn 10, Polyphony, SimBin and Sumo weighing in, quality is bound to make up for quantity this year.
Star Attraction
Formula One
On: TBC / Developer: Codemasters Racing / Publisher: Codemasters / Release: 2009
Selling its videogame licence to a small enclave of engineers in the British Midlands - which, come to think of it, is exactly the kind of organisation that builds most of the sport's racing cars - might be one of the better decisions F1 governing body the FIA made last year. We can barely remember a time the world's top motorsport had a game worthy of the name (it would probably the last time Bizarre made one), and Codemasters is bound to change that.
There is no developer with more experience of turning real-world racing into virtual entertainment and evoking the drama of the track. Last year's Race Driver GRID showed Codemasters can add mass market accessibility, an innovative career structure, personal rivalries and presentation that shames games with far bigger budgets to its high-octane brew.
Now the GRID team has been tasked with delivering a world championship experience that can match the excitement of the 2008 season, and a handling model that most people can actually enjoy. We don't know what they're planning, but we wouldn't be surprised to see a few lesser formulae turn up as supporting acts, too, TOCA-style.
The bigger question marks hang over the source material. Can Formula One survive recession, and will the sport's penny-pinching retreat from the technological cutting edge generate the excitement Codemasters needs to feed off? Only one thing is certain - we'd never bet against Bernie Ecclestone.
Supporting cast (in alphabetical order):
Bizarre's mystery racer
On: TBC / Developer: Bizarre Creations / Publisher: Activision Blizzard / Release: 2009
If we knew anything about this at all - beyond the teasing soundbite from an advertising conference, "Mario Kart meets Forza" - it would probably have come top. Bizarre's blend of sensual handling, mouth-watering car porn and smart score-attack mechanics made Project Gotham the world's greatest racing series for four straight games. Activision Blizzard has bought its way straight into tarmac royalty.
Forza Motorsport 3
On: 360 / Developer: Turn 10 / Publisher: Microsoft / Release: 2009
This one isn't officially announced yet but leaked images, a regular two-year schedule and some large holes in Microsoft's 360 line-up for the year make it more than likely. Forza has nosed ahead of Gran Turismo in the eyes of handling aficionados now and the custom-paint trade is one of gaming's most fascinating subcultures. That said, we'll certainly be looking for a more diverting structure from this next instalment.
Fuel
On: 360, PS3, PC / Developer: Asobo / Publisher: Codemasters / Release: Summer 2009
In the absence of a sequel to the wonderful Test Drive Unlimited (Atari has ruled it out for 2009), this will have to do. Also French, and also open-world on a massive scale, Fuel presents vast tracts of procedurally-generated wasteland for off-road exploration and racing. It's an unknown quantity, but it's different, and you have to assume Codemasters knew what it was doing when it signed this.
Gran Turismo 5
On: PS3 / Developer: Polyphony Digital / Publisher: Sony / Release: 2009
Really? Yes, really. Kazunori Yamauchi is coy, but Sony suits in the US and Europe are confident we'll see this at the end of the year. And say what you like about AI or damage - as a tech demo, the latest Gran Turismo is always hair-raising, eye-disbelieving stuff, and as a fastidiously detailed love letter to the automobile, GT5 will surely be peerless. As for the PSP version? Who knows.
Other players:
A very special mention for Bizarre's "racing and driving" Bond game, due in September - now that's what we call smart licensing; ditto for the arrival of SimBin's superb sims on console with the 360's Race Pro; ditto again for OutRun Online Arcade, hopefully another brilliant Sumo home version in high-def and download form; Burnout Paradise gets an "ultimate box" (cheap, all the DLC) and a PC version; Need For Speed needs to go back to the drawing board (again); System 3's Ferrari racer goes non-denominational with Supercar Challenge; maybe Vin Diesel's magic grunt can enliven Midway's The Wheelman; which reminds us, what's Reflections up to for Ubisoft?