Coming Attractions: Shooters Pt.2
Part 2: More gun-related fun for 2008.
As you'll know if you read part one of our roundup, there are plenty of first-person shooters to look forward to over the next 12 months. Here we look at the somewhat smaller collection of third-person titles, the return of some arcade classics and the first games to make use of the Wii Zapper.
The Club
According to Bizarre's Nick Davis, The Club has more in common with old days beat-'em-ups than traditional shooters. Yes, it's all about firing guns, but the emphasis is on short bursts of fast-paced arcade action rather than cover and stealth. The Club, as Davis puts it, is the "anti-Gears of War".
Bizarre has also drawn on its experience with the Project Gotham series. Each level is like a PGR track in that the more you play it the more familiar you'll become with the layout, the better you'll be at anticipating what's next and the more efficiently you'll plot your route. Loads of different modes are promised, along with a healthy selection of online options and more than 600 leaderboards at last count.
In short - The Club is a third-person shooter that's a bit like a fighter made by people good at racing games, and me and Tom are likely to spend three weeks endlessly trying to beat each other's high scores. It's arriving on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 come 8th February.
Watch and learn: For a full explanation of how The Club's scoring system works, head on over to Eurogamer TV.
Geometry Wars: Galaxies
Already a big fat hit on Xbox 360, Geometry Wars is coming to Wii and DS this month. It features more than 60 planets and new power-ups, plus a multiplayer mode. There's also the option to unlock new levels when you connect both Nintendo consoles via Wi-Fi.
But is it any good? Tom certainly enjoyed the DS version, despite issues arising from his decision to pretend he's a bit more special than everyone else by being left-handed. "It's ever so nearly excellent," he reckons.
Both versions will be out on 18th January, and you can expect our verdict on the Wii game some time before then.
January sale: Linking up your DS and Wii will also allow you to download a full version of Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved, for free and everything.
Everyday Shooter
A PlayStation Network exclusive, this one. And currently exclusive to people living in America, but due to arrive on PSN Europe very soon. Everyday Shooter was developed by one-man-band Jonathan Mak, who won three awards for his efforts at last year's Game Developers Conference.
According to the press release it's "unlike traditional arcade shooters"; according to Wikipedia it's "similar to Asteroids". As you play you create sound effects in harmony with the background music, so it's probably a bit like Rez as well. There's a chaining combo system and special visual effects to unlock, and eight levels to play through.
Everyday Shooter has already proved popular amongst US reviewers, earning a metacritic score of 83. Apparently Tom is playing it right now, so we should be able to tell you if they're right or wrong very soon.
Dear diary: You can learn all about how Everyday Shooter came into being over on the PlayStation blog, courtesy of the excellently named Rusty Buchert.
Medal of Honor: Heroes 2
Yes, it's a World War II game complete with unoriginal mission scenarios and visuals browner than a dog egg dipped in Nutella. However, as we found out recently, Medal of Honor: Heroes 2 is worth watching out for if you like fast-paced, arcade-style shooters. And if you've got a Wii or PSP, as they're the only machines it'll be appearing on.
Heroes 2 will be one of the first games to make use of the Wii Zapper, that new bit of plastic Nintendo's invented that turns your remote and Nunchuk into a lightgun. More interestingly, up to 32 players will be able to take part in online battles across six maps. There's an on-rails mode too.
Does the world really need another game about killing Nazis? Perhaps not. But the Wii could do with a decent FPS, and Heroes 2 might be up to the challenge.
Not to be confused with: the second season of Heroes. SPOILER ALERT: Peter Petrelli still doesn't cut his hair.