Looking Ahead to 2008
Shooters, continuedAnother February release is Sega's The Club, a third-person shooter brought to you by recent Activision acquisition Bizarre Creations, creators of the Project Gotham Racing series. The Club is a mashup action-fighter-shooter that parades players through a vicious underground fighting league. Eight playable characters are featured, and though a single-player mode is included, the multiplayer mode, complete with worldwide leaderboards, will likely garner the most attention. Delayed from an initial fall 2007 release, The Club will make an appearance on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 as well as the PC. Previews have noted that the fighting mechanic is tuned for gamepads, and it's safe to assume that the PC release won't have the same potential for success as the console versions.
Publisher/developer Ubisoft has been the target of recent acquisition rumors, but with sales of Assassin's Creed cresting 2.5 million after only five weeks on store shelves, it seems that the French company has the resources to remain independent for the time being. Ubisoft is pulling no punches with its shooter lineup in 2008, and the money train that is Assassin's Creed afforded other Ubisoft games more development time. Anticipated shooters Far Cry 2 and Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway have been delayed until sometime after April 1, pushing revenue from those games into Ubisoft's 2009 fiscal year. Though Far Cry 2 development is being handled by Ubisoft's Montreal division (Crytek sold the rights to the franchise a few years back), the game looks to have the signature action-packed premise as the first Far Cry. Original protagonist Jack Carver is out, and in his stead is a stable of playable mercenaries.
 Mercenaries 2 has suffered from a number of delays and setbacks, and it's now dated for release in the first half of 2008 Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway is safe in the hands of franchise creator Gearbox Software. The third release in the Brothers in Arms franchise, Hell's Highway will once again mine the setting of World War II, this time following Sergeant Matt Baker as he assist in securing Eindhoven in late 1944. Visually impressive, the game looks set to continue the tradition of greatness set by previous Brothers in Arms games. Rounding out Ubisoft's shooter portfolio is the recently-unveiled Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2, the sequel to the 2006 hit of the same name. A tactical team-based shooter set in - you guessed it - Las Vegas, the sequel promises more character development and increased use of outdoor scenarios. Production values are high, and once again the Ubisoft Montreal development team looks to have a hit on their hands. Electronic Arts and Pandemic Studios are gracing us with a sequel to 2005's Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction. The sandbox shooter was initially slated for release this fall, but was pushed to April 2008 in September. Raising the ire of the Venezuelan government (and garnering some free press for the game), the plot loosely plays on the current state of affairs in Venezuela. A drug lord-turned-dictator is the target, and warring mercenary factions will provide ample opportunity for collateral damage. The game's original cast makes a return, as does the over-the-top action and combat.
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