Top 5 Gamescom Surprises

Brink

By some distance X360′s game of the show, Brink looks set to take your current idea of multiplayer gaming and knock it into a cocked hat. That is, if a mere concept can be treated as such.

For a videogame described as a science fiction shooter set in a dystopian shooter, it’s really quite excellent, bringing all character archetypes together for the greater good to create an Xbox Live love-in the like of which we’ve not seen since we played Uno and that bloke got his winkie out.

James Bond 007: Blood Stone

Okay, with Bizarre at the helm Activision’s movie, er, replacement was never going to sink without trace, but the quality of its set-pieces has significantly wowed us. Sure, it’s not going to be the next Gears Of War (‘cos the driving’s better, natch), but we’re certainly braced for the chance to use keys to the right of 6 sometime soon.

Mortal Kombat

Yes, it appears to be using the same staccato engine the series has employed since Deadly Alliance. Yes, it’s bound to kick up even more of a stink than Medal Of Honor when release day’s more imminent and non-specialist media gives a damn, but who cares? MK is looking back to its bloody best.

Like classic Midway titles of old, we’re looking forward to the best half hour of gaming this year, followed by an almost instant loss of flavour. But then, anything else would be out of character, and that suits us down to the ground, anyway…

From Dust

For all their posturing, so-called ‘god’ games rarely make their player feel exactly that. Popping balloons? Restoring sewage systems? Choosing the colour of someone’s hat? Child’s play.

From Dust, on the other hand, allows gamers the freedom to cleft chunks out of the terrain itself. Despite its press release describing the play mechanic as ‘ground breaking technology’, we’re still inclined to consider it a hit in waiting.

Fable III

Lionhead’s epic, considerable voice talent aside, stands in our list by way of contrast. After BioWare has led the industry in offering playersrole-playing experiences as accessible as they are deep, we’re worried that ‘streamlined gameplay’ could descend into ‘plays itself’ before too long. Unless you’re the type that agonises over which tunic to slip on of a morning, that is.