Splinter Cell: Double Agent
Sneaking around in a black full-body neoprene suit on enemy territory, a man’s going to sweat a bit. And, visually, this can be a fantastic thing. Splinter Cell hero Sam Fischer’s pores are just one way the game will send shivers to anyone who has an HDTV. Aside from Splinter Cell’s stunning appearance and environment, the new “double agent” concept means you’ll be confronted with some moral decisions in gameplay, à la Choose Your Own Adventure, that result in several possible plot scenarios. Sam returns this September on Xbox 360.

Gears of War
Exposed tissue and bone are not necessarily what I want to examine in HD, but in Gears of War, I can’t tear my eyes away from it. The baddest bad guys in recent gaming memory, close-ups of the Locust Horde’s flesh, or lack thereof, are bone-chilling, and dare I say a little nauseating. (Read: It’s excellent!) Designed using Unreal Engine 3, the game’s lighting, shadows, and camera angles offer a truly cinematic effect, even in game. Exclusively on Xbox 360, the game may be released in mid to late fall.

Madden NFL 07
EA Sports has added even more improvements to this highly successful title, with elements like lead-block control, which allows players to control the fullbacks or tight ends. Also, the highlight stick gives speedy players, such as Warrick Dunn, a wider range of special moves, including spins, duck-under, and even power moves. Expect this game on Xbox 360 in late 2006, and late 2007 for PS3.

Tony Hawk Project 8
Outfitted with enhanced physics and controls, the eighth installment of the popular skateboarding game is ready to outdo itself once again. Expect a variety of new tricks with very precise motions—unlike last year’s American Wasteland, Project 8’s graphic improvements were created specifically with the next-gens in mind. This game is slated for release on just about every format (PS3, Xbox 360, PS2, Xbox, and PSP); expect an appearance by fall of this year.

Viva Piñata
It’s tough to imagine the state of mind that prompted Viva Piñata’s development. But break out the bats, because we believe this family-friendly game has the potential to bring a Sims-like following to the Xbox 360. Gameplay banks on our innate fondness for keeping ant farms or watching The Surreal Life; everybody deep down is a voyeur. Players play matchmaker to any of 60 kinds of piñatas to create piñata families that socially interact with other piñatas. (Again, state of mind.) They aren’t exactly cuddly, but they are filled with candy and displayed in 1080i. However, the idea might be so off-the-wall that it could miss the mark. Viva Piñata should be released around the holidays this year.

Heavenly Sword
Not one to be limited to the big screen—or his physical body—actor Andy Serkis, best known for his behind-the-pixel work as Gollum in The Lord of the Rings and as the big guy himself in 2005’s King Kong, plays the villain king in Heavenly Sword, and contributed to the story development of this revenge tale. This wickedly fast-paced adventure combat game was one of only a handful of playable PS3 titles at E3, where we became acquainted with its beautiful red-haired heroine, who carries a large sword and knows how to use it. Expect the game in 2007.

Stranglehold
It’s a wonder John Woo hadn’t entered the gaming world earlier. The Hong Kong director’s bullet-gorged opuses are a natural fit for a shooter and, not surprisingly, inspired the likes of Max Payne. But it really takes a next-gen system to provide the destructible environments that would do justice to Woo’s vision. A digitally rejuvenated Chow Yun Fat reprises his role as Inspector Tequila, from Woo’s 1992 hit Hard Boiled. The game comes to Xbox360 and PS3 this winter.

Just About Every Next-Gen Driving Game

Super Mario Galaxy
The showstopper at Nintendo’s E3 booth, Super Mario Galaxy puts a new spin on the classic “Mario method” (level start, run-stomp-run, level end, boss, rinse, repeat). Using those new-fangled Wii controllers (remote in one hand and nunchuk in the other), players not only press buttons but point and drag objects and even shake the controllers to move from planet to planet battling Goombas and other baddies. Because it is a 3D world, the camera angles can be a little disorienting, but the animations are wonderful. Launch date is still yet to be announced.

Haze
Ghost Recon publisher Ubisoft has teamed with TimeSplitters creator Free Radical to make a shooter with one flawless pedigree. In a jungle reminiscent of Far Cry, players take on the role of a biomedically enhanced soldier, a trait that will most likely drive the storyline. Character details are frighteningly sharp, and being set 25 years in the future, there should be some interesting weapon and vehicle choices. Developers are touting opponents with “hyper-intelligent” AI. To be released early 2007 for both PS3 and Xbox 360.

Assassin’s Creed
After watching a trailer of this 12th-century adventure game for the Playstation 3, all the excitement about Assassin’s Creed becomes clear. Developed by the folks who created Prince of Persia, the game features open-ended gameplay (an environment that can be explored at will, as in Grand Theft Auto), and it appears much attention was paid to the setting and textures—the background architecture is quite breathtaking. Consider the original storyline (during the Crusades!), and this is one of the most anticipated games for PS3 and overall. Expect the game in sometime in 2007.

SingStar
Think what you will of karaoke, I have seen tall men burst into a room with self-confidence only to awkwardly shift and wither when confronted with the single act of performing Blur’s Song 2 to completion. Karaoke, therefore, is something I respect. SingStar already has been Europe’s sing-along game of choice on the PS2 since 2004, with a catalog that exceeds 300 songs, but E3 marked its first foray into the States, touting a simple, customizable interface on the PS3. No cheesy sound-alikes or random stock footage here; SingStar licensed the actual tracks and videos from the original artists (in high resolution when available), and players are able to pick and choose the songs they want from a downloadable library. SingStar will be a PS3 launch title in Europe, but a U.S. release date is unknown.

E3 2006: Celebrity Deathmatch
While summer movie tie-ins are obvious (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, X-Men: The Last Stand, and, yes, even a topless Jack Black in Nacho Libre), a few developers are continuing the trend of creating games for retro movies, most notably Dirty Harry—at last you can make your own day. Gene Hackman, Laurence Fishburn, and, naturally, Clint Eastwood are adding their star power to the project. Also, a new Indiana Jones title is in the works by LucasArts that will be available in summer 2007, and talks have commenced for a game based on Heat. Not to be left out, TV shows are along for the ride, too: This winter, expect high drama with The Sopranos on PS2 and Xbox 360 and Desperate Housewives (?!) on PC.