The Saboteur (EA/Pandemic) – Release Date Holiday 2009

Driving classic 1940’s sportscars at breakneck speed around occupied Paris sounds both exhilirating and frightening as hell.  Such is the life of Bugatti racecar driver Sean Devlin in The Saboteur.  Working with La Resistance to avenge the murder of his friend; Sean runs, climbs and drives through beautifully rendered cities and within the tighter confines of a Nazi Zeppelin.  The color scheme of your surroundings changes from somber, muted tones to rich, full color as areas are liberated from the enemy.  During car races through the city the colorizing effect is most pronouced while graphic novel stylized blood spraying from grayscale  Nazis also looks fantastic.   Unfortunately we’ll have to wait until the holidays to play in this sandbox.

               MX vs ATV: Reflex (THQ/Rainbow Studios) – Release Date Holiday 2009

The terrain deformation in MX vs ATV: Reflex is insane.  Somehow the game remembers all the bumps and ruts you and the other riders create throughout entire levels.  Using a dual analog stick system to control the vehicle and your body weight greatly improves the realistic feel of the game and helps you avoid getting tossed over the handlebars.  While the game is fairly intuitive and easy to pick up, the 90+ stunts , online multiplayer races and heaps of  bikes, atv’s, buggies and trucks should keep the hardcore fans happy.

         Blur (Activision/Bizarre Creations) – Release Date Fall 2oo9

For those who like a little more fighting in their driving games, Blur delivers with MarioKart glee.  Various weapons can be picked up on the track to blast opponents out of the way or shock them into submission.  The Project Gotham team got to loosen their ties to real world physics a little while still staying grounded enough to avoid making a kiddie racing title.  The racing is well balanced and with up to 20 players online you’ll always find a car nearby that needs a mine dropped in front of them.