Freedom Fighters
PS2, Xbox, GameCube, PC (2003)
Set in an alternate timeline where the Soviets won World War II, dominated the world and eventually invaded the US, we're wishing we lived in an alternate timeline where Freedom Fighters got a sequel. Taking New York back one street at a time from the Red Army with a rag-tag gang of resistance fighters wasn't just great fun, it showed that squad-based combat was the next big thing.
So, defending the newly-liberated Manhattan from a Soviet counterattack with a wider, slightly smarter cast of squad mates and some seriously massive block warfare - the sequel just writes itself!
Above: Would you trust this man with saving the world from flying saucers, fiendish cats and drum-'n'-bass hammerhead sharks? Gitaroo Man says 'yes'
Gitaroo Man
PS2 (2002)
Or, Now That's What I Call Rhythm-Action. PS2's first guitar hero was a loser student spurred on by his robot dog to win a girl's heart and save the world as Gitaroo Man - with you following his power chords on the analogue stick and beat-matching buttons in time with some inspired Japanese pop.
It was one hell of a show, but for one night only - and our pleas for an encore have gone unanswered, other than with an upcoming PSP port. Now that it's all quiet on the next-generation music game front, other than a Singstar here or a Lumines there, it's surely a job for Gitaroo Man.
