Gaming fans are in for a virtual treat this season

By Gerry Wachovsky
Daily Forty-Niner
Diversions Editor

Any fan of video games knows that this season is shaping up to be one of the biggest yet. PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube and the PC all have some highly anticipated releases coming out soon or within the end of the year, and gamers could not be more eager to finally play that one game (or games) that they have been waiting for.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas — The "Grand Theft Auto" series has proven to be one of the most successful game franchises of all time, the main catalyst being 2001’s "Grand Theft Auto III," where the player was allowed to work for not only the Italian Mafia, but also the Japanese Yakuza and the Jamaican Yardies, among others. Following that game was its prequel, "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City," a take on 80s style Miami, complete with a mock Ocean Drive and a mansion reminiscent of "Scarface."

"Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas," which is set to ship in late October for the PlayStation 2, puts the player in an early 90s location called San Andreas. The game contains three huge cities that are all based off their real life counterparts: Los Santos (Los Angeles), San Fierro (San Francisco) and Las Venturas (Las Vegas). Playing as Carl Johnson, gamers will be able to travel to all three cities, across countryside and desert, causing mayhem and havoc throughout. Players can also get tattoos, create their own gang and even gamble in the casinos of Las Venturas.

Pre-ordering the game is a must to be able to enjoy a copy of it on the day it comes out, and it will be available for the PC sometime in 2005.

Tony Hawk’s Underground 2 — "Tony Hawk’s Underground" was a smash hit among gamers who craved breakneck skateboarding action from the king of the board, Tony Hawk. Players got a chance to create their own character and were occupied for hours doing tricks and jumps, and were also presented with a copious amount of side-missions that increased the replay value of the game exponentially. "THUG 2," as it is affectionately called, is building on what its predecessor did and taking a few leaps of its own.

The game, which starts off in Boston, contains a countless number of vertical jumps and also has tons of indoor levels to skate through, including apartments, subways and even boats. In addition, this time around there are more players to unlock throughout the game, and among them are even some historical characters such as Ben Franklin and others.

"Tony Hawk’s Underground 2" is set to ship on Oct. 4, and will be available for PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, Game Boy Advance and the PC.

Halo 2 — 2001’s "Halo" served as the reason many people ended up buying an Xbox, and gamers loved the fact that they could play online using Xbox Live with up to 16 players across the nation. The game placed them on a futuristic alien planet where they battled with a wide assortment of weapons and the game was an instant success.

Not much information is available about "Halo 2" as of yet, but what is known is that the Master Chief and Cortana return, and Earth does play a role in the game. The game also features redone graphics, new environments, new weapons and more.

"Halo 2" is set to ship for the Xbox on Nov. 8.

Half-Life 2 — "Half-Life 2," which has been in production for what seems like ages, is finally coming within grasp. "Half-Life" was one of the most successful PC shooters of all time and the engine served as the groundwork for many games, including the immensely popular "Counter-Strike," which was a modification created by fans of the original game.

"Half-Life 2," which has suffered several delays and mishaps, one of which being when the source-code for the game was stolen and distributed on the Internet, is set to be nothing short of breathtaking. The game’s artificial intelligence is already being hyped as one of the most advanced yet, and Vivendi Universal will definitely have a huge hit on their hands when the game is finally released.

"Half-Life 2" is supposed to ship on Nov. 1 for the PC, but don’t be surprised if it is delayed once again. As with "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas," this is another one to definitely pre-order.

These aren’t the only games coming out, of course, but these are the ones that seem to be the most highly anticipated. Other games coming out soon include: "Donkey Konga" for the GameCube, "EverQuest II" for the PC, and "Medal Of Honor Pacific Assault," also for the PC.

For up-to-date gaming information, go to IGN.com, GameSpot.com, or EBGames.com.

Happy gaming!