Resident Evil 5

(March 13 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)

Don't let the title fool you - this will actually mark the seventh main entry in the “Resident Evil” series (which includes “Zero” and “Code Veronica”). Misnomer or no, “5” looks poised to deliver as much third-person shooting fright as the landmark “4.” And though it may not reinvent the series' game play to the dramatic extent “4” did, the newest “Resident Evil” adds a co-op mode that can turn the games' hallmark dread into a multiplayer experience for the first time. New character Sheva Alomar joins long-time “Evil” hero Chris Redfield in sun-bleached Africa, where Redfield is investigating a new bioterrorist threat that has turned the natives into as feral a pack of foes as the Ganados of “4.” Another new feature is the jarring of Chris' vision that occurs whenever he steps from the bright outdoors into the more familiar darkness of interiors, and vice versa.

Halo Wars

(March 3 for Xbox 360)

The Xbox's signature series builds up its back story with “Wars,” which takes place 20 years prior to the events of the first “Halo” and chronicles the first battles between the human United Nations Space Command and the Covenant alien species. But the real story is the transplantation of the traditionally first-person shooter franchise onto the real-time strategy genre. Rather than blasting Covenant forces from behind the visor of Master Chief, players will be managing massive battles and resources from an omniscient perspective in control of either faction's side. Should “Halo” diehards' love of the mythos transcend their love of shooting things, “Wars” could prove a popular addition to the canon through multiplayer play over Xbox Live.

Wii Sports Resort

(Second quarter 2009 for Wii)

The sequel to the recently named best-selling video game ever (at just more than 40 million copies) is not nearly as interesting as the hardware with which it'll be bundled. The MotionPlus add-on to the Wiimote holds the promise of delivering the real-time motion-sensing many anticipated the original peripheral would read. Rather than abruptly flicking the controller to swing a baseball bat, as players could do in “Wii Sports,” they could see the subtlety of their motions affect the actions of their on-screen character. Nintendo's tardiness in telling developers about the MotionPlus - and providing them access to its technology - means the time when all Wii games utilize its power could be far off. But for now, players can watch it at work with an arrangement of “Resort's” tropical mini-games, such as frisbee, jet-skiing and sword-play.

Rock Band: The Beatles (unofficial name)

(Holiday 2009 for PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii)

The rhythm video game reached its critical mass in 2008, but the long-awaited introduction of maybe the biggest band ever's music to the canon will draw many back to their plastic guitars and drums in 2009. The prestige of their name aside, The Beatles present a phenomenal choice for a dedicated multiplayer rhythm game because their music is so recognizable. Rare will be the moment common to current “Rock Band” and “Guitar Hero” games when an unfamiliar song pops up in the set list and everyone lifelessly flicks through it. The authorship of surviving Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr over an in-game narrative that spans the band's career adds to the promise of this untitled game, which should do much to sustain the rhythm game genre's momentum this year.

God of War III

(Fourth quarter 2009 for PlayStation 3)

Sony's excitement over Kratos' debut on the PlayStation 3 was reflected in their choice to cap their E3 2008 keynote address with a teaser featuring the gravelly-voiced Ghost of Sparta. But even his sculpted shoulders may not be strong enough in 2009 to prop up Sony's console, which is struggling behind the Wii and Xbox 360 while fielding death knells from industry analysts (such as CNNMoney's remark that the system is a “sinking ship”). If “God of War III” matches its PlayStation 2 predecessors with another heart-stopping mixture of melee combat, exacting boss battles and skillfully designed platforming, then this hopeful 2009 release could turn Sony's fortunes around. “III” is set to finish the three-part story surrounding Kratos' war with the gods of Olympus, but another successful outing for the Spartan warrior - and Sony - would likely spell another sequel.