Hey, Microsoft! Where are the DirectX 10 games?

By: Sarju Shah Posted on July 13, 2007

Hey, Microsoft! Where's all that graphical excellence you promised us with Windows Vista and DirectX 10? That's probably what a lot of us are wondering after we eagerly snapped up copies of Windows Vista at the beginning of the year. It's already July and we've only seen slightly modified DirectX 9 games with extra rocks on the ground and slower frame rates. Where are those advanced particle effects and geometry-shader effects we've been promised?

Our readers will be glad to know that the Windows Vista platform is finally showing signs that it's ready to become a quality gaming platform this holiday season. Nvidia and ATI DirectX 10 video cards are finally available at all price points, and there are a number of great-looking DirectX 10 games being shown at E3 that should be coming down the pipe for this holiday season.

BioShock

Developer: Irrational Games
Publisher: 2K Games
Release Date: Aug. 21, 2007
E3 07 Preview

The spiritual successor to the System Shock series, BioShock aims to scare you witless in a new underwater metropolis environment. The folks from Irrational aim to make BioShock a first-person shooter without parallel, a game that never plays out the same way each time you load it up. You'll be able to incorporate genetic enhancements and conventional weapons in your arsenal to take out hulking armored characters known as Big Daddies.

Crysis

Developer: Crytek
Publisher: EA
Release Date: Sept. 11, 2007
E3 07 Preview

Set in lush tropical forests and an alien-generated tundra, Crysis bears a remarkable resemblance to Crytek's previous Far Cry series, except for the ice that is. The DirectX 10 shooter plants you on a tropical island to discover the secrets of a crashed alien ship. The game features fully destructible environments and highly intelligent enemies. Simply walking through an area disturbs bushes and breaks leaves, alerting enemies to your presence. You can, of course, take revenge upon the snitching forests by mini-gunning acres of loose-lipped trees and shrubbery. The DirectX 9 version of Crysis should also look fantastic, but everyone will be looking to see if the DirectX 10 version lives up to the hype.

World in Conflict

Developer: Massive Entertainment
Publisher: Sierra Entertainment
Release Date: Sept. 18, 2007
E3 07 Preview

Set in a world where the Berlin wall never fell, World in Conflict pits the armies of NATO against the Eastern Bloc. Your job is to fight back hordes of commies in a totally destructible environment. Massive's upcoming real-time strategy game gives us the best idea of what to expect out of DirectX 10 games. The graphics are beautiful, but the minor details, such as active smoke effects, really make the DirectX 10 version of the game stand out. Smoke billowing out of the husk of a burning tank will simply move upward along a pre-rendered path in DirectX 9, but the DirectX 10 version sports soft particles that allow the smoke to part and act realistically with the environment.

What game are you looking forward to most of all?

Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures

Developer: Funcom
Publisher: SCi, Eidos Interactive
Release Date: Oct. 30, 2007
E3 07 Preview

Pillaging and plundering is the name of the game in Conan. If you've seen the movies you'll know exactly what we're talking about--big, burly men in fur-lined Speedos. Age of Conan is a massively multiplayer role-playing game that makes hack-and-slash the combat staple. Unlike many other role-playing games, the world of Conan will give you plenty of gory dismemberments and decapitations. While the blood probably doesn't look much better in DirectX 10, the draw distances will be great, and the shadowing should be impressive.

Gears of War

Developer: Epic Games
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
Release Date: Q4 2007
E3 07 Preview

If you own an Xbox 360, Gears of War needs no introduction. By far one of the best games to grace the console, Gears will now make its way over to the PC. The PC version will come with a game editor and five additional single-player campaign missions. The higher PC resolutions and new DirectX 10 support will ensure that Gears will look even better on the PC. The upcoming PC version will still support DirectX 9, so you can cling onto Windows XP a little while longer.

Hellgate: London

Developer: Flagship Studios
Publisher: Namco Bandai Games America
Release Date: TBA 2007
E3 07 Preview

Built by Flagship Studios, the team of Blizzard alums that created Diablo, Hellgate promises to wander down the same insanely fun, clickfest-ridden path. Hellgate London plunks your character in the middle of a demon-infested, postapocalyptic London. The game combines elements of RPG-style gameplay along with the action of a first-person-shooter. Expect to see hordes of enemies and tons of loot.