Rather than wait until the end of the year for our big award blowout, we've created this monthly tribute to the weeks that were. The entire PlayStation Team has come together so that we can tell our readers what we thought was the very best game for each system last month... and why. Though some of us often chime in with our comments at the end of reviews, for the most part, the reviews on IGN are primarily written by one editor. In this feature we had every editor on the channel vote for a single title. What better way to represent a team is there than to speak your collective minds?
How does it work? It's simple. Any game released in the past month is eligible for the award and is taken through a battery of tests by every editor on that particular channel. After we've finished evaluating each game we put our heads together and decide on a single "best of" winner that's worthy of the title "IGN Game of the Month." Pretty straightforward, don't you think?
Now that we have the guidelines out of the way, let's move on, and congratulate this month's winner...
Why We Picked It: There's something cool about taking Abe Lincoln head to head with Napoleon, and that's exactly what this game does. You choose your leader and then begin building a society from nothing. You'll choose what kind of units to build, defend your city, and what the people study, which leads to advancements in your village such as catapults. You can enter into treaties with neighboring nations and then break them when your army is strong enough to dominate. Basically, this game scratches the itch we all have to rule with an iron fist. |
Readers' Game of the Month: Soulcalibur IV
Developed by Project Soul
Published by Namco Bandai
Reader Review quote: " Namco-Bandai has done it again! Soul Calibur 4 is a master piece that I have been waiting for on the PS3." (Read the full review)
-- submitted by raresuperman
Runner-Up
Soulcalibur IV
Developed by Project Soul
Published by Namco Bandai
Why We Picked It: Duh, we picked it because it's Soulcalibur and it rocks. More than 30 weapon-packing characters are here, the brutal moves are here, and Darth Vader is here. There isn't too much else you could ask for. There's the standard arcade and story modes you'd expect in your favorite fighter alongside the franchise's first foray into online multiplayer. If memorizing special move combos is your idea of fun, Soulcalibur IV will float your boat.
Other Games Worth Noting in July:
- 1942: Joint Strike
- Beijing 2008: The Official Video Game of the Olympic Games
- Elefunk
- NCAA Football 09
July had some great games, but it'll be remembered as a dark month for the PlayStation 3 -- this is the month that Activision turned its back on Ghostbusters: The Video Game. Still, games like Civ and Soulcalibur help dull the pain. Moving on to next month, things look good. We get Madden NFL 09, Bionic Commando Rearmed, Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice, Mercenaries 2: World in Flames, and a new Tiger Woods game. Nothing will make us forget the pain of losing Ghostbusters, but awesome games sure would help.