The website of Tom's Games listed the top 10 anticipated games in 2008 including StarCraft II, Grand Theft Auto IV, Halo Wars and Metal Gear Solid 4. World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King is at number 3 on Tom's Games list.

1. StarCraft II
Platforms: PC, Mac
Developer: Blizzard
Publisher: Activision/Blizzard
Release Date: 2008

The godfather of the real-time strategy genre makes its long-awaited return, and that gives StarCraft II the number one spot on this list. After all, millions of Korean gamers can't be wrong, can they? Fans had long suspected Blizzard was secretly working on the game, codenamed Medusa, behind closed doors. Sure enough, Blizzard confirmed the suspicions last May with a big announcement at the Blizzard Worldwide Invitational in Seoul, Korea, and a cinematic teaser trailer complete with the clever line "Hell, it's about time." The story picks up a few years after the events of StarCraft: Brood War, which left off with "Queen of Blades" Sarah Kerrigan becoming the dominant ruler of the sector after crushing the Terran Dominion and Protoss. Blizzard says the original three race classes Terran, Zerg and Protoss will return in the sequel and the Xel'Naga species will also play a prominent role in the single player narrative but not as a playable race. StarCraft II will feature new units and gameplay features to further distinguish each race. In addition, the sequel will be powered by a new 3D graphics engine that will bring the StarCraft universe up to the visual level of other recent RTS titles like Company of Heroes. Of course, StarCraft II will have some new multiplayer features for match-making and competitions, as well as a game editor for players to create custom maps and mods. The most intriguing part of the game, however, may be the game's single player campaign or rather, campaigns which Blizzard calls "groundbreaking." The campaigns for each race will be unique, and according to Blizzard, the Terran campaign will non-linear with open-ended gameplay and optional missions. StarCraft's narrative has always been an under-appreciated part of the series, but that may change with this highly anticipated sequel. StarCraft II could turn the RTS genre's recent resurgence into a full-blown renaissance.

Upside: The king of all RTS games makes its triumphant return.
Downside: It's been 10 years - will StarCraft still have it? Actually, that's a dumb question...

Next Page: 2. Grand Theft Auto IV