Phillips: Fall game preview

For most people, holiday shopping starts after Thanksgiving, but for video gamers the gifts start arriving in late summer when Santa would still be sweating through his suit.

Next week marks the launch of “Halo: Reach,” the latest title in the blockbuster “Halo” first-person shooter series. Following “Reach,” other highly anticipated games will be landing on store shelves nearly every week into November.

“It’s more packed than last year, and last year I thought was really good for content,” said local gamer Danny Butler, 22. “You’re definitely going to need to pace yourself so you’re not trying to play two or three games at a time.”

Here are the releases Butler and other area gamers said they’re most excited about.

“KIRBY’S EPIC YARN”

Release date: Oct. 17.

Summary: Nintendo’s trans-forming, marshmallow-like hero stars in an adventure set in a world made of yarn.

Why it’s hot: “Epic Yarn” is Kirby’s first console-based title since 2000’s “Kirby 64.” It features the traditional platforming Kirby fans are used to (this time with a cooperative option), but Nintendo has found ways to take the yarn theme further than the graphics. Using Kirby’s whip, players can pull on loose threads to unravel parts of the world and turn enemies into woven balls.

Age rating: Pending.

Price: $50 Wii.

“HALO: REACH”

Release date: Sept. 14.

Summary: Noble 6, the newest member of Noble Team, an elite Spartan assault squad, experiences a ground’s-eye view of the Covenant assault on the planet Reach preceding the events of “Halo: Combat Evolved.”

Why it’s hot: New “Halo” releases are always marquee gaming events, and the latest is set to up the ante of nearly every aspect of the series’ gameplay, from even larger battles (including some set in space) to a revamped graphics engine and even more multiplayer modes.

Age rating: Mature.

Price: $60 Xbox 360.

“LITTLEBIGPLANET 2”

Release date: Sept. 14.

Summary: Sackboy is tasked with navigating 50 levels after being recruited into The Alliance to combat the Negativitron, which is set to destroy his imagination-fueled home world.

Why it’s hot: The original “LittleBigPlanet” was the first in Sony’s Play, Create, Share series and gave players seemingly unfettered freedom to create their own content (resulting in millions of user-created levels). For Round 2, Media Molecule has added even more tools for creating not just new levels but entirely new game types.

Age rating: Everyone.

Price: $60 PS3.

‘CASTLEVANIA: LORDS OF SHADOW’

Release date: Oct. 5.

Summary: A member of an order of holy knights is guided by the soul of his dead wife, who was killed by the forces of evil, as he wields a combat cross on a quest to bring balance back to a world in which the deceased cannot reach the afterlife.

Why it’s hot: “Metal Gear” mastermind Hideo Kojima had a hand in developing this project, which features a cinematic presentation, narration by Patrick Stewart, a third-person view, massive bosses and a series of linear levels instead of the series’ standard sandbox exploration.

Age rating: Mature.

Price: $60, PS3/Xbox 360.

‘FALLOUT: NEW VEGAS’

Release date: Oct. 19.

Summary: Players interact with the seedy inhabitants of the Mojave Wasteland including a post-apocalyptic Las Vegas, which was left relatively unscathed after a nuclear holocaust destroyed the rest of the country.

Why it’s hot: “Neverwinter Nights 2” developer Obsidian Entertainment directed this pseudo-sequel to the shooter RPG “Fallout 3,” which was among 2008’s highest-ranked titles. They’ve honed the gameplay by incorporating better ally control, a reputation system, deeper melee combat and weapon customization.

Age rating: Mature.

Price: $60, PS3/Xbox 360; $50 PC.

‘CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS’

Release date: Nov. 9.

Summary: Set during the Cold War, players take on the role of various special operatives as they undertake a series of secret, deniable black ops missions behind enemy lines.

Why it’s hot: Developer Treyarch has taken over the reins of Infinity Ward’s cinematic shooting franchise just over a year after the release of “Modern Warfare 2,” which was the second-best selling game of all time. This game, the seventh in the series, is the first to take place in the Cold War and was designed with the advice of U.S. and Soviet operatives who served during that conflict.

Age rating: Pending.

Price: $60, PC/PS3/Xbox 360/Wii.

‘DEAD RISING 2’

Release date: Sept. 28.

Summary: After a zombie virus has spread across the nation, a former motocross star must survive an undead-infested Sin City to earn money to buy medicine for his infected daughter.

Why it’s hot: Capcom has fixed the original’s unforgiving save system, added improvised weapon combinations like a drill/bucket and shotgun/pitchfork and is pushing even more undead on screen than was possible in the 2006 release.

Age rating: Mature.

Price: $60, PS3/Xbox 360.

‘FABLE III’

Release date: Oct. 26.

Summary: Set roughly 50 years after the events of “Fable II,” the world of Albion is experiencing an industrial revolution. Players take on the role of a hero destined to take on the throne, with all the accompanying glory and headaches.

Why it’s hot: This third title in Peter Molneux’s action RPG series is set to deepen “Fable II’s” social interaction system and offer players a chance to tackle moral dilemmas on an even grander scale while maintaining the series trademark Cockney humor.

Age rating: Mature.

Price: $60, Xbox 360.

‘MEDAL OF HONOR’

Release date: Oct. 12.

Summary: “Medal of Honor” ditches the series’ standard focus on World War II in favor of modern day Afghanistan. Players wear the boots of several Tier 1 operators, the most exclusive of the military’s special forces ranks.

Why it’s hot: This reboot of the franchise features a new developer, over-the-top cinematic events and gameplay honed with the aid of an actual Tier 1 operator. The multiplayer component is being developed independently by Digital Illusions Creative Entertainment, the company behind the “Battlefield” shooter series.

Age rating: Mature.

Price: $60, PC/PS3/Xbox 360.

‘ASSASSIN’S CREED: BROTHERHOOD’

Release date: Nov. 16.

Summary: Set immediately after the events of “Assassin’s Creed II,” players once again control Italian nobleman/assassin Ezio Auditore as he rallies assassins to his cause of combating the Knights Templar in a massive re-creation of Renaissance-era Rome.

Why it’s hot: “Assassin’s Creed” revolutionized social stealth and sandbox gaming. “Brotherhood” continues that trend by incorporating a system for recruiting and managing the activities of new assassins. The game will also be the first in the series to feature a multiplayer component.

Age rating: Pending.

Price: $60, PS3/Xbox 360.