Over the last few weeks, we've documented just about everything you'll ever want to know about Microsoft's latest piece of gaming hardware, the recently launched Xbox 360. We've told you all about the system's cutting-edge multimedia capabilities, the tremendous Xbox Live support, as well as the games that were available at launch. Of course, this is just the beginning of the console's life cycle, so we figured that now would be as good a time as any to check out what's in store for the future of the system. Over the next few days, we'll be taking a look at some of the games that you can expect to see in 2006 and beyond. Although most of these titles have been officially announced, we don't really know all that much about them, a fact that isn't about to stop us from speculating. So, without further ado, let's take a look into the Xbox 360's future.



Blue Dragon

While it's pretty safe to say that the original Xbox was a success in North America, it's equally safe to posit that it was an unqualified failure in Japan. Many people feel that this was largely due to the fact that very few Japanese developers supported the system, with Tecmo's Team Ninja being the most prominent exception. Microsoft had this in mind when creating the Xbox 360, and they quickly went to work signing up some of Japan's most respected developers to work on the system. One of the biggest was Hironobu Sakaguchi, one of the minds behind Square-Enix's highly popular Final Fantasy series. Not surprisingly, the first game from Mistwalker Studios, his new development house, is an RPG with some fantastical elements.


As you might have inferred from the title, the game does indeed feature a blue dragon. However, the creature power comes from an unlikely source: a little boy named Shu. While the game's storyline still remains under wraps, we do know that Shu will have some company in the form of several friends, each of which can summon a different creature. All of the animals will enter battles in place of the children, although we still don't know anything about the combat system, your enemies, or the spoils of war. Traditional RPG fans, it looks like you may finally have a reason to get an Xbox 360.



The Darkness

Undeniably one of the Xbox's biggest sleeper hits, The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay combined stunning graphics with innovative gameplay mechanics. Now Starbreeze AB, the developer of that diamond in the rough, is back with their first next-gen game. Based on the comic book (and upcoming live-action movie) of the same name, The Darkness is a first-person action game that gives traditional shooter elements a supernatural twist. The player will have a number of special abilities at his disposal, including the power to control the horrifying creatures that occupy the night.


You'll play through the game as Jackie Estacado, a mafia hitman who is about to turn 21 years of age. On the night of his birthday, Jackie is sent out on a job by Uncle Paulie, the Don of the powerful Franchetti crime syndicate. The hit goes terribly awry, and Jackie comes to find out that he was set up by Paulie, but he's not sure why. Later that night, Jackie is possessed by "The Darkness," a demonic force that gives him a wide range of supernatural abilities. From there, you'll battle to take control of the crime family and take down your former ally.