Games of 2008 august

Even though August is a relatively mellow month for gaming, we’ve scoured the net and hassled a couple of local distributors to give you the lowdown on some of the more interesting games hitting retail this month. So here we go...

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky

As most of you know, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl (SoC) was one of the most atmospheric games to grace the PC in recent times. Players had to don their radioactive suits and experience the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust in Chernobyl while tracking down a S.T.A.L.K.E.R. known only as Strelok, a certain someone who could shed some light on their fuzzy past. Clear Sky serves as a prequel to SoC and will put players in the boots of yet another S.T.A.L.K.E.R. called Scar as he sets out to unravel the events that lead to this cataclysmic event in the first place. We’re not sure if the game’s going to hit retail, but it’s definitely going to be available on Steam by the end of the month.

Ratchet and Clank Future: Quest for Booty

Instead of making gamers wait for a full-fledged sequel to last year's Tools of Destruction, developer Insomniac has decided to go the episodic way with R&C Future: Quest for Booty. What this means is that unlike a full-length game, Quest for Booty will span 3-4 hours (or more depending on your skill level), and will pick up from where Tools of Destruction left off. The game is being released on the PlayStation Network this month, but will be sold through hard copies – a.k.a. box packs – next month for around Rs 1000 (the price has not been confirmed by Milestone yet).