Meet the Class of 2008

Joseph Turok | Turok | Feb 2008

What's his story?

As part of a super-duper special-ops murder squad of the future, Mr T finds himself on the trail of his former mentor, Ronald Kane, who is now an A-list target thanks to committing some very naughty war crimes. The no-good Kane is holed up with an army of his own soldiers on a jungle planet that also happens to be home to some sharp-toothed flesh eaters that wouldn't be out of place in the Mesozoic Era. It's man versus man versus dino-might.

What can Joseph Turok bring to gaming?

As the only first-person shooter protagonist to feature in our Class of 2008 it's predictable that he's the one we're least excited about. After all, it's difficult to really form a deep emotional connection with a character when all you can see for 90% of the time are their arms. So, will Joseph Turok be just another forgettable, bulging-muscled meathead grunt with a gun? Probably yes.

Joseph Turok is the new face of 2008 most likely to...

...get lost in the jungle and only be noticed missing when Mrs Turok realises that the toilet seat hasn't been left up for a while.

Edward Carnby | Alone in the Dark | Early 2008

What's his story?

We're getting tired of joking that we're 'in the dark' about this one, but we really are, with plot details remaining a closely guarded secret. From what we've seen of the game so far, however, we can ascertain that there's a bunch of weird stuff going on in New York's Central Park that goes beyond the regular weirdness of perverts hiding in bushes and touching themselves in the pants. Somehow Carnby has to get to the root of it all, which he seems to mostly do by clambering around burning buildings. Oh, we also know that the script is penned by Sleepers author Lorenzo Carcaterra.

What can Edward Carnby bring to gaming?

Yes, yes, we know Edward Carnby has frequented consoles before, but given that the last time he enjoyed an airing was around seven years ago, we thought he still qualified as a new face. He's tidied his hair up and ditched the trench coat. And he looks much better for it.

But never mind the makeover, Carnby is looking tasty for plenty of reasons, perhaps none more so than his ability to improvise in tight situations using everyday items that he keeps stashed in his generously spacious jacket. One such example involves wrapping gaffer tape around a glow stick and sticking it to the ceiling to give a hands-free light source. While another requires combining match and spray can to create a makeshift flamethrower. In fact, utilising fire will be one of Carnby's big tricks. We're not sure if he'll be able to light his own farts.

Edward Carnby is the new face of 2008 most likely to...

...set himself on fire.