By: Sarju Shah

Hey, Microsoft! Where's all that graphical excellence you promised us with Windows Vista and DirectX 10? That's probably what a lot of us are wondering after we eagerly snapped up copies of Windows Vista at the beginning of the year. It's already July and we've only seen slightly modified DirectX 9 games with extra rocks on the ground and slower frame rates. Where are those advanced particle effects and geometry-shader effects we've been promised?

Our readers will be glad to know that the Windows Vista platform is finally showing signs that it's ready to become a quality gaming platform this holiday season. Nvidia and ATI DirectX 10 video cards are finally available at all price points, and there are a number of great-looking DirectX 10 games being shown at E3 that should be coming down the pipe for this holiday season.

BioShock

Developer: Irrational Games
Publisher: 2K Games
Release Date: Aug. 21, 2007
E3 07 Preview

The spiritual successor to the System Shock series, BioShock aims to scare you witless in a new underwater metropolis environment. The folks from Irrational aim to make BioShock a first-person shooter without parallel, a game that never plays out the same way each time you load it up. You'll be able to incorporate genetic enhancements and conventional weapons in your arsenal to take out hulking armored characters known as Big Daddies.

Crysis

Developer: Crytek
Publisher: EA
Release Date: Sept. 11, 2007
E3 07 Preview

Set in lush tropical forests and an alien-generated tundra, Crysis bears a remarkable resemblance to Crytek's previous Far Cry series, except for the ice that is. The DirectX 10 shooter plants you on a tropical island to discover the secrets of a crashed alien ship. The game features fully destructible environments and highly intelligent enemies. Simply walking through an area disturbs bushes and breaks leaves, alerting enemies to your presence. You can, of course, take revenge upon the snitching forests by mini-gunning acres of loose-lipped trees and shrubbery. The DirectX 9 version of Crysis should also look fantastic, but everyone will be looking to see if the DirectX 10 version lives up to the hype.

World in Conflict

Developer: Massive Entertainment
Publisher: Sierra Entertainment
Release Date: Sept. 18, 2007
E3 07 Preview

Set in a world where the Berlin wall never fell, World in Conflict pits the armies of NATO against the Eastern Bloc. Your job is to fight back hordes of commies in a totally destructible environment. Massive's upcoming real-time strategy game gives us the best idea of what to expect out of DirectX 10 games. The graphics are beautiful, but the minor details, such as active smoke effects, really make the DirectX 10 version of the game stand out. Smoke billowing out of the husk of a burning tank will simply move upward along a pre-rendered path in DirectX 9, but the DirectX 10 version sports soft particles that allow the smoke to part and act realistically with the environment.

What game are you looking forward to most of all?

95 Comments

  • JuGgAlO_4_LyFe

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 2:17 pm PT

    Unreal Tournament 2007 and Hellgate.

  • BaldursGate18

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 2:06 pm PT

    Hellgate all the way I'm definitely getting Bioshock,Crysis,World In Conflict,Hellgate (collector's edition and by the way check out the cover art for Hellgate,I wallpapered it and is counting the days till it's release

  • ETP3

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 1:47 pm PT

    Thank God GoW is on XP i dont want to get tied up in all that Vista crap just yet, oh and Microsoft's little ploy didnt work, trying to get every one buy Vista so they could play Halo 2 on PC... why do u think they waited three years

  • domke13 posted Jul 14, 2007 1:07 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    domke13

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 1:07 pm PT (hide)

    OMG. If developers sad that 8800 GTS and C2D whit 2GB will be enough for ultra high settings, than we should belive that. And you guys are here talking how no current card will play this game on high settings. If 8800 GTX cant run that game maxed out at at least 1600x1200 whit 4xAA and 16xAF, than PC gaming is screwed, and no other card will run it not even on high settings in DX9. DX10 version wont look much better than DX9 but it will look pretty much the same except some DX10 special features. The main point of DX10 is in optimization not in improving image quality drasticaly. And i suggest you wait for actual game to come out and than judge how well it runs. I saw you guys being soo non-impressed about DX10 demos which are out. Liek Call of Juarez. Did somebody of you actualy saw DX9 benchmarking of that game? 8800 GTX gets around 30-40 FPS whit all settings maxed out in DX9, so i think that optimization of taht game is VERY crappy.

  • combat1818 posted Jul 14, 2007 1:07 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    combat1818

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 1:07 pm PT (hide)

    World in Conflict—Tech Overview
    It has been known for a long time that World in Conflict will support DX10 and many of its features, but the exact details of these features have been disclosed until now. Here is a quick guide to all the spectacular features and DX10 effects that makes World in Conflict the best looking RTS game ever. Soft Particles
    One of the great features of DX10 is the Soft Particle effect, which ensures that all the different particle effects (like smoke, explosions and fire) look as realistic as possible. In many games that don’t have this feature, effects like these can sometimes look striped, as if there are a number of two-dimensional objects stacked next to each other. Not so with Soft Particles. The soft particles, or z-feather, make sure that these particle effects act in a realistic manner, as they actually exist in full 3D within the game level. This means that they look and act exactly like the smoke, explosions, etc ought to do in the real world. Global Cloud Shadows Another very interesting graphical feature in DX10 is the possibility to make Global Cloud Shadows. This means that we can have our volumetric clouds moving across the level in actual 3D and cast shadows on buildings, hills and forest in a completely realistic way. The shadows are affected by the shape, volume and thickness of the clouds and as the sky gets filled with more smoke and clouds, the shadows reflect the harshness of the battlefield. Dual Screen
    The Mega Map is a very useful feature that all players of World in Conflict can utilize. This map gives a grand overview of the battlefield, with full rendering of all the units, their field of vision and all the explosions and action that takes place there. DX10 users, who have two screens, can have this activated at all times on one of the screens, making it easy to switch between the close-up action and the grander view. This is bound to be helpful for any commander who takes his or her role seriously. Volumetric Lighting, “God rays”
    The volumetric lighting makes sure that we can have some excellent lighting to go on the side of our shadow features. This is very noticeable as we see rays of light, or “god rays”, coming through the clouds over the battlefield. It’s a very atmospheric effect that can make even the most intense war scenery look beautiful.

  • firehammster

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 1:07 pm PT

    I can't wait for Hellgate: London. It looks like it's going to take up a lot of my free time.

  • beckoflight

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 12:43 pm PT

    i forgot to mention Assassins Creed witch is the tru revelation in the games!

  • beckoflight posted Jul 14, 2007 12:36 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    beckoflight

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 12:36 pm PT (hide)

    Only bioshock & GEARS for me the rest su****!

  • krassiersky

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 12:36 pm PT

    Thats what I'm saying, this name topic is where are the dx10 games. hah I think they're saying, hey we are wasting our video cards with no dx10 games so when they come out they're going to be useless, unless you have $1200 to buy a sli 8900 gtx. when is better to buy a video card that support the next 2 or 3 years of pc games running them on high settings?

  • krassiersky posted Jul 14, 2007 12:30 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    krassiersky

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 12:30 pm PT (hide)

    I think the real full potential of dx10 is going to be on the 8900 series and 9800 series, 8800 series will last another eight months, after that they are going to suck!!

  • combat1818 posted Jul 14, 2007 12:22 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    combat1818

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 12:22 pm PT (hide)

    dont judge a dx10 cards performance on a game that has been designed with dx9---also remember that developers can go two ways dx10---1 better graphics or 2 smoother gameplay--anyway nobody really cares coz if you are a TRUE PC GAMER you will just buy the required hardware as and when needed

  • nick0571 posted Jul 14, 2007 12:15 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    nick0571

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 12:15 pm PT (hide)

    I don't know if any of the 8800 series can handle these in high settings in DX10. After these games come out, 8600 would be a piece of crap that you can flush down the toilet, and 8800gts would be used in your grandma's computer, and the 8800gtx would be used in a low-end machine. I mean, maybe its just my card, but with my E6700 @3.04GHz and An Asus 8800gtx, I turn up Oblivion to Maxx settings and inside the imperial city like the market place, and ur weapon drawn, it kinda lags. Just a little but it does for a second or two. Now imagine that on a DX10 game which is like double the graphics.

  • Ondoval posted Jul 14, 2007 12:02 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    Ondoval

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 12:02 pm PT (hide)

    Hellgate is, without doubt, one of the worst looking next-gen action game of the show and, as with Crysis, Bioshock, Gears, UT III and much other, you can't need Vista or DX 10 to get a wonderful graphics. So my advice is: forget to update to Vista and spent the money in a good graphic card, like the 8800 or 2900 series.

  • combat1818 posted Jul 14, 2007 10:23 am PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    combat1818

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 10:23 am PT (hide)

    ooops sorry it wont be dx10 enabled if you are mentaly challenged and still believe in xp (cant figure why some people would want to mix dx10 hardware and an old crappy dx9 OS)

  • combat1818 posted Jul 14, 2007 10:20 am PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    combat1818

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 10:20 am PT (hide)

    well i just wanna shut my stoopid 360/ps3 fanboy brother and his mates up--with a bit of dx10--oooooohhhhh look at the graphics on GOW dx10 compared to the outdated GOW 360's graphics--thats what im talking about-----ALSO PEOPLE THERE ARE NEW BETA DRIVERS AND A DOWNLOAD OF WORLD IN CONFLICT MP BETA ON NZONE (nvidia hompage) --THE NEW DRIVER IS COZ ITS A DX10 VERSION OF WORLD IN CONFLICT--SO GET ON DOWN THERE AND GET YOURSELF A COPY----DX10-DX10-DX10 TRA LA LA LA LA

  • Jd1680a

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 9:51 am PT

    Im excited to see what games will come out for 2008. More games that are directx 10 will pour out.

  • larlarbd posted Jul 14, 2007 9:17 am PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    larlarbd

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 9:17 am PT (hide)

    Five additional levels of GOW ? I have a x360 ( owned gears since the day it came out ) , I have a 8800 GTS 640MB ( overclocked ) - but I also have a complain , why these FIVE new sp campaign only on PC ? c'mon release them on XBL for dw as well so that we can enjoy some co-op fun with friends.

  • Sidious_

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 8:56 am PT

    hey i have dual 8800 GTX's and i cant wait till DX10 is in full effect.

  • Lightninggt

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 8:37 am PT

    all i can say is: HOLY CRAP!

  • combat1818 posted Jul 14, 2007 8:03 am PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    combat1818

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 8:03 am PT (hide)

    i'd even believe gtx's but not ultras----PHOAR WHATS THAT SMELL---HAS SOMEONE JUST BIN TO THE TOILET?

  • combat1818 posted Jul 14, 2007 8:00 am PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    combat1818

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 8:00 am PT (hide)

    and i never believe anybody who says they have 2x8800 ultras---maybe gts's but not ultras

  • combat1818 posted Jul 14, 2007 7:52 am PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    combat1818

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 7:52 am PT (hide)

    and the frame rates only lag at STOOPIDLY HIGH RESOLUTIONS--my moniter only displays in 1440x900--so my 8800gts is more than enough at these resolutions--the only reason i'll buy a 8900 when they are released will be for the fun of it---VISTA ROCKS---XP SUCKS

  • combat1818 posted Jul 14, 2007 7:46 am PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    combat1818

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 7:46 am PT (hide)

    whoever posted that 8800s had crap frame rates STFU IDIOT anandtech's review of them is about 70years old--considering that they are used in the development of dx10 games,i dont think anyone who purchased them is gonna have to swap em for 8900s when they are released

  • Targzissian posted Jul 14, 2007 7:18 am PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    Targzissian

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 7:18 am PT (hide)

    nVidia really needs to work on its drivers for the 8800 series. The drivers that support DX 10 SLI are still in beta, and DX 9 SLI is not stable in many games. I have two 8800 Ultras, but most of the time I run on a single one because many games lock up after just a few minutes of play with SLI enabled. Hurry it up nVidia! Get your drivers up to snuff for the DX 10 games coming out, and improve their stability for DX 9 SLI! That said, I can't wait to play Age of Conan at 2560x1600 in DX 10.

  • Stalker700

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 6:49 am PT

    Crysis and GoW baby!
    Can't wait to test my new card with those awsome games.

  • fratos posted Jul 14, 2007 5:32 am PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    fratos

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 5:32 am PT (hide)

    Damn , I wonder how good Direct X 11 will look like.

  • enhunter

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 5:13 am PT

    Gimme gimme Age of Conan and Crysis...

  • SunnySimantov

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 4:21 am PT

    REMEMBER: All these games are playble with DX9 hardware AND windows XP. Don't jump on Vista and geforce 8\radeon 2000 just for these games. I have a 8800GTS 320mb and I will not get Vista this year. I will enjoy these games in DX9 just like most of us.

  • the_soulburner

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 4:14 am PT

    Age of Conan

  • newlands

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 4:10 am PT

    if u look at andantech's report on directx 10 it shows that the 8800 barely keeps up the frame rates and the 8600 cards are very disappointing, if you want a good experience with directx 10 wait till the 8900 series comes out, if you have to have it now the 8800 gtx will be sufficient but not for long.

    Crysis does look awesome though

  • silunt posted Jul 14, 2007 4:06 am PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    silunt

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 4:06 am PT (hide)

    Bleh, I've been using Vista Ultimate since release, running it on an 8800 GTS 640 and overall it owns xp soo bad. Had some probs when I first got though and that sucked but now its fine and all my games work. All the people whining about how this is all just hypse and vista and dx10 are pointless, save up your money...the fact you cant afford it is why you're whining so much. And I aint no MS fanboi either, far as I'm concerned Microsoft is selling out America to the Chinese but...Vista is pretty good....

  • dragonrul55

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 4:04 am PT

    Um..Dx10 is Vista only, but most of the games here run on Dx9 too, so you can play them on xp.

  • corygallagher

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 4:03 am PT

    CRYSIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • justnotme92

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 3:56 am PT

    It was recently announced that DX10 will also work on XP.

  • bboyart

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 3:56 am PT

    - hellgate london
    - crysis

  • blasterboy56

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 3:45 am PT

    bioshock and cryis look OMFG!!1! BEST GRAPHICS EVA! but one question..can you only play DX10 games on vista?

  • shepstar1

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 3:19 am PT

    Looks like i'm going to have to spend ÂŁÂŁÂŁ's on hardware for my computer to run these games!

  • combat1818 posted Jul 14, 2007 3:15 am PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    combat1818

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 3:15 am PT (hide)

    which sad **** is giving thumbs down to anyone who appraises vista?----GROW UP AND GET A LIFE----i love vista,,its better than smelly tatty old xp--never had any problem with dx9 games runing under it----ROLL ON VISTA,,ROLL ON DX10( just wanna see the console fanboys weep over our better graphics)

  • TBos

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 3:00 am PT

    Crysis its not just the game but the ENGINE will bring games to a whole new level

  • Coect

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 2:52 am PT

    Gears of War PC

  • omerdv

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 2:10 am PT

    i still think they should've put assassin's creed in the list but from all of these games i'll say that i'm waiting for crysis,gears of war and bioshock the most because these games are pretty revolutionary when will play and see how the gameplay's like...... except for gears of war because it's not revolutionary for the gameplay but it's still really good

  • Kel_Sceptic

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 1:58 am PT

    Crysis

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Hey, Microsoft! Where are the DirectX 10 games?

So… ummm… where are all those DirectX 10 games we were promised?

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