A gaggle of games

More PlayStation 3 first impressions from Games Convention in Leipzig.

With 503 exhibitors from around the world displaying their upcoming games at Games Convention in Leipzig there's plenty to look forward to in the upcoming months. Here are some more of the highlights:

Rock Band

Rock band takes the central concept of Guitar Hero - that playing rock songs is really, really cool - and moves it to the next level with the introduction of drums and a microphone, meaning you and three friends can now form an awesome virtual rock band. The big news here is the drum peripheral and first impressions indicate that it's everything that could be hoped for, solid, comfortable, easy to use, and supplied with two real drumsticks for the ultimate real-life drum experience. Add to this a tracklist including bands like Guns 'n' Roses, The Beastie Boys, The Strokes and Radiohead and full online multiplayer support, meaning your bassist can be in Spain while you're in London and you have the recipe for one of the most fun music games ever.

Turok

The first next generation outing for the legendary dinosaur hunter, Turok is a story-driven first person shooter set on a mysterious planet in the near future. Gorgeous looking, and featuring action stealth gameplay and dinosaurs that you can manipulate using flares to attack your enemies, Turok looks like delivering a great slice of action combat on PlayStation 3.

Assassin's Creed

Set during the third crusade in the year 1197 Assassin's Creed sees you take control of Altair, a member of the Hashshashin, who must kill the nine historical figures who are responsible for the Crusades unravelling a massive conspiracy as he does so. The game is set to feature an unprecedented level of historical accuracy, and the ancient cities of Jerusalem, Acre and Damascus will be fully explorable thanks to the ability to grip, climb and jump across almost every aspect of the environment.

Haze

Developed by Free Radical Design, creators of the hugely popular TimeSplitters series of games comes Haze, a first person shooter set in a future where soldiers are fed NECTAR, a nutritional supplement that makes them stronger and faster, but also starts to affect their sanity. Featuring a range of NECTAR powers, the ability to play dead to fool enemy soliders and up to four player cooperative play, Haze should be a must-buy for shooting fans on PlayStation 3.