As we give winter the cold shoulder and warm up to spring, you might be tempted to once again venture outside in order to partake in that traditional South African ritual known as the braai. But what is a braai without the Xbox or PS3 ready for action in the background? Check out our top 10 coolest upcoming titles for spring 2010.

Dead Rising 2

And you thought the zombie fad had died down. Not true, if Capcom’s upcoming Dead Rising 2 has anything to say about it. In the sequel to the gore filled Dead Rising, players wave goodbye to Frank West and say hello to Chuck Greene, former Motocross champion and someone who’s seriously annoyed with zombies.

The second game takes players from the quiet of Colorado to the lights and sounds of Fortune City, the games’ equivalent of Las Vegas. Prepare for some supreme zombie carnage as Chuck uses anything he can find to put the undead to rest including chainsaws, motorcycles, and chainsaws stuck to motorcycles, to name but a few.

Why buy? The over-the-top series is sure to provide hours of gore filled mayhem and ingenious new anti-zombie gadget ideas. Pitting yourself against an arena full of zombies is sure to provide at least a few memorable moments, and this makes Dead Rising 2 a must-buy for any self-professed zombie maniac.

When? 28 September

Halo: Reach

The Halo series is undeniably one of the most iconic and popular gaming franchises of our generation. With several titles released over the years, the series has become known for its epic campaigns and brutal multiplayer matches. Now the saga continues, as developers Bungie throws players into Halo: Reach where they will fight alongside Noble Team, a squad of Spartan soldiers defending the planet Reach from the Covenant invasion.

The game will take players back to the start of the Halo series as the Spartans struggles to defend Reach, the last outpost before the Covenant reaches Earth.

Why buy? With its high quality production values, Halo games carry a pedigree few others can match. And with its new weapons, characters, stories, graphics and a new addictive multiplayer component, gamers will be reaching for their Xbox controllers as soon as the game launches.

When? 14 September

FIFA 11

Titles in EA Sports’ FIFA franchise always shoot up the global sales charts as soon as they are released and FIFA 11 looks set to do the same, as it will bring some new features to one of gaming’s most popular series.    

Some of these include Personlity +, which delivers a differentiated and replicated skill set for every virtual player, based on their real life counterpart. Also new is the Pro Passing system that links passing accuracy to the gamer’s ability with the game control pad/keyboard, the virtual player’s skill attributes, the playing situation as well as the urgency on the pitch.

EA Sports FIFA World Cup South Africa is a firm favourite here in the TechSmart office, so we can’t wait to get our hands on FIFA 11.    

Why buy? Soccer is the world’s most popular sport and might be the best shot you have to make the Real Madrid starting 11 alongside Cristiano Ronaldo.

When? Gamers in the US are set to take to the virtual pitch on 28 September while Europe and Asia will have to wait until 1 October to leave the bench.

Kung Fu LIVE

Kung-Fu LIVE brings a new twist to fighting games by allowing you to step into the virtual fighting shoes yourself. The game employs the PlayStation Eye camera accessory along with developer Virtual Air Guitar Company’s Freemotion technology in order to allow a virtual version of you to take to the virtual fighting stage.

Your actual punches and kicks will be emulated by your equally handsome on-screen avatar. Alongside the real life movement integration are some out of this world super human powers that will boost your performance, allowing you to make epic flying kicks, as well as shooting lightning from your hands like Raiden from Mortal Kombat. You can even slow down time a la Matrix style to whip your opponents in slow motion.

The look and feel of the title is based on Kung-Fu comics of the 1970’s and 1980’s.

Why buy? You’ve always loved to watch Steven Seagal and Jean-Claude Van Damme kick butt on the silver screen and now want to do the same on the virtual fighting stage.

When? October 2010 from the PlayStation Store

Medal of Honor

The Medal of Honor franchise sports some of the most iconic first person shooter games in the industry, and while the series has traditionally been set in World War 2, in 2010 the series is moving into the modern battlefield.

In the game players will take on the identity of a Tier 1 operator in Afghanistan, a secretive group of soldiers fighting the battles which normal Special Forces soldiers can’t handle.

Why buy? With a multiplayer component developed by Battlefield developers DICE, Medal of Honour is set to feature fast paced, well-oiled online tactical combat.

When? 15 October

Metroid: Other M

Within Metroid: Other M players get to explore an abandoned space station as they follow a  cinematic styled story of bounty hunter Samus Aran’s past.

The game incorporates both 1st and 3rd person elements, with players having to hold their Wii Remote controller sideways while exploring the game’s environments and engaging their foes in 3rd person mode.

You will however still have to aim the Wii Remote’s pointer at the screen to blast enemies in 1st person mode.

Why buy? An expansive environment to explore, novel controller system, engrossing storyline and some excellent graphics should be reason enough.  

When? 31 August 2010

Mafia II

The award-winning Mafia finally receives a sequel this year in the form of 2K Czech’s Mafia II. Expanding upon the original, Mafia II is set to put players directly into the dark and unforgiving world of an Italian crime organisation.

Utilising the state-of-the-art Illusion engine, Mafia II brags with beautifully rendered environments and more than 10 square miles of open world city to explore as you become Empire Bay’s new kingpin.

Why buy? With its expansive open world game mechanics Mafia II will have you screeching along the ice-encrusted streets, firing from car windows and simply living out your gangster dreams GTA style.

When? 27 August

R.U.S.E

R.U.S.E is an upcoming real-time strategy (RTS) title developed by Eugen Systems, the game is set during World War 2 and will allow players to take command of some of the greatest battles of the war.

The element that sets R.U.S.E apart from other RTS games is the fact that the game is built around the act of deception. Players will have access to different deception abilities that will enable them to lure, trick and sabotage enemy forces to gain the advantage. Players will be able to play as both the Allies and the Germans in the game, each side sporting their own abilities, units and tactics.

Why buy? R.U.S.E’s deception abilities will have you killing off spies, setting up decoys, ordering full radio silence, setting up camouflage nets and employing general trickery to make your enemy believe what you want him to believe. No crying shenanigans here, this is war soldier.

When? 10 September

Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X 2

As part of the ultra-secret H.A.W.X squadron players return to the skies once more in this sequel to the highly acclaimed combat air simulator. In H.A.W.X. 2 players will face each other in hair raising dogfights using some of the world’s most advanced military hardware. Dominating the enemy from afar, executing grueling night raids, launching from aircraft carriers and attempting tricky mid-air refueling is but some of the features players can look forward to in H.A.W.X 2.

The game features state-of-the-art graphical quality and the innovative free-flight mechanic makes a return enabling virtual pilots to swoop, dive and roll in new gravity defying ways.

Why buy? Piloting the A-10 Thunderbolt, F-22 Raptor, Eurofighter Typhoon, F-16 Fighting Falcon, AV-8B Harrier and 27 additional aircraft is more than reason enough to give H.A.W.X 2 a purchase.

When? 30 September

Civilization V

Sid Meier’s Civilizations games are among the best known and highly acclaimed strategy games out there. And in 2010 the series is expanding with its fifth installment offering gamers more of the addictive “just one more turn” gameplay they’ve come to love. In the game you will strive to conquer the globe by leading your civilization from the dawn of time to the space age, using war, diplomacy and technology to triumph above the rest. Some of the changes in Civ V includes a new hexagonal grid, more realistic city expansion, a strategic view that lets you zoom out and view huge parts of the map and city-states, AI controlled factions that rise up independently to challenge the player throughout the game.

Why buy? Civilization V will feature beautiful updated graphics along with 18 unique civilizations with which to impose a new world order. It’s bound to keep players clicking for months.

When? 24 September