The Game Room: E3 2004 Quick Takes, Part 1
Sr. Assoc. Ed. Andrew Brandt
May's annual orgy of gaming delights (otherwise known as the
Electronic Entertainment Expo, or just E3) featured previews and first
peeks at literally hundreds of new games for consoles, PCs, handhelds,
and even phones and PDAs. For an overview, read our "Picks and Pans"
report:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/139378/15377831/516207/0/
For another take on the show, read "Retro Games Find New Life":
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/139378/15377831/516208/0/
There was so much to see (and write about) that I've decided to split
my initial reactions about what I saw and played into two newsletters.
A Visit to Activision
One of my first stops was at Activision's booth. It's hard to believe
this company just finished its first quarter century developing
innovative games. Read on for the highlights.
Call of Duty sequels: That's right, there are not one, but two sequels
in the works for this first-person shooter heavyweight. In Call of
Duty: Finest Hour (a console game for the Xbox and Playstation 2),
players will rejoin the battle against Hitler's army on the Eastern
Front, fighting tough street-by-street battles through the eyes of
Russian soldiers. Meanwhile, Call of Duty: United Offensive (an
expansion pack for the original PC game) will feature combat from the
perspective of both British infantry and aviators, with some of the
combat taking place inside B-17 bombers flying the unfriendly skies
above Europe.
Here's a peek at the game:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/139378/15377831/516209/0/
Doom 3: At E3 two years ago, the press got its first look at this
third installment of the game that virtually kick-started 3D
first-person shooter games. The game's developer, Id Software, and
Activision, which distributes Id's games, now promise the PC release
of Doom 3 this summer, with an Xbox version to follow (nobody is
saying exactly when). The newer, more detailed, and more horrifying
monsters were scary in 2002, and they're still pretty darn scary
today.
Here's a peek at the game:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/139378/15377831/516210/0/
Spider-Man 2: Don't forget that hyphen in the name, or Stan Lee will
web you to the side of a building. (Just kidding.) The sequel to this
3D platform game, which scrolls sideways as you progress, puts you
back into the huge environment of New York City, armed with your
spider-senses and that handy web goo you can shoot out of your palm.
Here's a peek at the game:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/139378/15377831/516211/0/
Rome: Total War: Take your average real-time-strategy game, increase
the number of characters on-screen by about a zillion, give them all
independent artificial intelligence, and then allow the player to zoom
back up to a mountaintop perspective or down to the soldier's eye
level, and you begin to get a sense of the scope of Rome: Total War.
It's where video games meet the History Channel, and the Carthaginians
won't know what hit 'em.
Here's a peek at the game:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/139378/15377831/516212/0/
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events: Based on the
children's books of the same name, this game was in early development
with release slated for 2005; but it looked like a promising puzzle
platformer. If you've never seen the visuals (created by New York
illustrator Brett Helquist) or read any of Snicket's books, think
Addams Family meets Edward Gorey, only slightly more macabre, and
you'll begin to get the idea.
Here's a peek at the game:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/139378/15377831/516213/0/
On to Sony
After Activision came Sony's booth, with so many new games for the
Playstation 2 that I could barely see them all in an hour of racing
around the show floor.
Eye Toy: AntiGrav: Sure, we've all seen "Back to the Future, Part II,"
and desperately wanted one of those hovering skateboards. But until
now, the technology has been out of reach. That's soon to change. This
latest release puts you in the driver's lack-of-a-seat on a hoverboard
in a futuristic cityscape. (It requires the use of Sony's Eye Toy USB
camera with the PS2.) Physically leaning your body or reaching out
with your hands (fluorescent green gloves, included, are required
wearing) steers your hapless hoverboarder through situations that
might make Tony Hawk blow chunks.
Here's a peek at the game:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/139378/15377831/516214/0/
Gran Turismo 4: I'm not a huge fan of realistic racing games, but this
one blew me away. For a minute I really thought that Sony was just
showing videos of real races, not the latest version of its elite
driving game. Put on a helmet and your driving gloves, hook up your
precision steering wheel and pedals, and prepare to take on the
streets of major cities in Asia and Europe, because you're in for one
heck of a ride.
Here's a peek at the game:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/139378/15377831/516215/0/
Killzone: Sony's not-really-a-Halo-killer first-person shooter game
puts you in the boots of a space marine fighting alien baddies intent
on capturing humanity's otherworldly colonies. Killzone may not boast
the most original storyline in all of gaming, but it still made a darn
good first impression.
Here's a peek at the game:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/139378/15377831/516216/0/
The Getaway: Black Monday: This sequel to The Getaway features new
characters, a new set of heists, and more of the 25 square miles of
photo-realistically rendered London streets that gamers came to know
and love. Just remember, American drivers: When you're over the pond,
keep to the left side of the road when careening around corners.
Here's a peek at the game:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/139378/15377831/516217/0/
Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal: With a thoroughly fun (and
hilarious) online multiplayer mode as well as new single-player
levels--and of course a huge number of new and intriguing
weapons--this action platformer might just force you to ratchet up
your online gaming.
Here's a peek at the game:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/139378/15377831/516218/0/
God of War: Take on supernatural baddies, mythical beasts, and plain
old human villainy as you fight the good fight alongside Ares, the
fierce god of war whose chariot is led by his two horses, Flame and
Terror. While I didn't see any hot chariot-fighting action, there was
no shortage of flame and terror when Ares came to town.
Here's a peek at the game:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/139378/15377831/516219/0/
Bandai's Best
Before I collapsed into a heap, I made a final tour around Bandai's
booth. The Japanese company known best for its anime properties seems
to be in a turn-every-anime-into-a-game mode. Virtually all of its
well-known shows will be game-ified by later this year, or early in
2005. These were my two favorites.
Cowboy Bebop: In this series we follow a ragtag band of space bounty
hunters who track down the galaxy's worst repeat offenders. The
third-person action game allows you to control four of the characters
on various planets: Spike, the lone-gunman/martial arts expert; Jet
Black, a former cop built like a battleship; Faye, a con artist with
an itchy trigger finger; and (strangely) Ein, the super-intelligent
Welsh Corgi who accompanies the crew through their adventures.
Here's a peek at the game:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/139378/15377831/516220/0/
Galactic Wrestling: While waiting in an interminable line to play the
Bebop game, I took a stab at a four-player match of this bizarre
science fiction-cum-Japanimation-meets-World-Wrestling-Entertainment
fighting game. The results were hilarious, with my player (who bore an
uncanny resemblance to The Thing from the comic-book series "Fantastic
Four") flattening a Shiva-esque guy with six arms, and two guys who
both looked like slight variations on the Mexican wrestler Santo. It
ended up being the perfect game for a bunch of guys being held captive
in a long and slow-moving queue, though I don't know if I'd have
played it unless forced to by the circumstances.
Here's a peek at the game:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/139378/15377831/516221/0/
In my next newsletter, I'll talk about some more games. I'll also give
you my impressions of some of the new hardware, peripherals, and
accessories meant to enhance your gaming experience.
Read Andrew Brandt's regularly published "Game Room" columns:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/139378/15377831/364542/0/
==
"Money will not make you happy, and happy will not make you money." -- Groucho
Marx
"It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend." -- John Dryden
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