Here
is a completely numbers-based recap of my E3 experience.By my calculation, I played or had demoed for me just under 100
new games at the show.Many
of those have already faded from my memory (thank God for note pads),
but a good two-dozen games really stood out.This was my first E3, so I have nothing to compare it to, but,
overall, I’d say the industry put on a great show and the future looks
bright for gamers.
God
of War II (left); Okami (right)
10
Games I played and loved (in no particular order):
Warhawk—I
loved the original, and this sequel picked up right where that game
that game left off.I
especially loved how intuitive and responsive the controls are.
Red
Steel—For my money, this was the best game showing for the Wii.The controls took a bit getting used to, and the A.I. on the
sword masters hadn’t been implemented yet, but it was easy to see
that this is going to be one of the must-have first-year Wii titles.
Super
Mario Galaxy—SMG was the best of the first-party Wii titles.I can’t wait to see what other features Nintendo works into
the game.
God
of War 2—The PS2 had a great show and GoW 2 was the best-looking
PS2 game on the floor.It
appears to be more of the same, but that is the right way to go
considering the quality of the original.
Okami—This
was the most stylish, unique looking game of the show.I’m very close to picking up an import copy, but I’m
trying to hang on for the localized version.
Heavenly
Sword—Kind of God of War 3 in terms of game play, Heavenly Sword
was the most polished demo at Sony’s booth.
Lost
Planet—For some reason, I couldn’t stop calling this Ice Planet,
but, still, this was a seriously solid action title with some cool
game mechanisms.
Prey—I
played a couple of multi-player matches during early access.The game is furiously paced and totally disorienting, and it
is a lot of fun.
Excite
Truck—Bring on the steering wheel attachment.This was the surprise hit of the show for me.
NBA
2K7—The 360 version of this game was simply stunning.I have no doubt that NBA 2K7 will set a new standard for
basketball games.
5
Games I’ll buy the day they are released (assuming I don’t get
review copies):
1.
Might and Magic: Dark Messiah—I’m a huge fan of HOMM and the MOM
RPGs, and this looks to be the first action title to do the franchise
justice.
2.
Hellgate: London—I’m getting a serious all-time-classic vibe from
this one.Keep your fingers
crossed that the story is as rich as the art design.
3. Assassin’s Creed—This game took me totally by surprise.I had somehow avoided hearing anything about it until
the last day of the show.It
is simply gorgeous and looks to be a blast to play.
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4.
Spore—The single most-impressive, most ambitious game at this E3, and
probably the most ambitious game ever.
5.
Gears of War—Doesn’t seem to be very original and the art design is
derivative and boring, but there is no doubt that the game play is going
to be stunning.
7
systems ranked in order of how impressive their E3 line-up was:
PS2—This
was probably the last year that the PS2 will see AAA titles, and
there were a ton of them on the show floor.Okami, FF12, GoW 2, SOCOM: CA, Guitar Hero 2, ATV Offroad
Fury 4, Rogue Galaxy—this is looking to be a great year for the
PS2.
PC—The
Nvidia booth was showing as many great games as Sony and Nintendo
combined.Graphically,
none of the next gen consoles compares to the best looking PC
titles, and there was far more variety in genres and art design than
we’ve seen in years.I
see a PC upgrade in my future.
Xbox360—The
one-year head start certainly showed.You could see and play dozens of great 360 titles without
setting foot in Microsoft’s area.
PS3—Supposedly
behind Nintendo in the race to launch, Sony showed up with a ton of
great looking games that anyone
could play without waiting in line four hours.
Wii—I
was really impressed with the new control schemes, but only a
handful of Wii titles on-hand had the potential to make it into my
collection.
Nintendo
DS—The DS was showing titles in nearly ever imaginable genre, and
developers clearly are getting a handle on the system’s graphical
capabilities (at least in 2D).
PSP—Last
in this list, but the PSP still had an impressive line-up.I’m looking forward to Killzone more than any other
hand-held title.Ratchet
and Clank: Size Matters, MGS Portable Ops,Tekken, LocoRoco, and Field Commander all look great.
The
Playstation 3 in action (left); Spore (right)
7
Things that rocked at E3 2006:
Meeting
up with the other AE writers
Hands-on
with not one, but two great new systems
Behind-the-scenes
looks at games not on the floor
Two
hours of press-only time on Day 1
The
Wii controller actually works.
A
new Heroes of Might and Magic game and
a great-looking HoMM clone (Battle Lord from 1C games)
The
parties thrown by Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony
Getting
to skip the huge line for a Wii hands-on and go right to playing
7
Things that sucked at E3 2006
The
four hour wait for hands-on with the Wii for those not blessed with
a press pass
750,000
square feet of show space and limited time between appointments
The
fact that I developed a sinus infection at the show and had to fly
cross country with a head that felt ready to explode
The
food prices at the show
I
lost a much-loved watch on the last day of the show.
