Nifty Xbox games from E3 2002.

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Panzer Dragoon Orta

Hitman 2: Silent Assassin

XIII

E3 2002: Xbox Picks

As Chosen by Doug Flowe

Xbox was criticized for its lack of presence at E3 2001 but they’ve sure come a long way from the fledgling console with deep pockets - now they’re an established console-maker with deep pockets. Xbox’s growth showed at E3. Microsoft’s booth was blossoming with activity and some of the hottest games we’ve all been waiting for were being shown, some playable, some not. Here are a few of my picks of the more notable titles that were playable.

Panzer Dragoon: Orta (Sega)

Fall 2002

This game definitely created some of the loudest buzz around the show this year being featured on the gigantic screen in front of the Sega booth and at six demo stands in Microsoft territory. It was, as we all expected, beautiful even at this stage of development. The video shown was pretty impressive even in this world of exquisite cut-scenes. It featured our hero riding the back of a dragon through a valley of enemies underneath a murky sky and torrential rain. The visual effects were exceptional with impressive lighting and animation completing the scene. The streaming weapons were convincing while the explosions and fragments of debris added to the environment. This newest update to the Sega classic boasts larger stages and multiple paths and more weapons than before.

One of the biggest new features of the game is the ability of the player to turn the camera 360 degrees. This way, the player can swivel on the dragon’s back to shoot enemies that are attacking from behind. This adds depth to the overall feel of the game but might lead to unnecessary frustration if the transition is not sped up – it takes a few seconds to make one complete turn.

It’s no doubt this is one to look out for this Fall. I’m pretty sure Sega won’t disappoint us with the final product.

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Hitman 2: Silent Assassin (Eidos)

Fall 2002

A little further below the radar and tucked into a corner of the Eidos booth behind videos of Lara Croft and the surprise announcement of Fear Effect: Inferno was Hitman 2: Silent Assassin. It was running a little slow in the demo version but the promise was still apparent. Slated for store shelves in Fall this year, players are in for some dark, yet intelligent infiltration and assassination.

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The bit that I played was enough to get a feel of the game. Agent 47, the Hitman, has tried to get away from his past of violence but in true shoot ‘em movie style, they pull him back in. The level I played, the assassin walks right through the front door of what looks like a big corporate building and begins unloading buckshot into the protective swarms of people milling around. Guards ascend but he runs, switches weapons and starts dropping them like flies.

In another level, things were a little more stealth oriented as the Hitman sneaks around snowy hills in the darkness. Ultimately, you can choose how to approach each level although some levels are better approached one particular way.

This isn’t an Xbox exclusive but the Xbox build was looking mighty fine. Let’s hope this assassin is silent but deadly.

XIII (Ubisoft)
January 2003
This game reminds me of the magic I found in games of the past and continue to search for in many games today. If you remember games like “Flashback: The Quest for Identity” and “Out of This World”, both made by French developers like Ubi Soft, then you’ll see what I mean. If not, then pick those up, play them to the end and come back to this preview……

…..Got it? OK. These games were filled with down-to-Earth adventures even though they didn’t take place on Earth. But what they did was combine smooth control and animation, jazzy atmospheric music, simplistic yet puzzling game play and the feeling that your character was not invincible. You were a regular guy searching through a world he didn’t understand and making do with what he found while piecing things together. French developers have a knack for this somehow.

XIII follows in the footsteps of these games from a first person perspective. You awaken on a beach with no idea of where you are but certain that the gang of goons racing towards you doesn’t have your best interests at heart. From here the game takes off and the player is challenged with many puzzles and realistic enemies to figure out what happened to him.

The conspiracy plot is shrouded in mystery since it would ruin the game but we can say that it includes the government and the President. Also, the main character has in his inventory a key to a safe deposit box in New York City and the number “XIII” tattooed on his shoulder. One of the best parts of the game is that it utilizes the much talked about cel shading technology and it’s used to good effect. While I played at E3, I walked through an air vent and dropped into an office in a compound. The room was filled with interactive objects. You can grab a chair and smash it over the head of an unsuspecting guard. In true Batman style, the words “BAM”!! appear in a flashing star when the chair crumbles over the guard’s head. The environments were solid and smooth and the control was as intuitive as Halo or Unreal, the engine upon which the game is based.

XIII will be released for all systems but the Xbox build looked right tasty at the show. We’ll see how it fairs in Q1 2003.

- Doug Flowe


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