E3 2010 – The GregHorrorShow Wrap Up

 

So E3 has been and gone, leaving us to pick through the huge mass of info and game news that it’s left in it’s wake.

Not all of us were lucky enough to go to the actual show but fortunately Gametrailers.com and the like have managed to bring us footage and interviews from the show.

For a more in-depth look at some of the games from someone that was at E3, check out @Zvolen’s website Beyondthedpad.com

Well there’s a hell of a lot of stuff to get through – so let’s get started!

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MEDAL OF HONOR

Looks pretty interesting, especially in single player. On the multiplayer front it seems very similar to Battlefield, which is a good thing in one way but slightly disappointing in another.

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DEAD SPACE 2

More of the same from Issac Clarke and this is one I can’t wait for. Not a fan of jumpy horror stuff but the whole Dead Space universe is so rich I’m in!

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LITTLEBIGPLANET 2

Make your own games? Sounds like a win to me. Hopefully another decent story mode to work through before downloading loads of great user generated content.

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SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 4

I’m fairly hopeful that this reboot will be decent enough – it looks great but it’s hard to tell without having actually played it. Looking forward to some sort of demo at a later date.

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INFAMOUS 2

Oh Sucker Punch. What have you done to Cole? The brooding, cool badass of the original has been replaced with a boyband reject – not a good look. Hopefully the game itself will live up to the standard of the first.

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TWISTED METAL

Really pleased about this announcement, been waiting for a new Twisted Metal for a long time and the team based mechanics look solid. Could be very cool indeed.

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KILLZONE 3

Looks like the clash between the ISA and the Helghast continues apace, which is great news for us fans of Killzone. 3D has been added as well, though that isn’t of much interest to me.

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MOTORSTORM APOCALYPSE

I was sceptical about shifting the series to a city but am glad to have been proven wrong. With the option to drive under, over and even through buildings Motorstorm Apocalypse is one to watch out for.

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SPEC OPS: THE LINE

Great trailer huh? Initially shown off back in December, Spec Ops: The Line has stepped up to the plate and looks to have some nice tricks up it’s sleeve.

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ASSASSIN’S CREED – BROTHERHOOD

Wasn’t 100% sure how multiplayer would work in Assassin’s Creed but having seen some of the footage from E3 it seems to be pretty well implemented. Story wise we play as Ezio again which is definitely ok with me.

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GRAN TURISMO 5

Gran Turismo 5 – we’ve been waiting for this for about 6 years Hyper realistic driving sim – graphics do look truly amazing.

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BULLETSTORM

Was not sold on this game at all previously but the stuff I’ve seen from E3 looks cool as a single player game. Still not interested in this as a multiplayer experience but I’ll wait and see how it develops before making a decision on whether it’s one I’ll pick up.

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HOMEFRONT

Hadn’t heard much about this but I’m a sucker for alternate timelines so this ‘US-has-been-invaded’ story sits well with me. One to watch.

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KINECT / MOVE

Motion control has obviously played a big part at E3 this year with both Microsoft (Kinect) and Sony (Move) looking to gatecrash Nintendo’s (Wii) party. In my opinion Move is already head and shoulders above Kinect, and probably Wii, with regard to proper games… Killzone 3, LittleBigPlanet 2, Heavy Rain (patch), SOCOM 4, Resi Evil 5 and Time Crisis all confirmed. Even if I don’t wanna play them with Move at least the option is there and they are REAL GAMES that don’t involve sports resorts or yoga.

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SOCOM 4

More interested in this than previous instalments, mainly because they have boosted the single player aspect (ie there is one ) and also the fact that via Battlefield: Bad Company 2‘s multiplayer I’ve learnt the value of teamwork. Could be a really good experience.

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DEAD RISING 2

Quite excited to get my hands on this one as the first game was an XBox exclusive and I’ve only heard good things about it. My only concern is will there be enough variation to keep me playing?

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FALLOUT: NEW VEGAS

I lost 25 hours of my life to Fallout 3 – I’ve already pencilled in at least another day for New Vegas

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MORTAL KOMBAT

I’m not a huge fan of fighting games but I loved the original Mortal Kombat and this new reboot is taking it back to the franchise’s darker, gory roots. Expect plenty of fatalities upon release.

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GHOST RECON: FUTURE SOLDIER

Like Bulletstorm, I pretty much had no interest in this prior to E3 but the thing that’s hooked me here is the potential for online co-op play. The gadgets look pretty cool as well.

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RAGE

Still not sure on this game – looks like Borderlands? Guess that’s not a bad thing but how many Mad Max type games can you have?

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CRYSIS 2

This looks pretty sweet as a single player experience. Liking the style and the graphics are great.

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PORTAL 2 

VALVE even being at the Sony conference was a shock, especially having Gabe himself up there after all his slagging off of PS3 in the past. But Portal is a hugely respected game so I’ll make sure I work my way through that before approaching the sequel.

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METAL GEAR: RISING

NB. This trailer features graphic sword cutting – avoid if easily offended!

Metal Gear: Rising looked brilliant. Looks like a better version of WET‘s sword mechanics. Raiden as a bad ass? Who’d have thought it back in the MGS2 days

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GOD OF WAR: GHOST OF SPARTA (PSP)

Wow. Ready At Dawn look set to continue where they left off. Ghost Of Sparta looks tasty and I suspect will be full of awesomesauce (as DK money shizzle might say )

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Disapointment-wise, I’d say CASTLEVANIA which I thought might be cool but looks like a poor man’s Bayonetta/God Of War

DRIVER, with it’s car jumping mechanic looks a bit too gimmicky.

I was very disappointed there is no sign of a new HITMAN game

Also whilst CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPs looks good graphically I’m not sold – especially as that rappel bit from the trailer was nicked wholesale from RAINBOW SIX (now that’s a game I’d like to see announced! )

Would’ve liked to have seen new information on Last Guardian, Batman 2, Resistance 3 (an announcement that it’s actually coming) or Agent but suspect we’ll have more info on those at the Tokyo game show in August.

Also no PSP2! Though perhaps with hindsight they were wise – if they are gonna do it – not to put it up against the Nintendo 3DS (which I won’t be getting but does look like a great bit of kit).

But you can’t have everything.

So to sum up, in order, my Top 10 MOST WANTED of E3:

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1 Killzone 3

2 Dead Space 2

3 Metal Gear Rising

4 Twisted Metal

5 Crysis 2

6 God Of War: Ghost Of Sparta

7 Medal Of Honor

8 LittleBigPlanet 2

9 Infamous 2

10 Motorstorm Apocalypse

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Let me know what you guys are most looking forward to!

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Top Ten: Franchises I’d Like To See On PS3

I was thinking the other day about what a great set of games we as PS3 owners have coming up with the likes of Uncharted 2, Assassin’s Creed II, Modern Warfare 2, God Of War 3 etc.

And then I thought back to some of the older games I used to play and how cool it might be if some of them were re-imagined, brought into the 21st Century and onto the PS3.

So here’s the 10 franchises I’d most like to see on the PS3…

 

10. Kingdom Hearts

Kingdom Hearts squeezes onto the list because I feel sorry for my wife who has had to make do with Kingdom Hearts II since 2006 It’s been a while since I had to sit and watch Sora, Goofy, Donald et al jumping and hacking their way across my TV.

For such a big title, which has been a success in Japan, the US and Europe it’s surprising a next gen title hasn’t been announced, although it’s been hinted at that the upcoming PSP game will tie in with a ‘future title.’

I would imagine they’d give the graphics a lick of paint but the gameplay would stay the same and although I don’t play the games myself I do find it interesting to see which Disney characters they have included as we go through the levels.

However I expect with the PSP game yet to appear Kingdom Hearts fans may be looking at a late 2010/early 2011 release date for Kingdom Hearts III – unless those scamps at Squre Enix have been hard at work without releasing any info at all. All I’ll say is stranger things have happened!

 

9. The Helicopter ‘Strike’ Series 

Sega Mega Drive classic ‘Desert Strike’ and the pretty good follow up ‘Jungle Strike’ (but we’ll leave it at those two I think ) were both games that lots of people will remember.

You were in control of a US army helicopter and after choosing your co-pilot got dropped in at the deep end – with a bunch of mission objectives and a host of M.I.A’s (Missing In Action) to track down.

The gameplay was really strong and while the content (a war with the Middle East) was sensitive at the time I was too young to understand all that and just wanted to blow some stuff up.

There are plenty of games that have used flying for it’s mode of transport and the recent Tom Clancy Hawx went down the simulation route but I think with a touch of ‘Mercenaries,’ a hint of ‘GTA IV’ and a splash of ‘Battlefield: Bad Company’ a new “Strike” game could be really great.

 

8. Manhunt

I would imagine a PS3 version of Manhunt is in the works but we haven’t had any sort of announcement from Rockstar about a next gen title in the series.

Obviously any new Manhunt won’t have the original’s twisted story to fall back on and I sincerely hope a new version wouldn’t be relying on ‘shocking’ close up kills to sell the game.

Manhunt, for me, was always about the character not the kills. The fact that this guy (or in fact, you) was being forced to kill was a real mindbender. Sure the guys he was taking out were evil thugs but still…

Perhaps the newer version could give you normal people to kill (or not, depending on your choices) although I suppose that might be taking it too far.

Manhunt is certainly a series that would sell well if another game was released but they would definitely need to come up with a great, clever story to juxtaoppose the over the top violence that most people remember the games for.

 

7. Chase HQ

Chase HQ for me was a brilliant little game that, though limited in gameplay, never got tired – mainly due to the fact that once you caught up with the criminal you were chasing you lent out of the car window and popped one of those awesome stick on police lights on the roof

I admit they may need to up the gameplay – as it was you were given a target, had a time limit to catch them then had to run them off the road.

On the plus side they could check out the updated versions of Out Run for how to do a good job of bringing Chase HQ into the next generation of gaming.

With a graphical overhaul, some new modes and online multiplayer this could be a good little game. Plus the siren is cool anytime

 

6. Football Manager

As someone who loves the PSP version of Football Manager but would like a bit more depth and interaction it would brilliant to see Football Manager make the step over onto PS3.

Obviously they released one a few seasons back on XBox 360 so I guess at some stage this could become a reality although possibly their ties with Microsoft could end up keeping it a XBox 360 console exclusive.

On the flip side I fear if this actually happened I might never play anything else ever again

I’ve tried the PC version which was cool but I just can’t game on the PC – even with something point and click based like Football Manager, I just feel like I need a pad in my hand.

 

5. Road Rash

Road Rash was a big fixture in my gaming childhood as I spent hours racing and fighting through the wonderfully colourful terrains created for this awesome game.

The idea behind it was simple – get a bike and take part in illegal street races. The difference here being the fact that you would fight with your rival racers as you made your way through, knocking each other off your bikes.

You’d start off with a terrible bike and earn cash from races to upgrade and get better bikes. It helped that you could also grab weapons from the other racers (like clubs and chains) that were devestating to wield.

You’d obviously have to flesh out the gameplay a bit for the next gen as people expect more bang for their buck but perhaps adding some different weapons and features for the bikes, along with the option to race against other online and a graphical overhaul, might just be enough to see this brought to a new audience.

I’d certainly pick it up as an PSN game even if they just touched up the graphics and made it multi-player online. Imagine 16 or 20 racers all online – just hope I can get the chain and hang on to it

 

4. Speedball

Speedball has had various updates over the years as several different games companies have attempted to bring the game into 3D.

I’d love to see someone like Rockstar have a bash at this and make it a really dark, gritty game. Would be awesome to see it as a story/career based game where you have to work your way up through the leagues/teams.

Kind of like a TOCA Race Driver type of story mode, only a lot more improved and with some sinster undercurrents

Speedball was always on the dark side – a brutal undeground sport where you could seriously injure your opponents and scoring goals after racking up the points multiplier was all that mattered. Imagine the people that brought you GTA, Manhunt and Max Payne working on a PS3 version!

 

3. Twisted Metal

Rumours have been floating around for ages that David Jaffe’s (creator of Twisted Metal/God Of War/Calling All Cars) latest top secret project for PS3 is a new Twisted Metal.

He refuses to confirm (or deny) the rumour so this remains on the ‘ones I’d love to see’ list.

The original Twisted Metal on PSOne was a brilliant game of astute driving and absolute carnage. The weapons were well balanced and the drivers/vehicles likewise.

The amazing cast of characters also helped – everyone remembers Sweet Tooth (the psychotic clown with the Ice Cream Van) but all of them had their own back story and everyone had their personal favourites… mine were Crimson Viper and Spectre btw.

Twisted Metal Black on the PS2 continued the high standard but didn’t quite have the same impact (for me at least, the game itself was very well received) although I suspect that might’ve been because it came at a time when I wasn’t gaming all the time.

Twisted Metal will be brilliant on PS3 and I hope the fact Jaffe hasn’t denied the rumour is an indication that this could be coming in 2010.

 

2. Syphon Filter

Having played and loved the original Syphon Filter on PSOne and working through the PSP games as well, I’m all for a return to the big stage for Gabe Logan. With the Splinter Cell series spiking off exclusively to XBox 360, PS3 is a man down in the stealth/gadget war and Gabe could be the man to rectify the balance.

Syphon Filter has always been about the gadgets, whether it’s Thermal Googles or explosive dart ammo for your sniper rifle. And of course the trusty EDT – a brilliant device that effectively tasers your opponent. Without the need to stay within the confines of usual laws you could keep it held on until your opponent was literally smoking. Extravagant? Perhaps, but when you were out of ammo it was a god send

The comparisons to Metal Gear Solid were inevitable but really Syphon Filter plays a lot like the more action based Metal Gear Solid 4 than the original stealth classic.

I think this would be a great addition to the PS3 catalogue of games.

 

1. Hitman

Ah, Agent 47 – where the hell are you?!

2006 was the last time we got to use Agent 47′s skills to carry out some (and some not so) stealthy assassinations. And there is still no new word on a next gen version.

Eidos did announce Hitman 5 back in 2007 and I’m hopeful that Eidos money trouble and the take over by Square Enix won’t harm the chances of this one coming out *crosses fingers* but I would’ve thought we would have had some more info by now.

Hitman: Blood Money was the only title in the series I played but that was enough to give me a thirst for a next gen version – the way you had such choice in the assassination was outstanding.

You could make it look like an accident – rig a BBQ to explode etc or just get in and carry out an old skool hit. Alternatively you could resort to trying to blast your way in and blowing your target away but you were unlikely to succeed.

Also the fact you got the front page of a newspaper reporting on the murder as an indication of how well you performed was a stroke of genius.

I dread to think of the options and advanced AI the power of the next gen consoles could provide and I think Hitman could be a real stand out title if they nail it.

It would be a real shame if my last memories of Agent 47 were from the mediocre ‘Hitman’ film of a few years back