E3 2004 - Previews & Impressions
E3 2004: Day 1 Coverage
Originally published on 05/13/2004 at ActiveWin.com
Well Xbox fans, it's that time of year again, time for E3. As I'm sure most of you are aware the Electronics Entertainment Expo is where all of the players in the gaming industry get together to show off their latest and greatest, and this year's show was especially exciting for fans of the Xbox. In today's article, the first of three, I am going to give you a glimpse of some of the Xbox games currently in development from Activision and Vivendi Universal Games.
I started my journey into gaming bliss at the Vivendi Universal booth. Vivendi's lineup at this year's show was heavy on licensed games, such as Chronicles of Riddick, while also including a few lesser known but equally appealing games. The first game I'll be look at is Fight Club. Based on the cult classic film of the same name, Fight Club has you assuming the role of one of over a dozen playable characters in story-based fighting game that seems determined to change the way people look at the genre. Beyond it's heavy emphasis on storytelling, the game also has several interesting looking features not typically found in fighting games. The most impressive of these was the multi-tiered environments. In the gameplay segment I was shown, Tyler Durden and Jack were fighting in the streets outside a rundown dive of a bar when suddenly Tyler threw Jack through a door and into the bar where the fight continued. Another interesting feature is the location-based damage modeling for the characters which allows you to, by pressing the A and B or X and Y buttons simultaneously, break a character's arms, back, or even legs, thereby disabling that particular body part for the remainder of the match. On top of all this is Xbox Live support, allowing you to enter your character into your own world-wide Fight Club. With impressive graphics and solid controls, this is definitely a title you should be looking out for when it's released this fall.
Another title on display this year from Vivendi was Men of Valor: Vietnam from 2015 studios, the makers of Medal of Honor Allied Assault. The heavily scripted, action-packed style of FPS gameplay gamers grew to love in the Medal of Honor series has been put into Men of Valor. The game has several levels, although the final number has not yet been announced, and an arsenal of 20 weapons, with 10 unique weapons for the US soldiers and 10 for the Vietcong forces. Men of Valor is taking a decidedly more adult direction than the previous games from 2015. In addition to profanity in the game (hence the M rating), the story will deal with the racism that many African-American soldiers suffered through during the Vietnam conflict, as seen through the eyes of the protagonist, himself African-American. Other features that are sure to have gamers drooling are several types of multiplayer modes on Xbox Live, with up to 16 players on a dedicated server and 8 players on non-dedicated servers, including Capture the Flag and Document Retrieval, where one team attempts to steal documents from a heavily guarded enemy location. With only 4 months until it's expected release, Men of Valor is shaping up to be a worthy successor to the Medal of Honor series.
In addition to the titles mentioned above, Vivendi also showcased a handful of other promising games this year such as Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude and The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, a prequel to the upcoming film. Magna Cum Laude is of course the sequel to the original Leisure Suit Larry games, a series that gained notoriety for the sex-crazed, and often hilarious, antics of it's main character. The new game has you assuming the roll of Larry's good-natured nephew as he attempts to earn a place on a Dating Game-esque game show. With an innovative real-time system for conversations and the series' trademark humor, Magna Cum Laude is one to keep an eye on. Finally, The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay is a prequel to the upcoming film which itself is a prequel to Pitch Black. Playing as Riddick, with the likeness and voice of Vin Diesel, you must make your way through the treacherous Butcher Bay prison in an effort to escape the hellish penal colony. Along your way you will have the opportunity to engage in melee combat, stealth gameplay, and of course have your choice of a huge arsenal of weapons. Add some of the best Xbox graphics this side of Doom III and you have a recipe for a hit.
The big story at Activision's booth this year was Doom 3. Doom 3 is, simply put, the most astonishing looking game I've laid eyes on for the Xbox. The game oozes detail, from the bits of peeling skin on the zombies to the bump maps covering every surface in the game. Fans of the original can rest assured that Doom 3 will induce the same level of fear in gamers as the first Doom (as this writer can attest to after almost jumping out of my seat when I was attacked by an imp hiding in the shadows of the demo level!). While there was no multiplayer demo to be found, Activision has stated that the game will ship with not only 4 player multiplayer over Xbox Live, but also Co-Op play online, a feature exclusive to the Xbox version of the game. Get ready to scare yourself silly when the game is released later this year.
Continuing the increasingly popular movie tie-in trend in games Activision also showed off A Series of Unfortunate Events, which is based on the hit children's books and will allow you to control 3 different characters in a variety of environments while solving puzzles and completing plat forming stages, and Shark Tale, which has you taking the role of a fish who finds himself in hot water after lying about killing a shark and subsequently becoming famous. The game is based on a new film by DreamWorks and will closely follow the story of the movie. In an effort to keep gamers constantly doing something new and fun while playing, the game will feature 6 different game types: Stealth, dance, action, adventure, evasion, and race. In stealth mode you must try to sneak through various underwater environments while avoiding the sharks, while in action mode you will go through similar levels, only this time killing everything that moves. One of the more interesting gameplay types is the dance mode, which allows you to use a Dance Dance Revolution pad to try to keep pace with the steps displayed on screen.
Last, although certainly not least, Activision was showing a video of Call of Duty: Finest Hour which is a spin-off of the popular PC shooter. Not only will the game feature all new levels, weapons, and music; it will also give you the chance to play as not only US, British and Russian soldiers as in the PC version, but also a member of the famous 761st Black Panther tank division as well as 2 other playable characters. With excellent sound effects and graphics that rival it's PC counterpart Call of Duty: Finest Hour will undoubtedly be an edge of your seat action fest when it comes out late this year.
Well, that's all for today, but be sure to check back tomorrow when I will be previewing the games on display at Microsoft's massive booth.
E3 2004: Day 2 Coverage
Originally published on 05/14/2004 at ActiveWin.com
By now you've probably read all about what the 3rd party companies have in store for the Xbox this year, but what everyone really wants to know is what's going on in Microsoft's booth. With a wide variety of first and second party titles on display, Xbox's already-formidable software library looks ready to take on some new heavy hitters. Consider this article your all access pass to everything you want, and need, to know about their lineup this year.
My visit to Microsoft's cavernous began with a walkthrough of Jade Empire with one of the game's developers. Produced by Bioware, the studio responsible for last year's hit RPG Star Wars:Knights of the Old Republic, Jade Empire is a roleplaying game set in ancient China. The game is heavily influenced by the stories and myths of Chinese culture, and this is evidenced everywhere you look in the game from the character designs to the sometimes otherworldy environments you will find yourself in. The demo started off with the developer guiding Furious Ming, one of 7 playable characters, through a courtyard filled with enemies. This allowed me a chance to see the game's unique battle system in action. Eschewing the turn-based combat seen in KoTOR, all of the fighting in Jade Empire takes place in real time. You begin by choosing what your fighting style will be, and you can have 4 fighting styles at a time assigned to the different directions on the D-Pad which allows you to effortlessly switch between the four. In combat you simply hit L or R to choose a target to the left or right of you, locking you on to them. Once you've done this you can unleash a wide variety of attacks by using the face buttons in various combinations, with everything from powerful fireballs to slow-mo kung fu at your disposal.
After quickly dispatching the thugs in the courtyard, Ming was attacked by a sorceror using a fire-based style which inflicted heavy damage. By using focus, which is available to all characters, the developer was able to slow down time around him which allowed him to strike several powerful hits against the sorceror, who exploded in torrent of blood after being sufficiently pummeled. The next area shown was a large cave with a rather ugly monster in the middle. Although the monster was impervious to all attacks, by killing his minions Ming gained the ability to temporarily turn himself into a monster and began attacking the pillars in the cave, eventually bring the roof down on the beast's head. The game is expected to feature over 20 hours of gameplay and has a cast of several hundred NPCs, each with their own distinct voices, and your character will be completely customizable from their fighting styles to their unique abilities. If you're an RPG fan, you'll want to keep your eye on this title.
The next game I had a chance to play was Fable, from famed designer Peter Molyneux. Originally announced 2 years ago under the name Project Ego, Fable is an ambitious game which allows you to live out the entire lifespan of your character, from childhood to old age, while making some tough decisions along the way. Are you going to be a chivalrous knight defending the downtrodden or a master thief, plundering your way through the world; it's all up to you. Nearly every choice you make in the game will not only affect you at that particular moment, but also far down the line. One example that was given to me by one of the developers was that if you were to go into a town and murder a random villager, you might find that villager's children hunting you down years later in the game. Your choices will also affect how people treat you, as I found out by switching my character to 100% evil (a feature only present in the E3 demo, not the final game) and walking into a village. Not only were people in the town visibly afraid of the character, but shopkeepers charged higher prices for items, and guards seemed to dog the character's every step. The game can last anywhere from 12 to dozens of hours, depending on how you play and how many of the hundreds of side quests you decide to take part in. And by giving you the opportunity to customize everything about your character's look including your outfit, hair, and even tattoos, the game allows an almost endless variety of possible looks for your hero (or villain, as the case may be). The game is currently on track for a late 2004 release.
One of the most surprising games at Microsoft's booth this year was Conker: Live and Uncut. The sequel in spirit to the sleeper N64 hit Conker's Bad Fur Day was shown in a brief trailer at last year's E3, many gamers initially responded harshly to the multiplayer focus of the game. After going through lots of tweaking and balancing, in addition to a MASSIVE overhaul of the graphics, Conker's is shaping up to be an action-packed Xbox Live fragfest. The game's class-based multiplayer warfare takes place over a variety of environments which span from World War II-themed levels to some set in the far future. You will also be able to take control of several vehicles, including turrets and flying gunships, although some classes won't be able to use certain vehicles. The action in the game is frenzied, although it still feature's the series' trademark adult humor, as shown by the sometimes obscene comments characters make upon being blown to bits. The game also features a special treat sure to be lauded by fas of the series; the entire game of Conker's Bad Fur Day, updated with new high quality sound effects and running in the beautiful new game engine. For those who missed out on this gem of a game when it was released years ago, you finally have a chance to experience the wonders of exploring a twisted world full of wasps, evil teddy bears, and even a giant singing pile of feces (I'm serious!). Although the game is a long time off from it's expected release it already is shaping up to be a unique and exiciting diversion from your typical shooter game.
And so another day at E3 draws to a close, but there is still much to be seen. Tommorrow I'll be posting a wrap up to the show, as well as showcasing some of my personal favorites from the show floor, so you definitely don't want to miss it. Until then, happy gaming!
E3 2004: Wrap Up
Originally published on 05/20/2004 at ActiveWin.com
Another E3 has now come and gone but that doesn't mean that there isn't more info from the show to make your mouth water. As promised, today I am going to be taking a look at the best titles of the show, as well as my some of my favorites.
One intriguing game being shown for the first time at this year's E3, albeit only as a non-playable video, was Dead Rush, a new action title from Activision. With a story described by one of the developers as being heavily influenced by Escape From New York, and a heavy focus on vehicular combat, Dead Rush looks like a fast-paced thrillfest. The game features on-foot combat, but the real excitement starts when you step into one of the vehicles. As you speed your way across the game's city setting, you will find your car being besieged by monsters on all sides, forcing you to drive defensively in an effort to make it out alive. Look for more details on this game soon.
On the RPG front, fans of last year's smash hit Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic have reason to rejoice as the upcoming Xbox sequel looks to be continuing the epic story from the first, while adding several new features. The game will be set five years after the original and contains a much darker storyline that will have an all new cast of characters, as well as appearances from some fan favorites from the first game. This time around you will start the game as a Jedi, with access to all the powers that come along with the title, and have 3 different classes you can choose to play. You find yourself on the run from the Sith and must constantly be on your feet to avoid their relentless pursuit. As in the first game you will be able to guide your character down either the Dark Side or Light Side path, but this time your actions will affect not only yourself, but they will also sway the leanings of your party (which can consist of up to 10 other characters!). In the first game your allies were largely unchanged by your orientation, but the sequel will allow you to have your own team of do-gooders (or a rogue's gallery of scum and villainy, if that's how you choose to play the game). The role of droids will also be expanded, allowing you to send them on missions and tasks of their own. There will be a multitude of ways to customize your character, from their sex to their skills and abilities. Spanning 7 worlds which mix familiar locations with some brand-new ones, and a projected 40 hours plus of gameplay, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic too seems posed to prove a worthy successor to it's forbearer.
Without a doubt the most exciting-looking game at this year's E3, at least in my humble opinion, was Epic's Unreal Championship 2. The follow-up to 2003's Xbox Live shooter, Unreal Championship is expanding on the original in almost every way imaginable. While the first Unreal Championship was, for the most part, a port of the PC shooter Unreal Tournament 2003, albeit an at times heavily flawed one, Unreal Championship seems ready to break away from it's roots and establish it's own plays in the halls of FPS fame. The first thing you'll notice about the game is that it does away with the series traditional first-person view in much of the game. This is to allow you to more fully make use of the new melee weapons which have been added to the game. A first for the series, the melee weapons will allow you a variety of new moves and strategies (including the ability to launch projectiles back at your adversaries, a favorite trick among the developers of the game), and give you the chance to execute devastating finishing moves against your opponents. Another new feature will be the wire-fu style movements of your characters which will allow you to jump amazingly high in the air and do flips, wall jumps, and other acrobatic feats of agility, all while pumping the other guy full of lead. Like it's PC and Xbox predecessors the game will contain special moves that will become available as you fill your adrenaline meter. The game has over 12 playable characters with more possibly being added during the development cycle, and support for 8 players over Xbox Live. Xbox fans looking for a new online addiction should be counting down the days until this game's release.
While we're talking about Xbox Live, I should mention MechAssault 2, the sequel to the lauded Xbox Live-launch title MechAssault. The game features a stunning new graphics engine and several new mechs, but the most interesting addition is the ability to get out of your mechs for the first time. Nothing can quite describe the sense of size you get from looking up at an Atlas mech as it stomps it's massive foot down on your squishy little self. The ability to leave your mechs is much more than a pointless add-on though, as it allows you to take control of a variety of new vehicles, such as Power Armor and VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) vehicles. The Power Armor will all let you jump jet your way around the map and, if your timing is right, jack your enemies' mechs ala Grand Theft Auto, as well as letting you grab a hold of the sides of buildings to get a better shot at the other mechs. The story for the single player game will pick up where the original's ended, with you once again taking on the forces of the Word of Blake on 5 worlds. Where the game really shines though is the multiplayer. The new vehicles add all sorts of new elements to the multiplayer game, such as being able to help out your teammates by dropping off health of powerups for them with one of the VTOL vehicles. All in all, MechAssault 2 appears to be another healthy dose of massive multiplayer mech action on the Box.
This year's E3 was full of exciting new titles that Xbox addicts such as myself have surely by now added to their must-have lists. Those who in the past said Xbox's software library lacked variety and choice have little to complain about now. Microsoft looks to be ready to stand up against whatever the competition throws at them, laughing all the while as they release one amazing title after another. The coming year for Xbox owners looks primed to be full of pitched firefights in Halo 2 (which will be released Nov. 9), jump-out-your-seat scares in Doom 3, multiplayer stealth action in Splinter Cell 3, and countless other entrancing moments in all the games in between. Well, that's it from the show floor for E3 2004, but keep checking back here at ActiveXbox like always for the links to the latest news and updates on all the hottest Xbox titles. I hope you enjoyed the coverage of this year's show as much as I enjoyed telling you all about it. Now if you'll excuse me, there's some new Halo 2 screenshots I've been meaning to drool over.
