Get Your Game Face On
This year's Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles had its fair share of surprises. First, Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, aka the remaining Beatles, took center stage during Microsoft's Xbox 360 press conference to highlight the upcoming The Beatles: Rock Band, where you can get into the musical fakery with the music of the Fab Four and shake your mop top like its 1969.
Later in the same day director James Cameron rambled on during the Ubisoft press conference about the upcoming game version of his holiday epic Avatar. But the big surprise was that despite the recession, despite the economic slowdown video game development remains in full swing. This year's show, which also hit its stride again after two scaled down “business conference” style events wasn't too big, it wasn't too small… it was just right, but as usual the games were larger than life!
This year had several hits, and while you can't get your hands on the controllers just yet, here are some upcoming games that are sure to be worthy of that Big Picture, Big Sound experience. Game on!
Homefront (THQ, Xbox 360/PlayStation 3/PC)
The story might sound familiar, the United States has been invaded and now as a member of the resistance you have to fight to liberate the land you love. This first-person shooter was written by John Milius (screenwriter of the similarly themed movie Red Dawn), and offers a storyline that promises to flow more like a movie, with plenty of plot twists, close ties with key supporting characters and more than enough cinematic action to keep hardcore shooter fans satisfied. Set in a very disturbing near future where everything about America, from the suburban streets to shopping malls, has become a battlefield between the last patriots and the enemies from North Korea. Yes, North Korea! Talk about a dark future. Let's hope this one isn't a real glimpse into the future. Look for your chance to liberate America next year.
Heavy Rain (Sony Computer Entertainment America, PlayStation 3)
This fall the search for a serial killer will begin on the PlayStation 3 in this unique action-adventure thriller that adds a new twist to the genre. Instead of playing as a single character through the game, you'll take charge of four distinct characters as they search for the Origami Killer, a murderer who leaves an origami bird at each of his crime scenes. The plot intertwines as each of this characters tracks the killer, seeking cluesthrough more than 60 chapters. Combined together the mystery will be revealed, and the game offers the chance to play through it again, because each character can change the flow of the game. This sounds rather ambitious but if Sony can pull it off this might be the most compelling game this holiday season.
Dante's Inferno (Electronic Arts, Xbox 360/PlayStation 3/PSP)
Life is "a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury." Shakespeare's MacBeth delivered that line, but it can also be used to describe Dante Alighierei's classic poem "The Divine Comedy," known for the hero's passage through the nine circles of hell. It's also known more familiarly as "Dante's Inferno." This third-person action game sends you to hell, where, as Dante, you travel to and through those circles, including limbo, lust, gluttony, greed, anger, heresy, violence, fraud and treachery, taking on the minions and masters of the underworld. And of course this isn't a mere journey for the sake of going to hell -- or Los Angeles as in the case for E3 -- but you're there to battle demons and ultimately to recapture the soul of Dante's lost love Beatrice. The game's visuals are a special treat thanks to the vision of visual designer Wayne Barlowe (Hellboy). Scheduled for early next year, this is one game that will have you not just happy to go to hell, but actually looking forward to the trip!
Star Wars: The Old Republic (LucasArts/Electronic Arts, PC)
Bioware, Electronic Arts division responsible for some of the best roleplaying games including the fantastic Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic series, is set to up the bar for all things in the galaxy far, far away with Star Wars: The Old Republic. The producers of the game said rather than making the next Knights of the Old Republic tale, they'd concentrate instead on this online massively multiplayer game that features stylized realism, rather than the more traditional “photo realism” that many games now sport. Set 3,000 years before the events of the films, this game lets players takepart in an earlier galactic war between the Sith Empire and the Republic, where multiple classes include bounty hunters, Jedi, Sith and smugglers. The look is consistent with the original movies-- which is strange considering that this is set long, long, LONG ago-- and should satisfy fans, as well as newcomers. This one has the makings to outcraft World of Warcraft when it comes out next year. Hopefully we won't have to wait a long, long time!
Brütal Legend (Electronic Arts, Xbox 360/PlayStation 3)
Heavy metal thunder and more! That's what this third-person action adventure game promises to deliver when it rocks out this fall. The story is in keeping with something straight out of Heavy Metal magazine: rock and roll roadie Eddie Riggs (voiced by Jack Black) is transported to a fantasy world inspired by the artwork of hard rock album covers and music. This ne'er do well must become the world's savior, fighting for the down-trodden population while battling various heavy metalesque monsters and villains. With a cast that includes Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead, Rob Halford, Ozzy Osbourne and Lita Ford,and plenty of head-banging music, you know this will be a rocking good time. We're not worthy.
A few images from E3 2009:
