What I’m Most Looking Forward To At This Year’s E3
Over the last few years,
since it was re-launched back to its full glory after a couple of more
restrained years, E3 has become the standout video game showcase for both
consumers and the gaming press. It’s the one true event of the year where you
can guarantee a blowout of info about virtually all the upcoming software and
hardware worth hearing about across the gaming board.
E3 (or Electronic Entertainment
Expo) first started in 1995. Back then Sony was showing off the original
PlayStation for the first time to excited western gamers. This year's E3 should
be as good as ever for PlayStation fans with some great exclusives to drool
over. In this feature I
highlight (in no special order) some of the games and hardware that I will be
most looking forward to hearing more about during the show.
NGP
Sony is one of the only
companies to ever be able to successfully break into the handheld market that
has almost exclusively been dominated by Nintendo ever since the release of the
original Game Boy. In true Sony style they did not try and imitate Nintendo,
but instead came out with a high spec and very slick-looking piece of hardware
in the shape of the PlayStation Portable. Six years later the PSP is still
selling and has built up a huge library of excellent exclusive titles. Although
the PSP’s sequel, currently known as NGP (Next Generation Portable), has been
known about for a while, it should be at this year's E3 where we will most likely be
able to get up close and personal with the new hardware. Sony has not confirmed
what they will be revealing about the NGP at E3, but we should be able to
expect a preliminary launch date and price as well as more details about games
to look out for. With the advent of iPhones and other high powered portable
devices, Sony is really going to have to concentrate on providing a gaming
experience above and beyond what gamers can get elsewhere. That means quality
exclusive titles like Uncharted Portable
and the rumored Call of Duty game.
Here's to hoping E3 will provide us with some juicy details.
Resistance 3
Resistance almost seemed to come out of nowhere to become one of
the best early games for the PS3. And although some fans felt let down by certain
aspects of the second game, it was still a solid FPS with a unique and
intriguing setting. Resistance 3 is
set three years after the events of the second game. It looks to have a strong single-player
campaign, with the option to play through in two-player co-op mode, as well as having
a deep progression-based competitive multiplayer. With new games from the mega franchises of Call of Duty and Battlefield
also on the cards for E3, I will be looking forward to seeing how this PS3 exclusive
can hold its own in one of the most competitive gaming genres.
Uncharted 3
The first Uncharted game was good, but it was the
second game that really set new standards for quality in action-adventure
games, proving once and for all that video games could easily match cinema in
storytelling and production values. Naughty Dog has become one of the most
consistent and respected developers out there, and from what we have seen so
far there is little doubt that Uncharted
3 will be anything less than a great sequel.
Last Guardian
Considering how long we
have known about this game it is surprising how little we still really know
about the way it actually plays. The third game by Team ICO is highly anticipated by
almost anyone who played through ICO and
Shadow of the Colossus. Hopefully E3 will give us a chance to finally
get our hands on a playable version of the game and find out what it is all
really about.
BioShock Infinite
BioShock 2 was a solid game, but somehow the quirky underwater
world of Rapture didn’t seem to have quite the same impact the second time
around. Rather than sticking with the same setting for a third time, the next
game in the series is going for a totally new feel, and it looks like it could
be one of the most original and exciting games due to arrive next year. BioShock Infinite is not a direct sequel or prequel to either of the two
previous games. Instead it takes place in 1912 on a collapsing air-city called Columbia where the player
tries to rescue a trapped woman. It seems quite rare to see a truly original
big budget game these days, especially a FPS. So far we have only seen a
gameplay video, so a playable version should be well worth seeking out at E3.
Driver: San Francisco
I remember first
seeing the original Driver game on
the PSone back in 1999. There was something about its unique and stylish look
that made it stand out as something special. The series got left behind on the
PS2 when Grand Thief Auto 3 well and
truly stole its crown as the king of open world city driving games (as well as
bringing so much more to the table). Diver:
San Francisco
is set a few months after the events of the somewhat disappointing Driv3r and is set to be a return to the
roots of the series. The ability to get out of the car and walk around the
environments has been removed in an attempt to focus the gameplay on the driving. Here’s hoping that the developer Ubisoft Reflections
has learned enough lessons from the series’ past mistakes to make an enjoyable
and balanced game.
There is no doubt
that there is going to be a lot of news and info to look forward to during the E3
show, which kicks off with Sony’s press conference on June 6.
What games are
you most looking forward to hearing more about? Perhaps Modern Warfare 3? Or maybe God
of War IV? Enter your comments below.
