E3 2010 Most Anticipated Games
Mattalorian: E3 2010 Most Anticipated Games
List items
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Dead Space 2 is looking faster, deeper, and more intense. The slower pace of the first game definitely added to the horrific atmosphere, introducing a layer of vulnerability that is largely foreign to most horror action games. The new direction is certainly compelling, but I just hope it pans out in the end and doesn't compromise what Dead Space is all about.
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Regardless if you're cutting dudes or watermelons, the innovative slicing mechanics in Metal Gear Solid: Rising makes it look like a thrilling new take on the series. Raiden plus Fruit = sign me up!
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Spec Ops: The Line looks absolutely brutal. Start to finish, your journey through post-sandstorm-disaster Dubai is punctuated by absolutely horrific displays of injustice and sadistic suffering. Making moral decisions is more fluid, as well - instead of the "Press A to absolve, press B to damn to hell" style of decision making in most games, you simply perform the action necessary within the context of gameplay.
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Castlevania: Symphony of the Night was probably my favorite game ever. The Gothic art direction was beautiful, the 2D sidescrolling gameplay was doubtlessly unmatched, even compared to modern titles, and the RPG mechanics integrated with the core gameplay in a wildly compelling way that added hours upon hours of extra value. The game still holds up, without question - so it's almost surprising that it's taken them this long to create a new Castlevania game done in that style. Castlevania: Harmony of Despair is a modern reboot of Symphony of the Night, using other characters found throughout the series, and a variety of other modern innovations. If they were just selling Symphony of the Night with the ability to play as Soma Cruz and Simon Belmont, I would be sold right there. It's that much more breathtakingly awesome that they've decided to create an entirely new game that hits all the same chords as the original Symphony of the Night, while introducing a variety of modern mechanics that adds a layer of polish needed to make it a passable title in its own right.
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I'm cautious about Skyward Sword. On one hand, I think the new art style is quite clever, and I'm *always* up for more 3D Zelda action, but I don't think they can get away with making "just another Zelda game." If they don't add enough innovations to the core hookshot-launching, dungeon-conquering gameplay, then I probably won't even pick the game up. Sorry, Nintendo - Zelda is getting OLD.
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I have a confession to make - I never played through the first Trine. I loved the Steam demo to death, but I just never got around to picking it up.
It was the the beautiful soundtrack, gorgeous graphics, and pleasant storybook narrative style that made the game truly remarkable. Aesthetics combined with the clever level design and puzzling environments made it a downright unforgettable experience. Trine 2 will deliver on all those things, plus the addition of online multiplayer is a godsend.
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I love stealth-oriented tactical gameplay, and it looks like Future Soldier is bringing all the things you love about Tom Clancy titles to the next level. Stellar graphics, compelling weapon variety, brilliant situations that encourage out-of-the-box thinking, and a high-tech arsenal that sets the game miles apart from most other third-person-shooters.
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Oh, Portal. In a world of cookie-cutter first-person-shooters, and dull uninspired humor, its dramatic entrance changed the industry forever. Even after playing through the game for the 170th time, I still laugh at the downright brilliant humor, and experience the thrill of a successful execution of launching yourself through a good dozen portals trying to reach the exit. Portal 2 is taking the brilliant humor and gameplay, and turning the visual experience 180 degrees. In contrast to the super-clean, white science facility seen in the first game, the Enrichment Center is now completely overgrown with vegetation. GLaDOS is, of course, Still Alive, and a bit of overgrowth isn't going to stop her from making the most of the situation by creating a new Enrichment Center, utilizing the overgrowth and aged environment in the most clever ways possible. Along the way, you'll meet a whole variety of colorful characters - even if they're all small spheres.
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I like Treyarch - I hate Activision. For that reason, I'm not going to be picking up Call of Duty: Black Ops. Instead of complaining about Activision's Nazi-esque corporate policies, I'm simply going to make a statement with my dollar. Black Ops looks cool - the new unrestrained, crazy direction looks phenomenally different from previous titles - but I'm not going to buy it.
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2D violence will never get old. Shank is a brutal 2D brawler using a super-tight combo system, and a thoroughly awesome visual style. Plus, each type of character has their own "name", Final Fight style. They won me over right there.
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Brink was only shown *very* briefly at the show, and I'm not certain if they were letting people get their hands on it on the show floor. It's a first-person-shooter utilizing an innovative mission-based objective system, Team Fortress 2 style teamwork-oriented gameplay, and a parkour system reminiscent of Mirror's Edge. Add character customization and long-term progression features into the mix, and you've got an instant winner.
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Yes, I know they didn't really show the game at E3. Just a fancy trailer. But that was okay, because the trailer was REALLY fancy. I would argue the best thing to come from Star Wars since The Empire Strikes Back. But enough about the trailer - The Old Republic is a Bioware-developed Star Wars MMORPG. If that isn't compelling on some level, then you probably don't play video games. I didn't much care for the KOTOR games, but it looks like The Old Republic's gameplay is a distant enough departure from those games to grab my interest.
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Why this game is going to be one of the greatest in 2011, bullet-point style:
 
• Aesthetic style reminiscent of those old Monty Python animated shorts
 
• Developed by ACE Team, the brilliant/twisted folks who brought you Zeno Clash
 
• Tower defense gameplay, using mind-numbingly silly structures and units
 
• YOU SMASH THINGS WITH A GIANT BOULDER.
 
• WITH A FACE.
 
If I didn't sell you on the game right there, I would recommend seeking some awesomeopathic help.
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To be honest? I still only have a vague idea about what the gameplay entails. But the direction of the story, moral decisions, character-driven narrative, and really compelling graphics definitely grabbed my attention, and now I find myself looking forward to finding out more about this remarkable game.
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Journey... Is, uh... You know Flower? That artsy PS3 title? Imagine that, but in a desert, as a red-robed adventurer, with a subtle online mechanic where you occasionally run into other adventurers, and, well, a sing button. You know what? Never mind. It's brilliant - unfortunately, you'll just have to take my word on it.
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LittleBigPlanet was a great title that suffered from bad explanations of copyright restrictions, and poor content management. But the core of the game shone through, and that was the emphasis on user-created content, and giving the user the ability to express his or her creativity with innovative tools and a sky's-the-limit design philosophy. While the first game was restricted to 2D sidescrollers, LittleBigPlanet 2 will expand on everything you loved about the first game with the new ability to create ANY type of game - strategy, racing, RPG, even third-person-shooter. Considering the downright brilliant creativity that was expressed through the first one, I'm very excited to see what those talented individuals will do given the 100% creative freedom that LittleBigPlanet 2 offers.
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Complete and utter chaos. That's what defines Bulletstorm. It's silly, it's violent, and it's fresh - those are all things I love in first-person-shooters. Where else can you kick a guy into a door, sending it flying into another guy, knocking him into a wall of electrified spikes, giving you a bunch of crazy experience points with hysterically surreal names? Nowhere, that's the only answer. Until now - Bulletstorm will give you the freedom to express your love for off-the-rails, surreal destruction. And magical energy spells.
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Crysis was largely overlooked due to it's emphasis on pure graphical power. It managed to be one of the most well-known games of the generation thanks to its photorealistic graphical engine. Sure, the AI wasn't great, and some of the gunplay mechanics were a little weak, but the open-world design made it a pretty remarkable experience, even outside of the visuals. Crysis 2 is promising the same visual experience, but with greatly refined gameplay, and a brilliant story that sets itself apart from the typical cookie-cutter narratives you find in most modern titles. From what I've seen, all of the above is true.
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I'm familiar with the old X-Com games, but they just never really pulled me in. Probably my distaste towards turn-based strategy. In any case, I was actually very pleased to hear that finally, X-Com is back... But as a first-person-shooter. That would normally spell out doom when speaking of rebooting old franchises, but the guys at 2K Games haven't forgotten what makes an X-Com game an X-Com game. At its core, X-Com has always been about building an anti-alien organization, managing the economics of said organization, and researching new technologies that give you an edge against the interstellar invaders. XCOM promises all those things, but throwing out the element of top-down strategy. With the current gaming market in mind, that's an appealing direction for everybody but the most hardcore X-Com fans.
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I've never purchased a Rock Band or Guitar Hero game before, due to my strong distaste towards modern rock music and culture. Rock Band 2 nearly pulled me in with the invention of the Rock Band Network, but it didn't quite win me over. Now, with the addition of Midi Keyboard/Guitar support in Rock Band 3, and the ultra-realistic Pro Mode, they finally won me over. Rock Band has always been terrific fun - but my extreme distaste towards metal culture always left a bad taste in my mouth. I think I can ignore that, in light of all the new enhancements coming to Rock Band 3.
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