E3 Day 2: I totally met Giant Bomb
By Oni 2 Comments
Day 2 has come and gone, and it was notable mostly because I actually talked to Jeff and Brad a little bit. Which is totally weird, being such a longtime 'follower' of these guys since the days of that website that shall not be named. I mean, it's no exaggeration to say that what these guys are doing is one of the biggest reasons I want to get into games journalism. So that was very cool. Here are some pictures I took.
Alright, games I played/saw today:
The Beatles, Colon: Rock Band
This was my first stop, and where I met Jeff and co. After a gameplay demonstration by the Harmonix house band (not an actual 'house' band), we got some hands-on time with this. Played some drums. I'm not a huge Beatles guy, but the attention to detail is very impressive. They are going to great lengths to ensure everything is accurate and faithful. Probably a real treat for Beatles fans. But other than the presentation, it's totally still Rock Band.Splinter Cell: Conviction, starring Brian Ekberg
A hand-off demo only, but we were talked through the demo by the game's associate producer/director (I forget which). Mostly the same stuff as in the MS press briefing demo, but he went a little more in-depth in the game's mechanics, like the last known position, which is where enemies will start looking when Sam disappears, and the quick executions, Jack Bauer-like instant kill moves that you have to earn by performing stealth kills. I'm loving the presentation on this, the way story elements and objectives are integrated into the background is really nice. It looks like it's going to bring some Hollywood sensibilities of flash to the stealth genre. It's definitely very 24/Bourne style.Forza 3
Not a big driving game guy, but if you are, this looks like the game for you. The attention to detail in this game is insane, and the passion of the developers shines through. It's very customizable in terms of difficulty, making even a total beginner like me look competent with stuff like driving lines and brake assists. It runs at 60 frames per seconds and looks pretty great.Demon's Souls
This little-known PS3-only gem from Atlus is one to watch for sure. It's an action RPG that's got a hardcore edge to it. The action isn't quick and flashy, but more deliberately paced and timing-based. You have to parry, dodge or block enemy attacks and time your attacks carefully. Enemies killed grant souls you use to level up, and if you die, the souls you collected will be dropped where you died. Then you'll enter spirit form, and you're given a chance to reclaim your body and the souls. If you die again, you lose those souls permanently. And you WILL die. A lot. But you learn from it and you get better. There's also a REALLY cool system in place where online players can actually write hints on the ground, like "Watch out for a trap ahead" or "Use fire on the next enemy" or "Attack from behind". Also, you can see online players as white ghosts in your world, and when you see a bloodstain on the ground you can click on it and see how other players died. This game is already out in Asia and is in full English, and PS3 games are region free, so you can import it, but it's coming out later this year. I actually already imported this game but hadn't played it yet, and now I can't wait to get back home and play this. Awesome game.DC Universe Online
This MMO set in the Marvel Universe is pretty action-packed. Combat is entirely real-time, with your skills being on a timer, so it has a pretty actiony feel to it. I didn't play too much of this but it seems interesting enough to warrant a look.Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2
Another hands-off only, unfortunately. It basically looks pretty similar to the last game but better, with more destructable environments, more varied and organic level designs and awesome fusion moves where 2 superheros team up to unleash some destruction. Again, it's a bit like a brawler with RPG elements, like leveling up and increasing your powers' strength and equiping passive bonuses. Also very interested to see how they adapted the Civil War storyline, which is awesome in the comics, in the game.That's it for today. Unfortunately, I cannot get in to see Assassin's Creed 2, as I talked to the Dutch Ubi PR guy and they are just fully booked, so that's out. Tomorrow I'm gonna try and play ODST, which is pretty popular, for some reason, and Left 4 Dead 2 (same deal). I really wanna play God of War 3 as well but the lines are ginormous as there are only about 6-8 demo pods for it.