I’m not going to be able to attend this year’s E3, which is absolutely killing me, especially since the press releases are hitting my inbox fairly fast now. Would I like to have 30 minutes with Bioshock 2? Of course, but instead I’ll just curl up in the corner over here and cry.
Anyway, here’s a selected list of just some of the games that everyone’s bringing to showcase.
Batman: Arkham Asylum– will be playable on The PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, offering show visitors a journey into the depths of Gotham City’s psychiatric asylum for the criminally insane as Batman faces his greatest challenge yet. Visitors will have the chance to experience a selection of the game’s extensive FreeFlow™ Combat and Invisible Predator™ Challenge Maps. Also playable for the first time will be one of the eight maps that will allow fans to play as The Joker, a character that is playable exclusively in the PLAYSTATION®3 Challenge Maps that will be made available as a free download for owners of the game through PlayStation®Network. The game will be available in North America August 25th and throughout Europe August 28th.
Mini Ninjas, from IO Interactive, will take you on a journey to feudal Japan where you’ll join Hiro, Futo, and the rest of the ninja clan on their biggest ninja adventure ever, as they embark on an epic and electrifying quest to restore harmony to a world on the brink of chaos. Rated “E10+” for Everyone 10 and older, Mini Ninjas will be playable on Wii™, Nintendo DS™, Xbox 360®video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system. The game will be co-published in North America by Eidos, Inc. and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and made available in September 2009.
Just Cause 2, from Avalanche Studios, will be showcasing the latest code demo of the hotly tipped action sequel. Set on an Island Paradise, Just Cause 2 is an explosive open-world adventure of insane, adrenaline-fuelled stunts and action. Using the grapple and parachute combo, Just Cause 2 has no vertical limit and takes to the air like no other game. Just Cause 2 will be behind closed doors and strictly by appointment only. Rating pending, Just Cause 2 will be available on the Xbox 360®video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Games for Windows®, and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system.
Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion – for Xbox 360 and PS3. There will be a two-day tournament at the booth.
Dead to Rights: Retribution on Xbox 360 and PS3
Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny for PSP.
Bioshock 2
Mafia II
Borderlands
Bigs 2
TRINITY: Souls of Zill O’ll – For years, Omega Force has transcended the action genre to create one of video gaming’s most legendary franchises. Now they will unleash their imaginations on the realm of fantasy with the upcoming TRINITY: Souls of Zill O’ll.Warriors: Legends of Troy – Three thousand years ago, a poet sang of heroes strong enough to stand alone against an army. For love, they sailed the world. For family, they made the greatest sacrifices. For honor, they stood and faced the will of gods, and fought a war which shook the earth…
Monster Racers – Monster Racers for the Nintendo DS will take you on a quest around the globe in search of monsters to train, nurture, and race. For the first time in the genre, your skill in controlling your monster will be a key factor to winning each challenge. Races are filled with obstacles that will test your skills in controlling speed, jumping ability, and reaction time. By combining real-time racing, platform-style action, and role-playing with the fun of monster collecting, KOEI is bringing to life a colorful and unforgettable world where everyone can be a champion. This product is rated “E” (Everyone) by the ESRB.
WARRIORS OROCHI 2 – The best-selling DYNASTY WARRIORS and SAMURAI WARRIORS crossover comes to the PSP with continuing storylines. WARRIORS OROCHI 2 features three new game modes: Dream, VS and Survival, plus VS mode “Tag Team”-style matches that pit fighters in deadly head-to-head combat! New features for the PSP include 96 playable characters, 2-Player VS and Co-op and new scenarios. This game is rated “T” (Teen – Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence) by the ESRB.
In DJ Hero, faces in the crowd are transformed into the life of the party as the game’s turntable controller – created exclusively for DJ Hero and featuring familiar DJ tools including a fully-rotating turntable, sample buttons, effects dial and cross fader – immerses fans into the authenticity of DJ culture and a sea of music. (Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system, PlayStation 2 computer entertainment systems and Wii system from Nintendo; not yet rated by the ESRB).
Guitar Hero 5 features the strongest, most varied set list to-date comprised of master tracks from 85 of the hottest bands of today and the biggest classic acts including Kings of Leon, The Rolling Stones, The White Stripes, Santana, Vampire Weekend, Tom Petty, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, plus more than 25 artists from a variety of music genres that will be making their music video game debut. (Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system, Wii and PlayStation 2 system; not yet rated by the ESRB).
The greatest Super Hero action/RPG of all time is back with the world’s largest army of heroes and villains in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2. Incorporating elements of the acclaimed Marvel Civil War storyline, the game allows players to choose their side and team up with revered heroes and villains, including Spider-Man, Wolverine, Hulk, Iron Man, Deadpool, Venom, Green Goblin and Captain America. Players can combine characters’ powers and unleash astonishing new attacks. (Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system, Wii, PlayStation 2 system, PSP and Nintendo DS; not yet rated by the ESRB).
On November 10, 2009, Infinity Ward will make its return with the release of Modern Warfare 2, the most-anticipated game of the year and the sequel to the best-selling first-person action game of all time, Call of Duty® 4: Modern WarfareTM, which has sold more than 13 million copies to date. Modern Warfare 2 continues the gripping and heart-racing saga with an unprecedented level of action as players face off against a new threat dedicated to bringing the world to the brink of collapse. (Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system and Games for Windows; not yet rated by the ESRB).
An all-new, third-person open-world/action game, PROTOTYPE lets gamers feel the power of being the ultimate shape-shifting weapon. You are the PROTOTYPE: Alex Mercer – a genetically mutated man without memory, armed with amazing shape-shifting abilities, hunting your way to discover what created you and determined to make those responsible pay. As Alex, gamers tear through a densely populated contemporary New York City with Parkour-style agility, consuming anybody that gets in their way…assuming their physical identity, memories and abilities. (Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system and Games for Windows; the game is rated “M” by the ESRB).
Singularity pits shooter and sci-fi fans against a devastating fracture in time. As players attempt to unravel a conspiracy, they must fight their way through ever-shifting epic sci-fi environments, occupied by Russian soldiers and time-ravaged creatures, while sudden time waves hurl them back and forth between 1950 and the present day. Use time as a weapon as you attempt to unravel the mystery and prevent a catastrophic event that threatens all humanity. (Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system and Games for Windows; not yet rated by the ESRB).
Featuring an innovative skateboard-shaped controller, Tony Hawk: RIDE redefines the sports genre by offering a dynamic hands-free gaming experience. Using full motion sensing technology, players physically control the action by performing various movements and gestures on the board that directly translate into amazing tricks in the game in a variety of settings and half pipes. The new wireless skateboard controller provides an accessible and social gaming experience that allows players to feel what it’s really like to skate. Without complex button combinations or analog sticks, gamers can literally step on the board to play the game. (Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system and Wii; not yet rated by the ESRB).
Based on Hasbro’s legendary TRANSFORMERS property and Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures’ upcoming feature film, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, the video game thrusts players into a battle for supremacy across the globe as either AUTOBOTS or DECEPTICONS to drive, fly, fight and blast their way through intense, pressure-packed levels. Delivering more control than ever before, players can select from an extremely diverse range of playable TRANSFORMERS characters and jump straight into action as they instantly switch between robot, vehicle and weapon modes to fight for the preservation or annihilation of all mankind. Players can also fight the epic war between the AUTOBOTS and DECEPTICONS online in explosive, multiplayer combat. (Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system, Wii, PlayStation 2 system PSP system, Nintendo DS and Games for Windows; the game is rated “T” for the console and PC versions and “E10+” for the handheld versions by the ESRB).
Wolfenstein brings the Nazi’s dark obsession with the occult to life, by intertwining fast-paced, intense story-driven combat with a diverse sci-fi experience. As BJ Blazkowicz, a highly decorated member of the Office of Secret Actions (OSA), you are sent on a special mission into the heart of the Third Reich to investigate evidence that the SS hierarchy may possess a new and mysterious power. Wolfenstein is scheduled to be on store shelves on August 4, 2009. (Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system and Games for Windows; not yet rated by the ESRB; the game is rated “M” by the ESRB).
* Dark Void (PC, PS3, X360)
* Dead Rising 2 (PC, PS3, X360)
* Fate/Unlimited Codes (PSP)
* Lost Planet 2 (PC, X360)
* Marvel vs Capcom 2 (PSN, XBL)
* Monster Hunter Freedom Unite (PSP)
* Resident Evil Archives: Resident Evil (Wii)
* Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles (Wii)
* Spyborgs (Wii)
* Street Fighter IV (PC)
* Untitled Mystery Game #1
* Untitled Mystery Game #2
ARMY OF TWO: THE 40th DAY
The ultimate two-man private military team of Salem and Rios return in ARMY OF TWO: THE 40th DAY, where they must fight to survive a carefully orchestrated series of catastrophes that are dragging the city of Shanghai to the brink of disaster. The game has been built from the ground up with a focus on an incredible cooperative experience. A bigger playbook of features and a new arsenal of co-op moves are available to both players to perform at any time, opening up fresh strategies and choices. The result is a bigger, deeper, more organic and immersive co-op experience that lets players put their best two-man tactics to use whenever and wherever they want.
Specializing in online vehicle warfare since 1942 — In Battlefield: Bad Company 2, DICE brings its best-in-class online vehicle warfare to a spectacular new level. By pushing destruction to new heights and delivering a host of land, sea and air vehicles, players will experience all-out-warfare like never before. Whether its intense battles online or in the single player campaign, players must use every weapon and vehicle at their disposal to survive and conquer. This unprecedented action unfolds on the battlefield to bring a new level of excitement to vehicular warfare never before experienced in a modern warfare action game.
Brütal Legend
From the mind of Tim Schafer and Double Fine Productions comes Brütal Legend, a 3rd person action game starring Jack Black as the ultimate roadie Eddie Riggs. Rich in combat, imagery and storytelling, Brütal Legend delivers lighter-flicking fun sure to melt your face off, and will be playable for the first time in the EA booth.
Dante’s Inferno
From Visceral Games, award-winning creators of last year’s critically-acclaimed Dead Space, comes one of 2010’s most highly anticipated 3rd person action adventure games, Dante’s Inferno. Based on part one of Dante Alighierei’s classic poem “The Divine Comedy,” EA’s Dante’s Inferno takes gamers on an epic adventure through Dante’s nine circles of hell – limbo, lust, gluttony, greed, anger, heresy, violence, fraud and treachery. The game features a highly responsive, addictive combat system, which players will need to take Dante through a gauntlet of unimaginable evils as he fights to recapture the soul of his beloved Beatrice.
Dead Space Extraction
From Visceral Games comes Dead Space Extraction, the thrilling prequel to last fall’s award-winning Dead Space, built from the ground up exclusively for the Wii. In Dead Space Extraction gamers will experience the panic before the terror through the eyes of a handful of space colonists desperately struggling to escape from a horrific infection on the Aegis VII mining colony. The game introduces Lexine, a new heroine in the Dead Space universe, and it quickly becomes clear that protecting her may be the crew’s only hope for survival in one of the most cinematic action-horror game experiences ever made for the Wii.
Dragon Age: Origins
Award-winning RPG developer, BioWare invites players to experience their deepest RPG to date. For thousands of years, the Grey Wardens have been the guardians of the land. Now with an ancient evil on the rise again, it is up to players to unite the shattered lands and slay the corrupted dragon known as the Archdemon. In Dragon Age: Origins, players must make ruthless decisions and be willing to sacrifice their friends and loved ones for the greater good of mankind. At E3 2009, BioWare will be debuting one of the deadliest creatures in the game and will reveal how romance can have a significant impact on the adventure.
Fight Night Round 4
The champ is here! EA SPORTS challenges you to step into the ring with Fight Night Round 4. This highly anticipated iteration of the critically acclaimed franchise has perfected every jab, slip, and punch in the sport of boxing to bring you the most realistic fighting experience to date. With an advanced physics system, stunning graphics, and deep gameplay and feature enhancements, Fight Night Round 4 is putting the science back in the sweet science.
Madden NFL 10
Experience first-hand what it’s like to Fight for Every Yard in Madden NFL 10 for Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3. With the all-new Pro-Tak animation technology, players have more control over the outcome of each play. Whether driving a receiver towards the first down, or battling for a fumble at the bottom of a pile, the play won’t end until the whistle blows. Add to that the most immersive broadcast presentation and online innovation in franchise history, and Madden NFL 10 captures the authenticity and emotion of the NFL like never before. This year, Madden NFL 10 arrives on the Wii with breath-taking visuals that will captivate both seasoned veterans and newcomers to the franchise. Completely redesigned and built from the ground up, Madden NFL 10 introduces a unique art style that will define the look of sports games on the Wii. All-new player models embody characteristics of your favorite athletes, plus new larger-than-life stadiums showcase the unique details found at each of the 32 NFL fields. Madden NFL 10 epitomizes what fun looks like on the Wii, delivering the most social and dynamic experience from the franchise to date. Quick, exciting game modes ensure that anytime is the right time for Madden NFL 10 on the Wii.
Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect 2 is the gripping dark second chapter in the Mass Effect Trilogy, where players must recruit a diverse team of specialists who possess their own distinct and powerful skill sets as they embark on a suicide mission to save mankind. At E3 2009, Commander Shepard’s fate will finally be revealed in the explosive debut of Mass Effect 2.
Need for Speed SHIFT combines a groundbreaking cockpit experience, world-class physics, stunning pixel-perfect car models, and authentic race tracks to create one of the most intense racing experiences ever. Players are thrust into the loud, visceral, intense, athletic experience of racing a car on the edge of control through the combination of perception based G-forces, the hyper reality of the cockpit view and the brutal experience of a first person crash dynamic. A highly sophisticated AI system ensures that AI opponents will react and perform based on the player’s aggression and overall driving skill thus creating race experiences for all skill sets. Need for Speed SHIFT is the first racing game to accurately reflect the true driver’s experience.
Spore Hero
Created exclusively for the Wii, Spore Hero delivers the unmatched creative freedom of Spore in an accessible, story-driven action-adventure. Set in a rich and vibrant 3D world, Spore Hero empowers players to create their own Hero as they embark on an epic quest to fight to save their new home world from destruction as a dark force threatens the planet. Taking full advantage of the Wii controls, Spore Hero engages players in heated battles, humorous missions, curious puzzles and more. Throughout the game, players will collect more than 250 parts with unique abilities and experience the unparalleled customization of the revolutionary Spore Creature Creator enhanced for the Wii. A combative multiplayer mode will be unveiled at the EA booth at this year’s E3 and available for hands-on play.
The Sims 3
Let there be Sims! In The Sims 3 you can create lifelike Sims with a unique personality and take them anywhere in the neighborhood. The powerful Create-a-Sim tool allows you to create Sims that are more realistic that ever. Select from dozens of personality traits such as brave, artistic, kleptomaniac, clumsy, paranoid and romantic. With Create-a-Sim, you can create a limitless number of truly unique Sims. The Sims 3 allows for infinite possibilities to design the interior and exterior of your Sims’ surroundings using the Create-a-style feature. Additionally, you can enjoy the challenge of short-term and long-term goals and then reap the rewards! Based on personality traits, skills and career choices, your Sims have short and long term Wishes that provide constant fun challenges and so many things to do and achieve. You have the ultimate freedom to choose whether to fulfill their destiny, giving them lifetime happiness and rewards or not! Register your copy of The Sims 3 for PC and Mac at www.TheSims3.com to enjoy the robust online and community features unique to your game including an all-new town called Riverview that you can download for no additional charge once you register*. You will also gain access to 1,000 free SimPoints to purchase items from The Sims 3 Store to customize your Sims appearance and houses in all-new ways. Be the director of your Sims’ movies by capturing clips during your gameplay, visiting the official site, and editing the soundtrack, story, and transitions, then share it with the world. See what you can create with The Sims 3.
Battlefield 1943
Battlefield 1943 is a premium arcade title that delivers endless hours of 24-player First-Person Shooter action on popular maps inspired by Battlefield 1942. The game will have players battling over three tropic locations: Wake Island, Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima. These maps have now been updated with the DICE FrostbiteTM engine, providing destructibility to the battlefield and leaving players with almost nowhere to hide. Gamers play as the US Marines or the Imperial Japanese Navy, competing by land, air and sea. They have the freedom to pick their path in battle – be it as a rifleman crawling through the trenches, a steel fisted tank commander, or a dog fighting ace pilot that rules the skies! Battlefield 1943 will be playable at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3 Expo) at the intersection of West Hall & Concourse Walkway.
The Saboteur
Fight, climb, and race your way through a uniquely stylized version of Nazi-occupied France in Pandemic Studios’ upcoming action sandbox game The Saboteur. Meet Sean Devlin, the daredevil hero of The Saboteur – a street-tough Irish racecar driver turned resistance fighter in 1940s Paris, where the women are sexy and the missions are epic.
Of course expect many more announcements and games to be shown. I’ll be uploading as many trailers and such to our Youtube page as I can, and we will cover it pretty damn extensively week. Also, check back later today for my hands-on impressions of Dante’s Inferno as well!