E3 Impressions: The Hits and Misses

Almost everything at E3 2003 was exciting. Just when we thought the game market was beginning to dry up, they hit us with a flood of great new titles. There were, however, a few titles that will need a lot more work before they are released.

*** The Hits of E3 ***

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (PS2)
Gorgeous. Immersive. Unbelievable. There are many words you can use to describe MGS3. This one seems as if it will do away with Kojima’s preachy storytelling and focus on pure, hardcore gameplay. The wilderness/survival/manhunt setting makes it look like a Rambo: First Blood game.

Half-Life 2 (PC)
The first Half-Life knocked our collective socks off when it was released five years ago. Valve has returned to do it again with the sequel. Insanely good graphics, realistic physics, intelligent AI and a compelling storyline are only a few of the many features on this title.

Soul Calibur II (PS2, GC, XB)
Namco’s beautiful, graceful fighter comes to all three platforms, each featuring an exclusive character. Link graces the GameCube version, Heihachi from Tekken is featured in the PS2 version, and Todd McFarlane’s Spawn inhabits the Xbox version. The gameplay is smooth and fluid, and the game looks incredible.

Silent Hill 3 (PS2)
The third Silent Hill title returns to its roots with SH1 style gameplay. This one will undoubtedly result in many nightmares for years to come.

Metroid Zero Mission (GBA)
A new Metroid game is always a good thing. This new GBA title takes place early in the series and puts you back on the familiar location of the planet Zebes.

Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution (PS2)
Yu Suzuki’s masterpiece is even better this time around. The graphics have been upgraded to eliminate jaggies and shimmering, and there are two new characters plus a lot of new moves for existing fighters.

Mario Kart: Double Dash (GC)
Mario Kart was the best GameCube title at E3. It looks smooth and polished, much in the same way Super Smash Bros Melee does. It also supports LAN play for huge multiplayer sessions.

Ninja Gaiden (XB)
Tecmo’s ninja action game looks very hot, indeed. It has great aesthetics and action-packed gameplay with a promising storyline. Hopefully, it will not end up being a Devil May Cry clone.

Gradius V (PS2)
Old-school shooter action is back in Gradius V. Konami’s shooter looks stunning, but watch out: it is just as difficult, if not more difficult than its predecessors.

Sword of Mana (GBA)
Square’s remake of the original Seiken Densetsu game (known as Final Fantasy Adventure for Game Boy in the US) is not just a remake: it seems like a new game with its fully fleshed out new storyline and dialogue.

James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing (PS2, GC, XB)
Finally, there is a game that recaptures the classic James Bond action. In this game you use a plethora of Bond gadgets to “blow lots of stuff up” and escape from pursuers.

Halo (PC, Mac)
We know the Xbox version of Halo is a fantastic shooter, but the computer version looks even better. New weapons, vehicles and missions make it a natural upgrade. The high resolution graphics function is icing on the cake.

Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup
Ever wanted to play the Quidditch game as if it were a professional sport? Here’s your chance! Play as Gryffindor, Slytherin or many different nationalities across all kinds of fantastic arenas as you try to score goals (or capture the snitch, of course).

Deus Ex 2: Invisible War (PC, XB)
The original Deus Ex was an instant classic, featuring an evolving storyline and gameplay that molds itself around the gamer¹s strategy. The sequel looks to be that and more. It has a great lighting and physics system to make the already impressive immersion factor even more compelling.

Thief 3
Garrett the thief returns in a game that resembles the original Thief rather than its sequel. Use shadows to hide and sneak your way around enemies as you loot their homes and dungeons.

Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness (PS2)
After years on hiatus, Lara Croft’s comeback is almost here. This one focuses more on stealthy gameplay against assassins rather than dungeon exploring. The game looks very polished and the graphics are impressive.

Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (PS2, GC, XB)
The Two Towers was an impressive enough game, but the sequel looks even more stunning. EA has managed to cram huge armies onscreen yet keep the framerate at a surprisingly consistent level. Action fans had better keep an eye on this one.

Starcraft: Ghost (PS2, GC, XB)
Developed by Nihilistic, the makers of Vampire: The Masquerade Redemption, Starcraft Ghost is an action-stealth title where you assume the role of a Terran Ghost in the Starcraft world. Smooth graphics and solid action made this title stand out from the flood of copycats at E3.

Jak II
Naughty Dog (makers of Crash Bandicoot) have a new Jak & Daxter title coming. This one looks significantly darker than its predecessor. The graphics and animations are even more amazing, and the platforming action is solid.

Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain
Finally, a new Syphon Filter game is coming. Get ready to take control of Gabe Logan again, this time with action-packed online gameplay.

*** The Misses of E3 ***

Rogue Squadron III (GC)
Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike is a beautiful game, undoubtedly, and the idea of reliving your favorite Star Wars scenes is appealing; but it suffers from the same simplistic, restrictive gameplay that its predecessor did.

Ninja Turtles (PS2, GC, XB)
It is a fun, cel-shaded beat ‘em up: for about five minutes. The tedium settles in shortly after as you realize you are fighting the same swarms of mindless enemies over and over again.

Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes (GC)
The MGS1 remake seemed hardly like a remake at all, at least on par with the Resident Evil remake. Choppy framerate, blurry textures and unresponsive controls hindered MGS: Twin Snakes. Hopefully, Silicon Knights will address these issues before the game ships.

Steel Battalion Online (XB)
The online version of Capcom’s hardcore mech-simulator suffered from mediocre graphics and huge bursts of lag. The game had better shape up before it ships, considering the high price tag due to the large controller.

Final Fantasy XI (PS2, PC)
“Ugly” is the only word to describe the PS2 version FFXI. It suffers from terrible jaggies and blurry visuals. The game does seem to address the tedium of massive-multiplayer online RPGs, however. The PC version looks significantly better.

*** Questionable Titles ***

Eye-Toy (PS2)
Eye-Toy looked interesting, but it has yet to be proven how good the games will be. There are many possibilities for gaming using a video camera and your body as the controller, it is up to Sony to come up with innovations.

Doom III (PC, XB)
Id Software’s baby had a diminished presence at E3, compared to last year’s show. A small video was shown. It looks as stunning as ever, but compared to Half-Life 2, the gameplay may be lacking.

Gran Turismo 4 (PS2)
Sony’s new racer looks solid, but only a minor upgrade from Gran Turismo 3. It features online play and new cars, of course, but the visuals look more or less the same as GT3.

Final Fantasy X-2
For the first time, there has been a direct sequel to a specific Final Fantasy title. It features a non-linear storyline and Job system of upgrading, but it seems as if it¹s more of a fan-service dress up game at times.

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (GBA)
The Playstation version of Final Fantasy Tactics is one of my all-time favorite games, but the GBA version played entirely too much like Tactics Ogre. The referee system also seems very annoying because it limits your style of playing. The game is well-polished, however; it will still be a good title.