Over the past four days, I was able to talk to video game publishers, as well as get some hands-on experience with some of the big titles coming to 360 and the PC, and I also got a chance to view some previews that made me drool. Below you’ll find my impressions of both next-gen and PC titles (okay, once PC title), as well as a couple exclusive photos that I took of game-play. Just a warning: this is a lengthy article that covers a lot of different titles.
PC
My jaw dropped when Vivendi Universal presented F.E.A.R.’s game-play demo. All I can say is “wow”. The lighting looks fantastic, the AI looks tight, and the effects (smoke, blood spatter, sparks, etc.) all look insanely cool. The shooter elements were fantastic, and there were some genuinely creepy moments as well. Did I mention the AI was good? There was a point in the demonstration when the player threw a grenade through a window, which the enemy quickly kicked away when it landed at his feet. Then, in an effort to flank the enemy, the player went around a corner and entered the room just in time to see the enemy going out the window after him. The player turned around to face the attacker, and the enemy went back through the window to get cover. Absolutely amazing.
That said, the demo was running on an AlienWare machine (3.3 Ghz, with an nVidia 7800 graphics card) that was almost the size of the table. Don’t be afraid of the system requirements. The rep said that if your machine can play HalfLife 2, you can play F.E.A.R. And you should. It looks awesome. This is the must-have game for PC FPS fans. VU was asked if the title coming to any of the current or next-gen consoles, and they gave the obligatory “No comment.” Definitely the best title I saw during the entire show. If you haven’t already, download the demo and see this game in action for yourself.
Xbox 360
I witnessed actual game play of the elusive Rare title, Perfect Dark Zero. The first demo I saw actually was a System Link co-op game of the campaign mode. Some were surprised by the artistic style of the game, as they expected photorealistic graphics. It does not photorealistic. That’s not to say that it looks bad. It looks good, though the AI was looking a little weak. Weapons have two functions, the primary fire, and the secondary fire. You can also use cover by backing up against a wall (just like the sneaky Sam Fisher), then take aim around the corner to attack your enemies. You can also perform an evasive roll maneuver, giving you an option to avoid enemy fire while finding cover. Co-op will be available over XBL and split-screen as well as the already mentioned System Link.
The second demo of PDZ that I saw included both the single-player mode (without co-op) as well as the multi-player mode (against bots). The Microsoft rep playing the demo addressed the AI issue from the original demo, as he had heard feedback about how folks were let down. It turns out he had turned the AI down as to make the demo last longer. Any doubts about the AI were put to rest after the second demo. The multi-player does support the Halo 2-style pre-game lobby, though it wasn’t shown. You could tell by the messages at the bottom of the screen that this still isn’t a final build, but it is looking good. MS also didn’t mention the possible release delay as reported by ign.com.
Rare’s other title was also demonstrated, Kameo: Elements of Power. If you’ve seen the E3 footage, just know that it looks even better in person. The detail of the environments is incredible, and the game looks fun. The main character can morph into 10 different characters and both the puzzles and the combat rely on your ability to decide which shape to take at any given moment. There was a playable version available, and I gave it a go. I’m very excited about this title, and enjoyed every second of the game-play. There were a few camera issues, but Rare still has time to polish this title up before it ships.
Call of Duty 2, from Activision, was probably the most popular 360 demo. I waited in line to get my turn at playing in this World War II shooter, and every second of wait was worth it. The game offers intense action from the second that you enter the game, and it’s the first war shooter that I have played that really makes you feel like part of the action. The level I played was filled with enemies and allies that fought well with aggressive AI. Your allies needn’t be babysat, and they’ve got your back. If they see you making a charge, they’ll rush with you.
In a tight quarters situation, I threw a grenade into a small hallway where I knew at least one enemy was hiding. Instead of just standing there and taking it, or running away completely, the enemy jumped on the grenade and covered it, sacrificing himself, protecting the other enemy in the hallway. In other areas, the enemy would use cover and maneuver as a team. When shot, they would react to where they got shot, with helmets falling off, some trying to get back up after being shot or shooting from their wounded position.
Multi-player details have not been announced, but I was sad to discover that the game will not offer online co-op. Standard multi-player modes should be included (death match, capture the flag, etc.), but it was speculated by the Activision rep that the MP would be limited to around 16 players. This could change before the game releases though, so keep your eye out for more news on this title.
Saint’s Row (a GTA with much better graphics) was fun, and the destruction possible is fantastic. Watching a car blow up in HD is good fun. The cars took damage, grenades rolled down hills, and the environment looks huge. The most disappointing part of this title was that it’s presented in a bright color scheme, which seems to contradict the aspired feel of the game. Instead of gang-banger, you feel like you’re almost watching a Saturday morning cartoon. Firing a rocket launcher at a police car was good fun, so I’m not completely discounting this one. I do hope it gets some tweaks before it is released.
Speaking of cars blowing up, Full Auto was also playable. The popular mode on this will be the multi-player racing. Gunning down your buddies and destroying the destructible environments will be addictive. The damage that the cars take looks impressive, and the game has a Burnout sense of speed. The aiming is part of the driving, so it doesn’t distract from the game-play. The “Unwreck” feature is very cool, allowing you to rewind time to take another shot at a corner that you completely missed. The Unwreck time and turbo recharge as you cause more destruction, so the feature isn’t always available. Destruction + fast paced driving = fun.
Condemned was another title that was playable. It looks fantastic in terms of detail, but the AI was a little questionable. You’d see a guy run and hide (if standing around the corner with his arm, leg and part of his head showing is considered hiding), then he’d jump out at you and attack. Once he attacked, he’d wait before taking his second swing. Kinda weak. The environments and models looked fantastic, so I’m again hoping that this title also gets a once over before it releases.
Last note about the 360, then I’ll move on: I got a chance to talk to a MS rep about the XBL Marketplace. It looks like you can buy points (the Marketplace currency) at retailers, by purchasing cards. The rep said that the point system would be something like $20 = 1600 points. However, you can’t go back and cash out your points, turning it into cash. You will be able to buy content and sell user created content, but it will only be done through the Marketplace point system currency. Anyone planning on making your living by creating content of XBL better keep their day job…
I also got a chance to learn about some Nintendo and Sony products that are coming up, as well as some current-gen Xbox titles. I’ll cover those in another article here in the near future. If you have questions regarding any of the games above, just post a comment and I’ll try to answer it. The next article should be out this week, and it covers The Warriors, SOCOM 3, and some news about upcoming Nintendo DS titles. More photos will follow as well!
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My jaw dropped when Vivendi Universal presented F.E.A.R.’s game-play demo. All I can say is “wow”. The lighting looks fantastic, the AI looks tight, and the effects (smoke, blood spatter, sparks, etc.) all look insanely cool. The shooter elements were fantastic, and there were some genuinely creepy moments as well. Did I mention the AI was good? There was a point in the demonstration when the player threw a grenade through a window, which the enemy quickly kicked away when it landed at his feet. Then, in an effort to flank the enemy, the player went around a corner and entered the room just in time to see the enemy going out the window after him. The player turned around to face the attacker, and the enemy went back through the window to get cover. Absolutely amazing.
That said, the demo was running on an AlienWare machine (3.3 Ghz, with an nVidia 7800 graphics card) that was almost the size of the table. Don’t be afraid of the system requirements. The rep said that if your machine can play HalfLife 2, you can play F.E.A.R. And you should. It looks awesome. This is the must-have game for PC FPS fans. VU was asked if the title coming to any of the current or next-gen consoles, and they gave the obligatory “No comment.” Definitely the best title I saw during the entire show. If you haven’t already, download the demo and see this game in action for yourself.
Xbox 360
The second demo of PDZ that I saw included both the single-player mode (without co-op) as well as the multi-player mode (against bots). The Microsoft rep playing the demo addressed the AI issue from the original demo, as he had heard feedback about how folks were let down. It turns out he had turned the AI down as to make the demo last longer. Any doubts about the AI were put to rest after the second demo. The multi-player does support the Halo 2-style pre-game lobby, though it wasn’t shown. You could tell by the messages at the bottom of the screen that this still isn’t a final build, but it is looking good. MS also didn’t mention the possible release delay as reported by ign.com.
Rare’s other title was also demonstrated, Kameo: Elements of Power. If you’ve seen the E3 footage, just know that it looks even better in person. The detail of the environments is incredible, and the game looks fun. The main character can morph into 10 different characters and both the puzzles and the combat rely on your ability to decide which shape to take at any given moment. There was a playable version available, and I gave it a go. I’m very excited about this title, and enjoyed every second of the game-play. There were a few camera issues, but Rare still has time to polish this title up before it ships.
Call of Duty 2, from Activision, was probably the most popular 360 demo. I waited in line to get my turn at playing in this World War II shooter, and every second of wait was worth it. The game offers intense action from the second that you enter the game, and it’s the first war shooter that I have played that really makes you feel like part of the action. The level I played was filled with enemies and allies that fought well with aggressive AI. Your allies needn’t be babysat, and they’ve got your back. If they see you making a charge, they’ll rush with you.
In a tight quarters situation, I threw a grenade into a small hallway where I knew at least one enemy was hiding. Instead of just standing there and taking it, or running away completely, the enemy jumped on the grenade and covered it, sacrificing himself, protecting the other enemy in the hallway. In other areas, the enemy would use cover and maneuver as a team. When shot, they would react to where they got shot, with helmets falling off, some trying to get back up after being shot or shooting from their wounded position.
Multi-player details have not been announced, but I was sad to discover that the game will not offer online co-op. Standard multi-player modes should be included (death match, capture the flag, etc.), but it was speculated by the Activision rep that the MP would be limited to around 16 players. This could change before the game releases though, so keep your eye out for more news on this title.
Saint’s Row (a GTA with much better graphics) was fun, and the destruction possible is fantastic. Watching a car blow up in HD is good fun. The cars took damage, grenades rolled down hills, and the environment looks huge. The most disappointing part of this title was that it’s presented in a bright color scheme, which seems to contradict the aspired feel of the game. Instead of gang-banger, you feel like you’re almost watching a Saturday morning cartoon. Firing a rocket launcher at a police car was good fun, so I’m not completely discounting this one. I do hope it gets some tweaks before it is released.
Speaking of cars blowing up, Full Auto was also playable. The popular mode on this will be the multi-player racing. Gunning down your buddies and destroying the destructible environments will be addictive. The damage that the cars take looks impressive, and the game has a Burnout sense of speed. The aiming is part of the driving, so it doesn’t distract from the game-play. The “Unwreck” feature is very cool, allowing you to rewind time to take another shot at a corner that you completely missed. The Unwreck time and turbo recharge as you cause more destruction, so the feature isn’t always available. Destruction + fast paced driving = fun.
Condemned was another title that was playable. It looks fantastic in terms of detail, but the AI was a little questionable. You’d see a guy run and hide (if standing around the corner with his arm, leg and part of his head showing is considered hiding), then he’d jump out at you and attack. Once he attacked, he’d wait before taking his second swing. Kinda weak. The environments and models looked fantastic, so I’m again hoping that this title also gets a once over before it releases.
Last note about the 360, then I’ll move on: I got a chance to talk to a MS rep about the XBL Marketplace. It looks like you can buy points (the Marketplace currency) at retailers, by purchasing cards. The rep said that the point system would be something like $20 = 1600 points. However, you can’t go back and cash out your points, turning it into cash. You will be able to buy content and sell user created content, but it will only be done through the Marketplace point system currency. Anyone planning on making your living by creating content of XBL better keep their day job…
I also got a chance to learn about some Nintendo and Sony products that are coming up, as well as some current-gen Xbox titles. I’ll cover those in another article here in the near future. If you have questions regarding any of the games above, just post a comment and I’ll try to answer it. The next article should be out this week, and it covers The Warriors, SOCOM 3, and some news about upcoming Nintendo DS titles. More photos will follow as well!
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