E3 or E Wii?

Logan Booker wraps up the best of E3 in a nice, tight package.

Although Nintendo's new console, the Wii (previously Revolution) did indeed attract much attention at E3 2006 - not only for its suprising small size and odd name but also for its great game line-up - there was plenty going on this year that was completely un-Wii related.

Absorbing everything at this year's expo, set in the husky confines of Los Angeles, California, was a mission of proportions epic. No man - not even that dazzling hunk of a commando Sam Fisher - could enter and perform thorough recon to the satisfaction of their masters. Even with, say, Sam’s superb, almost supernatural abilities, he would miss something, be it the tasty babes (a smaller quantity than last year, but tasty all the same) the live events (Batman’s Adam West made an appearance on Wednesday for the Family Guy game) or just the enormous array of titles.

Seriously though, you couldn’t blame him. E3 is as big as it’s ever been, taking up the entire capacity of LA’s Convention Center.

We’ll be doing massive coverage of the worthwhile stuff in the magazine, but here’s a bit of a teaser on what made our pants vibrate preternaturally this year.

Note: I have misfortune of posting this from a Mac, so no image uploads. I’ll do my best to get something up when PC access becomes available.

Assassin's Creed
Ubisoft

You’re looking at the top game of E3 2006, beside Supreme Commander. The next time you say ‘next-gen’, you’re going to need to say ‘Assassin’s Creed’ in the same sentence. Demoed by producer Jade Raymond, the hottest game developer this side of Corrinne Yu, Assassin’s Creed amazed from the start. Putting the graphics prowess of the Xbox 360 to shame, this currently PS3-only title puts the player in the soft-soled boots of master assassin Altair. Altair calls the Middle Ages home where, if he’s not jumping, leaping or climbing around, he’s executing targets with more style than a Victoria’s Secret model on a catwalk.

Developed by the same guys behind Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, we can basically guarantee Assassin’s Creed will be a must-have title once the PS3 hits.

Supreme Commander
THQ

Best RTS of show. Easily. Forget the graphics – which are amazing – or the oodles of units – that include a giant, massive-laser shooting juggernaut called the ‘Monkeylord’ – or the eye-sizzling nuke launches or even the artillery round tracking camera. Supreme Commander will redefine how real time strategy games are played. Chris Taylor was kind enough to demo a build of the game, showing off the completely customizable UI that can make full use of dual-monitor setups. This game takes all the effort out of controlling and managing units, it is smooth, seamless and the scream ‘awesome’ at the top of its lungs.

Shame we’ll have to wait until Q1 2007, but damn, it will be the most played RTS when it’s finally released. You can count on it.

Alone in the Dark
Atari

Neither Capcom or Konami were showing off the new Resident Evil or Silent Hill respectively – but it’s no biggie – Atari was more than happy to give us a run-through of the new Alone in the Dark. Based in Central Park and once again serving up Edward Carnby as the protagonist, AITD is looking pretty sweet. Developer Eden Games is looking to break as many survival horror conventions as RE4 did, with a focus on immersive gameplay and a lot of ‘post-production’ effects. For example, the start of the game requires the player to control their blinking in order to clear their vision, presenting many opportunities to surprise the player as they open and close their eyes. Fully interactive vehicles (open gloveboxes, hotwiring, switching seats, and loads more), an episodic format inspired by the series Lost and a gripping storyline, Alone in the Dark could be the title to breathe life back into the series.

Army of Two
EA

Co-op play is back – finally! It took a new IP from EA’s relatively young Montreal studio, but Army of Two, even with just a year or so of development under its belt is looking extreme. As mentioned, Army or Two is about co-op two-player gameplay, even if there isn’t another human behind the controls. A complex, interactive AI will work with and argue with you, debating tactics, ethics and your shooting abilities. Some of the moves we saw included Hollywood style ‘back-to-back’ fighting; the combined use of forklift and pallet to lift a player up and attack enemies over obstacles while the other drives; voice-activated commands and a combo-sniper mode that lets you take out two enemies at once. Currently Xbox 360 only, it will hopefully see a release on PS3.

Tabula Rasa - NCSoft

The last game we’ll cover in this short round-up is the massively multiplayer title Tabula Rasa from NCSoft. From the mind of Ultima’s Richard Garriott, Tabula Rasa is a fantasy/sci-fi MMO where the player must take on quests, form parties and destroy opponents with all manner of weaponry. First impressions – it’s much like a third-person version of Planetside… except it’s good. The combat is fluid and plays much like a third-person shooter, so you can strafe and attack and select from multiple weapons. We had access to a flamethrower, which was great against large groups of enemies, and a ‘sonic’ grenade launcher that did moderate damage against a variety of enemy types, but it was the special attack ‘Concussion Wave’ that really showed off the power of the assault-like class we played. Concussion Wave dazes enemies around you and knocks them to the ground, giving you a chance to take them out as they lay prone. Your weapons can be upgraded, and while many can be used by most classes, a few weapons are class-specific. Different classes also get access to other special attacks, which drain energy as they are used.

That’s it from E3! You’ll find much, much more info (including some nice exclusive stuff) on all these games in the next issue of Atomic.