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Warhawk was the only PS3 game at E3 with motion control support, but crikey did it use the technology well. Contrary to our first viewing of the over-exaggerated movements during Sony’s Pre-E3 conference, once we actually had controller in our hands we were pleasantly surprised. The sensitivity of the device allowed for very precise manoeuvres – flying the plane through tight canyons or just barely above the ground. Visually Warhawk was also one of the most impressive playable titles on the PS3 show floor (although that’s not saying much). It’s clear that there’s still plenty of work that needs to be done, but we walked away impressed enough to award it PS3 game of the show.
Runner Up: Eye of Judgement
The lack of innovation in the PS3 line-up meant that Eye of Judgement felt like a spray of deodorant in a room full of sweaty journalists. The title is an interactive card game designed to use a next generation EyeToy to capture images of battle cards being placed on a table, and then superimpose fighting characters on top of them when viewed on your TV screen. It’s possible to interact with the characters by poking them. While we wonder about the cost of all the equipment required to use the title (an EyeToy, special stand and set of playing cards - not to mention a PS3), Eye of Judgement has the capability to drive a new series of innovative peripheral-based games similar to what we saw EyeToy: Play do for the PS2. For that alone it deserves a spot on this list.
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If we were to decide the winner of the Wii line up based on how badly we wanted to have another round of the game, Excite Truck wins hands down. The visceral thrill of rocketing through the course and launching off of massive jumps was so exhilarating - adrenaline was pumping through our body long after we put the Wii-mote down. The control scheme was so well tuned to the action on screen that we could see this as being one of the most accessible and downright entertaining racing games ever to hit the console scene.
Runner Up: Wii Sports
We can say without a doubt that the most fun we with a game at E3 was when we were swinging a golf club, a baseball bat and a tennis racquet, all with the help of the Wii-mote. It was almost scary at how realistic it felt when trying to lob the ball to the back of the court, or make a home run swing off a fast ball. The graphics may have looked like the dog’s breakfast, but you can’t fault the games for providing an incredibly enjoyable and unique, yet strangely familiar, experience.
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At first glance Gears of War seems to be rather generic. It’s a first person shooter, battling hulking marines against monsters with too many teeth (as Matt would say). The screen shots and movies do look good, but it’s only when you get the controller in your hands that you can appreciate the brilliant execution of the game. What makes it stand out is perfect balance that’s built into the cover-based gameplay. Using cover is both intuitive and necessary. When this is combined with fantastically realistic animations and environmental detail you get a game that is unbelievably fun to play.
Runner Up: Mass Effect
Developed by Bioware (from Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic fame), Mass Effect was in some ways a sleeper hit at E3. With very little mention of it during the Microsoft press conference, the quality of the game seen at E3 came as quite a shock. Not only is it looking beautiful, the game has some interesting features that we’ll be excited to see come to fruition. Character interaction plays a key part in the game. With the level of detail in facial animations it is possible to “read” the emotions of people as you converse with them. The attention to detail we’ve seen demonstrated so far seems like it would be an impossible task to pull off for the entire action RPG epic we’ve been promised. Will it work? All we can say so far is that Mass Effect shows amazing promise.
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If you’re a real time strategy PC gamer, then this will be a great year. We saw a number of brilliant RTS titles on the show floor, but it was Company of Heroes that really ‘wow’ed us. Not only will it be pushing your graphics hardware to new levels, but the game engine allows for a highly realistic war-time experience. The in-game AI is exceptionally clever. Soldiers will follow your general instructions while implementing their own decisions (such as where to take cover) that dynamically changes as a battle is fought. Combine this with completely destructible environments driven entirely by the game’s physics engine and you have intense, realistic battles that will be evolve uniquely every time you play a mission.
Runner Up: Spore
Describing the epic design of Spore in 5 or 6 sentences seems an impossible task. The game follows your characters as you develop them from an embryo up to a space travelling species. At each stage of the process you are given complete control over the design of your characters, the buildings they construct and even the planets they colonise. Add to this content downloaded via the internet built by other players and you have a universe of game worlds to explore. As a game that seems to encompass everything we know, it’s impossible not to be impressed. Will the game actually be fun and engrossing to play? That’s an answer we’ll only know when sit down with the final product.
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Featuring more than fifty levels of near-perfection, it was the sheer variety in the design that made the original Yoshi’s Island so special. An irresistible game from start to finish, who could not be excited to hear the game is making a return on the DS?. Continuing with a graphical style and control mechanics similar to the original, Yoshi's Island 2 incorporates the dual screens to show out of reach areas that are integral to the game’s puzzle solving. This time around you’ll also be able to switch between baby Peach, Donkey Kong or Mario on Yoshi’s back each with their own skills. We’re excited.
Runner Up: Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
Phantom Hourglass is set several months after then events of Wind Waker and features a similar cell-shaded art style. Zelda games have proven that they translate well to the handheld format in the past and Phantom Hourglass is no exception. Control is completely via the stylus with it being used to point to where you want to go and tapping on enemies to attack. Even at this stage the graphics are impressive and compare admirably well against its GameCube prequel.
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Think Vib-Ribbon by a western developer (Kuju) on PSP. For those who missed out on the Vib-Ribbon craze, the game featured a line-drawn rabbit travelling across 1D line-drawn levels that were dynamically generated from music on your CDs. Traxion follows in the same vein, except reads mp3s directly from your memory stick and has a series of 24 different games styles each with content generated in real time from your songs. Relaxing, cool and perfect for your typical train or bus ride when you want to just chill out and enjoy some music. Traxion seems like the perfect game for the PSP. We walked away from E3 itching to get our hands on the final version, which we’re told should be out before the end of the year.
Runner Up: Loco Roco
Despite being criticised by some for a having poor showing, the PSP was rich in innovative titles at this year’s E3. Choosing just two for this list was exceedingly difficult. In the end it came down to Loco Roco and Every Extend Extra battling for runner up. Both feature deep gameplay derived from simple control mechanics. We choose Loco Roco to take the prize based on it’s quirky and cute art styling. Using only the L, R and circle buttons you must navigate a number of blobs through atmospheric 2-D platformer style levels. Crazy and complex – we can’t wait for its release.
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Mobile games are widely criticised in games journalism. The problem? Most of the games produced for mobile phones are simply not fun to play. Hampered by poor controls and just plan crappy gameplay, it’s often impossible to play for more than a couple of minuets before wishing for a DS or PSP. Wontom Poker is fortunately different. The game features multiplayer poker using texas hold’em rules. We were almost surprised to walk away from the demonstration desperate to play more. Complete with intuitive controls and simple, yet suitable graphics the two main draw cards are easy-to-use Bluetooth integration and believable opponent AI. A special mention is in order for being made by an Aussie developer Wontom.
Runner Up: Final Fantasy I
Mobile technology is finally reaching a stage where we can play decent ports of 8-bit games. Final Fantasy I is one such port coming to mobiles soon. Published by Square Enix, the controls translate surprisingly well to a mobile interface. As a game that spawned twelve sequels, you know it has to have done something right. If you missed out the first time, or just want to remember where it all came from, you should be able to get your hands on a copy later this year.
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Why does Gears of War deserve to be game of the show? The answer is simple. Gears of War is the first game to really demonstrate that the technical power possible through next generation hardware can work to make gameplay fun. As a mixture of amazing graphics and brilliant execution of game mechanics Gears of War is just plain fun to play. At this stage we’ve only played multiplayer and seen the single player game in action, but it’s enough to get us expecting that the final package will deliver all that the hype has promised.
Runner Up: Mass Effect
We were initially tempted to give one of the Wii games the award for runner up purely based on how enjoyable they were to play. However on further reflection we realised it was the both the Xbox 360 winners that our thoughts kept coming back to. Mass Effect brings the together the whole package. A sci-fi action RPG with an epic story, tactical real-time combat, a huge universe to explore and eye-popping graphics – we couldn’t ask for more. The worst part? Having to wait for the 2007 release.
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