E3 2008: Preview

E3 2008 starts in 5 days. E3 is quite possibly one the biggest events in the gaming industry as almost every major developer shows off their stuff to the media and the world. Commonfolk like us used to be able to go to this event in Los Angeles but, now it is a media & business only event. Fah. Anywhere here are some brief previews of what I think are the biggest games being showcased at E3, in no specific order:

Gears of War 2: This upcoming third-person shooter makes me slightly upset when I see it since I do not own an Xbox360 and the original Gears of War tempted me to buy the system. Gears of War 2 looks like it could live up to the glory of its predecessor as the single-player campaign is supposedly longer and co-op is still available. One new gameplay element is the ability to use fallen Locusts (the bad dudes) as shield against incoming fire. Here is a trailer courtesy of gametrailers.com. (The guy with the Yes shirt will talk for awhile, but there is some decent footage here).

Release Date: November 2008----Console: Xbox 360----Developer: Epic Games

Final Fantasy XIII: I am a huge fan of the Final Fantasy franchise and this game is one of the reasons I bought a PS3. However, and I’ve been saying this for years, when Squaresoft merged with Enix to become SquareEnix, the quality of their games across the board have lessened. I could not even play through Final Fantasy XII, I hated it so much 20 hours into the game. Yet, I am excited for the newest installment in this series because it looks outstanding and I have faith that the story and gameplay will capture me just as the previous ones had. Check out this trailer from gametrailers.com; oh man is it pretty.

Release Date: ???----Console: PS3----Developer: SquareEnix

Street Fighter IV: I have always enjoyed the Street Fighter series. Quarter-Circle+Punch is etched into my brain for all eternity. However, the last Street Fighter I enjoyed was the one for the Sega Genesis: Street Fighter II Turbo. Can this game bring back Street Fighter to the top of the fighting genre? They have to show something BIG at E3; we’ve all been waiting too long. Oh look, another trailer from gametrailers.com. I like that site. This one is an anime-inspired piece, NOT gameplay footage. Still awesome though.

Release Date: Fall 2008----Consoles: Xbox 360, PS3----Developer: Capcom

Spore: This game is going to be a huge deal. Spore is a strategy game developed primarily by Will Wright, who was the creator of The Sims. To call Spore a strategy game does not do the game justice since the span of the game goes far beyond just strategy. Based on what I’ve been reading about this game, Spore encompasses the full spectrum of life from being a single-celled organism, to taking over tribal camps, to becoming a space explorer. Taking simulation to a whole new level, Spore could change the way sim games are conceived. Watch this game closely at E3, since we haven’t got a lot of information about this game so far, so it should be making a splash. Hey hey, what do you know. Another trailer from gametrailers.com. Awesome.

Release Date: Sept. 7, 2008----Consoles: PC, Nintendo DS----Developer: Maxis

Prince of Persia: Ah, the dark horse of E3 in my opinion. Not many people are talking about this game but I believe this title deserves more attention. The original prince from the previous games is supposedly gone and the game will be far less linear than the others. Climbing walls and cool sword-fighting will still be there but Ubisoft is changing the formula around and taking a chance with giving less direction to the player. This game could surprise people at E3 so look out for it. And yes, another trailer from gametrailers.com.

Release Date: Late Fall? 2008----Consoles: Xbox 360, PS3---Developer: Ubisoft

Other notables I’m excited about:
Animal Crossing Wii (Wii)
Call of Duty: World at War (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC)
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (DS)
Diablo 3 (PC)
Doom 4 (PC, Xbox 360)
Final Fantasy IV (DS)
Gran Turismo 5 (PS3)
Guitar Hero: World Tour (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii) $190!?!?
Kid Icarus Wii (Wii)
Little Big Planet (PS3)
Resident Evil 5 (Xbox 360, PS3)
SoulCaliber 4 (Xbox 360, PS3)
Starcraft 2 (PC)
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King (PC)