Our Must See List for E3 2007
Published June 21, 2007
The traditional May timeframe for E3 has come and gone, and you may have noticed that despite the show's absence, we were still privy to a series of high-profile game announcements, such as the unveiling of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction.
With that said though, the revamped and slimmed down Electronics Entertainment Expo taking place in July still looks to provide plenty of bang for its buck. Heavy hitters like Microsoft, Ubisoft, Electronic Arts, 2K Games, Activision, and more will all descend on the expo to display the latest and greatest in gaming.
Master Chief wants to know about the single-player campaign.
In order to prepare for the upcoming event, we've looked ahead and highlighted some of the titles we're interested in seeing this July at E3.
Single-Player Master Chief
The folks at Bungie have crafted the world's most effective smokescreen with the Halo® 3 multiplayer beta. This remarkable gift to gamers has effectively allowed Bungie to keep mum on the final single-player chapter in the Halo® trilogy, as gamers spend less time hounding them with questions and more time enjoying the beta.
While nothing is confirmed (Bungie is notoriously tight-lipped), we hope that this year's E3 will be the launch point for unveiling the Halo 3 single-player campaign. It's time to discover the fate of Cortana, the state of the Covenant, and bring about the resolution of this epic war.
Embracing Conviction
Long time fans of the Splinter Cell games are in for a surprise with the Xbox 360™ exclusive Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction,as Ubisoft has announced a change in direction for the series. With Sam Fisher now a fugitive after the events of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell® Double Agent™, classic sneaking gameplay has shifted away from the shadows to embrace a larger view of the stealth genre.
At E3 we shall have the opportunity to add context
and gain a better understanding of these titles.
With Sam on the run, you'll need to blend in with crowds, create diversions, and use your surroundings to foil your enemies. Since Sam has been booted from Third Echelon, he will have access to very little fancy high-tech gear. With Xbox 360, Ubisoft has the horsepower to drive this game genre to more expansive heights, and we look forward to seeing a great deal more of Sam Fisher's evolution at this year's E3.
Nearly Final BioShock?
Irrational Games' first-person shooter/RPG BioShock has been a hot topic of conversation. Its showing at last year's E3 prompted gamers to ask, "Does it really look that good?" The answer is: absolutely. Even more impressively, further viewing of the trailer on Xbox LIVE® Marketplace demonstrates that the gameplay may even outshine the visuals. This creepy, underwater, alternate reality first-person adventure is nearing the final stages of development, and the quickly approaching E3 seems a perfect place for one last media hoorah before its release.
Beware the Big Daddy.
Halo Wars Expected
Again, while nothing is confirmed, it seems only natural that E3 will be used to further expand on last year's E3 bombshell revelation of the real-time strategy game, Halo Wars. While last year's trailer was a site to behold (available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace), it is high time we get a look at the groundbreaking gameplay and next-gen features.
Understanding EndWar
New to the Tom Clancy brand is Tom Clancy's EndWar™, and like Halo Wars, little solid detail is known about this mysterious real-time strategy game. We do know from the recently released trailer (available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace) that it takes place in the not too distant future, and with Tom Clancy attached, we can safely bet that real-world tactics and reasonably evolved weaponry will take center stage.
Preparing for liftoff in EndWar.
Mercenaries Evolved
Perhaps the most surprising game of the last year or so was Pandemic Studios and LucasArts' out-of-the-blue sandbox wargame Mercenaries™. Its free-roaming missions and on-the-fly upgrade and purchase system for delivering weapons made for instantly classic gameplay.
With Mercenaries 2: World in Flames, developer Pandemic looks to push the technology to new destructive heights, introduce a vibrant new environment in conflict-ridden Venezuela, and most impressively, introduce cooperative play over Xbox LIVE. We look forward to uncovering more and going hands-on with this title at E3.
The Kane and Lynch Experiment
Speaking of cooperative play, IO-Interactive's announcement of Kane and Lynch: Dead Men™ caught everybody a bit off guard. This seemingly well-into-development title burst onto the scenes several months ago. Both Kane and Lynch are hardcore criminals, and when they're freed from incarceration during transport, it's not to enjoy the sweet taste of freedom, but to serve the nefarious interests of Kane's previous employer. You'll play as either Kane or Lynch, switching between them in single-player or choosing one or the other when playing with a friend.
They make a quite a pair.
Early announcements and coverage highlight the disparity between Kane and Lynch, and how they play and react differently to all manner of situations. After going dark for several months after the initial announcement, it will be exciting to see how this promising action title is shaping up.
Too Human Revitalized
Silicon Knights' epic Too Human™ was admittedly not ready for primetime at last year's E3. A recent blitz of new trailers, interviews and press coverage has revitalized this action role-playing-game inspired by Norse mythology. With up to four-player cooperative play firmly rooted in the design, different classes, epic armor sets, and various skill paths to upgrade your character, Too Human looks to be hitting its stride.
All the recent press releases and game announcements have provided a glimmer of detail to get us excited about upcoming games. At E3, we shall have the opportunity to add context and gain a better understanding of these titles. The preceding list only highlights a few of the most exciting prospects. Don't forget about games like All-Pro Football 2K8, Mass Effect™, John Woo presents Stranglehold™, Virtua Fighter 5, and much more. Keep your browser tuned to Xbox.com as we gear up for coverage leading up to, during, and beyond E3.
Article by Ryan Treit
