Hardcore Presents the Coveted Hardcore E3 Awards

Published June 24, 2007

The new-fangled E3 has come and gone, and yours truly was on hand to slip slyly into booths and darkened preview theaters, as well as pry sumptuous morsels of game knowledge from PR reps, courtesy of unspeakable methods known only to myself and the inimitable Sam Fisher. My belated apologies to those that suffered the fullness of my wrath.

But it was necessary in order to be able to hand out the coveted Hardcore Awards. Now, onto those games and events worthy of mention.

He never misses an E3.

Best Double-Take Surprise
Never one to shy away from wanton bloodshed, I shot many an approving glance at the ARMY OF TWO™ demo playing in EA's booth. The view from afar was nothing compared to the thrill up close. When a game developer looks me in the eye, and gleefully announces that brutal difficulty abounds and tactical cooperation is an absolute must for survival of even the beginning stages, this pleases me no end. Plus, any developer that has the audacity to force gamers to employ a minigame where one player shoves tampons into a mortal wound to save their comrade deserves a round of applause.

Co-op play is a must in ARMY OF TWO.

For gameplay details, check out our E3 preview of the game.

Best Multiplayer Innovation
My greatest grievance in multiplayer matches is in team-based modes where some solo renegade player decides to go off on his own. This "teammate" will bolt off to gather up their precious kills at the expense of the team's objective, such as protecting a flag or holding a capture point. With that in mind, I must give credit to Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, whose game design demands teamwork.

I hope my team is backing me up here.

Instead of offering points for kills, players must "play" their character as intended, so engineers must repair vehicles and enable new weaponry, scouts must hack objectives, and medics need to supply and revive their teammates. Each class-based mission then offers experience points, which can be used to unlock new abilities. Check out our full preview from E3.

Best RPG
The world descended on E3 with a wary eye trained on Bethesda's Fallout® 3, so when the nearly hour-long gameplay demo showcased brilliance and wit at every turn, a whole nation of RPG fans breathed a sigh of sweet relief.

I will say that the shift to first-person perspective has been vindicated, and the turn-based VATS aiming system (used occasionally) is a nice nod to the gameplay of old. The world is brimming with decadent destruction (already looking vastly better than Bethesda's The Elder Scrolls® IV: Oblivion™) and the series' trademark dark humor (bring on the 50s styled greaser gangs) is intact. The quests on display also showcase Bethesda's strength in variety, exploration, and commitment to involving you in the world. We previewed the game during E3.

On a personal note, I must also applaud the Fat Boy mini-nuke catapult weapon for the ridiculous satisfaction it provides. There is delicious irony in an entire city worshipping a nuclear bomb as an idol of peace, and the use of toilet water for ridding yourself of excess radiation.

The face of frontier justice in Fallout 3.

Best Fright … In More Ways Than One
Not only does the sequel to F.E.A.R.™ (I'll be glad when it has a proper name) exude the kind of claustrophobic, throat-constricting tension that any good horror/action game should, but the privately viewed demo nearly contributed to a personal loss of bodily control.

I will say only that I had consumed massive quantities of Diet Coke before entering the demo theater, and already was in a state of considerable physical distress. While I was discreetly distorting my posture to relieve the building pressure, the demo gave way to a classic shock-horror moment, and when the grotesque, mutated creature leapt screaming at the screen, I was but a hair's breadth from coming to grief.

On a gameplay note, F.E.A.R.'s sequel looks much better than its predecessor. More importantly (to me), the A.I. is just as possessed with the need for survival as before, and the first-person "acting" is top notch, showcasing as immersive an experience as I've seen this side of The Darkness.

Best Of, Well, Just Best
If you're looking for Halo® 3 impressions here, I regret to inform you that they beat me off with an Xbox 360™ power supply when I tried to finagle my way into the room. That said, even with the spectacular reports of my colleagues ringing in my ears, I'd be hard pressed to put any game over the acrobatic majesty of Assassin's Creed™ (Fallout 3 is a close, close second).

I just … can't … wait.

In this world, any crevice can be held onto, any wall climbed, the combat system is the soul of elegance and timing, and the whole world responds with almost creepy precision to your every move. There seems to be no stopping the potential for this action/platformer.

Simple Observations
Beyond the preceding points, this year's E3 gave way to a host of less critical, but still intriguing, observations about games, the industry, and the event at large.

• Silence is golden: Call me elitist, but I relished every moment of the show where I didn't have to push through a sweaty glom of "industry" exhibitors crowding the show floor. Striding unhindered with coffee in hand and notebook at the ready before, during, and after appointments was sweet, sweet bliss.
• Accurate impressions: With demos handled in quiet lounges and closed-off theaters, I could finally train a discerning, intelligent eye on the game at hand. In prior years, the insane assault on the senses dulled the wits to the point of glazed, detached incomprehension.
• The what?: I noticed when collecting my credentials that E3 was now officially titled the "E3 Media and Business Summit," but I nearly toppled off my shuttle-bus seat when a man that radiated enormous self-importance turned around seriously in his seat and gravely asked, "Are you enjoying the Summit?" Dedicated though I am to gaming, "the Summit" is just a shade too earnest.
• Yay! Seats!: Though entirely unrelated to gaming, my posterior cried foul when first seeing the concrete amphitheater hosting Microsoft's pre-E3 Press Briefing. The thought of enduring those unforgiving seats for an hour and a half was nearly unsupportable, so when an hour later I happened by and noticed hundreds of soft cushions lining the entire space, I rejoiced. Plus (I'm pretty sure this was allowed), I nicked the seat cushion after the show. Hey, you got to get swag somehow.

E3 is always an adventure, and despite the palpably relaxed atmosphere at the retooled show, this year was no exception. It still showcased in detail the games we crave, it was still home to industry-shaking announcements and it still hosts the most outrageous gaming-inspired parties of the year, and all on the company dime. Now, that's the Hardcore way!

Article by Hardcore