E3 2011 Thoughts - Games

I had a chance to think about some of the games featured in press conferences at E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo for my non-gaming readers) 2011. I had actually planned to release a blog post last year on some games from last year's E3, but I cancelled the project. I have to keep the blog rolling with more content. So having said that, welcome to John's Blog Space!

WARNING: This blog post contains YouTube videos which may include profound violence. You are viewing these videos at your own expense. Some of the featured material may not be suitable for all audiences. Viewer discretion is advised and encouraged.

--- Thoughts on Certain Featured Games at E3 2011 ---

Here are some of the many things I was interested with or fascinated with from E3 2011. They are listed in no specific order, and the very first post simply pertains to text-only opinions on games. The post consists of both embedded videos and links to videos on YouTube. I may add more videos in future edits. Don't send me any poor comments just because I didn't feature an embedded video on a certain game. Speaking of embedded video, thanks to all who allowed for embedding to be enabled. You've done a service for all of my readers worldwide:

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception.

My brother has Uncharted 2, but Uncharted 3 is just 100% intense. I knew that I was expecting all Hell to break loose at some point from the demo play. Think about it- out in the middle of the ocean (or someplace) with a heavy storm happening. You proceed through to the inner rooms of the ship. A few bad guys show up. Fast-forward to much later... and the ship sinks! Water rushes through as you're busting a few rounds on the bad guys. Absolute insanity to say the very least! Plus, the dude takes a great deal of damage just trying to save his own life as the ship is sinking.

I'm sorry- just a bit too much action for me to take. I could barely stomach the action from "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time!" Have a look from this official trailer:

TrackMania 2.

Come on, now. Do you think I'd pass up on racing games? Most people are more like, it's a racing game. Nothing really special. Well... just remember whose blog you've accessed. Having said that, commenting away... TrackMania 2 looks to be just as fun as the other TrackMania titles. I'm thinking this game will retain the same unique character of the previous TrackMania games. Racing fans, get your fix right here:

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier.

I'm not really into war-based games. Having said this, this game is truly impressive. I was most intrigued at the weapon customization. You could basically build your own gun to handle certain situations. For example, you could arrange to have a gun designed for close-quarters combat for missions that call for this. You may elect to build a weapon for long-range combat (like sniper missions). This was most mind-blowing to me especially for the XBOX 360 Kinect-enabled version. Here is a look at this game:

BioShock Infinite.

This title is surely unique in its appeal and charm. That hook thing the player was pretty cool with all the insanity that has broken loose. An almost ten-minute long gameplay sample can be found here, courtesy of IGN: BioShock Infinite Gameplay (10-Minute Demo)

Need for Speed: The Run.

Is this was the Need for Speed series has come down to? For the first time in NFS history, the action takes place in cars... and now OUT of cars. You have to see the trailer or demo footage to see the combination of racing, fighting, perhaps shooting, and getting into tight situations. This game takes you on a cross-country tour across the United States... with the mob after you. This is REALLY where "drive like there's no tomorrow" surely applies. If you want to see what kind of Hell you've gotten yourself into (and what you can get into), check this out:

Uncharted: Golden Abyss.

When the PSVITA was unveiled, one of the games showcased was "Uncharted: Golden Abyss." This game has PS3-quality graphics on a $250 USD portable gaming device. I could really see the promise of a title like this for those future customers of a PSVITA. The fact you use both buttons and the touchscreen will allow you to play Uncharted in new ways.

Street Fighter × Tekken.

This sounds like an absolute mismatch to a number of fighting game fans. Street Fighter is so much more versatile than the Tekken series. So few Tekken fighters actually have something like projectile attacks. I'm sure the game will be tailor made so that the Tekken fighters have a chance against the Street Fighter crew.

When will we see Tekken vs. Virtua Fighter? I'd pay to see Lau vs. Heihachi or Kazuya. Kage vs. Yoshimitsu? Pai vs. Chun Li?

Mario Kart 3D.

Mario Kart will never be the same as Mario Kart 3D. Customization of karts and some new twists like hang gliders and underwater propellers will make this Mario Kart unlike any other in series history. Open your eyes to this new experience:

Kid Icarus Uprising.

Since seeing a trailer to this from last year's E3, I was blown away seeing this game. At E3 2011, this game captivated me even more. It has elements of an aerial combat game along with some great on-ground action. This game is pretty impressive to me. You might agree with me after seeing this:

Lego City Stories.

The magic of Lego has now seemed to blend into the realm of one of the most controversial franchises in gaming history. With few details, I'm believing that Lego City Stories will be... maybe a lighthearted version of the raw behavior exhibited in Grand Theft Auto games. It has that sort of feel, and I want to believe that this is what this game will offer when a final version is eventually offered.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.

At first, because of the lettering, I thought this was "Call of Duty: MAI3." But, it's Modern Warfare 3- MW3. Anyhow, the Microsoft E3 coverage from Tuesday began with some underwater action. Once that was done, you realize what was going on- New York City has been ravaged by war. You see lots of damage to the towers of NYC along with lots of fire and smoke. There are also lots of vessels damaged on the water as well. Obviously, your goal is to take down the ones who perpetrated the insanity. I think this game also features London and Paris under attack in "COD: Modern Warfare 3." As for the game itself, the action is plenty intense. Note again that I am not really into this genre much, and I have NEVER played any Call of Duty game.

You can see a 16-minute video of this game courtesy of Machinima here: E3 2011 Machinima Coverage - Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Live Game Demo

Gears of War 3.

The action is very intense, and I love the voice acting. The boss fight was both scary and gripping. My only GOW experience was in watching my cousin play Gears of War 2. I'm sure much more experienced fans will find PLENTY to love about this one. And that new guy to the series? He's awesome (Griffin, is it?).

Ryse.

Nothing says fun like medieval violence. :) This game looks to really provide some intense action for those of you into the Kinect. You are basically engaged in battle within the Roman Empire for Ryse. The level of combat is quite intense. Then again, when DON'T you see violence and bloodshed in this setting? Check it:

HALO Combat Evolved Anniversary.

I'd say this is a good throwback for HALO veterans. Believe it or not, I have played HALO before... all the way back in 2002 when I was a student at Lamar University, and when some people invited me to play the game. I'm sure this XBOX 360 revival of the first HALO will give plenty of fans something to feel happy about.

HALO fans, time for you to get your fix: Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary - E3 2011: Trailer

Forza Motorsport 4.

Just so you know... I had actually planned on making a separate blog post on my thoughts of Forza 4. Since I made this post, though, let me share some initial thoughts. Something tells me that Forza may have truly trumped the Gran Turismo series with FM4. After all the people who've said all kinds of negatives on Gran Turismo 5 (I still have yet to play this game as of this post), a lot of people feel FM4 will not only be the best Forza ever, but may have overtaken GT for good. It is absolutely hard to be unimpressed in some sort of way regarding Forza Motorsport 4. I am not saying that I am lamenting not having an XBOX 360; I'm just saying that FM4 looks immensely promising.

If you're a Gran Turismo fan, Forza Motorsport 4 threw down the gauntlet with this trailer:

Disneyland Adventures.

Don't feel like going out to Disneyland? Bring Disney to your home! This should be GREAT fun for kids in enjoying the Disney experience on their XBOX 360 with Kinect.

Dance Central 2.

If you prefer dancing without holding something in your hand (like a Wiimote), Dance Central 2 will appeal to you. The demonstration at E3 was very cool. Of course, play a hot Usher song with a nice dance beat to it, and even I would be feeling like wanting to groove to the music.

Here is a quick demonstration of this game from IGN: Dance Central 2 - E3 2011: Gameplay Demo



I didn't see this next game until the hands-on demos were introduced:

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Dragon Born.

This game looks fantastic and plays equally fantastic. It was a title you couldn't help but get excited about if you love action role-playing games like this one. I was actually pretty stoked seeing this title being played on TV.

A 14-minute look at this game can be seen here on YouTube: "The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim" E3 Gameplay Demo


People... I'm sorry. I forgot to include this title in my initial blog post:

Overstrike.

Overstrike is a very cool game from Electronic Arts that I sadly forgot to mention. It has great action to it and seems very fun to play. See for yourself. You might like it, too:






This was my look at certain games that caught my interest from E3 2011. I may post more material involving more thoughts on E3 2011. I'll break off discussion for now and allow you the chance to comment. Remember that this first blog post is just to discuss the games. In future edits, I will try to find more videos and maybe edit my thoughts. For now, thank you for reading!

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