Like Tycho I have also been getting quite a bit of mail asking for my opinions on Game "X". I honestly never even saw many of the games that people want me to comment on. That isn't to say they weren't there. A quick look at Gamespot reveals a whole host of titles that escaped my detection on the show floor. Like Tycho said, we go down there as gamers not journalists. My goal isn't to see every title on the floor or even every title in a booth. I see something cool in the distance and I wander over to it, then I see something else cool and I go over there. In fact even in our little group we all ended up splitting up. The crew broke down into Batjew, Kiko and I. We went off to look at all the action and fighting games. Tycho, Monkey and Pork wanted to see all the Strategy shit. They don't care that King of Fighters on the GBA is fucking great and I don't care that Dynasty Tactics is apparently the shit. If you want detailed coverage of all the games at the show go to Gamespy or Gamespot. If you want to hear about the stuff I liked keep reading.
It was the year of Star Wars games. We actually got an appointment to see all the new SW games in the Lucas Arts booth. It was like being inside Joy.
Star Wars Galaxies
I actually had the opportunity to sit down with Haden Blackman the producer for this title and ask him some questions. You will be able to read my full interview with him some time next week probably over at Amazon. I asked him some pretty dorky questions and he never missed a beat. Besides the interview though we were also treated to a demo of the game and it really blew me away. First off let me say that these guys are Star Wars geeks. When Tycho asked if the Trandoshans actually speak Trandoshan and the developer corrected him and said their language is just called Doshin and their planet is called Trandosha, I knew we were in good hands. They explained that players can take damage not just to their body but also their mind. The only way to regain this lost mental health is to…well, relax. You actually have to go chill in a cantina and chat it up with your buddies. They showed us one of these cantinas complete with a band of player controlled characters playing strange instruments. We also got to see a player's house on Tatooine. It was a beautiful three story structure. I asked about the accouterments inside and was told that a skilled player can build all his own furniture. When pressed about the speeder sitting outside they said that they are working hard to get single player vehicles operational for the launch. I really hope they can pull this off. I mean what good is a speeder or a swoop if you can't take it for a little spin. All in All the game looked fantastic. They showed off the day night cycle a few times and gave us a close up look at some of the models. They seemed especially proud of the Bantha whose shaggy fur actually waved back and forth. The best thing I can say about his game is not to worry about it. It will be exactly what you want.
Clone Wars
When I first read about this title in EGM the preview said it was a vehicular combat game. Immediately I pictured a Star Wars version of Twisted Metal and my heart sank. Thankfully this could not be further from the truth. In reality Clone Wars is more like Rogue Leader on the ground. You will play as one of three Jedi throughout the game Mace Windu, Obi-Wan Kenobi or Anakin Skywalker. In the mission I saw the player took control of a Republic Attack Gunship during the battle of Geonosis. The first thing I noticed was the scale. As the ship flew over the battlefield taking pot shots and Techno Union Starships you could see hundreds of tiny clone warriors exchanging fire with droids below you. The amount of action on the screen was incredible. The player was also able to issue orders to his allies via the directional pad ala Rogue Leader. They did a fantastic job of recreating the massive scale of the battle from the movie. The game kicks off there and will take you to some familiar planets as well as some created especially for the game. Various missions will put you in control of everything from a speeder bike to a tank. You will also get the opportunity to step out of your vehicle on occasion and kick some ass Jedi Style. In addition to a very solid single player campaign the game will also feature a series of multiplayer modes. This all ads up to make it one of my favorite games of the show. Clone Wars is set to drop some time in September, which if you ask me won't come soon enough.
Knights of the Old Republic
I tend to agree with what Batjew had to say. I don't know if he was around when Tycho and I talked to Brad Grier from Bioware about it, but he told us that they have not yet optimized the game for the X-Box. I am confident that given some time it will look as good as it did last year on the PC. Aside from the visuals the game sounds very interesting. The fact that it takes place nearly 4,000 years before the events of Phantom Menace gives the developers a lot of room to play. They said one of the great things about working in this time period is that you don't have to share the spotlight with anyone. Your character is the star of this show. I asked if we would see some new force powers and was told that the game would indeed include powers that have never been seen before. The other item I found especially interesting was that you will actually have the option to turn your character to the dark side through your actions. Depending on the way you handle certain situations or interact with various characters your Jedi can follow either path. This culminates at the end of the game in one monumental act that will determine your characters final affiliation. Nothing else could really be said about it but it certainly sounds intriguing as hell. In the end this is a title I will be keeping my fingers crossed for.
Bounty Hunter
The name of the game here is action. This game has been built from the ground up to deliver an experience along the lines of a classic Hong Kong action flick. Bounty Hunter follows the story of Mr. Jango Fett and gives you the inside scoop on just why he was selected to be the blueprint essentially for the clone warriors. The controls are relatively simple. Flying around with your jet pack looks very easy and Jango will automatically target enemies as they come into range. He will also grab ledges as he gets close to them without you having to do anything. This makes for some pretty amazing action as He zips around with his jet pack, a gun in each hand tracking and firing at different enemies. You will also be able to lock onto one specific target which will then keep all your movements relative to that enemy. You will be able to roll and strafe all the while maintaining your lock. Scattered through each level will also be bonus bounties. These are characters whose capture is not integral to the storyline or the completion of your mission but will earn you extra points. To complete your mission you will have access to an arsenal of weapons including sniper rifles, flame throwers and missile launchers. Over all Bounty Hunter looks to be another must have for Star Wars fans come November.
Well I think that's plenty for now.
-Gabe out
