Gabe will be in a better position to tell you about the Sonic games on the floor than I would, as Sonic has been his thing from way back. Altered Beast was just a video that didn't really elucidate anything. Billy Hatcher was inexplicable. Otogi continues to hone Sega's edge on visually striking action games.
What a surprise it was to see Worms 3D in the booth, I knew as well as anyone that Sega had taken up the role of publisher on the title but seeing Team 17 and Sega together brought a tear of joy to my eye. How they did it I have no idea, but this is most certainly Worms. Fully destructible environments and crisp textures underpinned a strangely lighearted take on the Omaha Beach landing, with the strange weapons you demand from Worms games all making an appearance. Good for them. Taking Worms into 3D could have been the sort of joyless procedure for which there are many analogues in gaming history. It pleases me to inform you that the opposite is true.
When I expressed excitement at the announcement of Phantasy Star Online 3 for the Cube, I got two types of mail: Mail from people who thought I was being sarcastic, and wrote in to assure me that they hated it, too. The other type of mail was understandably sort of distraught at the direction their beloved franchise had just taken. I don't have any idea how to answer either party based on what I saw this year. I would not have shown that game at this time, at least, not without someone there to tell you what in the Jesus, Mary, and Joseph was going on. I'm not saying this won't be a good game someday, my faith in its eventual capacity is unshaken. Maybe somebody else knows what the fuck is going on with that game, I'll try to dig up some previews.
(CW)TB
