E3 2008 Our Final Thoughts on the Shows Best Games

July 22, 2008

E3 2008 – Our Final Thoughts on
the Show’s Best Games
By
Louis Bedigian
and Dakota Grabowski

Fable 2, Resident Evil 5, Gears of War 2,
Banjo-Kazooie 3 — which game is number-one?

Now that the 2008 E3 Media & Business Summit is
over, it’s time to leave the show’s craziness behind and remember what matters
most: the games. There were many great titles at this year’s show, but only a
select few could make it into our Top 5.



1.
Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts

Dakota Grabowski: They’re back! Banjo and
Kazooie are ready to steal the hearts of gamers nationwide and they plan on
doing that with a whole new adventure. This isn’t like any adventure from the
past, Banjo and Kazooie are out to beat Gruntilda once and for all, and they
plan on doing so with the use of a variety of vehicles.

Many fans fear the inclusion of vehicles in their
favorite platformer will change the dynamics up, but I can honestly say that
Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts is coming along nicely. Not only was I able to jump
out of the vehicle and platform a little, but the game’s gorgeous world was
breathtaking to behold. I wanted to explore every nook and cranny of the world
since the visuals were more than inviting.

Beyond the beautiful worlds that Rare has beset
for its fans to explore, the driving mechanics for every vehicle is unique.
Having the ability to create your own vehicles within Banjo-Kazooie is going to
be an in-depth element that will provide a crazy upside in terms of replay.

Tinkering around with the toolset hidden within
the demo, creating a vehicle can be quite simple or very complex depending on
the player. The toolset delivers a heaping amount of parts to combine together
to create your dream vehicle. I could truthfully spend over two hours in the
vehicle creator alone mixing and meshing parts to somehow create a super-powered
Mini Cooper S that could fly. Yes, the toolset is that intuitive – I could
seriously recreate the Deathstar on wheels if I wanted to.



Louis Bedigian: Like a kid in a candy
store, I was drawn to this game the moment I saw it. After years of waiting and
wondering what would become of the bear and bird combo, and after a decade of
questioning and doubting Rare’s ability to create a second epic masterpiece, the
truth is finally revealed and it is breathtaking.

Nuts & Bolts has been hyped as many things, to
the point where many gamers are under the impression that it’s not a true
action/adventure. But don’t be fooled by the marketing hoopla that is merely
being used to attract those who wouldn’t normally be interested in a Banjo game.
Like the first Banjo-Kazooie, released a little over 10 years ago, Nuts & Bolts
is every bit the game – the only game – that threatens Mario’s throne.

The single-world demo was enormous, far too huge
and packed with too many jiggies (four showed up on my radar screen, but I’m
betting there were others I couldn’t see) to conquer or fully explore in the few
minutes I could spare to play this game. You see, E3 is the most jam-packed
video game event of the year. And in one five-minute window, I could go to the
bathroom, grab a drink or snack, or play a game that was on my mind long before
it was even announced. I made the right decision. (For me and for you. I don’t
think my bathroom escapades would have made a very interesting read.)

But beyond the praise for the fact that Rare got
it right and designed worlds, game controls and graphics that border on
perfection, the developers added a new element that could solidify Nuts & Bolts
as the most innovative action/adventure of the year: vehicles. Again, don’t be
fooled by the ridiculous hype that speaks of mini-games and other less exciting
features. These vehicles are much more than that. They’re used as an extension
of Banjo’s maneuverability. In the first game, players could run faster and fly
with Kazooie to seek areas that were otherwise out of reach.

Now that the worlds are several times larger than
any from the Nintendo 64 adventures, you’re going to need something more
powerful to explore them in a timely manner. Rare took this concept one step
further by adding puzzles/jiggie challenges that couldn’t be solved without the
help of a vehicle. One of many examples: When an ice sculpture is too large and
too heavy for the little brown bear to carry, he’ll use a helicopter to get the
job done.

2.
Fable 2

Dakota Grabowski: Peter Molyneux is
putting 110 percent into Fable 2 and it shows. His world of Albion is growing
into one of the best worlds to traverse through within a video game and, on top of
all that, he’s allowing a friend or family member to cooperatively join you
through your journey.

Fable 2 could be the game that finally allows
boyfriend and girlfriend to play cooperatively together on the Xbox 360. Sure,
Halo 3 is sometimes fun for the boyfriend to whoop on the girlfriend, but that
is only fun for so long before the girlfriend puts the controller down and
quits. What Fable 2 is going to offer is an experience that puts the girlfriend
in a role where she can create her own character, buy her own house(s), and own
her very own pet all within a fantasy world rich of character and personality.
Come this October, Fable 2 should see a lot of time within my Xbox 360 tray as
my girlfriend and I will adventure through Albion together to become the
ultimate good-guy heroes.

3.
Resident Evil 5

Louis Bedigian: Nearly four years after
first experiencing the genre-defining gameplay of Resident Evil 4, Capcom will
release the next chapter in their leading survival/horror franchise. Based
largely on the last game’s mechanics, Resident Evil 5 has yet to show signs of
innovation. But the larger levels, increased number of zombies and insanely
realistic visuals (this could be the first game to beat Metal Gear Solid 4)
could be everything Capcom needs to deliver another mega-hit.

However, it is still unknown just how far the
developers will go in their efforts to scare the player. The daytime setting is
gorgeous but not as spooky as the grim scenarios of the last game. Could
darkness be in RE5’s future? That’s what I’m hoping for. That and a cornucopia
of hairy spiders, grotesque bugs, and other creepy-crawlies that will jump off
the screen and make the players jump out of their seats.

4.
Bionic Commando

Louis Bedigian: This is no remake. Capcom
is doing that – Bionic Commando Rearmed will re-envision the beloved franchise.
But the game simply titled “Bionic Commando” is an entirely new experience from
a world you may have never expected to see evolve.

Upon playing this game for the first time,
Spider-Man came to mind. Not the games but the comic book, the movies, the whole
world that Peter Parker explores. It’s that seamlessness he has in the way he
swings that was brought to Bionic Commando.

5.
Prince of Persia

Dakota Grabowski: Never enjoying the two
sequels to Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, I am glad to see the reinventing
of the Prince of Persia series. Not only are they bringing back more adventure
traits that I adored with The Sands of Time, but the combat actually doesn’t
look over the top as it did with the sequels. Another interesting aspect that I
approve 100 percent is the drop dead gorgeous graphics that convey color rather
than darkness. Not related to the Prince of Persia of last generation, this
next-gen iteration is shaping up to be a must-have title for any adventure
fanatic who can’t wait to make death-defying leaps from cliff to cliff.


Prince of Persia

Other E3 2008 Favorites


Dark Void

Louis Bedigian: Grand Theft Aerial. Gears
of Vertical Warfare. Boba Fett Wars. There are a lot of words you could use to
describe Dark Void, but only one will suffice: original. This Gears of War-style
shooter incorporates an amazing vertical cover mechanic, impeccable flight
controls, and the ability to steal alien ships while soaring through the air.


Gears of War 2

Dakota Grabowski: Gears of War is back and
not only is it more gruesome than ever, but Epic Games is including a five
player co-op mode called Horde which will allow players to tear through waves of
Locust troops. If Gears of War 2 turns out as good as Cliff Bleszinski promises,
then Epic Games and Microsoft are slowing making Gears of War into one of the
elite franchises to be remembered for years to come.


Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe

Louis Bedigian: This game terrified me. As
a diehard Mortal Kombat fan, how could I not look at this title – which reduces
the series’ blood content and put a limit on fatality gore – with anything but
leery eyes? But once the controller was in hand, the comic book additions felt
like a natural inclusion. They aren’t brilliant – this decision came from
marketing, you can be certain. But the developers have done all they can to make
the characters relevant, as proven by their special features (ex: Flash can
perform Kabal’s famous paralyzing spin move).


Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe


Flower

Dakota Grabowski: Relaxing and peaceful,
Flower is out to prove that games don’t always have to be about guns and
violence. The symphonic music will almost put you to sleep with how effective it
is able to capture the serene environment players will play through as flower
pedals. This is why I’m nominating Flower to be the game to be played before
everyone goes to bed; it’ll no doubt calm you down and help you rest.


Mega Man 9

Dakota Grabowski: Hooray for Mega Man! Not
only is Capcom returning him to his roots in a side-scrolling 2D platformer, but
the same level of difficulty is coming back. Having visited the demo three times
at E3, Mega Man 9 will prove to be one of the most addicting games this year.


Red Faction: Guerrilla

Louis Bedigian: Destroy everything your
heart desires. No structure is too massive. No polygon is too polished. That
philosophy to game design has allowed the developers to produce a shooter/melee
action title with few restrictions. To top things off, they added great vehicle
controls (yeah, you’ll use them too, just like GTA), stellar character controls,
and a graphics engine that’s very impressive.

Final Fantasy XIII

Dakota Grabowski: The surprise
announcement by Square-Enix at the Microsoft Press Conference alone puts Final
Fantasy XIII on our list. In fact, the video shown didn’t reveal anything new
nor did any of the public relations representatives at the show. So why does
Final Fantasy XIII make our list? I can tell you one reason why – more gamers
will now enjoy this beloved franchise and it may one day help change the Xbox
360’s image as a “shooter-box.”


Final Fantasy XIII

 


Bionic Commando Rearmed

Louis Bedigian: When is a remake more than
a remake? When it’s Bionic Commando Rearmed. This tougher-than-tough,
oh-no-I-just-died-again shooter is ripe with retro gameplay. When a second
player enters the game (for co-op), boss battles are instantly more difficult.
If the two players separate, the screen splits in two with a cinematic flair
that’s usually reserved for television shows, namely 24.


Fallout 3

Dakota Grabowski: From the hands-on
demonstration at the Microsoft Press Conference to actually getting our own
hands on Fallout 3, it’s evident that Fallout 3 is in the running for the
prestigious title of “Game of the Year.” Fallout 3’s immersive post-apocalyptic
world is stunning to see with your own eyes and with the hybrid gameplay being
implemented with traits of a shooter, adventure and role-playing title, Fallout
3 should light the world on fire this holiday.


Bangai-O Spirits

Louis Bedigian: Among the
graphic-intensive, severely hyped games of E3 2008 was a small title that will
undoubtedly be reserved for “niche” publicity that corresponds with its “niche”
status – Bangai-O Spirits. But make no mistake: this side-scrolling mech shooter
is a hardcore gamer’s game. Your reflexes will be tested, your endurance will be
challenged, and you will wonder if the developers themselves can beat these
stages.

Note: The preceding list was based on our
personal experiences at this year’s E3 Media & Business Summit. Due to time,
meeting and working constraints, no one journalist is able to see and play every
game on display. Therefore we wrote this list based on what we saw or got our
hands on. Not all exclusions are intentional – some highly anticipated games are
missing by default because we didn’t have the time to see them ourselves.

Also Check out
Hop’s Top 10 picks he had
from E3 2008