Broken Frontier

Now that E3 is over, let us talk about what E3 is all about … GAMES!  

With hundreds of games littering the convention floor, it felt like Christmas had come early. E3 gave convention goers a peak at what games they’ll want to unwrap for the holidays, if not sooner. While E3 can be described as a huge jungle of technology, if you looked really hard you can find a little flower patch of games that not only revolutionize the industry but redefine the world of video games altogether.

So it’s time to digest the blizzard of game trailers and playable demos to look back on the games that are a must have for a gamer like myself.

Fable
An X Box exclusive RPG. Unlike most other RPGs, Fable lets you play your character’s life from adolescent to grave. You create your life story and every action you make and everything you do affect not just your character but the whole world you’re playing in. Should you have your character eat too much, be warned he’ll have to battle obesity.  With every feat of strength you build your character’s muscle.  If you go into a town and accidentally cut another person’s arm – come back years later to the same town that person will now have a scar and may even harbor some resentment towards you. The same situation can happen to your character; get a cut and your character will be wearing a battle scar his whole entire life. Lines of experience, or what other women refer to as wrinkles, appear as your character gets older. Every person you help, every little thing you do will affect and can change your environment. You have the option of letting your character grow facial hair as he gets older, getting a tattoo, among many other personal choices.
Fable is unique to say the least. It definitely takes RPGs into an entirely different playing field. Graphically the game is breathtakingly beautiful. The release date has shifted more times than I can remember, but it’s worth the wait. Fable is definitely the unicorn of the video game industry. This is a game for all you RPG lovers.
Release Date : 9/2004

Metal Slug 3
As a remake of the classic arcade game, MS3 is retro gaming at it’s best. It’s not as flashy as other games.  In truth the graphics aren’t state of the art – graphics are pretty to look at but certainly don’t guarantee how good a game is or how much fun you’ll have anyway. Now, there are new vehicles to ride, more monsters to defeat, secret levels to play in, and bonuses that would make any fan of this classic game dizzy with happiness. A quirkier version of my beloved Contra, MS3 is just as fast paced, fun and amusing. Having a co-op mode you and a friend can have a blast shooting through each side scrolling level to get to the Evil General Modern and stop his quest for world domination. It has gratuitous violence but no blood or gore. It’s a great game for all ages.
Out In Stores.

Star Wars Knights Of The Old Republic 2 : The Sith Lords
Which side of the force are you on? From the developers of the successful games like Baulder’s Gate and Never Winter Nights, BioWare gives us what we’ve been craving for – playing out both sides to every story. Like the first KoTOR, your character’s development is dependant on the morality of choices you make. Help out another person on a side quest and you gain light side points. Or, choose to threaten another creature and gain dark side points. Your conversations will have a direct affect on the storyline. The two paths of dark side and light side will be very apparent in everything you say and do. As your character gains experience, you can gain force abilities such as Force Confusion that will cause your enemies to fight amongst themselves. This second installment is a continuation of the first but does not pick up from the last story line, so anyone who hasn’t played the original KoTOR shouldn’t feel left behind. KoTOR 2 is a whole different journey to play out, a new and exciting story to unfold, and gives you a taste of both the light side and dark side of the Force again. Depending on which side of the force your on, your companions will follow your lead. You have the power to help shape the fate of the galaxy.
Release Date : 12/2004

The Incredibles
The Incrediblesis an action/adventure game based on the upcoming Disney movie about a family of undercover super heroes. As the family tries to live a normal life, they are forced to don their spandex and save the world. Each of the 5 playable characters have their own special powers that you’ll need to use to solve puzzles, fight enemies, and race your way through 18 exciting levels. The game will launch simultaneously with the movie. This is truly a game for the whole family to enjoy.
Release Date : 10/2004

Metal Gear Solid 3 : Snake Eater
With Fable being the unicorn of video games, MGS 3 is the coming of Christ. The third installment of the series is set in a different and more unique setting than the previous MGS games, as it will be during the 1960’s and the Cold War era. Players will be given a whole new different Snake to play with. Snake Eater places players into a jungle crawling with wild life and terrorists. There will be no knocking on metal to distract enemies, no cardboard boxes to crawl under, gamers will have to rely on their camouflage to hide, their hunting skills to eat, and cunning ability to set traps for both enemies and prey. MGS has proven it is one of the best games ever; this time around Konami has given us better graphics with an interesting change of gameplay. But change is good.  
Release Date : 11/2004

There was a huge landscape of games on display at E3, and I’ve only scratched the surface. By most standards these games are some of the best. They have a lot to offer, graphically, as well as game play, and many hours of fun for any gamer.

With that I wrap up my E3 adventure. So, what games are you looking forward to?