 By Jeremy Azevedo
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New games are all fine and good, but I’d be lying to myself (and to all of you) if I tried to front like I don’t get caught up in the hype of a good sequel like everyone else. |
This year’s E3 was a smorgasborg of tasty sequels, with everyone from Commander Shepard and Big Daddy to Harry Mason and Samus Aran showing their faces at the event. Here’s a rundown of some of the most exciting sequels announced at E3:
Halo 3: ODST – Bungie – Xbox 360
You can’t really go wrong with Halo. This is the franchise that catapulted Microsoft into the gaming big leagues, after all. In Halo 3: ODST, Bungie has kept most everything that makes the series great, dispensed with the linearity and added in a dash of mystery to flesh out the single player campaign a little more. Not to say that they slacked off on the multiplayer: That particular mode is so robust that it has to be packaged on it’s own separate disc, in addition to the Gears of War-esque “Firefight” mode that’s included on the main disc. My only hope is that they finally introduce some new enemy types this time, getting kind of tired of shooting the same bugs and brutes for the last seven or eight years.
God of War 3 – SCEA – PS3
God of War 3 is the final bloody chapter of the popular god-slaying series that pushed the boundaries of what was possible on the PS2. It feels a little late in the game for Sony to finally be trotting this out on the PS3, but at least they took their time and did it right. GOW3 keeps the deep and challenging gameplay intact, while adding tons of new abilities to Kratos’ repertoire. The game’s plot promises to bring the fight to Mount Olympus, where Kratos and the Titans will battle it out with the Greek Gods for all the marbles. If this game is half as good as it looks like it’s gonna be, Sony might even sell a few PS3’s for once.
Lost Planet 2 – Capcom - Xbox 360, PS3
Lost Planet 2 trades the snow theme for more of a tropical jungle theme, but keeps all the giant bugs and boss fights intact. Also new to the series is squad combat and giant, four man Vital Suits for taking on the really big monsters. Capcom extended the leveling system that rewards points to the player for completing objectives to the single player and multiplayer campaigns. These points can then be traded for, I’m guessing, new player skins, weapons and possibly multiplayer maps. If you like the first Lost Planet, basically just think “bigger” and “more colorful” and you’ve got the idea. And by colorful, I mean you shoot your way out of a bug’s ass from the inside. Yep. Exactly that colorful.
