As E3 2012 draws to a close and we recuperate from total sensory overload, I thought I would take this time to weigh in on some of what we have seen. The only problem is how in God’s name do I narrow the scope of this article so that it’s length doesn’t rival the work of Tolstoy. I am a passionate lad, especially when it comes to my video games, thus I tend to rant and ramble; much as I’m doing right now. Then it dawned on me! (que Metal Gear style exclamation point of realization) Why not just employ my favorite hackneyed practice best used when it comes to recapping anything?! That’s right muh childrens, this is my E3 2012 Top 10.

 

10.

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance- I am the consummate Metal Gear fanboy. I have been in love with the franchise since I bought Metal Gear Solid, when I was in the seventh grade. That being said I have struggled where to place this title on my list, or if I would include it at all. Let us not kid ourselves here, This is not Metal Gear! I don’t say this because Snake is not our protagonist; I say this because this game is some over the top manga inspired fantasy. Game play wise the title should be renamed Bayonetta Gaiden May Cry (admittedly it sounds less convoluted than the actual title). Yes it seems like I’m shitting on this game, but it actually looks like a hell of a lot of fun. The slicing mechanics are insanely accurate and visually it looks impressive. However as previously stated, this is not Metal Gear. I feel that the inclusion of the title will do this game a disservice in the eyes of the fans. Metal Gear purists crave Metal Gear game-play and this sword wielding cyborg power fantasy is far from tactical, espionage, action. The way Raiden handles the Gekkos with ease makes me think back to Sons of Liberty, and how much of a pain in the ass it was to take out all those Rays. I feel this Raiden could snap his fingers and short them all out. Oh how far he has come from the whiny little bitch we remember.

 

Halo 4- Let’s be honest with each other here; you didn’t think Halo 3 was really the last time we’d see Master Chief right? Halo 4 marks the beginning of a brand new trilogy in the Halo saga. The story for the latest campaign is set to begin five years after the events of Halo 3. Chief emerges from his cryo sleep having landed on a mysterious planet called requiem. Halo 4 will see Master Chief taking on a new “ancient” evil, perhaps related to the new enemy class known as Promethians (somebody is keeping up with their current Sci-fi). The crown jewel of Halo is and always will be the multiplayer experience. For Christ’s sake we have Halo to thank (or blame) for the evolution of online gaming. Halo 4 will be no exception to the franchise, as in this iteration you will build your custom Spartan warrior and essentially evolve him through a career. This will include both your typical war-game style modes as well as a Spartan ops mode, that serves as an appendix to the campaign story.

 

God of War Ascension- Wondering what Kratos was like before he was an insanely overpowered demigod? Me either but I sure as hell bet he was angry. God of War Ascension puts us in control of Kratos shortly after he murders his family (spoilers!). Ascension serves as Kratos’ journey to break his bond with Ares. The game looks beautiful, because the God of War developers always seem to be the folks to push the PS3 to its limits graphically. The game play so far is as over the top as we have come to love and expect from the series. One of the more interesting aspects of GOWA is the brand new multiplayer mode. Expanding the GOW experience onto a multiplayer platform is definitely ambitious, simply because of the chaotic nature of the combat. From what I have seen so far, it looks kinda hard to keep ones bearings straight, which of course is a nice way of saying it seems like a cluster fuck. Until I get my hands on it I can’t weigh in any further but I definitely give them an A for effort.

 

The Amazing Spiderman- I know I am not breaking new ground here when I say that licensed games have a dicey history. We can count successful video games based on movies on one hand; even fewer based on comic book characters. One of those games was 2004’s Spiderman 2. In my opinion this was the wall crawler’s last successful game. Many of you will argue Shattered dimensions with me; to which I say elements of it were successful but overall it didn’t thrill me. Last year’s edge of time was piss poor and had completely forsaken the successful elements Shattered dimensions did employ. Needless to say I am cautiously optimistic for the Amazing Spiderman (movie and game alike). In this post Arkham Asylum/ Arkham City world, I refuse anything less than the best from a super hero title, because I know how good they could be if done right. Spidey perfectly lends himself to the open world sand box style game and it was a no brainer to return to this format. The Amazing Spiderman developers must have heeded my ranting and raving since the combat controls are very reminiscent to Arkham City. Why? Cause they actually make fucking sense!

 

Resident Evil 6- This whole bath salt thang has not only left me with a craving for filthy derelict face, but also for some good ole Resident Evil fun. The new entry in Capcom’s prized series sees the return of fan favorite Leon S. Kennedy and the classic zombies we have missed. Apparently this will be the first RE where you can run and gun some zombie fuck heads. I find this to be bittersweet, because most of the franchise’s pulse pounding, ass clenching moments have come out of the frustration of the games control scheme. This of course included the static combat, which hammered home that fight or flight instinct. This will undoubtedly change the series forever and create a schism between fans. Resident Evil, like the T virus itself is constantly evolving, I loved RE 4 for its courage to do something new with the series and RE6 seems to be cut from that same cloth.

 

Hitman Absolution- Hitman Blood Money was one of the most satisfying games I had ever played. It has been far too long since we knotted up our blood red tie and had our piano wire at the ready. Fresh off a graphic and controversial trailer (which I dug btw) Hitman showed off some of its moves at E3. One of the new features for Absolution is instinct mode. This mode will mark your targets, threats, and map out their probable paths. On paper it seems like that would take some of the challenge away from the game; however I first saw this puppy in action at New York Comic Con and I was thoroughly impressed. The possibilities for eliminating your targets seem only limited by your imagination and just how sick of a fuck you are.

The Last of Us- Oh Naughty Dog…How you have made the past five years of my life so very unproductive. The Uncharted series has truly stepped up the action adventure genre. Now the developers who have brought us Drake take their shot at a survival game. The Last of Us follows Joel and Ellie, two survivors of a global pandemic, and the game chronicles their journey across the post apocalyptic country. Not only will you be pit against the infected of said pandemic but you will also be at odds with various surviving factions (with their hooray for me the hell with you attitude). Gamers will take control of Joel, with Ellie serving as your AI support. From what has been seen of Ellie thus far, I can tell you she is not your traditional bumbling AI burden. She serves as her own functional entity, delivering actual support and having the wherewithal to hide when shit hits the fan (instead of standing there like a dipshit and fucking you up). The game play showcased so far is extremely brutal in regards to the gunplay and melee combat. The violence is grounded in such reality it makes it difficult at times to watch; that is of course for normal humans. I on the other hand am a soulless desensitized bastard, so more point blank shot gun blasts to the face please! Thanks much!¬

 

Beyond: Two Souls- Quantic Dream is the innovative developer behind the games Indigo Prophecy and more notably Heavy Rain. Their latest game, Beyond: Two Souls takes place over a 15 year period in the life of a girl named Jodi. Jodi has always felt a link with a mysterious entity throughout most of her life and this game serves as her journey in understanding the mystery of what lies beyond death. Jodi is played (motion capture and voice performance) by Ellen Page. Quantic Dreams mission has always been to give the gamer a rich and interactive storytelling experience. The addition of an Oscar nominated actress truly shows that they are serious about this goal.

 

Assassins Creed 3- The time has finally come for Desmond to meet his destiny and for his arc in Ubisoft’s AC franchise to draw to a close. After three major titles as Ezio it is refreshing to have control of a new character in a completely new timeline. Set before, during, and after the American Revolution, AC3 introduces us to Connor, a young half-English half-Mohawk. AC 3 will be ripe with historical figures like George Washington, Ben Franklin and Paul Revere. Fuck with any luck maybe you will get to throw Betsy Ross a good dicking as only a descendant of Ezio could. AC 3 marks a departure for the series, which in four games has not really evolved a whole hell of a lot. New focuses have been placed on elements such as exploration. The combat system has been completely retooled, encouraging players to do more than wait for a stupid move to counter. In this latest E3 demo we saw the action being taken to the high seas, which left us beaming. Being able to captain an 18th century ship and get to some swash buckling is a welcome addition to the series.

 

Tomb Raider- The original Tomb Raider was the first game I ever brought. I played it when I didn’t even have a memory card; I’d get to the T-Rex, die and have to start over every time. I don’t know why I didn’t have a fucking memory card but I digress. Point is Lara Croft is deeply entrenched in my child hood (and adolescence…Oh 32 bit cone boobs). It is sad when the Uncharted series are better Tomb Raider games then most modern attempts at a Tomb Raider game. Don’t get me wrong I enjoyed Legend and to a lesser extent Underworld, but let’s be honest, the series needed more of a face lift than it received. Simply titled Tomb Raider, this latest game developed by crystal dynamics and published by Square Enix is set to be Lara’s “Batman Begins”; the reimagining the character deserves for a new decade. We will see the development of a frightened young woman struggling to survive into the hardened Tomb Raider we all know and love.