E3 2012

Dust 514 is an MMOFPS set in the Eve Online universe. Set for release exclusively on the PlayStation 3 this fall, Dust 514 is looking pretty cool so far, but really, you'll have to educate yourself and make a final decision. In order to help you form an opinion, we went hands on with the game at E3 2012.

From our Dust 514 Preview: 

"The demo started in the Merc Quarters, which is basically the area where you'll set up your Mercenary’s fittings and learn new skills. Fittings are kind of like loadouts, and similar to ship hulls in Eve Online. They're player built and customizable based on your playstyle. Skill training in Dust 514 is also similar to Eve's, a passive process that takes real-world time.

The Merc Quarters are also linked to the Marketplace, an area where you can buy weapons, boosts, gear, vehicles, turrets, and more, for both real-world money currency, Aurum, and in-game currency, Isk. You won't have to worry about people buying power in Dust either, as the Aurum items aren't any better than the items you'd get with Isk, they just have different stats."

Read the rest of our hands-on Dust 514 Preview!

In this Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time gameplay demo from E3 2012, Sanzaru Games President, Glen Egan gives Morgan Webb an anthropomorphic raccoon history lesson. 

As pages from the Thievus Raccoonus disappear, Sly Cooper and the gang must travel back in time to restore the legacy of the Cooper Clan.  In the process, Sly will encounter his ancestors (where they will become playable characters) from England to Japan.  Longtime favorites, Murray, Bentley and Carmelita Fox will also be playable characters.

As an added bonus, Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time has Sony's "Cross-Save" feature that allows a player to save a game to the cloud from the PlayStation 3 and continue playing it on the PlayStation Vita.

Become a thieving rodent in the Fall 2012 on PS3 and PS Vita.

Often the problem with racing games is that they offer little in the way of replayability, but when we got a look at Forza Horizon on the showfloor of E3 2012, we found that what the developers has in store was robust and seemingly endless. In conjunction with Turn 10 Studios, Playground Games has taken over for this installment, and all signs point to them picking up where the beloved franchise left off.

From our Forza Horizon E3 2012 Preview:

"As any fan of Forza would expect, the gameplay is just as tight and fantastic as any previous title. In my hands-on demo of the game I found the controls to be intuitive and terrain changes subtle but noticeable enough to lend realism to the driving. While this quality of driving is greatly appreciated in a race, it’s even more delightful when simply out for an afternoon drive…up a canyon in Colorado. . .in a Dodge Viper. . .at 110 mph.

Forza Horizon is less of a racing game and more of an experience. Though Fulton insists on calling it an “action-racing game,” with the incorporation of great tunes (headed up by London DJ Rob da Bank, who actually does organize summer music festivals in the UK) and spectacular visuals, the game will likely not feel like something that needs to be beaten, but simply something that needs to be played."

For the rest of the scoop, read our entire Forza Horizon Preview!

Medal of Honor Warfighter is a follow-up to 2010's reboot of the Medal of Honor series. Warfighter exists in the competitive market of first-person shooters, but developer Danger Close aims to set the game apart for its competition by focusing on the multiplayer this time around.

We got to take the revamped multiplayer for a spin at E3 2012. From our Medal of Honor Warfighter Preview:

"Whether or not the single player will make serious innovations or changes is yet to be seen. However, the multiplayer seems to be where Danger Close is focusing the majority of their energy. Featured heavily is the attention to detail and variety of Special Forces you can choose to fight as. Warfighter gives the player the unprecedented ability to choose to play as operators from a dozen different countries including Poland and Australia.

Among these, players can choose one of six classes, all with different abilities—some active and some passive.One class has a tank feature that allows additional armor when taking damage. Another does 20% more damage with bullets. My favorite class’ ability is simply a noob tube. And though I didn’t see it, I was told there would be extensive weapon customization. This is furthered by the fact that many countries use unique variations of common guns. Also, I got to see some badass ordinance, including a spider-mine that operates like a spider web version of a claymore, and a UAV-guided mortar."

To find out the rest of the specs, read our Medal of Honor Warfighter Preview!

David Cage and his company Quantic Dream are back with the new adventure Beyond: Two Souls. This PlayStation 3 exclusive from the makers of Heavy Rain explores the themes of death and the spiritual afterlife. That sounds very serious, but really, it boils down to being able to control ghosts.

From our Beyond: Two Souls E3 2012 Preview:

"Jody Holmes has a special gift. She has a link with an invisible force that no one can see. I'm not entirely sure Jody can see him, she simply may be able to sense his presence. Aiden has been with Jody since she was a child. Jody isn't sure what Aiden is, and neither do we. He could be a spirit, a ghost (they are totes different) or even a guardian angel.  And in a way, he's all of those things. Despite not being visible, tangible, he has emotions. He can be protective and kind, but he's jealous and quick to lash out in violence against anyone, even Jody."

Find out more about the game in our Beyond: Two Souls E3 2012 Preview!

If you heard the team behind Scribblenauts was creating another game, you wouldn't necessarily assume it was a multiplayer-focused third-person shooter; however, 5th Cell is full of surprises. Straying completely away from the puzzle genre, Hybrid is set to hit Xbox LIVE Arcade this summer and we got our hands on it at E3 2012.

From our Hybrid Preview: 

"Built from the ground up as an arcade title, Hybrid is a third-person shooter with a solitary focus on multiplayer. Taking the idea of cover-based combat to an extreme, Hybrid only allows players to move to and from cover; there is no time during which your character is running around. Aiming at a wall or barrier highlights it, and one button will prompt your character to fly toward it. You can also shift around areas already offering cover, strafing around enemies that may be nearby. When your character is flying in between cover he can shoot enemies, but it is quite a bit more difficult."

Read the rest of our Hybrid Preview!

The recently announced New Super Mario Bros. U will allow five players to compete at once. I know what you're thinking: playing four players in New Super Mario Bros. Wii was chaotic enough! Rest assured, the fifth person on the Wii U GamePad can actually help everyone else's gameplay experience by manipulating levels.

We take a look at the new feature in our New Super Mario Bros. Wii U Preview:

"While up to four characters can be on screen at once in New Super Mario Bros. U, a fifth person can join in via the game's nifty Boost Mode. Boost Mode utilizes the new Wii U controller and allows players to place block platforms wherever they touch on the screen. If you only have two people playing, for example if you're a parent who's teaching your kid to play the game, Boost Mode would be perfect because you could put a platform over a gap to save a character from potentially falling through. More malicious players can also use Boost Mode to trap their friends in a rough spot, getting them killed, which is always humorous in a game like this."

Whether you use the Wii U GamePad to be nice or nefarious is up to you. Reading the rest of Leah's New Super Mario Bros. U hands-on preview, however, is not optional.

Rise up and lead your army to our Pikmin 3 hands-on preview straight from E3 2012. We embarked on a journey to the Nintendo E3 booth to test out the Wii U launch title and what did we discover? Rock Pikmin and Wii U GamePad controls! The gameplay remains familar, and, as Pikmin fans, that's exactly what we've been waiting for.

From our E3 2012 Pikmin Preview:

Nothing shown significantly mixes up the franchise formula in any capacity. The rock Pikmin (which cause additional damage and shatter objects on impact) don’t really change the gameplay, and while the GamePad’s minimap and end-of-level replay feature are appreciated, they’re merely bonuses.

The seven-year wait for Miyamoto's next entry into the Pikmin series is almost over. In the meantime, click on over to that Pikmin 3 preview.

The upcoming Kinect-enabled game Fable: The Journey looks like it's shaping up to be an exciting new entry into the beloved franchise. Our own Jake Gaskill took a look at the game on the show floor of E3 2012. Here's an excerpt from his Fable: The Journey Hands-On E3 2012 Preview:

"As The Journey is a fully fledged Fable game, exploration plays a big part in the experience. Traversing the vast expanses of Albion on foot would pose certain logistical and technological problems, so your horse and buggy will be your primary mode of transportation in the game. So move you simply flick your hands at the screen and the virtual reins snap your horse into action. Light flicks are preferable unless you feel like being that guy who whips his horse until it bleeds and scars and despises you."

Interested yet? Read the rest of our Fable: The Journey Preview!

The sequel to the Rayman Origins reboot was announced by Ubisoft at E3 2012 and it's coming exclusively to the Nintendo Wii U. Our Rayman Legends preview takes a look at the return of Rayman's return. Using the Wii U GamePad and Wii U Pro Controller, Leah Jackson goes hands-on with the colorful and whacky game in this Rayman Legends preview:

"Platforming has never looked as good as it does in Rayman Legends. The whimsical adventure game was recently unveiled by Ubisoft during E3 2012, and after our first hands-on demo with the Wii U version of the beautiful game, we were blown away by its simple yet elegant controls, sound, and of course, top-notch visuals."

Rayman Legends is set for Wii U's launch window, which hopefulyl means we'll be playing as the armless adventurer and his pal Murphy before the end of the year. In the meantime, hop on over to our Rayman Legends preview.

After two days of E3 2012 coverage on G4, it's finally your chance to lead the discussion. Feedback's 2-hour live E3 extravaganza has begun and we're streaming every minute of it for you. Blair Herter and all of your G4 favorites, like Morgan Webb and Jessica Chobot, will be speaking with industry pros like Randy Pitchford, Rod Fergusson, and Robert Bowling. Of course it wouldn't be Feedback without you! You can send in your questions to us on Twitter with the hashtag #E3Feedback, on G4tv's Facebook, or right here.

Click the read more tag to participate in a live chat during the show!

Read More »

Our Halo 4 Spartan Ops Mode preview from E3 2012 reveals that the highly anticipated Xbox 360 game will get free weekly co-op content after the Halo 4 November 6, 2012 release date. Best of all, you and your buddy will see this co-op-centric continuing storyline mode for "months rather than weeks," according to Microsoft. The Spartan Ops content won’t expire, allowing you to replay the content as much as you’d like as long as you’re still an Xbox Live subscriber.

“The plan as 343 lays it out is to deliver weekly content updates that amount to five bite-sized missions for up to four players, plus one cinematic cutscene that lays out the underlying narrative driving a given week's scenario. Our behind closed doors E3 2012 demo took the form of a ground infantry combat mission, though fans can expect to enjoy the full gamut of Halo experiences, including vehicle-oriented missions and perhaps a few surprises that have yet to be revealed, as Spartan Ops unfolds.”

You’ll want to make sure that you and your best friend renew Xbox Live Gold on or before the Halo 4 release date in time for this new Spartan Ops mode. You’ll also want to find out more information about the new modes from our Halo 4 preview.

Our Counter-Strike: Global Offensive hands-on preview reminded us that Valve's classic FPS game is almost 13 years old. Can you believe it? You'll be able to properly celebrate this addictive Half-Life mod's entrance into teenage years with Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, which G4's Leah Jackson got to play at E3 2012:

"For our demo we played a casual 5v5 match on the classic de_dust map on the Counter-Terrorist side. There will be 16 total maps when the game launches, eight classic maps and eight brand new ones. If you're not familiar with Counter-Strike, on defusal type maps like de_dust it's up to the Counter-Terrorists to either kill all of the Terrorists before they can plant a bomb, or to defuse the bomb before time runs out. Communication is key in CS: GO, so you know where your enemies are, which site the bomb's heading to, and who's going to defuse the bomb if you make it there."

CS: GO doesn't hit "GO" until August 21, 2012. That frees up your schedule to read her hands-on preview.

E3 isn't all about big console games; it's time to check out our Hell Yeah preview from E3 2012, where we visited the showroom floor for a close look at the 2D platformer indie game. Hell Yeah seems appropriately named, with a story line of "sheer, unadulterated exuberance."

"The player controls a prince of Hell, who seems to have a…well…thing…for his rubber ducky, Duckator. An embarrassing video of said prince and said ducky is filmed, and uploaded to the Internet (Hell comes with a fiber optic network, apparently), where exactly one hundred demons have seen it. The only solution? Kill those one hundred demons, to restore his honor and pride. The story is obviously ludicrous, and the developers have noted that any plot sequences inserted into the game simply serve as a chance to tell a few jokes."

Read the full Hell Yeah preview here. Who's in the mood for some tongue-in-cheek indie games?

Your Need for Speed Most Wanted gameplay demo is here with Criterion's Steve Cuss, Morgan Webb and Kevin Pereira from E3 2012.  But don't call it a comeback, call it a re-boot. 

Ever want to be wanted?  With NFS Most Wanted you will be.  Start at the bottom and work your way to the top of the social ladder of the racing world.  Friends in the game will compete for speed points which will determine who is the most wanted.  You have the freedom to do whatever you want, go wherever you want and to drive as fast as you want in the open world created by EA's Criterion.  The classic arcade racing style chosen for this game offers you sixty cars to choose from so you can explore and drive with reckless abandon.  When you factor in tracking of speed tests, online events, collectibles, jumps, drifts and speed gates you will get chased by the cops (although unlikely they will catch up to you) and get points for that too.

"It's in Criterion's DNA to take something beautiful and smash it up," so if that is your thing, watch the Need for Speed Most Wanted Gameplay Demo to hold you over until October 30, 2012 when the game comes out on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, PC, iOS, and Android devices.