E3 2010

Surprises are never in short supply during E3 week, and this year was no exception. One of the titles that caught our own Sterling McGarvey a bit off guard was Sony’s rhythm-based sequel Patapon 3. Ear-splitting booth noise aside, Sterling still came away sufficiently intrigued:

“The only way I could maintain any time logged in during my minute or two of gameplay was to tap my own foot to the rhythm of the flashing light bar amidst all of the noise of game trailers, PlayStation ads, and gameplay demos going on around me. Fundamentally, however, the drum-based mechanics are still quite intact.”

Check out Sterling's full Patapon 3 E3 2010 preview for more.

Funnyman and Monkey Island mastermind Ron Gilbert wants you to try out his upcoming Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 game DeathSpank. Is it actually worth it? Is there a story? Is there any actual spanking involved? Alexandra Hall checked out the game at E3, and she got some of the details.

"Deathspank, the game’s protagonist, is a fellow who has always just known that he should be a hero. He lives in a world of incredibly lazy people, who, as they notice Deathspank lending a hand, are happy to take more and more advantage of him. There’s also some grander plot involving a hunt for The MacG ... err, Artifact."

So gird your loins and head to the E3 2010 DeathSpank Preview to find out what this game is all about.

Maybe you don't play a lot of "Art" games, but maybe you should start. Maybe you should open your mind and your eyes and try to expand your perceptions. A good place to start is upcoming XBLA title Limbo. Alexandra Hall tried to get some answers about the game from its developers, as well as trying it out, and here's what she said:

You know you’re talking to an offbeat developer when they answer your questions with lines like, 'Hmm, what do you think?' and 'I would prefer not to answer your questions, unless you force me...'

Check out the rest of our Limbo preview from E3 2010, right here.

The idea of actually entrusting your life to a computer-controlled character that isn’t named Alyx Vance might repulse you, or even conjure up images of the inevitable humans vs. machines revolution that's on the horizon. However, don’t let that get in the way of you keeping an eye on Ninja Theory’s upcoming AI partner-based adventure title Enslaved: Odyssey to the West. After all, I should know. I played it at E3 last week:

“Because the game puts such an emphasis on teamwork between Animal and Trip, you will encounter situations where you will have to provide cover for the AI-controlled Trip in order to move her into position. One of the ways to do this is to yell at enemies, crude I know, but it works. Then, when the enemies focus their fire on you, you simply tell Trip to move and she’s make her way to your position.”

Grab your nearest pal, and check out the full Enslaved: Odyssey to the West E3 2010 hands-on preview.

MMA is a little like a delicious combination of professional wrestling and cock-fighting -- blood sport at its best! Check out this trailer for EA Sports MMA, a combat game where consistency and timing count more than memorizing button pushes.

Here's a screenshot gallery for you.

Creative play meets an age-appropriate adventure in Lego Universe, where for the first time, kids (and those who still feel like kids) can immerse themselves in an MMO where they must save the universe from chaos. Alexandra Hall previewed Lego Universe at E3 2010, who discovered a lot of fun came--unsurprisingly--with putting together Legos:

"For my money, Lego Universe’s best element is its building system. The first building tasks are simplified, either auto-assembling or guided by outlines. But eventually you’ll unlock a free-building space, and that’s when all those blocks you’ve been collecting come in handy. You can use templates and pre-made models or start with a blank slate, and the possibilities seem robust. You’ll be able to share your creations with others, should you choose, so long as they pass the various moderation systems."

Yellow plastic figures run amock in this E3 2010 Lego Universe preview!

G4's Jake "The Gasser" Gaskill knows fitness; where some men have a six-pack, Jake has an 18 pack! So he was a natural choice to preview Ubisoft's Your Shape: Fitness Evolved. Here's part of his heart-rate-raising preview:

"The entire demo session had a soothing air about it, and that's clearly the point. The menus, the calming voice of your trainer, the twinkling soundtrack, and the entire presentation is meant to put you in a calm and relaxed state before engaging in a series of health conscious activities. Clearly, this isn’t meant for shooter fans, but its intended audience will surely find plenty of value in it"

Read the rest of Jake's preview right here.

It brings me great relief to say that E3 2010 is finally over. This year was a doozy, though, and despite the back-to-back live editions of Feedback during the show itself, we're heading into the studio this week to talk much more about our reactions to everything that went down during the show. Thus, readers, if you'd like to have your question read on the air this week, stick to E3 2010!

G4's resident futbol fanboy Sterling McGarvey got a chance to check out  Pro Evolution Soccer 2011, and he was very impressed with the game's trick system. Here's a taste of Sterling's preview:

"Arguably the coolest things I saw was the revised trick system. Instead of rather uniform stepovers, which you can still do with the right stick, you can pre-program a set of special moves and chain them together. So, for example, you can set up a feint into a rainbow flick and your player will string the move together. An arsenal of cool-looking, but very useful moves could go a long way if this system works. It’s no longer about being flashy and showing off now."

Check out the rest of out E3 2010 Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 preview.

It's been a long time coming, but Nintendo finally gave Link lovers a proper look at the much anticipated The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword during their E3 press conference. Our own Kevin Kelly braved the maddening crowds to get some hands-on time with the game, and here's what he had to say:

"The controls aren't that complicated, but they do take some getting used to. Here are the basics: shake the nunchuck to pull out your shield and sword and hold them at the ready, and wave your MotionPlus enabled Wiimote around for 1:1 sword action (more on that in a second). Link can slash up, down, diagonally, and all that jazz, and you can even hold your sword triumphantly aloft."

Check out the entirety of our The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword preview from E3 2010.

Crysis 2 is looking pretty amazing, and this time, you won't need a $5,000 PC to get it working; the game is coming to consoles too. But you will need a pair of 3D glasses to get the full effect of the game.

Here's a sliver of what are own Kevin Kelly has to say about it:

"Well, we're seeing Crysis 2 through 3D glasses! Just when I was ready to say that 3D was an annoying fad (except for the Nintendo 3DS, which I love), this game comes along and blows me away with its 3D graphics. This game is seriously gorgeous in two dimensions, but the 3D is very impressive. Rather than going for the 3D that pops off the screen at you, Crytek is making Crysis 2 concave, meaning that the graphics appear to extend into the screen. Instead of shock value, they've gone for realism, and it's most noticeable when you're aiming down the sights of a weapon. You'll feel like you're looking through a window into the world of Crysis 2."
 

Take a look at our E3 2010 preview of Crysis 2.

How many Spider-Men do you need to make an awesome video game? No one knows the exact number yet, but the makers of Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions  are betting on four. G4's Alexandra Hall got her hands on the game at E3 2010, and here's a small taste of her preview:

"Each Spider-Fellow has his own nickname and style. The Spider-Man we're all familiar with is referred to as "Amazing" Spider-Man, and he excels at agile, web-based combat (one of his key abilities is instantaneously forming giant axes and the like from webbing). "Noir" Spidey focuses on stealth, with great sneaking abilities and a surprising variety of stealth-kill options. The last currently known wallcrawler is "2099," a futuristic, free-falling daredevil who can glide on webbed wings and seems skilled in aerial combat. (In the E3 demo he plunged through a vertical corridor in pursuit of a very cool-looking Green Goblin, to whom he latched on and administered a mid-air beatdown.)"

Check out the rest of Alexandra's E3 2010 Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions preview.

OnLive is On, Live right now. The no-console gaming service promising games from The Cloud launched in the U.S. last week, and we've got the pricing information for ya. The range of pricing options includes rentals that last a few days, and an unlimited pass that's good until at least June 2013.

Below the cut, you will find a list of the games that are available, their prices, and the length of the license.

Read More »

E3 may have happened last week, but we'll be bringing you a ton of previews of games we played at the show. Case-in-point: Sterling McGarvey's early look at the next God of War game! Here's how Sterling described God of War: Ghost of Sparta:

"If God of War III hasn't satisfied your urges for more Kratos action, Ghost of Sparta not only appears to be a worthy sequel to Chains of Olympus, but also a suitable section of the series canon. This is definitely a game to watch in the coming months."

Check out our E3 2010 God of War: Ghost of Sparta preview.

So E3 is totally over now. You've seen the press conferences, read the game previews, and otherwise digested the show. So I gotta ask: Who won?

I realize it's an exhibition and not a competition, but still, I think Nintendo kicked ass. The big buzz/crowds at the show were all about Nintendo. The 3DS garnered the most excitement. But that's just my opinion. What do you think?