Games we need to see at E3

by dkpatriarch

© 2009 David Hilton:- 2IC-Sub Editor

Updated as we get more information (see below).  For Part 2 click here.

We get some game announcement that attracts our attention, or perhaps some images or video footage, and then the game simply… disappears?  The most famous example in gaming, of course, is Duke Nukem, but there have been a number of titles this generation that have ‘gone walkabout’ as we say here in Oz and I’m hoping that some of them reappear at this year’s E3, now less than a month away.

Is vaporware increasing due to economic pressures? Interestingly not one of the following games is a sequel.  So, here are 12 of the games gone Missing In Action (MIA) but feel free to add to the list in the comments section below the article.

To End All Wars

This title was originally announced in 2007 by UK- based video game publisher Ghostlight Ltd. for a release in October 2008.  That was quite some time ago, obviously, and rumours have had the game coming out early this year but so far nothing.

The game studio working on the game, Kuju, describes the shooter: “Set in the war-torn trenches of World War I Europe, To End All Wars will deliver unrivalled atmosphere and realism” and “no two battles will be the same and game maps will feature a massive variety of terrain”.  The screenshots looked like they needed polish, but the premise was promising.  Has the Great War already ended or will we see it flare up again at E3?

Update: Seems Gaslight Games now has Xbox 360 missing from its list of platforms it supports – odd?

Faith And A .45

This one, from Denmark independent studio Deadline Games, (also responsible for the 2 Watchmen games) looks to take some Gears of War style cover and shoot gameplay and mix it with a romantic road movie storyline.  The story of two outlaw lovers in a re-imagined depression-era America, fighting to survive against a corrupt oil-man and his men, certainly seems original.  It intends to be a gritty co-op shooter with an atmospheric cinematic quality.

The game takes the unlucky Bonnie and Clyde-styled couple, Luke and Ruby, across 1930s America fighting against a “dark army of steel-plated vehicles, and armour-clad pyromaniacs”.  The fact that they are a couple is important to the game as Ruby will apparently give a “kiss of life” to Luke if he falls in battle to revive him and kisses as rewards for good work.

They really want the characters to ‘need’ each other and the player not to have a side-kick he/she doesn’t care about.  “Since we at Deadline have our roots in movie production, we value original stories, settings and characters very highly,” said CEO Chris Mottes.

The problem is, as with many smaller studios who deserve more attention, they can’t find a publisher in the current economic environment, and the game is shelved.  Will a publisher reveal that they have the rights at E3 and give this promising game the “kiss of life”?  I sure hope so.

Update E3′09: This game is on indefinite hold as they search for a publisher.  Come on publishers…it’s a buyers market!!

Highlander

The premise of a 2000 year old immortal warrior makes for a perfect time-travelling video game with a great variety of game settings in different time periods.  From New York to feudal Japan in the shadow of Mount Fuji and on to what promises to be a very interesting new game environment, Roman Pompeii during the eruption, this game had me very excited.

Announced  by Eidos in January 2008 with an eye-catching trailer, it went missing shortly after.  The latest is that the game, a third-person action game featuring a previously unknown Immortal, Owen MacLeod, as the main character, will be released in March 2010.  With Square-Enix taking over Eidos late last month, will the game really see the light?  Or will it be violently beheaded?  Hopefully we’ll get some answers at E3. Check out Highlanders Official Website for more information.

Atari are handling the publishing/distribution of the game

Alan Wake

Yes there has been confirmation that the game is still being produced, but man oh man we’ve seen and heard very little proof (or not enough anyway!) and this game needs to be at E3 with a very good gameplay showing. This game has been a long time coming but hopefully it will be released this year.

The Pacific Northwest, with its logging towns, great massive treed forests, and tiny fishing villages should provide a variety of excellent environments for a psychological action thriller game about a writer who has trouble sleeping but starts to pen a thriller he doesn’t remember writing that also happens to be coming true.  Spooky and cool.

Microsoft and Remedy have to show us that this exciting game is coming soon and wake us from the vaporware nightmare. Visit Alan Wake Official website for more information on the game.

Update E3′09: This game made a big splash at E3 and is firmly back on the radar!  Thank goodness! Release date sometime in 2010.

Theseis

This 3rd person puzzle game by Greek Studio Track 7 Games looks like something different and largely missing from the 360. From modern Athens the characters of this adventure game explore ancient mysteries with environments that are both modern and ancient.

The game’s website is still active but the last entry made was a year ago, and this game also seems to lack a publisher.  The 360 needs a good Broken Sword-like adventure, so here’s hoping a publisher comes to the rescue and we see it again at E3.

UPDATE (12/05/09): There are now rumours that the game has been canned.  If so this is not surprising, but disappointing.  Surely there was a publisher that could see the potential?

Crusaders: Invasion of Constantinople

Not much is known about this “deep action adventure game with an RPG touch” set in 12th century Constantinople (present day Istanbul) by French game studio Kylotonn. It was announced in 2007, but all is quiet now.  With Assassin’s Creed moving into the Renaissance, the Crusades is still a rich period to set an action game.

If they can make the game’s primary location, Constantinople, medieval Europe’s bridge between West and East, come alive, then I’m sold. Another little guy who has to struggle to be competitive against the big studios who largely remake similar games in an economic environment gone bad, their website is also still active, but the last screenshot was posted in July 2008.

I very much hope this game gets up and running and that we see something at E3, but I’m not holding my breath.

Hydrophobia

Hydrophobia is set onboard the Queen of the World (no doubt a homage to the movie Titanic and the over-used quote ‘I’m the King of the world!’). It is the largest cruise ship ever constructed. The area between the hulls resembles a city – it has schools, universities, even a football stadium. You can live there if you are super rich, which sounds good to me: visit exotic ports by day and return to a city every night. It’s virtually a mini country, like a floating Vatican City- but its religion is money. No taxes and no prying Big Government here. And lots of water. Sounds like a winner…a city that turns into a waterpark when terrorists show up to spoil the party.

The game is being made by Blade Interactive who showed a trailer last E3 but the release date of March this year has passed, and not much news has been forthcoming since.  Since the game is supposed to already have a sequel for it planned, we’d better see something at this year’s E3!

The Crossing

What happens if the Renaissance never occurs and medieval monk-knights the Templars never get killed off? Well Arkane studios thinks they would seize control of France and you would have a Paris that advances with medieval influences in both architecture and ideas and they do this through their game The Crossing. So you have two settings; normal modern Paris and an alternate reality Paris where things are very different.

I think it’s a great concept with lots of interesting environmental possibilities. Except this First Person Shooter has gone missing….or was released in an alternate reality where alternate me is playing it.

Their website has lots of interesting screenshots, but no news on a release date (even in the forum where some devoted gamers are begging).  Maybe E3 will bring us something ‘real’?

UPDATE (16/05/09): With E3 just around the corner we’ve heard more information about this game too.  Apparently it has been put on hold due to “unexpected financial challenges”.  Again I find this unfortunate because the crossplay idea and the alternate time setting were intriguing.

Edge Of Twilight

Here’s a local Australian game being produced by studio Fuzzyeyes for publisher SouthPeak Interactive that combines third-person platforming with hack ‘n slash; sort of like Devil May Cry, but in a steampunk fantasy world.

It is based around 5 characters, the main one being Lex, a halfbreed who can travel between the two realms of Day and Night. Then there’s Athern Guard, Majestic Lithern, Tainted Warrior and Tainted Bruiser. You’ll find their specific details on the website as well as some downloads and further information.

It’s another title that has been around in construction (as is their website…) for awhile (2007) that is supposed to come out this year.  E3 will be their big chance to grab some interest and get it off the MIA list.

Update E3′09: This game is back on the radar with an appearance at E3 and a new trailer here.

The Outsider

Washington D.C. provides a great backdrop to political intrigue in a game promising to allow more freedom of choice and difference in storyline depending on your actions. Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard that before too, but Fable 2 was a start.  It is supposed to come late this year.

Game studio Frontier (who are now hiring btw) is going for a ‘unique experience with The Outsider, using a dynamic world and story’. You are John Jameson, ex-CIA officer framed in the assassination of the President of the United States. All so very Jack Bauer-ish. Apparently there will be a lot of NPCs running around too, making the environment more realistic and interesting. Hopefully this game will combine a replayable game with multiple possibilities in an environment that is fresh and alive. So maybe a more interesting sandbox-like game with actual stories instead of ‘fetch this, protect that, find, chase and kill this and that’?

There’s an ‘outsider’ chance we’ll see this one at E3 (sorry….).

2 Days To Vegas

How long has this game apparently been in production?  2 Days To Vegas has been in production – since 2003!  I’d have given up on this one except it has recently resurfaced and has a 360 and PC  release date of 2009, and a PS3 one of 2010.

Game studio Steel Monkeys are creating a third-person action adventure game about one brother (a recently release convict -sigh- how original) going to Vegas to help out another brother in trouble.  The game takes place over 48 hours during the journey from New York (sigh) to Vegas.  If it really is coming this year, we should see it at E3.

Dead Island

Dreaming of a holiday on a tropical island full of drooling raging zombies (no, not the druged-out backpacker variety)?  Studio Techland have been working since 2006 on Dead Island.

It’s a sandbox first-person view survival horror game where the protagonist is trying to find his wife on a zombie-infested island.  Think Lost (because you crash on the island and there are human factions) meets lots of zombies….stuff the ‘black smoke’!

The chance to kill zombies on a tropical island sounds interesting, as is its focus on melee combat over shooting. The game is supposed to be released this year, so again we need to see something at E3 to believe that.

To read PART 2, with 10 more games gone MIA, click HERE.

© 2009 David Hilton:- 2IC-Sub Editor

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Many may view an action game wearing the Watchmen name with skepticism, and this is certainly understandable. Alan Moore’s original 12-issue series, published by DC comics in the late 1980s, hardly conformed to norms of the superhero genre. To a slightly lesser extent, this holds true for Zack Snyder’s recently released film adaptation as well, upon which the game is based. Watchmen has been described as a deconstruction of the superhero genre, and to place characters and backdrop of such a franchise into a brutal beat-em-up is certainly deserving of skepticism. But upon actually playing Watchmen: The End is Nigh, fans may find themselves surprised: the franchise’s essence is surprisingly well-preserved here. In addition, the game features solid mechanics and some slick production values.

Watchmen: The End is Nigh is set over 10 years before events of the comic/film, back when Rorschach and Night Owl were partners, battling gang-related crime in the streets of New York. Fans of the comic may recall a scene in which the two briefly reminisced over a battle against a villain named Underboss, and that’s what the story here is about. During a prison riot, Underboss manages to escape and it’s up to Rorschach and Night Owl to track him down again. It’s a very simple story, made enjoyable by a surprisingly well-written script that was penned by none other than Len Wein, a name likely familiar to comic book aficionados. Wein has been writing comics for some time, and his more notable credits include the creation of the New X-Men, a run on The Amazing Spider-Man, and Swamp Thing. Aside from the dialogue in the cutscenes, Rorschach and Night Owl frequently exchange words during the course of levels, and it’s often quite good – so good it’s too bad there isn’t more of it. The dialogue is enhanced by a top-notch presentation, with cutscenes done in a style that emulates the art style seen in the original comic series, and voicework provided by Patrick Wilson and Jackie Earle Haley, the actors who played Night Owl and Rorschach, respectively, in the film adaptation. The feeling of authenticity here is impressive – it feels like a legitimate side-story to Watchmen rather than a lame excuse to throw together an action game.

The gameplay is simple, straightforward, and enjoyable. In their quest to track down Underboss, Rorschach and Night Owl travel through New York’s alleyways, amusement parks, and sewers, taking down never-ending hoards of thugs. The mechanics are fairly standard beat-em-up fare: the player has fast attacks, heavy attacks, throws, and plenty of finger-twisting combination attacks at their disposal. In addition, there is a heavy dependence on counter-moves, which gives the combat some parallels to Assassin’s Creed. Surprisingly, the game manages to avoid devolving into a button-mashing frenzy. Enemies tend to block normal attacks, and combination attacks require slower, timed button presses to pull off. Enemies with weapons will dish out massive damage, so counter-moves are necessary in order to disarm them, and also to simply stay alive when faced with dozens of enemies at a time.

Baseball bats = awesome

The two playable characters handle fairly differently: Rorschach employs the down-and-dirty fighting style that Watchmen fans would imagine, with fast, brutal attacks and the ability to take down multiple foes at a time. He also has the ability to steal and use his foes’ weapons, which include crude objects such as wrenches, baseball bats, and jackknives. It’s worth noting that plowing into a group of thugs with a baseball bat, taking each of them down with a single hit, is incredibly satisfying. His finishing moves, which can occasionally be performed after an enemy has taken enough damage, are shockingly brutal and gory: Rorschach breaks arms, cuts throats, and crushes the skulls of his foes. On the other hand, Night Owl’s fighting style is more finessed, with slower, stronger attacks and a heavier focus on one-on-one combat. He doesn’t have the ability to steal and use weapons, and his finishing moves aren’t nearly as brutal either, although they still look great.

The combat is fast, brutal, and manages not to become overly repetitive. It would have been nice to see more variety in the gameplay, however, because the combat is practically all the game has to offer. Occasionally the player will have to pull a lever or two, but that’s about it. It’s also worth noting that the enemy A.I is terrible, which manages to cheapen the challenge from time to time. The game only lasts a paltry four to five hours, but in truth this may be a good thing. A shame, because with some more varied mission design and a few more boss battles, The End is Nigh could have been a truly impressive beat-em-up. As it stands, it’s solid and fun, but nothing spectacular.

Graphically, The End is Nigh is possibly the most impressive-looking downloadable title ever released. Character models for Rorschach and Night Owl look spectacular; impressive detail and rich textures go hand-in-hand with some smooth animations in combat, bringing the characters to life. The environments look great as well, with some truly impressive detail to be found if the time is taken to look. The heavy rain that constantly falls on New York City looks great, and light and shadow effects are done brilliantly. A minor complaint is that most of the environments are a little too dark, occasionally to the point where the action onscreen is almost entirely blacked out. There’s an in-game brightness adjustor, and the player will likely find it necessary to turn it up a notch. The graphics truly manage to capture the gritty Watchmen aesthetic that was originally set down by the comic series, and that in itself is an accomplishment.

Sound is worth mentioning as well: the voicework for Rorschach and Night Owl, as previously mentioned, is excellent. The music is nothing special but manages to compliment the gameplay well. Additionally, the sound effects are really quite impressive, particularly in combat. The sound of bones crunching and knives tearing flesh really enhance the visceral nature of the fights.

The question is this: is Watchmen: The End is Nigh worth a $20 purchase? The gameplay is surprisingly fun, but it’s over in a mere four to five hours. The dialogue and plotline is sure to be enjoyable for Watchmen fans, but it’s nothing to write home about. In this reviewer’s opinion, serious fans of the comic and/or film would do well to give The End is Nigh a shot. Just prepare to be tortured by thoughts of what could have been.

UPDATE : Watchmen: The End is Nigh será publicado apartir del 6 de Marzo tanto en la PSN, PC y XBOX LIVE . . . en $20USD, siento que es un abuso el costo de este DLC, asi que creo que mejor vere la pelicula.

La desarrolladora Deadline Games anuncio que esta preparando el videojuego Watchmen: The End Is Nigh, que tendra como protragonista a Rorschach y Night Owl. Y dicen por ahi que estará disponible para Marzo de 2009, en el XBOX 360 y PS3. Ya saben, mas vale aprovecharse de la fama que tendran con la pelicula.

Гледам, че от известно време западните медии сериозно са се хайпнали по излизащият на 6 март 2009 г. филм, носещ името “Watchmen”. На всичкото отгоре филма бил базиран на някакъв комикс носещ същото име.

Седя си аз и се чудя за какво иде реч, и си викам “дай поне да видим трейлъра”.

Сериозно, НЕ Е ЛИ УЛТРА ГОТИН? BTW Песента е “The Beginning Is The End Is The Beginning” на “The Smashing Pumpkins” и съм ви я сложил да си я слушате тук

Та някъде секунда две, след като го изгледах (трейлъра) осъзнах, че очевидно съм пропуснал нещо доста интересно и започнах, да чета по-въпроса
Понеже инфото е много ще го карам в следния ред:
- комикса;
- филма;
- игрите.

Комикса Watchmen

Watchmen има 12 “епизода” издадени в периода 1986 – 1987 г от DC Comics. Автор е Alan Moore, а илюстрациите са на Dave Gibbons.

До днес Watchmen е единствената графична новела (комикс) която е печелила “Hugo Award” \връчва се всяка година за най-доброто SciFi или фентъзи произведение от предишни години\; и също така е единственият комикс който се е появил в класацията на Time Magazine “топ 100 на най-добрите новели от 1923 до днес” от 2005 година.

Действието в комикса се развива през 1985 година в алтернативна версия на САЩ, където “маскираните приключенци” (супер герой един вид) са реални, а страната е на ръба на ядрена война със Съветският съюз. Watchmen разказва историята на група от настоящи и бивши супер герой, и събитията обкръжаващи мистериозното убийство на един от тях. Новелата изобразява така наречените супер герой, като съвсем реални хора който постоянно се сблъскват с етични и лични проблеми, и се боряд с невроза и депресия, и който (с едно ясно отличимо изключение) не притежават никакви “супер способности”. Watchmen определено поглежда по-един различен начин на конвенционалният супер-геройски образ.

Комикса е направен много интересно и по един изключително елегантен начин комбинира чисто филмови техники и сериозно използва силата на символизма, създавайки многопластов диалог който е истинско удоволствие да бъде четене. След като прочетох първите 2 книжки, определено разбирам защо са му дали “Hugo Award”

И ако и вие искате да се докоснете до тази чудесна история, ви съветвам да хвърлите едно око тук – The Watchmen by Alan Moore @arenabg.com
а аз имам още 10 книжки за дочитане

Филма Watchmen

Ако все още не сте достигнали момента на еуфория и не чакате с огромен интерес, ще ви кажа само едно име – Zack Snyder е режисьора! Не мисля, че има нужда да припомням, но той е човека който седи зад филма “300“
Има ли нужда да казвам нещо повече, освен че премиерата в САЩ е на 6 март 2009?
Не знам за вас, но на мен от трейлъра ми лъха на ултра кулнес а на базата на прочетеното в първите две книжки от комикса, смятам че филма доста плътно ще следва оригиналната история.

Играта Игрите Watchmen

Да няма да е една, а ще бъдат поне две два епизода.
Какво се знае до сега? Разработва се от Deadline Games… мда и аз сгърчих вежди. Все пак гугъл ми каза, че най-известната им игра е Total Overdose…
Освен това официалният им сайт ми каза, че въпросните бачкат по някакво ново заглавие – “Faith and a .45″ на което ще ви покажа трейлър… сега

Но да се върнем на Watchmen. Заглавието трябва да е “епизодична афера”, като първият епизод ще излезе заедно с релииза на филма, а вторият с пускането на DVD-то. После ако имало успех, щели да правят още. Платформите на който ще можем да го играем са 3 – Xbox360; PS3 и PC като игрицата ще се разпространява съответно през Xbox Live, PlayStation Network и най-вероятно Steam за PC юзърите (или пък Games for Windows – LIVE?).
Сред малкото детайли е известно, че епизодите ще са прикюъл на филма/графичната новела и ще се развиват по-времето когато Rorschach и Nite Owl са партньори. Съответно ще управляваме един от двамата (или двамата в co-op) и ще се борим срещу престъпността.

Сценарият се пише от Len Wein а споменатият по-рано Dave Gibbons ще съблюдава процеса и ще дава акъл

Последното което ни вълнува (но е много важно) е рейтинга, който за щастие е Mature.

Реално повече детайли по въпроса няма. Най-много ме притеснява факта, че Deadline Games имат само 8 месеца, и ще скалъпят нещо през пръсти (така като гледам може и само да моднат “Faith and a .45″ малко и готово). Другият притеснителен факт, е че дори да имаха много време въпросните не са известни с особено култови игри

—
В общи линии комикса е невероятен, за филма имам големи очаквания а за играта съм по-скоро скептичен

Warner Bros Interactive lançará jogo do Watchmen junto com filme

Por Vivi Werneck

Para apimentar as já usuais discussões sobre adaptações de filmes para games, agora vem mais um: Watchmen. Que, na verdade, muito antes de virar filme, “os vigilantes” é uma clássica graphic novel de Alan Moore e Dave Gibbons.

Ainda não joguei a demo, mas pelo vídeo já dá para perceber que os gráficos são bem legais. Agora… Andei lendo por aí que algumas cenas de ação deixaram um pouco a desejar e cometeram um erro clichê de todas as adaptações do tipo: mexeram na história! (pra variar)

Como disse Érico Borgo, do site Omelete. “Mesmo que o visual seja excelente, ver o Coruja e Rorschach socando uns criminosos em um game de ação superficial é algo que destoa demais da obra e do filme”.

Quem estiver interessado no game pode comprar o capítulo de estreia no dia 4 de março no Mercado Xbox Live e no PC, e no dia seguinte na PlayStation Network. O filme vai aos cinemas no dia 6 de março nos Estados Unidos. No Brasil deve chegar pouco tempo depois, assim espero.

“Watchmen: The End Is Nigh” é uma produção da Deadline Games para PC, Xbox 360 e PlayStation 3. A história do game se passa antes dos eventos originais dos quadrinhos (já começaram a inventar! rss). Na caótica cidade de Nova York, a dupla de justiceiros mascarados Rorschach e Nite Owl enfrenta a escória da sociedade, antes da legitimação da lei de 1977, que transforma os heróis em foras-da-lei.

A dupla está sempre juntinha (que lindo!) detonando geral. No modo single-player, o segundo personagem é controlado pelo computador, mas também há uma opção cooperativa, em que duas pessoas podem jogar ao mesmo tempo. Além de técnicas de luta, cada um dos heróis conta com suas próprias habilidades: Nite Owl tem armamentos de eletricidade e Rorschach usa arpéus e um lança-chamas improvisado.

Agora é esperar para ver! Pelo menos dessa vez tem para PC! (Ih, rimou! rs)