E3 means Penny Arcade's E3 Sketchbook! Today’s comic concerns the US Army game.
It never quite sinks in that I am actually going to E3 until the night before the show. I can hardly sleep as visions of amazing new games dance through my head. The night seems to drag on forever as I constantly check the hotel alarm clock every five minutes. From the time the alarm does finally go off to the time I fall back into bed at night exhausted the day is pretty much a blur. The first day is always like that. We zip around trying to take in as much off the show as we can. Then we spend the next two days standing in lines, spending more time with certain games and investigating new titles. When I think back on today there are a few titles that really stick out. So here are my top five games of the show so far.
1. Panzer Dragoon orta
If you know me you know I am a Nintendo/Sega fan boy at heart. I’ve made my opinions on the X Box pretty clear. Well, I am going to buy an X Box for Panzer Dragoon. It’s just that good. Judging from the rest of the games I saw there it may very well be the only game I own for the system for quite some time, but it will be well worth it.
2. Zelda
This game looks fucking amazing. I’d say it was the best looking game I saw at the Show today. I would also say it’s probably the best looking game I’ve ever seen in my entire goddamned life. We all just stood there mesmerized by it, with our mouths wide open. Until you have seen this game running you cannot possibly comprehend how gorgeous it is. It’s like a big “fuck you” to all the people who bitched about the cartoon look.
3. Shinobi
You can run on the walls while you throw blades at ninjas and then they freeze and then you can jump down and teleport all around them while you cut them up with your sword and they get cut in half and blood pours out and you steal their soul and you have this like cape that whips all around while you run and you have like six eyes and it’s really cool.
4. Americas Army
Seriously, who better to make a military squad based shooter than the fucking military? This game not only looked good but it had the features to back it up. Finally a game gives you the opportunity to use silent hand commands to communicate with your team. Realistic objectives, weapons, movement, and locations, everything in this game is as real as you can get. Each weapon operates just as it would in real life. Stand to close to a flash back and say good buy to your hearing for while. Shoot to many of your teammates and end up in jail. Try and use a sniper rifle without going prone and watch as your view bobs up and down with your breathing. You also get twenty some odd maps with expansive real world environments and kick ass objectives. Oh and then there’s the fact that it’s FREE!
5. Sly Cooper
I was expecting another cutesy cell shaded platform game. What I got was Metal Gear solid only with a good story, interesting environments, great control, and a main character I actually cared about even if he was a raccoon.
I am sure the other guys will be along shortly with their impressions from the show. Tomorrow we see Doom III and Star Wars Galaxies. I’m tired as hell but I know I won’t sleep.
-Gabe out
