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E3 Dreams
Part 1
By Ray Ivey
Well, you'd think it would be the proverbial Too Much of a Good Thing: Three days of nothing but games, games, and more games. I'm not exactly sure what it says about me, but I couldn't get enough.
Sure, I admit, physically it was a chore. I am, after all, Old and Infirm, and by the end of each merry day my little footsies were tired. No, more than tired. By 5:00 each day, I literally wanted to drop to the floor and remove my feet, so that I could replace them with new ones. What was even more energy-draining was observing Cindy KM's dishearteningly perky level of energy at the end of each marathon day. Randy and I just wanted to curl up and have someone hit us upside the head with a two-by-four, while Cindy was cheerfully bouncing off to the T-shirt vendor, just as if she hadn't been on her feet for eight hours.
But, sore feet and Cindy's entirely unseemly energy level notwithstanding, I was having a wall-to-wall wonderful time. The E3 is the ultimate candy store for us game junkies, acre after acre of Kool New Stuff.
I'm also quite happy to report that, though my expectations were low going into the show, I ended up finding lots of products that I'm excited about.
Who Be Ubi?
The biggest surprise at the show for me was the quartet of exciting games from Ubi Soft. Three of them are hybrids, but trust me sports fans, these are hybrids worth a second look.
Let's Get Stupid
In
the pure adventure category, there's Stupid Invaders, the riotously
funny 3D cartoon game from Xilam. This looked to me like the game
U.F.O.s could have been but wasn't. The comic misadventures of a group
of intellectually challenged aliens, this stunningly animated game
just oozed fun from every corner of the screen. It was so irresistible
things almost got ugly in front of the demo monitor, as we began body-blocking
each other to jockey for a better viewing position.
Full of movie references, cartoon slapstick, toilet humor (literally!), and wall-to-wall incredible design, this is a game I'm counting the days for.
Stupid Invaders will be available for Sega Dreamcast, PC, and Mac in September 2000.
It's Not Quite Broken Sword 3, but Still ...
As I've said quite loudly and quite often, the first Broken Sword (Circle of Blood in the U.S.) is my all-time favorite adventure game. I was thrilled to meet the man responsible for it, as well as Broken Sword 2 and Beneath a Steel Sky, Charles Cecil. He demonstrated for us his thrilling new game, In Cold Blood.
Before the E3, I wasn't very interested in this game; I'm soooo tired of action/adventure hybrids. But this one looks like the exception. Cecil showed us how important the adventure elements were to this new, dark, Seven-Meets-James-Bond thriller. Much more than simply a shooter with a couple of hidden keys thrown in, In Cold Blood appears to be an exciting, frightening, and intense hybrid. As Cecil told us, he considers it more "adventure/action."
The game is full of stunning-looking art that really draws you in. Cindy and I walked away agreeing that we were both very eager to play this game.
Sadly, Ubi Soft has plans to release this game worldwide in September (PC only). The problem? That's worldwide except for the U.S. and Japan. Let's get that letter-writing campaign started, shall we?
Feel the Pern
The other two Ubi Soft hybrids are adventure/RPG, which I personally find a more promising combination than the now-ubiquitous action/adventure.
Dragon Riders is a gorgeous game based on the Chronicles of Pern by the popular Anne McCaffrey. I was assured by our very own Cindy KM that this was no Drakan clone; it was very much a deep adventure with RPG elements. Do I smell series?
According to the press kit, Dragon Riders "will thrust players into a 3D world filled with challenging quests, combat, secret sub-missions and diverse puzzles to complete." Count me in.
Dragon Riders is set to be released worldwide in November for PC and Dreamcast.
So it's Hard to Spell: Write it Down!
... because you aren't going to want to miss Arcatera. Another adventure/RPG, here's a 3D game after my own heart: it still has a mouse-driven cursor! It's also got a very rich storyline with remarkably flexible gameplay, as you can explore different areas of a vast world, switching back and forth between different characters in different places.
Arcatera is set in the medieval town of Senora. Your mission is to foil a dark brotherhood that is taking over control of the town through fear and murder.
Another game with screens so real you could fall into them, this one has the added bonus of appealing accessibility to the adventure player. I can't wait for Arcatera.
For PC and Dreamcast, Arcatera is set to be released worldwide in June!
Those Bear Necessities
Finally, I have to tell you about an Ubi Soft game that has no relation to the adventure genre at all. It's their Jungle Book Rhythm & Groove game. Billed as a "Dance Simulation/Adventure," it allows you to dance your way through the jungle with characters and songs from the classic Disney movie. You play on a Twister-like plastic mat with sensors in it, and you score in the game by how accurately you follow the dance instructions on screen. You should have seen your old, recently crippled but still intrepid correspondent hip-hopping his way to the strains of Louis Prima as King Louie singing "I Wanna Be Like You." Forget Tai-Bo, here's my next exercise package!
Um, Those Are Sheep, Aren't They?
Another nonadventure that I can't wait to get my mitts on is Empire's Sheep. A hilarious strategy game a la Lemmings, in Sheep you are faced with the daunting task of herding a group of exceptionally dim-witted sheep through "seven flock-busting worlds, and confound the pure evilness of Mr. Pear and his evil hench-cows!"
The game also boasts "incredible A.S. (Artificial Stupidity)" which simulated the "unique stupidity of sheep."
This entertaining platform game is scheduled to be released on PlayStation and PC in Q4 2000.
Still to come: Russian claymation, Nancy Drew, Monkey Island, and Myst Myst Myst!