I’m glad this one is a week later. Sure you can see a game and be immediately excited, but how long will that game still make you interested in it. I’ve mentioned some of the games in the press conferences, but which games do I still wish I could play this far out? What systems gave something I’d be interested in having?
Catherine
The Japanese trailer actually sells the story of the game better, I think. The odd part is I’m not actually interested in playing the game, which is good since it’s not coming out on PC. Catherine is the story of Vincent, a man whose girlfriend, Katherine, wants to tie the knot. He’s not sure he’s ready to settle down or can be a good husband to her. His life is further complicated when he’s seduced by Catherine, a free-spirit type, but it’s not the love triangle that’s the only problem. All around him are mysterious deaths that may be connected to his nightmares, climbing to escape some kind of evil out to destroy him and a bunch of others. It doesn’t make things any weirder that he has huge horns and the people around him in the nightmare all look like sheep.
It’s the presentation of the game that has my attention. While much of the game plays out like a dating sim, with Vincent not only trying to decide between these two same named, different first letter women but helping out his friends and people in the dream with their problems, there is also the block-climbing levels that could lead to your death. It sounds like an interesting presentation. It should also be noted that there was a huge buzz around this game when it didn’t seem like there was a chance that this would be seen in America. The demo has accidentally gotten onto US networks and were then picked up by gaming reviewers who were very excited for the game. I’m wondering if this had a hand in getting an admittedly niche game to the states.
It will be possible cultural differences that will make or break this game, but it looks well-designed. Some parts of the story are done by anime studio Studio 4°C and some are done through the regular game engine. Hopefully it lives up to the buzz.
Journey
Nothing to do with the music group, Journey has no story, just a goal–the mountain in the distance. You are a cloth person and you increase your powers by finding more cloth. You can summon other players, but you get a random person so you don’t know if they’re going to help you or work against you to get more cloth of their own. This is the same company that produced the surprise hit Flower so they come with good credentials. Sadly, this is a PlayStation 3 exclusive, via the PlayStation Network, so I won’t get to play it.
Infamous 2
The game where you choose if you’ll be a hero or a villain is back as Cole MacGrath heads to New Marias to face another threat and unlock new powers. Again, a PlayStation exclusive. I do like the concept of being able to choose hero or villain, with your powers working differently and the story progressing differently based on your path.
Mass Effect 3
I still need to figure out how to get the Normandy to move so I can do something in the first game, which means I haven’t played #2 yet, but this is the conclusion to the trilogy and I’m betting it will be a hit.
Bioshock: Infinite
Outside of story integration I really didn’t care about the first two Bioshock games. Maybe it’s the brighter colors or the skyward setting, and perhaps it is more to do with less killing little girls for power-ups (if you choose to do so, mind you) but something about this third game does make me want to play it. This time in alternate history you must journey to the floating city of Columbia in 1912 to rescue a woman with power similar to your own. You will have to work together to escape the city and learn why it disappeared so long ago. It should be a fun game.
Super Mario 3DS
Do I really have to explain why? Then we aren’t the same kind of gamers
Frankly I’m more surprised that I wasn’t more interested than I am in Spider-Man: Edge of Time. I haven’t been excited about a Spider-Man game since Ultimate Spider-Man for some reason, and I like that game. But that’s only a sampling of what came to my head. There may have been games I’d like that I either forgot or didn’t see. You can’t see everything that came from E3 even from this side of the event. At any rate, it’s time to get the Spotlight back to the usual random thoughts.
Wait, I have to discuss Flashpoint again? Can we do another E3? Please? Like right now?
The rest of my E3 Week coverage
- BW’s E3 Week: Microsoft’s press conference
- BW’s E3 Week: Sony’s Press Conference
- BW’s E3 Week: Nintendo Press Conference
BW Media Spotlight 