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. Jenny, 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 between
Jenny and me 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!
