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While I certainly wouldn't call this year's E3 a disappointment, the show always has it's share of stinkers. And because I'm often accused of being a negative nancy, let me say that my post about the surprises of E3 is coming soon enough. Below is a short list of what I found most disappointing about the show -- including questionable reboots, demos that let me down, and games missing in action.
No underwater swimming in Tomb Raider
After seeing the (overly cinematic) demonstration of Tomb Raider at the Microsoft Press Conference, I had a sneaking suspicion that one of my favorite video game pastimes might be missing from the series that helped define it. Sure enough, an interview with Crystal Dynamics later confirmed my fears. While this might not bother some, this is a tragic blow in my quest to find the perfect underwater traversal game. It really makes no sense in a series that has always had it. The irony? This E3 it was revealed that Uncharted series is finally introducing underwater swimming. That, and the rest of the game was looking pretty good. Well, except for the stupid quick-time events.
Trine 2 demo disappoints
The first Trine was one of the most entertaining co-op experiences I've had in years. But when I tried Trine 2 at the Atlus booth this year, I was upset to discover just how little has been changed or added in the sequel. If you told me I was playing a level from this first game, I would probably believe you. If anything, the game even seemed a little buggier than the first one. I would expect this from a game that was actually doing something new, but there was nothing remarkable about this demo. No new classes and no new abilities. The only good news was that the sequel will have online co-op this time around.
Crytek's "Kingdoms" is now Ryse, a stupidly named Kinect game
Fucking hell. I love shit about Rome. I studied it in school, I love the game Shadows of Rome, and HBO's Rome is one of my favorite shows. So at last year's E3 when I heard that the creators of Far Cry and Crysis were making a game based on this era, I was fucking stoked. I was certain I was going to get a beautiful open-world action adventure game set in Rome. Nope. I get a stupid (and probably on-rails) Kinect game. I'd rather play the stealth sequences in Shadow's of Rome. Bleh.
No new Castlevania game
The 3DS has been out for months, and the PSVita is now fully revealed. So where the hell is my IGAvania announcement? These games are always some of the best games for whatever handheld they come out on, and they seem like a no-brainer for getting people excited about these new systems. Konami's E3 presence was pretty awful this year, and I'm hoping they don't let me down at TGS.
Where is Japan?
I posted about this here.
Anarchy Reigns underwhelms and frustrates
I played this demo 5 times with 5 different characters. Why? Because I was convinced I needed to keep playing in order to fully understand how to play the game. But really, I think I was just trying to understand why the game was good. And despite Platinum Game's impressive track record, truth is, the Anarchy Reigns demo really wasn't so good. The multiplayer map was small and empty; and it was impossible to get into a fight without being interrupted by another player. And because the camera was so close to the character while fighting, I was never able to see anyone else coming. Every time I played, the game was cherry-picking hell. This game might work in single player, 1vs1 fighting, or maybe with more elaborate objective-based modes, but free-for-all deathmatch just doesn't work. I talked to Atsushi Inaba at the show, and he pretty much confirmed that no characters from Bayonetta or Vanquish will make an appearance. I also asked about Yasumi Matsuno, and he told me that he won't be involved like he was on the story for Mad World.
Hitman: Absolution is getting the reboot it never needed
Someone posted the new cover (below) on neoGAF, and it pretty much sums up the demo I saw. I also found out last night that the map is gone, in favor of the new "Instinct" (detective) vision that lets Agent 47 see through walls and even the AI's walking path. How do you build up this ability? Stealth take-downs ala Splinter Cell: Conviction. Also, the actor who has been voicing Agent 47 is being replaced and Jesper Kyd is no longer doing the score.
Comments
12 years, 10 months ago
That Hitman thing is really disappointing and thoughts on the new DmC trailer and "supposed" movie?
12 years, 10 months ago
Oh god that Hitman cover edit, fantastic.
I was surprised that Arrowhead didn't announce Magicka for XBLA at E3. They said they're porting to the 360 a while ago, but have not said anything since. But, they did announce PvP for the PC version, which sounds great.
12 years, 10 months ago
Good choices, for me it has to be The Last Guardian not being shown off and Nintendo's press conference ending too soon.
12 years, 10 months ago
The tomb raider gameplay was disappointing, too many quick time events and no underwater swimming?
12 years, 10 months ago
Of all the games. Why Hitman. Why you, Mr. 47.
12 years, 10 months ago
I don't mind the no underwater stuff in the new Tomb Raider or should I call it a Lara Croft game. The new game seems more like its about Lara's development so I don't think that leaving out this element is a big lost. I get that if you are looking forward to the underwater stuff its a big blow. The whole Ryse thing just seems a bit silly, but I hope it doesn't suck as much as I think it will. Not a Hitman fan, hopefully the new one doesn't rely so heavily on stereotypes likes the other ones did.
12 years, 10 months ago
Goddammit, I was so hype about the new hitman and they ruined every expectation I had
12 years, 10 months ago
Kingdoms totally sounded amazing, but a now a kinect game!? Bloody hell.. just, bloody.
12 years, 10 months ago
Ubisoft was probably the only thing that was completely uninteresting about E3 to me at least.
12 years, 10 months ago
I'd vote for the fact that the tentacles of Kinect are spreading and sliding into places where it shouldn't have access to. "Meh" Anarchy Reigns impressions are a letdown too.
12 years, 10 months ago
Whilst I imagine that when it comes out it will probably be great, but I was pretty disappointed in the showing of Mass Effect 3. Whilst it looks like its improved its combat sections again, the combat was the last reason I played the Mass Effect games for. In fact, its stopping from wanting to play Mass 2 again simply because of third person shooter burn-out. I'm sick of them. And I know that EVERYONE hates turret sections. EVERYONE. They're boring, uninteresting and if the controls aren't right can be the most infuriating things ever. Whilst I understand that they didn't have time to show speech sections (also I imagine it would be hard to not spoil parts of the game in doing so, but then again if that's what you've got to do to make people interested in your game then you'd better do it) and I hear that the RPG elements are getting improved / actually put in the game; but everything I've seen so far makes it look like a straight forward third person shooter with occasional (and probably inconsequential if Dragon Age 2 is anything to go by) choices. And if it is, I'm out.
I'm a Mass Effect fanboy but even I know that those Hitman chances are way, way worse. I feel for you guys, I really do. Hitman seemed to be the one series that didn't care about the other shooters in the world and did their own thing, but to reduce it that its just ridiculous.
12 years, 10 months ago
Wait, David Bateson and Jesper Kyd are out? What in the fuck is Eidos thinking?
I don't feel like I can love another video game again. This hurts too much.
12 years, 10 months ago
I wasn't really impressed with what little I've seen of the new Hitman game, but I'm not freaking out about it either because I'm sure it's a case of the Mass Effect 3 situation where they showed the actiony parts instead of the parts that make the game fantastic.
Walking around in various disguises to get by different security checkpoints is what I found interesting in the Hitman series. Having to spend five minutes examining patrol routes to make it past one room was not fun. I like that they are trying to speed things up with the "Instinct" ability because hiding behind a corner isn't the good part for me.
I agree that the map being taken out sucks because I liked to plan a route to take and work from there. Now, if the game is about Agent 47 being on the run, then it makes sense to not have a map because he's not getting mission briefings anymore and instead working off his experience or "Instinct".
Getting abilities from doing stealth takedowns isn't a big issue with me because I, like most others (I assume), try and kill as many guys as I can without getting caught so getting points won't be a problem. For people who play ultra stealthy and want to avoid all enemy contact, then I can see how this is an issue. All you have to do to make up for it is to wait patiently and examine the enemy pathing the old fashioned way, so maybe purists should be happy.
12 years, 10 months ago
Jesper Kyd is no longer the composer of the game? Then, whose composition is the one in the trailer? It sounded really good.
12 years, 10 months ago
That little bit of Hitman info you gave completely destroyed any hopes I had for it.
12 years, 10 months ago
So any idea when Square-Enix is going to dig up Legacy of Kane and Gex and ruin them too? I'm not even going to humor the idea that Eidos has any executive power over it's subsidiary anymore. :/
Seriously though, why the hell is Crystal still doing Tomb Raider? They abandoned the original formula rather than improving on it and now they're doing it again with their own replacement.
12 years, 10 months ago
This may be a LITTLE off topic from the article, but I haven't really heard anything about Dark Souls this year (specifically from 4pp). As far as i know Dark Souls was playable at E3 and I'm just curious if u guys checked it out, cause I never heard much mention of it on the Podcasts/blog, aside from that trailer.
Just thought I'd itch my curiosity.
12 years, 10 months ago
And sure enough, because Brad doesn't like it no one does. I think of all series to be evolved in this new generation, Hitman comes to the top of the list.
This game has a tremendous amount of potential. The path thing is fine, just what the series needs, not to mention that we've barely seen anything about it.
12 years, 10 months ago
I'm also disappointed in that the only thing showed for the current Wii was Skyward Sword. I wanted to see some Xenoblade or Last Story. That goes with Japan not being there I guess.
12 years, 10 months ago
I think what presses my buttons about games like Hitman: Absolution the most are people that accept this. People who are like: "Oh well, you know, this is going to be a decent game if you just forget it has fucking 'Hitman' in the title."
Well, guess what. This isn't a new franchise or a new experimental title. This is a sequel and a new entry into a well-established series. I've said the same thing when Splinter Cell: Conviction came out and any other game that has done this; this shit is just unacceptable.
The people who came up with these decisions are either terrible game-designers and in for a money grab, or are being coerced by their publishers. How can you make a sequel to a game that has practically NOTHING in common with it besides a few damn models? This is just fucking terrible, and I won't stand for it. Developers just spit out rehashed games that will sell well in a casual market, and people eat it up in denial that their favorite series just got fermented into shit and thrown in their face.
This is no better than a film like Quantum of Solace, and you know what? We shouldn't sit here and take it.
/rant
12 years, 10 months ago
Well damn, that just torpedoed my hopes about the next Hitman, big time. Why are they taking it in that tired direction? Terrible news. Still giving a chance but that's a big pessimistic mark against it.
On the other hand, nice to be reminded of Brad's entertaining broadcasts playing Shadows of Rome. All the Gladiator riffing and his delight at the battle carnage, fun stuff
12 years, 10 months ago
i really hope that the new hitman game will be good but from that i heard, im losing hope =(
12 years, 10 months ago
No underwater swimming in Tomb Raider? A complete Hitman reboot? Damn Squeenix rebooting franchises and taking the best stuff out of them.
I am fucking depressed now.
12 years, 10 months ago
Blood Money is still one of my favourite games to date. The changes it sounds like they're making that i've heard from you, Brad, and a few other places too now are making me think Absolution is the nightmare i'd been having for a while now.
The nightmare where you pray and hope for a new game in a great series and when they finally announce it, it's nothing more than a hideous action game wearing the skin of your loved ones.
12 years, 10 months ago
Nothing at E3 was good except the new games that are coming out for the Kinect but Tomb Raider was ok but the hosts kept saying the same things over again the Kinect is the greatest thing in the world and we have the largest population in XBOX LIVE history and i hope that we have more people that will join our group i was like how many times can they say that. Brad has a great mind and if something isn't good he would be right and that's why i always ask Brad for what he thinks is a good game and to see if i would like it too.
12 years, 8 months ago
[...] my somewhat sour impressions of the game coming out of E3 2011, I realize now that I may have been looking at this game all [...]