E3 2010: The Nick Awards

E3 2010 is over and I have had a few days to let it all sink in and officially decide who will win my attention over the next year and which ones will fall to the wayside. Surprisingly, there were also a lot of disappointments this year, in fact, the show was rather underwhelming this year compared to last for me. The number of things that bummed me out far outnumber of things that got me excited.

With that said, there were some really great games at the show and here are the things that stuck with me after the doors had closed and the rioters had finished trashing downtown L.A.

GAME OF THE SHOW (Playable): Assassin's Creed Brotherhood-

Quite possibly the biggest surprise for me at this year's E3 was how satisfied I was with the multi-player in AC: Brotherhood. I had a 10 minute demo session with 8 other players and came out of the experience with my anticipation for this game through the roof.

With each successive game in this franchise, the team seems to be refining and perfecting the concept that was born with the original. While it really struck me as a franchise that didn't need Multi-player, the experience can be described in a number of ways that most multi-player modes can't: fresh, unique, addictive, and robust. Instead of shoe-horning in some kind of pointless free-for-all death-match, Ubisoft created an elaborate game of cat and mouse with some truly brilliant mechanics to support it. All I can say is that the inclusion of this mode coupled with the new setting and 12+hour campaign to expand the universe, Assassin's Creed Brotherhood is shaping up to be another step forward for the series.

**If you want to know more about the mode and my impressions of it, be sure to listen to our day 3 impressions podcast.**

GAME OF THE SHOW (NON PLAYABLE): Portal 2-

There isn't much to be said here other than: "holy shit".  Valve managed to improve on one of the most impressive technical masterpieces of this gaming generation in ways I can't even describe in words.  With the addition of colored paint mechanics and cooperative game-play, this game has what it takes to blow peoples minds.  With the return of Glados and the addition of a new character, I can't stifle my excitement for this game.

BIGGEST SURPRISE:  Nintendo-

Rather than choose a specific game and talk about that, nothing surprised me more than Nintendo's impressive line-up.  The press conference was the only conference that had anything new to show and they were the only company to really surprise anyone with anything!  The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword left me a little nervous about the new Zelda but i'm sure that will pass but I can't contain my excitement for games like Goldeneye (Wii), Donkey Kong Country Returns, Kirby Epic Yarn, Epic Mickey, Metroid: Other M, and of course, the Nintendo 3DS and it's impressive lineup!  Congratulations Nintendo, you put Microsoft and Sony to shame this year and this marks the first time in a long time that I am happy to have a Wii.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENTS:

Unfortunately, there were too many to count for me this year, so I will be making a separate post for this category.  The sheer number of game announcements that should have been at the show and weren't is simply mind boggling.  Keep your eyes out for that one.

Honorable Mentions:

Mafia 2- Impressions are forthcoming and I think it really is a shame that a game of this caliber is getting largely overlooked.

Silent Hill- The trailer for the new Silent Hill from Vatra Game studios was beautifully done and was enough to spark my excitement once again.  The announcement of the new composer was a nice touch as well.  Mark this down as one of my most anticipated games.

Vanquish- The next game from Platinum Games and famed developer Shinji Mikami is a technical and mechanical powerhouse.  If Bayonetta was Devil May Cry on crack, Vanquish is most certainly Gears of War on crack, and that is awesome.

Halo Reach- The single player campaign confirmed that Bungie has indeed pulled out all the stops for their last outing with Halo.  The atmosphere, music, and visual style remind me a lot of Halo ODST (one of my favorite games of last year) and the reveal of the space combat game me chills.

Well there you have it folks, E3 was great, if not a little underwhelming, and my countdown for next year is officially ticking.  I still have more impressions to post so keep your eyes peeled for those.