Five PS3 Games to Watch For at E3 2008

256w ago - The annual Electronic Entertainment Expo is just around the corner, and the gaming industry as well as the fans are excited to find out what major announcements software and hardware developers will make this year.

There will undoubtedly be some big new titles announced, as well as some nuggests of information about games we already know are in the works. Here are the five PS3 games that we are most excited about, as well as some questions that we hope developers can answer on the show floor in Los Angeles two weeks from now.

1. Fallout 3

This hybrid RPG/first-person shooter has players exploring the familiar post-apocalyptic universe of Fallout. Set in a creepy "what if" version of 1950s America, the series has garnered praise for its complex plot lines, incredible environments and interactions with NPCs. Fallout 3 will bring the experience into the next gen, with an epic, open world to explore, a new action-oriented battle system, and tons of customizable weapons and skills.

The designers have stated that the scale of the game will be only slightly smaller than that of Oblivion, which gamers know was one of the most massive environments ever seen in a video game. The title has been in development at Bethesda for more than two years, and promises to be one of the biggest events of 2008. In fact, just writing about it has us yearning for the game's release in October.

What we still want to know:

There are still many details about the game that we are curious about. Other developers have had success working complex moral choices into the gameplay of their respective RPG titles (Fable, Mass Effect). We want to know more about the "Karma System" that Bethesda have designed for Fallout 3.

Specifically, we would like to know whether gamers will be restricted to a few story paths, or whether the game really will present the "almost infinite" number of choices the designers have said they are going for.

2. Assassins Creed 2

Based on the ending of the first game as well as comments by developers, we know that a sequel is coming. In Ubisoft's most recent financial report in May, the company revealed that they are working on "three mystery titles". Odds are good that one of those games is Assassin's Creed 2.

Some critics were unhappy with the sci-fi story elements of the first game. But like an episode of Lost, the various strands of the story left unexplained in the first game have us hooked and wanting more.

What we still want to know:

Assassin's creed was a great, but flawed experience. We loved the controls, environments and the combat in the first title. We weren't so keen on repetitive mission types and certain annoying NPCs.

We want to know that Ubisoft have listened to criticisms from gamers and reviewers and that they have made efforts to improve gameplay in a few key areas. We'd also love to know more about the setting of the next game since, presumably, the franchise will explore different periods in history.

3. Little Big Planet

Despite its diminutive title, there is a lot riding on this quirky game from Sony Computer Entertainment of America. The game is one of the most hyped exclusives on the system, and showcases a lot of the elements Sony is hoping to foreground with the PS3: online interaction, rich and immersive gameplay, HD graphics and impressive physics simulation. The game is already well along in its development, but there remain many things we still want to know.

What we still want to know:

In addition to its emphasis on user-created content, Sony's studio recently announced that the game will feature a robust single player story mode. We've heard a lot about the emergent aspects of gameplay, as well as the opportunities for cooperative teamwork, but we would like to know more about the single-player experience.

Specifically, we would like to find out the overall length of the single player game, the types of environments contained in story mode, and whether the emphasis will be on puzzle-solving or action. The game will be playable at E3, so we are looking forward to reports about whether the platforming elements are actually fun to play.

4. LA Noire





We haven't heard much about this gritty crime story since it was announced in 2005. Rockstar has not abandoned the project, but its release has been pushed into fiscal 2009, which means that we can expect it as early as this fall. We like to think that the company has simply been hard at work developing the game, and will blow us away with something cool once it is nearing completion.

The short trailers suggest that the developers have done a good job capturing the look and feel of 1940s detective films, and upon re-viewing, we can see a lot of opportunities for use of the graphics and physics engine employed in GTA IV. Let's hope that the developers get this right, and that we learn more about the game soon.

What we still want to know:

Everything. The premise of a game set in the mythical world of Noir Los Angeles sounds too appealing to pass up, but we want to know what direction the designers have taken with the title. Is it an open-world explorer like GTA and Bully? Or is it a more story-driven experience like Mafia? The art direction in the early trailer looks fantastic, but what can we expect from the actual gameplay?


5. Motor Storm: Pacific Rift

We already know a great deal about what to expect from Motorstorm 2: 16 new tracks set in a pacific island paradise. Monster trucks. Split screen multiplayer for up to 4 people. Realistic water effects that serve not only to look pretty, but also add a new tactical dimension to races. Certain vehicles will reportedly handle water elements better than others, and all vehicles can make make use of a quick swim to lower the temperature of their engines.

"Interactive vegetation technology" is jargon the developers are using to describe for trees that can seriously mess you up, much in the way that rocks and cliffs could end your lead in a spectacular fashion in Motorstorm 1.





What we still want to know:

Based on what we have seen so far, Motorstorm 2 will be immensely appealing to fans of the original. It seems to successfully combine all the ingredients that made the first game such an important part of the PS3 launch.

There are still a few more things we would like to know: How well does the game handle split-screen multiplayer? The monster truck looks "floaty" in some of the preview trailers, but how well does it handle in game? Is Pacific Rift a significant leap beyond its predecessor in terms of gameplay? Look for these questions and more to be answered on the floor at E3.

Screenshots of the other titles can be viewed at the link at the top of news article.