E3 2008 Preview

There's always a lot of pressure on everyone involved with E3 to perform magical feats; reveal incredible new titles and just generally satiate the braying of anyone that's so much as looked at a game controller. It is the epoch of gaming hype and superstition, with the impractical, outlandish and ridiculous failing to get in the way of the bold statements that people encourage each other to make.

The basic, central idea of E3 is that it's a trade show for the video game industry. Once you peel off that outer layer and engorge yourself of its pragmatic roots, you'll discover that since 2007 E3 has become an invite-only affair, catering for about five-thousand industry members - a very different proposition to the seventy-thousand people that turned up in 2005. With that many people, the spectacular was virtually guaranteed. These days it's all a bit more subdued, but a good source of excitement nonetheless.

E3's essence can be distilled into two camps: confirmed and speculative. Speculation is undoubtedly the more exciting of the two, though its reliability is understandingly suspect. Here's some of the goods the rumour mill has lately ground up: Microsoft to shamelessly copy Nintendo's Miis; God of War 3; Bungie to potentially reveal a new franchise; Nintendo to announce a sequel to something; Dead Rising 2; Ouendan developer iNiS to reveal a SingStar competitor for 360. These, of course, may or may not be true. If they're going to happen, you'll probably see them at the first-party conferences: Microsoft squeezes their big event out on Monday the 14th of July, with Nintendo and Sony having their go on Tuesday the 15th.

Other than the speculation, there are also the showings of confirmed titles. While these don't pack the excitement punch of a grand reveal of a previously unknown game, there's still a lot going for them that's worth getting all hyped-up over. Here are the 15, in my opinion, that you should be most excited about. Coincidentally, they're arranged alphabetically to be completely bias-free.

Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts (360)

Rare have been down on their luck for a little while now. Their 377 million USD acquisition by Microsoft has never entirely paid off in terms of massive financial success, and Rare's 360 offerings have either been shamefully ignored (Viva Pinata) or critically challenged (Perfect Dark Zero). The latest in the beloved Banjo-Kazooie series shifts its focus largely onto vehicular creation, allowing you to build from blueprints or (I imagine) from your own imagination. This has the potential to be a reinvigorating platformer, as well as nostalgically reawakening the youth of anyone that grew up with an N64.

Chrono Trigger DS

Not much is known about Chrono Trigger DS other than it promises to be a revamped version of the original SNES Chrono Trigger. Which means a souped-up release for one of the most celebrated, venerated and appreciated RPG's ever created in the history of ever. Which should be enough to excite anyone.

Dead Space (360, PS3, PC)

Even though the main gist of Dead Space is fighting a polymorphic alien entity onboard an interstellar mining ship, it is otherwise hard to confuse for an episode of Red Dwarf. The primary theme of the game, allegedly, is dismemberment, plopping the player in something not entirely dissimilar to Resident Evil 4 in space. Aliens cannot be killed simply by shooting them, but instead must be rendered inert by blasting away at certain limbs and other weak spots. The way I see it, it's either going to be entirely terrifying or utterly blasé.

Fallout 3 (360, PS3, PC)

This is pretty much the single most anticipated game for anyone that grew up with a PC. If you can remember trying to install a game with DOS, you'll definitely be prepared to chew-off your legs for a chance to play perhaps the quintessential post-apocalyptic adventure. The game is being designed by Bethesda - who are probably well aware that the hopes and dreams of a legion of gamers rests entirely on their shoulders - as the wonderful Black Isle Studios (creators of the first two) have been defunct for years. Basically, Fallout 3 is so exciting that I reinstalled Fallout 2 whilst writing this article.

Gears of War 2 (360)

This is, unsurprisingly, Microsoft's 2008 big behemoth title. Its promise to be 'bigger, better and more badass' just cements Microsoft's notions that they're advertising to adolescent skateboarders that spend their days outside, stay up past 11pm and who can drink more than two cans of Red Bull without feeling funny. Expect Gears of War's winning formula to be largely unchanged, and Microsoft's PR executives to make complete fools out of themselves as they unveil more news about Gears 2 at their conference.

inFamous (PS3)

Sucker Punch Studios designed the rather lovely Sly Cooper series for the PS2. Nobody bought it, so their next offering is a sandbox affair set in a murky next-gen (grey) world. Don't write it off yet, however, as Sucker Punch's meticulous attention to details and inFamous's super powered main character could quite feasibly combine to be a PS3 exclusive that is quite literally super.

Killzone 2 (PS3) Killzone 2 has been the subject of much gaming controversy since E3 2005, where a video render was presented as potential in-game footage. In the three years since then, the game has progressed into a moody, atmospheric looking sci-fi shooter that has a vibe of being like a futuristic Call of Duty. Which really cannot be a bad thing. Various pro-Sony propagandists hailed the original Killzone as a Halo-killer, which pretty much sealed its fate as a rather lacklustre FPS title. Stay positive about this one.

Left4Dead (360, PC)

Valve have an immense portion of the online FPS market, touting Team Fortress 2, Counter-Strike and Day of Defeat to their name. In November, Left4Dead will be added to their venerable roster, their latest FPS foray that focuses on immense co-operative gameplay. A team of four survivors go up against a team of four super-zombies as well as leagues of AI controlled regular zombies over a series of maps. Think 28 Days Later and you're pretty much there. It will either be an excellent online co-op shooter or a desolate wasteland, depending on whether people buy and play the game on the interweb.

MadWorld (Wii)

A Wii-exclusive that really stands out from the crowd by being an ultra-violent Sin City inspired chainsaw-extremity wielding delight. It's also developed by PlatinumGames, the new name for the wonderful Clover studio team, I imagine it'll probably be really good but completely fail to sell because people will still be trying to get their hands on Wii Fit, or Beach Sports 9.

Mirror's Edge (360, PS3, PC)

A totalitarian dystopia without any of the anarchy and grit normally associated with it, Mirror's Edge is clean, sharp and shiny. DICE's latest FPS game hopes to include free running in a way that Assassin's Creed never did. The success of the game rests entirely on the control system, which needs to be tight, responsive and razor sharp. There's an outside possibility that this game could change the world.

Resident Evil 5 (360, PS3)

Resident Evil 5 has already garnered itself enough notoriety by setting itself in Africa and plonking in a muscular white man to shoot everything up. Ushered in after the phenomenal, mould-breaking Resident Evil 4, 5 promises to be a true sequel to the Resident Evil series and will undoubtedly further the series' famously clunky, convoluted and belligerent mess of a plot whilst serving up some of the most enjoyably anxious and visceral combat modern video gaming is capable of.

Resistance 2 (PS3)

Resistance was an FPS launch-title for the PS3 where a brave American soldier was thrown over to Britain and had to sort out attacks from a weird, presumably alien menace. Resistance 2, however, does not feature a British chap doing the same to America, but does promise a continuation of the storyline and making everything just generally better in the ultra-competitive, slightly derivative FPS genre.

Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood (DS)

Nobody is unluckier than Sonic, who arguably hasn't been seen in a decent game since 1994. His last game was one of the most insufferable bits of pap ever burnt onto a DVD. However, genius RPG developer BioWare has taken the series and is turning it into an RPG for the DS. Undoubtedly a studio that knows what it's, they have the potential to make a serious and definite rival to the exemplary Mario RPG series. Fingers crossed.

Spore (PC, Mac, DS)

A game that promises to be so wonderful that people are prepared to pay for a demo. Allegedly a massively single-player online game, Spore is a unique title where you create a species from tiny organism up to intelligent space-faring culture. Your species progresses across various phases, each a slightly different gameplay experience. It also features loads of fancy internet stuff, such as RSS feeds and an in-game integration with YouTube. It's rare to see a game with such massive scope and meticulous development, which is probably one of the reasons that Spore defies categorisation and why people are so interested in it.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (360, PS3)

LucasArts haven't really developed a game that hasn't been a horrible cash-in for about a million years now. It's hard for anyone burnt on titles such as Star Wars Demolition and Jedi Power Battles. What The Force Unleashed promises, however, is a way to do stuff with the force that only the current generation of whizzy physics can do. There's a chance, a slim chance, that this game might be absolutely incredible. I'll believe it when I see it, but I remain very hopeful.