PC Games

And then there is the PC… For some reason, no matter how good or bad the PC games at E3 are, it’s hard to keep PC gaming down. It’s in a category all by itself. Leading the pack for PC games (in my opinion) were the MMORPG’s. Kinda like the action/stealth vibe I picked up my first day at the show, there were probably ten or more massive online RPG’s to pick from at the show. City of Heroes, Guild Wars, Warhammer Online, Lineage II and my personal favorite, World of Warcraft. Don’t get me wrong, there were tons more that I saw from a distance but, as before, the demon of time was working against me throughout the show, and I didn’t get to try any of the others (and thus, am hard-pressed to recall their names!).

A lot of other great PC FPS’s were shown at E3. Deus Ex 2: Invisible War (also on Xbox) looks absolutely amazing, loads better than the first one, and that is saying something! In Tron 2.0, I got wasted in multiplayer light cycle races for at least half an hour (damn you, master control!) and last but not least, Doom III, which only had a five minute trailer at the show, but still blew me away. (C’mon, id, when is this thing gonna be done?!?!) To me, the PC is the only place an FPS can achieve its full potential, given the freedom of quick and accurate aim. I played Deus Ex 2 on both X-box and PC, and while there wasn’t much of a graphical difference, interacting with environmental objects was a lot more smooth and easy on the PC. If your machine can handle the game, I’d suggest buying the PC version.

Game News

Sony announced price drops across the board for its Playstation 2. But, this is just to make way for the new model of PS2, with the network adapter already built in, to retail for around $200. Considering the adapter costs $50, that’s quite a bargain. Another new piece of hardware from Sony is the Eye Toy, which captures the player with a camera, and puts him or her in a game. I saw a player physically slapping away little bugs in one game, and another that put him in a boxing match. Pretty good exercise, but as for games with long-term payoffs, you can forget it. Sony also announced its new plan for a handheld gaming device to be out late next year or early 2005. More details on that as they’re released.

Wrap up!

All in all, it was a great experience. I might be a game journalist but I am always a gamer first. For me, E3 was a rite of passage. The booth babes are way more beautiful in person, and if any of them are reading this right now, I’d like to say thanks for all the pictures. I’m just sorry you have to touch sweaty, smelly gamers all day long and smile… Whoa, I’m getting a little sidetracked… If any hardcore gamer gets the time and resources to get to L.A. next summer, do it. I’ve probably been changed for life. And, of course, I owe all this gratitude to my editor, Doug. Thanks, man. But, enough of this personal crap! Let’s get onto the games!

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