Best of E3 2012

The GamerNode editors enjoyed an incredible E3 this year, and the games that came along with the big show were as impressive as we could have hoped for. Picking out the cream of the crop was a tough job for Mike, Jason, Dan, and me, but equipped with four nomination placards apiece, we braved the storm of games and came out with our top 18 games of the show.

Eighteen? Four times four equals…? Well, in addition to our individual picks, two games made the list when we couldn’t decide which of us would make the nomination, because we all agreed that they were deserving of the placard.

We also chose one game that was the best surprise of the show, and one publisher that made us jump for joy with the games they had on display. But enough preface; let’s get down to the games!

The nominees are . . .

Immediately following Ubisoft’s pre-show press conference, Watch_Dogs was at the center of conversation among the GamerNode crew. Mike, in particular was enthralled by the concept of ctOS, instant hacking, limitless access to information, and the potential depth of players working simultaneously and interconnectedly to carry out their individual missions across the game’s beautifully rendered virtual world.

Another impressive offering from Ubisoft, ZombiU gives instant credit to Nintendo’s upcoming Wii U. This presumably M-rated title combines first-person survival horror action, seamless integration of the Wii U GamePad for game mechanics like inventory and lockpicking, and inventive, asymmetric multiplayer into what promises to be a very strong launch title for the console when it hits stores later this year. Jason played the game on the show floor and made it his first nomination for Best of E3 2012.

Dan has always been a fan of the Dead Space franchise, but it took Dead Space 3‘s drop-in, drop-out cooperative multiplayer, its heavily scripted and narrative-driven progression, and of course its large-scale encounters and strong action to convince him that it deserved his nomination for Best of E3 this year. We didn’t see a ton of the heebie-jeebies we know from past entries in the franchise, but E3 isn’t the best stage for that type of play, either. The potential is there, and what was shown was very exciting.

Capcom had a surprise in store for the GamerNode editors at E3 this year. Resident Evil 6‘s intertwining storylines and seamlessly integrated drop-together online cooperative play was enough to reignite Eddie‘s faith in the franchise after a disappointing Resident Evil 5. The footage so far has promoted the series’ recent focus on action, with far more mobile protagonists, but a hint of the old horror is evident under the surface. We can almost feel the Ustanak chasing us now.

The new direction for the Metal Gear brand wowed Mike at E3 this year; Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance‘s high-octane ride – and slicing enemies every which way to Sunday – looks to reinvigorate Konami’s classic gaming fiction for a new era of crazy conspiracies, secret organizations, and whatever else the team can cook up this time around. Whatever it ends up being, it’ll be a dish best served cold.

It was more than nostalgia that laid the foundation for Eddie‘s inclusion of SimCity in his Best of E3 nominees list. This new vision for Maxis’s timeless franchise is built atop the impressive technology of the GlassBox Engine, essentially creating a person-by-person simulation of populations not just for one player at a time, but for groups of players (and cities), connected and working together asynchronously in larger regions to achieve mutual goals. Johnny Bluehouse Sim will wake up every morning, walk to his car, drive to his job, spend the day in a neighboring city, get caught in traffic, stop for some coffee, come home in the evening, and possibly have his azaleas torn up by a speeding getaway car after a charming local bank robbery. This promises to be the most tangible a city simulation has ever been.

Another pleasant surprise at E3 2012 came from the land of Mortal Kombat and NetherRealm Studios. Injustice: Gods Among Us features hard-hitting, superhero fisticuffs in multi-stage fighting arenas, with cosmic super moves befitting its larger-than-life combatants. We all came away from the closed-door demo impressed with the game, but resident fight fan Jason saw fit to name Injustice one of his Best of E3 2012 nominees.

If Dan didn’t nominate Metro: Last Light, Eddie most certainly would have. The survival horror elements of this dark, disempowering shooter shone during its E3 2012 demo, and the minutae of a slow-paced, post-apocalyptic trek through the Soviet underground promise to humanize the player avatar, Artyom, and envelop players in the game’s heavy atmosphere. It seems that 4A plans to make every moment in Metro: Last Light a significant one, and from what we’ve seen so far, the developer is on the path to success.

Dishonored is our first team nomination for Best of E3 2012; all four editors came out of the Bethesda booth awed by the complex meshing of stealth action, magic-enhanced free-form combat, RPG elements, and a healthy dose of player choice in the game’s dystopic, Dickensian, steampunk setting. The short presentation and hands-on demo to which we were treated just weren’t enough to explore everything the game undoubtedly has to offer seasoned gamers, and we’re champing at the bit for more.

 Continue to page 2…