E3- a Game Monkeys Feature!

Game Reviews for PC, PS2, X-Box, Playstation, CCGs, Pen and Paper Role Playing and Table Top Games, plus Movies, DVDs, and Anime!

E3 2004

A Game Monkeys Magazine‘s Feature

Overview | Genre Thoughts | New Systems

Best of... | Honorable Mentions

Like locusts from some biblical plague, Game Monkeys' annual descent on the unsuspecting and surprisingly naïve residents of Los Angeles created all the havoc, chaos, and rioting that we could have hoped for…and ended up adding four new warrants to our already impressive records. But it was all worth it, not only because it was fun, but because it also allowed us to bring you highlights and news from E3.

But before we begin, we have a confession to make that will make you no more happy than it made us…our coverage this year is not quite as comprehensive as it has been in years past. Why? Well, simply put, it's because there was just too much show for the limited amount of monkeys we had available this year. To be more specific, though, it's because the show is huge, we weren't many, and we had a run of what we like to call "Attention Vampires" sucking on us this year. What's an Attention Vampire, you ask? Well, an AV is a company that really has nothing to noteworthy to show (either all their games are on the market already, are too far off to be really considered as anything but a pipe dream, or that have one game that they demo in 5 minutes but then want to spend an hour and a half talking to you about), but are not only insistent that they need an appointment but that also lie to you about what they offer to get you into their booth. This year, there were dozens of them--even more than usual, and unfortunately we fell victim to far too many.

But fear not…though our coverage might be a little below normal we have drawn out enough highlights to keep you happy for the coming year…and we'll be sure and review everything anyways.

So enough of our whining--you want to know what E3 was like this year. In a single surprising word; unimpressive. Despite some very shiny diamonds in the proverbial rough (which we will tell you about shortly), the whole resembled badly recycled water: tepid, sour, and reeking of last week's orange juice. It was the year of the "me, too!" titles; "me, too!" MMORPG, "me, too!" FPS, and, most interestingly, "me, too!" hardware. But we've cut through it all to bring you the very best the show offered. First though, a few general notes on the various genres we saw.

Massive Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Games:

With last year ushering in the era of the MMO-non-roleplaying-games (fighting games, shooters, strategy games, etc.), we were more than a little surprised to see a massive resurgence in the RPG genre. Now, the bad news is that most of these were such underwhelming "me, too!" titles that by the end of the show we were actually angry about it. One poor manufacturer, who ran into the isle to humbly announce the game that he was sure was "the best MMORPG we'd ever seen", actually withered under a crushing barrage of "and what the hell's so good about it?" questions. Yes, your game is pretty. Yes, your game has elves and dwarves and goblins. Yes, your game has a class that lets you wield kick ass weapons like a one-man regiment…but so what? So does EVERYBODY ELSE. Why the hell should we care?

Depressingly, most designers didn't have an answer to that. Reminiscent of last year's "but our game has weapon X" FPS fiasco, where designers banked their entire shooter title on one pitiful re-imagining of a given weapon, most MMORPG manufacturers had little more to offer than a slight modification of an old, and worn out, idea. This game gives you strong instead of wimpy elves, this game lets you make your own weapons, this game lets you scuba dive…or whatever other miserable gimmicks they try to employ. Designers, take the hint: if all you're bringing to the table is the ability to use a poleaxe one handed or a better dance animation you will fail…devoured by the juggernaughts of the industry like an edible panty at an obese nymphomaniac's convention.
But that's not to say they were all bad. A few truly phenomenal looking MMOs did rise to the surface…and not surprisingly most were built on fantastic franchises with tons of money to spare during development and that will already come with a built in fan base. Why is that relevant? Well, because it let each one march out in their own direction and make a solid name for themselves.

First Person Shooters:

Just in case you're afraid the MMORPGs were the only games worth of our wrath, the FPS genre had more than enough "me, too!" to go around. Focused mainly on graphics, that meaning that the big thing all the "me, too!" companies tried to push was that their game was pretty (just like everybody else's), the FPS glut wasn't quite as boring as last year but angried up our blood all the same. The FPS war also introduced something new that infuriated us beyond words, the phrase "best game of the year." As in, "you guys wanna see the best game of the year?" "You guys wanna play the best game of the year?" Or, my personal favorite, "we've got your best game of the year right here." Now, while I appreciate a PR person's need to hype their game, nothing is more agitating than someone calling themselves the best. That's for the gamers to decide, not jerk-off reps hyping their game, and by the end of show earned many a rep a swift kick to the groin.

But that's not to say all the FPS were boring, or even trite. A few managed to distinguish themselves quite impressively…and those are covered below.

Adventure Games:

Adventure games, the genre that defined "me, too!"-ism in the video game world, offered more of the before than any other game type at E3. With the next big thing still some time off (when we see it, we'll let you know), the floor was chock full of games we've seen before redressed and repackaged to try and weasel you out of another 50 bananas. So was anything interesting? The short answer is yes, but on deeper inspection the long answer comes up with "but it's still nothing you haven't seen before". A number of sequels dotted the landscape and promised minor innovations on some great games, but all in all there was little new. What did catch our eye, of course, is covered below.

Roleplaying and Strategy:

Unquestionably back on the upswing, there were more roleplaying games that we could possibly shake a dung-covered stick at. Likely to be next year's big thing, we were absolutely shocked at how many different companies had RPGs in development. Unfortunately, as you might guess, very few of these actually brought anything new to the market…and I both giggle and cringe at the forthcoming ego-smashing that will occur as hundreds of developers discover the fact that "our game is like Final Fantasy but set in a drifting space hulk" is worth somewhere between jack and shit. So too with the RTS, which still seem to feel that "my neat tank design" is enough to propel a whole game.
But, on the up side, the ones that did catch our eyes were awe-inspiring and we felt our life was bettered through being able to play them. High praise, we know, but true all the same.

Sports Games:

We catch a lot of flak for not giving sports games more coverage at E3…and we deserve it. Many an innovation has come and gone with scant mention from us in these hallowed reports. But we just can't help it…while half our staff goes absolutely insane with the fact that this new football game has a play editor or that one has first person views, it hardly seems innovative enough to make an E3 highlight. Of course, that doesn't mean we won't near orgasmically fawn over them in our reviews…just that it's hard to compare a baseball game that manages to put Pay-Rod on the Yoinkees with a game that redefines how texture shading is handled. Does that mean that there were no great sports games? Of course not…there were some phenomenal ones…and with the big news this year that EA and Microsoft have struck a deal to put Live compatibility in all the new EA Sports games, there's enough excitement to power a small city…but that doesn't mean the games make the list.

     Hardware:
     Again adhering to the "me, too!" feel of the show, most of the hardware we saw all week had little more to offer than a different manufacturer's logo on the controller or card. There was a lot of push to new custom built machines and a surprising number of gamer chairs and desks, but to be honest the vast majority of them all fell in at such a high price-point that we can't imagine many of them being around a year from now. So what did catch our eye?
     Surprisingly, the best new hardware was actually modifications to old standbys. Saitek was sporting a very cool backlit keyboard that not only looked fantastic but will also make finding keys in those late-night lights-out LAN sessions a whole lot easier. Radica had some killer new wireless pads for both PS2 and Xbox that you'll definitely want to keep your eye out for. But the two big sets of news, without question, were on the two new consoles and two new handhelds that were unveiled at the show.

The New Systems... Consoles | Hand-Helds
Consoles:
Shockingly, both consoles worked different sides of the same angle: that more gamers would play PC games if you could do it on your TV. Now, while that seemed somewhat suspect to us, both of these companies are banking millions of dollars on the idea, so we're hoping they know something we don't. The idea is that there are a number of potential gamers out there who really want to jam on PC games but are intimidated by the process of building or choosing the right PC for them.

The first one we saw, the mysterious and much hyped Phantom by Infinium Labs, is an interesting take on an old idea. Basically banking on the strong desire for internet playability and connectivity, the Phantom is a self-contained and non-accessible PC that looks a bit like a neuvo-Tivo. It has no disk or CD-drive, controller/keyboard port in the front, and an Ethernet adapter in the back. The idea is that it will be free to "buy" from major retailers but will require a two-year commitment via subscription to use. That subscription will cost you somewhere in the 20 buck a month range and will give you limitless access to game demos and online play. The games should include most of the big and mid-ranged titles you'd expect to have for a PC, but once you find the game you want, though, you'll have to pay a retail comparable ($50ish) fee to download it to your Phantom and then play it as much as you'd like. Hardware wise the Phantom should be comparable to a last-year's gaming machine and so will jam well on games up to and including Unreal Tournament 2004 but may have problems with anything beyond that.

The other debut, the DISCover from Apex, is a similar jaunt in a much more traditional method. The DISCover is literally a PC in a box and includes a non-upgradeable set of hardware that will run, much like the Phantom, just about any graphically intensive game that's come out prior to February of this year. Retailing for around $500, the DISCover will be compatible with most USB hardware and so, aside from the fact that it'll be on your TV, will seem at first glance much like any other PC gaming experience. What's unique about it, however, is the chopped down version of Windows (that will not allow you to interface more than to play, install, or uninstall games) it'll be sporting that features a very intense, and updatable, auto-install protocol. Effectively designed to be as drop-and-play and play as any console, the theory is that it'll take the guess work, updating, and thus the worry out of any PC gaming experience.

     But how did these two actually stack up, and will they be able to compete in the cutthroat console market? Well, to be honest, we don't know yet. In both cases, the concept of PC gaming without a real PC was intriguing…but also deviated so far from what we were comfortable with that we're not sure how to take them at the moment. Being hard-core gamers, which is decidedly not the target audience for either machine, the lack of an ability to upgrade, tweak settings, and carry the box off to our buddy's for a game night seemed ridiculous…but at the same time the possible appeal is undeniable. Somewhere out there is a guy who's desperate to play Combat Flight Simulator 3 but can't comprehend the process of buying a PC…or who would rather just sit down and play on the TV than learn basic computer adaptation or set up a desk in the corner with a 17" monitor.
     At the same time, though, both machines do have some significant limitations that will invariably stand in their way. For starters is the price. While both, in truth, end up being comparable to both each other and a PC at the end of the day, the potentially limited appeal of the console format may end up hamstringing both machines. Granted, for some people, the appeal of PC gaming on the equivalent of either a low end or custom built machine is keen, but they will be giving up all the other inherent advantages a PC brings you (i.e. web surfing, working, burning, etc.). What is far and away the biggest thing going against them, however, is their lack of upgradeability. While UT ran pretty good against a limited number of bots on the Phantom and Halo was playable though a bit stuttery on the DISCover, neither system would have a snowball's chance in hell of playing Farcry, Doom 3, Half-life 2 (if it ever comes out), or any other top of the line game that'll be out this year or next. And while that still leaves them a sea of less intense titles to choose from, will loosing all the big-boys out the gate be a hurdle to this new media-pc concept? You'd better believe it.
     So, with both their merits and flaws, we're excited but have a healthy sense of trepidation about the new concepts. Both companies have already promised us review units, so full coverage will come as soon as primatianally possible, but for the moment we're staying optimistic with reservations. There's always room for another good idea…and if these are it we'll welcome them happily. Of course, if they end up tanking you can expect the poo to start flinging here first.

          Hand-Helds:
     As for the new hand-helds, we want to give them their due but at the same time aren't going to spend too much time on either. Why? Because we are not, at heart, a previews magazine and ¾ of what we heard at the show about both of them is still totally suspect. We jammed on both, enjoyed the merits of both, but ultimately hung a giant "we'll see" over both as well.
     The first is the PSP (Playstation Portable) by Sony. Essentially a mini-PS2, this little dynamo has a ton of power, an amazing display, the coolest little analog stick we've ever dreamed of on a hand-held, and a 2+ gigabyte proprietary mini-disk that will eventually not only come with games but also DVDs, music, and anything else Sony can license it to. It was fun to use, graphically impressive, hinted at some fantastic proprietary titles for its launch (including favorites like Metal Gear and Dark Stalkers) and really ergonomically designed. Unfortunately, it is also large and awkward and will not ever fit into your pocket or even fanny-pack for easy carry and play. The price-point was also very much in debate, and could come in at anywhere from a reasonable $150 to a ridiculous $250, depending on who you listen to (the official price point wasn't announced). We'll remain excited about it but, at the same time, weary of yet another high profile handheld into a Nintendo dominated market.
     And, speaking of Nintendo, they had their new DS hand-held at the show. Basically a Gameboy SP on steroids, it sports an increased processor, backwards compatibility, wi-fi connectivity, and two gaming screens--one of which is touch sensitive like a PDA. And while the wi-fi aspects and increased processor are fantastic, and the backwards compatibility will bring it to market with a gazillion old games as well as a whole new batch of graphically enhanced DS games, we were immediately struck by the simple reality that this is just a slightly vamped up SP. Though the two screens and touch sensitivity have significant potential, and the increased power may make for some very much enhanced games, nothing we saw at E3 made us do more than purse our lips and nod. Sure, it's neat…but will it be $150 to $200 neat, which is what the buzz says it'll cost? Who knows. We sure don't after having spent some serious time playing it…and thus we say again we'll have to wait and see.

Alright, so now we've bored you with our overviews and burdened you with our troubles, let's get on to the games. What follows is our highlights--those that caught our tails and wouldn't let go, and should all be things you keep your eye out for. Of course, if we end up being wrong…and after you buy the game, get it home, and think it sucks donkey…we'd encourage you to send us volumes of hate mail here.

To make it easy we've broken this down into our "Best of…" and "Honorable Mentions…" The Best of's are things that we will not be able to live without while Honorable Mentions are things that you don't have to spend your rent money on but should get all the same. Within those sections they're all alphabetical.

Best of…

Everquest II (Sony Online, PC): First on our list is the second generation of the game that started it all. Undeniably the champ to beat, EQII fell under fire early in its development because it wouldn't allow EQ players to import their characters into the new game. That valid criticism not withstanding, the second game will still have an amazing amount of draw for old an new players alike and may stay the king to beat despite its "relaunch". Based on years of existing play, this sequel picks up hundreds of years after the first game ends and takes place in a world changed by the ravages of time and war. Bringing back most of the original's fan favorites as well as implementing some new class and skill options, the real innovation in EQII is the stunning new look. With character models that make the first game look like an old 8-bit throwback and engaging combat animations (literally hundreds in all), EQII's the first MMORPG that's not a bore to watch. Gorgeous, lush, huge, and elaborate, EQII certainly seems to have the whole package wrapped up.

FEAR (Vivendi Universal, PC): The surprising "out of nowhere" hit of this year's show has to be this fantastic little horror shooter from Monolith, the crew that brought you No One Lives Forever and Shogo. Basically an action/horror movie for your computer, FEAR is an unbelievably gorgeous FPS that combines some very straight forward run and gun with what could well be an unprecedented level of supernatural terror. The demo we watched was a live play of most of the first level and it featured creepy crawlies, mutilations, and a bloody footprint leaving little girl guaranteed to give you the heebie-jeebies.

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (Square-Enix, DVD): Eagerly anticipated and long overdue, Square finally brings the world of FFVII to life in a gorgeously rendered and magnificently detailed feature movie. Soon to be released straight to DVD, the Advent Children preview had us cheering in the seats and oooing and awwwing the unbelievably pretty animations. Though the plot was somewhat cryptic and the story is yet to be revealed, the visuals alone will be enough to make sure you pick this one up.

Ghost Recon 2 (Ubisoft, Xbox): The sequel to one of the most hotly debated titles of all time, Ghost Recon 2 was obviously made with one goal in mind: to keep the strong elements of the first game while correcting the extensive criticisms it suffered. The result is a 3rd person tactical shooter that is likely to be one of the best games of the coming year. Gorgeous, detailed, and rich, GR2's graphics are vastly superior to anything the first title offered, game play has been tightened up to address the lack of smoothness and jerkiness of play of the predecessor, and weapons have been streamlined and adjusted for realism…all the while preserving the solid feel and dangerous open field engagements of the first.

God of War (Sony, PS2): What might be the next great stride in the classic 3rd person adventure genre is Sony's God of War. Based loosely on Greek mythology and featuring a number of historically inspired levels and enemies, GoW is designed to follow in the same footsteps as some of Sony's other recent multi-game-type adventure titles. Combining a myriad of gaming elements subtly and smoothly into one very entertaining package GoW will definitely appeal to the veteran adult gaming audience..

Halo 2 (Microsoft, Xbox): Yeah, it's finally here, and we've got the stick time to prove it. Skirmished in small capture the flag bouts in an exclusive and guarded section of MS' booth, elite monkeys like ourselves got to spend some quality time with the console FPS king's second coming. While essentially more of the same, the game is the already smooth, graphically improved, sporting some clever new features (like being able to play as a covenant soldier), game modes, and weapons, H2 will undoubtedly be a hit. And with their head honcho sporting a "tattoo" guaranteeing a November release, we should finally see it for Christmas.

Missing (The Adventure Company, PC): Unquestionably one of the most innovative games we've seen in years, Missing may be a little hard to explain in a short paragraph. Essentially a combination horror/mystery and puzzle game, the premise is that two reporters have been abducted by a psychopath and the only clue to finding them is a cd-rom that the abductor has sent to their employer. Unable to decipher the disks meaning, they have released it to the public in hopes that someone can figure out the truth. Thus, in the game, you play yourself trying to decipher said disk…which is an interesting departure from most games. To succeed you'll need to puzzle through a number of mini-games, riddles, and clues all designed in the mind of a serial killer. And while all that sounds intriguing, what really sets Missing apart is the revolutionary play style and support. Included with the disk is access to literally hundreds of websites, news bits, and contacts, some created exclusively for the game and some done through partnership with existing websites (like news sites, job finders, etc.). You will need to access all of these to try and find clues (i.e. searching for street names and locations, finding news bits as clues to what has happened at various locations, etc.) to help you piece together the truth…which is slowly revealed through live acted, and quite disturbing, videos that the killer shot of the victims. Plus, as if all that wasn't enough, you will send and periodically receive emails from in game contacts, through your real life email account, that will help you find the answer or give you hints if you get stuck. Part "Blair Witch", part "Law & Order", part "Myst", and part college research project, the game looks to be gripping, engaging, and genuinely enthralling. Definitely keep your eye out for this one.

Vampire: Bloodlines (Activision, PC): Since a lot of you monkeys reading this are both video and pen and paper gamers, we know you're dying to hear about Vampire: Bloodlines. Will it do justice to the roleplaying game? Will it make good on the Half-life 2 engine? Will it translate into a better experience than the first painfully linear videogame? The answer to all of these, in short, is abso-frickin'-lutely YES! A surefire contender for best game of 2004, VB has a level of detail and depth that the RPG genre has been missing since its inception. Demonstrating more features and innovation than we could possibly go into here, we have honestly never seen a game that integrated so many various elements as smoothly as Bloodlines does. From first person shooting that actually uses your roleplaying stats to determine the quality of your aim to third person engagements where your vampiric powers can go wild, combat combines the best of both the tabletop roleplaying game and the Half-life 2 engine. From gun blazing Gangrel to stealth and guile using Toreadores, there are multiple ways to solve almost any puzzle and resolve any conflict. But best of all, with literally dozens of hours of dialog and hundreds of NPCs, for once the roleplaying element of a roleplaying game won't lax as each character you encounter responds uniquely to you based on not only which way your dialog tree goes but also your manner, demeanor, and appearance. It's an awesome package that actually made us weak in the knees during our demo.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War (THQ, PC): Following a long string of what, in the vast majority, can only be described as craptastic translations of Game Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 table top miniatures game, THQ is intent on making sure their first game using the license, to quote a to remain unnamed THQ employee, "doesn't suck like the other ones did"…and they're off to a very promising start. A real time strategy game pitting power armored space marines, orks, eldar, and chaos against each other, this game plays almost as good as it looks. Though there's still some time to go on this one we are filled with an unheard of level of optimism where 40k games are concerned and were impressed by this title from top to bottom. They also earned extra points, by the way, for making sure that your armies are color customizable: letting you set the paint scheme for your armors and vehicles, and even allowing you to create your own unit patches. And while that may seem like a small bonus for strictly computer gamers, for all of us table top geeks who are familiar with the property that's absolutely huge

America's Army: Special Forces; Downrange (America's Army, PC): What started out as a fun freebie promotional idea is now a fully functional and dynamic gaming experience. Adhering to the realism and squad-oriented gameplay of the first several titles in the series, Downrange incorporates gorgeous graphics, a new physics engine, and some incredible added features to make this a solid contender for the FPS you should be playing. Now including fixed turrets, adjustable iron sights for the area effect weapons (grenade launchers and rockets), and a ton of other goodies, this series is better than ever...and best of all, still free to download! Also on our watch list, though not present in this version, is a promise that sometime later this year we should see bots included for co-op vs. AI play! Keen.

Brothers in Arms (Ubisoft, PC & Xbox): Though World War II games were more prolific than flak fire over 1942's France, most failed to make any real impression on us. One of the few that did catch our eye, however, was Brothers in Arms by Ubisoft. Despite a rather insulting demo presentation, in which we were repeatedly told that our generation was inherently inferior to our grandparents', BiA did catch our eye on a number of levels. Echoing shades of Call of Duty, BiA is a very pretty shooter that has a wonderfully gritty feel and iron sight aiming. But what really set Brothers in Arms apart was the combination of a wonderfully intelligent AI, that has some pleasant squad and tactic level interactions, and the unbelievable realism of the maps and battlefields. The culmination of hundreds of hours worth of research, each battlefield in the game is guaranteed to be completely historically accurate--down to the slope of the ground and placements of the buildings, enough so that one of the developers told us a now old man who grew up in the village could point out where he hid and watched the battle we were reenacting.

Full Metal Alchemist (Square-Enix, PS2): Based on a rather surreal anime about two brothers who accidentally invoke the wrath of demons, FMA is a 3rd person adventure game that combines classic button mashing mass combat with the ability to magically manipulate objects in the environment. Basically what this means, in laymen's terms, is that as you run through the levels fighting hordes of bad guys with your giant robot brother as backup you will come across the standard fair of level debris: bikes, tables, lamp posts, etc. But unlike most games, which let you use them only as occasional fodder or tools to maneuver bad guys around, FMA will have you turning all that debris into hero-helping power ups through your alchemist powers. Sure, it sounds a little funky, but we had a helluva good time playing it.

Full Spectrum Warrior (THQ, Xbox): Oh my god…our best strategy game of E3 2003 was back with a vengeance this year and we couldn't keep our jaws closed playing it. This amazing little "out of nowhere" title is strategy like you've never seen it: as leader of a squad of US Army soldiers. Featuring gorgeous graphics, a phenomenal premise, and some outstandingly tense gameplay it impressed us even more than before…which is a good thing…since it'll launch within weeks of you reading this article.

Ghost in the Shell & Cowboy Beebop (Bandai, PS2): Actually two separate titles, we're tying them together here because they're both of the same appeal. Based on two of the hottest anime properties of all time, Ghost in the Shell is a fun little 3rd person shooter while Cowboy Beebop is an action/fighting game. And while, to be perfectly honest, it's the subject matter more than anything else that earns them a spot on our E3 report, our little monkey maws are salivating in anticipation.

Gran Tourismo 4 (Sony, PS2): If you don't know what the GT franchise offers you've either been living in a cave or have absolutely no interest in racing games, so we're not going to bother to explain the game itself to you here. Needless to say, the fourth title in the series offers more of what we've come to expect, ever improved, and with a level of graphics that is absolutely unrivaled. Good enough, in fact, that Sony's now added support to let you print off postcards of your cars to give to your friends…just in case they didn't know how big of a geek you really are.

Laser Shot (Laser Shot, PC): A bit of hardware we've been waiting years for, Laser Shot is a PC integrated laser system that turns your PC into a firing range. Actually using real life modeled weapons (the standard home theater set comes with a 1911 .45 and a 10-22…though we jammed on an M4 rifle and M9 pistol at the show), the weapons use a detection camera to track your laser on the screen. Duck Hunt to the Nth degree, this is the peripheral we've waited our whole lives for. Initially shipping with 13 different game types, though there's talk of more to come, this is the best way to practice your marksmanship without heading to the range. Sweet.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (Konami, PS2): There was a lot of debate as to whether MGS3 should make the best of list--mainly because it remains virtually identical to those that came before it and was, at first glance, feeling a little dated. That was, however, until we realized the new camouflage system this edition sports. Rather than simply being "hidden" or "visible", MGS3 now uses a relative scale to determine how hidden you are. Get down in the grass and you may be 50% hidden, but get down in the grass in the shade on the lee of a hill and you'll be 95% hidden. The more intelligent the enemy the better a chance he or she has of finding you, and thus the more intelligently you have to play. This may seem like a small change to the casual gamer, but it really will redefine the often cut and dry way you were able to play the earlier games, and will make for much more elaborate and strategic play.

Silent Hill 4: The Room (Konami, PS2, Xbox, & PC): Promising to bring all of the disturbing imagery and general creepiness of the series back into the forefront, SH4 puts you in that classic fight for survival against zombies, monsters, and all manner of good ole evil. Employing a new more elaborate combat system and a limited carryable inventory, SH4 should be more strategic than its brethren…which could make it that much more fun.

Warhammer Online (Warhammer Online, PC): Based on the unrivaled king of table-top strategy games and the corresponding pen-and-paper RPG, WO takes the Warhammer Fantasy universe and implements it to the fullest. Free of rodent slaying, unrealistic quests, and asinine zones that turn play into academia more than roleplaying, WO is totally and completely designed to immerse the player in the Warhammer roleplaying experience. Elaborate like nothing this monkey's ever seen, the game will have none of the traditional sophistries that have become mind numbing staples of the MMORPG world. For starters, each and everything in the world is unique: There are no two identical buildings, no two identical towns, no two identical characters…hell, there's barely even identical monsters. Instead each is individually created and rendered so the world has a very realistic and authentic feel. Then there's the killer concept that there's no "color" to the monsters--each is defined by its equipment and species rather than some arbitrary rating (which means, for example, that if you're sitting on a hill looking down at a bunch of Orks you have to guess how tough they are by how big and well equipped they are). Finally, a very innovative player advancement and skill web will keep classes from becoming the boring play by number fair they usually are, and will allow a clever new job specific type of player vs. player to occur for elite classed characters…one that turns, for example, witchhunters into a pvp class with witches and warlocks.

World of Warcraft (Blizzard, PC): Though, admittedly, less innovative than either of its highlighted siblings, there are still a number of strong points of appeal for WoW. Forget the fact, if you can for a moment, that it's based on the amazing Warcraft fantasy world…and is designed to embrace it in look, feel, and mood. Even forget the fact that it's the only game we've seen that really does introduce new ideas into the now trite concepts invented by Tolkien. What is really fantastic about WoW can be broken down into two simple, but incredibly important, concepts. The first is the incredibly elaborate, and relatively straightforward, quest system it uses. Sure, you'll be able to wander around and monster crunch like any other MMO, but the backbone in the game is hundreds upon hundreds of plot scripted quests that will be given to you as often as you could possibly want. Better yet, rather than being abstract ideas and puzzle solving, each quest, though story rich, will display a very clear objective so you won't spend hours wondering who the hell you're supposed to give the magic turnip to. The second truly exciting aspect of play is the uniqueness of the different races. Unlike most games, which define race as little more than appearance and a bonus or two, your race in WoW will affect what quests are available to you, how NPCs interact with you, where you can and can't safely go, and whose side you're likely to end up on when the big war comes. Add those concepts to a persistent world, that effectively has no load times or zones in play, and you've got a game that will keep you going for hours on end.