This is part two of my feeble attempt at analyzing what the analysts have told us about all the excitement at this year’s E3. Part 1 is here, where I take a look at a few things that I’m looking forward to. In this part, I take a look at a few games that I’m a bit worried about. By nature, if I’m worried about a game, it means it’s definitely high on my watch list, and am just concerned that it may not meet my lofty expectations.
Before you go crazy, the first two games I’m most worried about are on my “will buy day 1” list, although I’m pretty sure I’m in the minority with these, as most people seem to be 100% positive these are “game changer” games…or…something.
Mass Effect 3. Loved the first two, but was slightly disappointed that the second game dumbed down the RPG elements and focused more on action. Seeing the promos for Mass Effect 3 worry me further, because it seems to be almost *all* action. It appears they are billing it as a 3rd person shooter more than anything else. Yes, I will play it, and I’ll probably enjoy the hell out of it, but I want something more — dialog, character development, universe exploration, and RPG stuff like stats on weapons and abilities. Hopefully all that is in there, and am hoping the epic over-the-top action is just marketing hype.
Battlefield 3. What I’m worried about in BF3 probably has to do more with me than with the game. I’ve loved the previous BF games and sunk hundreds of hours into BF2 and BC2 online. BF3 looks to take the best parts of the last two PC versions, and do it in the beautiful Frostbite 2 engine. I’m worried because I can’t seem to get myself excited to the same feverish pitch that friends and the media are about this game. It could be all the focus they have put into the single player, which is something I don’t want from a BF game. It looks great, and I’m sure it’ll be fun. I’ll buy it, even preorder it. My problem is most likely I’m suffering from modern warfare fatigue. It’s getting a bit overdone, and the constant DICE/EA trying to out-do Call of Duty is getting old, and even a bit embarrassing. Maybe by the time BF3 rolls around with its shear awesomeness I’ll be ready to dive back in to the online modern warfare shooter world.
Aliens Colonial Marines: A game that I haven’t heard much about, but I’m always skeptical of games of some of my favorite movie franchises. Sounds a bit like Star Wars Republic Commando with the squad-based mechanics and is billed as the “true sequel to the Aliens movie.” Hopefully it gives us the Aliens game we’ve always wanted but that, by nature, sets the bar so high it would be a minor miracle to achieve. The other factor is Gearbox. They’re responsible for picking up the pieces and finishing DNF, which isn’t really a good thing. I’m keeping my expectations low.
I’m probably worried about much, much more than this since I’m cynical by nature, but those are just a few that stand out in the post-E3 rubble. I’ll be closing my E3 thoughts in part 3 of my Armchair E3 analyst article, where I take a look at the things that just don’t look appealing at all.