At a time when some game companies are struggling financially, opting to not have a booth in E3, Sony is owning the expo with
over 200 playable kiosks, and no less than 20 new game reveals. In accordance
with their campaign 'Never stop playing', it's not a matter of whether you can
stop playing or not, but rather if you can afford to stop playing.
Though going
through their own mishaps, publicly at least, with the hack of their Playstation Network last April and the simmering launch of the PS Vita, E3 is a going to be
a great way to maintain their power and relevancy. We're not dealing with mere
game designers here, but with big boys that pave the way for future digital
entertainment, so after THQ and Nintendo, this is The Road to E3 Expo 2012: Sony.
Sony is still quiet about the games that will be on show but
it won't be too hard to estimate potential big reveals.
Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale, a Super Smash bros game
for the PS3 will hopefully have a roster longer than its title! It has been
confirmed for E3 and I can not be more excited for its release. With fighters
like Nathan Hale, Cole MacGrath (read
Playstation All Stars-Battle Royale: Cole McGrath)
, Kratos, and even a chimera, this game is set
to catch fire and deliver on its gameplay, fun factor and all out randomness.
I'll keep one eye on it because one of my favorite video game franchises is an
inspiration, and one eye on SuperBot Entertainment, the
independent
studio
who's working on it as its their first game. Fingers crossed.
Another confirmed game is Little Big Planet Karting. What
happens when you build an extravagant IP like that of LIttle Big Planet 2? You
bank on it, that's what! Media Molecule is currently behind the scenes working
on Little Big Planet Karting which ultimately looks like an overblown mod for
Little Big Planet
2. There's nothing wrong with that as DOTA and Counter Strike started off as
mods, but asides from game modes that include battles, the only proper
difference between 2010's highly successful Modnation Racers and LBP Karting is
Sack Boy. Are Sony abandoning a past exclusive or are they bringing in the guns
to deliver a true Mario Kart contender? We'll find out soon enough!
God of War Ascension, which was revealed earlier this month,
will definitely be there and I'm betting there will be a playable version for
it. The launch video demonstrated four players battling it out before attending
to the cyclops in the background. Brutal and fun as it looks, I'm hoping that
the multi-player aspect is just a feature in a robust single player game,
otherwise Sony is going to have itself a mess with two smash bros games coming
out, one that already includes Kratos in its lineup!
Will this be mythical
approach to what Ratchet & Clank: All For One introduced, or will it pick
up on the GOW storyline and introduce new elements? We'll find out in a month's
time.
The Last Guardian has been teasing us for the better part of
the past two years and Team Ico has been practicing their oath of silence with
diligence. I don't mind waiting for a potentially great game, but when the
release date is modified multiple times and more design studios are assigned to
'assist' in the game, I can not stop myself from worrying.
Adding to my anxiety
is the departure of Team Ico's head who was the brain child of both classics
that put them on the map, Ico and Shadow of the Colossus (read The Last Guardian is in trouble). Sony claims that he
is still under contract to finish the game, but that can potentially be a sign
of dark days to come. Let's hope we don't have another Duke Nukem Forever on
our hands, but for now, the Last Guardian will be done when it's done.
Naughty Dog have been pretty busy this year, releasing two
Uncharted games, one for the Playstation 3 and one for the PS Vita, as well as working on a
new exclusive for the console. The Last of Us is looking to be an alternate take on
survival by throwing in a man and a young girl in a post apocalyptic city
overgrown by forestation. The game will be in third person and will thankfully
benefit from Naughty Dog's experience in that field. You will be in charge of
Joel, a "ruthless" survivor, and Elli, a 14 year-old girl who is wise
beyond her years, but has no memory of the world pre-apocalypse. I'm just happy
to not be hunting zombies for a change.
With all that said, the PS3 is not going to be the only star
of the show. The Vita will be receiving much love in the hopes to give it the
proper standing that it deserves. Expected to make a showing is From Software's
new game Soul Sacrifice which at the time of writing has not been revealed
yet, but speculators are wondering if it will be the Dark Souls of the Vita.
Another notable mention is Gravity Rush, which will have players manipulate environmental
gravity to get to their goal. Charming concept, until you find out that it is
being birthed by the man behind the original Silent Hill series. A horror
platformer? Consider me interested!
Alas, it's not all new IP that will be gracing the E3 floors,
but the games making a comeback will prove to be massive hits on the Vita. With
titles like Killzone, Assassin's Creed and Call of Duty said to be launching,
it may finally be time to consider adding the Vita it to my collection.
Sparkileptic is an avid gamer and critic who dabbles with the written word.