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Matt's
E3 RPG Roundup |
May
27, 2001 |
 While
the rest of the GF! staff enjoyed sampling a variety of different games
at E3, resident RPG expert Matt spent all his time digging dirt on
upcoming RPGs. That, and hanging out in the GoD lot. Read on for his
takes on some of this year's biggest role-playing games, including the
much-awaited Diablo
II and Baldur's Gate
II expansions, the excellent steampunk/fantasy hybrid Arcanum,
and the mysterious Star
Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. |
| AquaNox
E3 Preview |
 It's
only fitting that a company named Fishtank would come up with a game
like Aquanox, one fine-looking
underwater shooter. It combines stellar graphics with fast-paced
action, and that and the free gummi sharks have got Greg really
excited about this one. |
| Merchant
Prince II Review (PC) |
 If
you've got a Machiavellian nature and a high threshold for steep
learning curves, you'll probably enjoy Merchant
Prince II, Talonsoft's turn-based strategy game that puts you in
control of a Renaissance-era city-state. It's more of a remake of the
classic than an entirely new game, and the interface is unwieldy, but
there's a good game in there if you can find it. |
| Outlive
Review (PC) |
 We
thought only the Koreans made egregious Starcraft knock-offs, but
now--live from Brazil--comes Outlive,
a game that takes derivative and repetitious gameplay and lowers it to
an entirely new level. Interested in RTS's that really rock? Give this
one a pass and check out Kohan. |
 |
|
Microsoft PC at E3 |
May 25, 2001 |
 While
the Xbox certainly took center stage at this year's E3, Microsoft also displayed an impressive
collection of new PC titles. We'll soon be posting previews of Age of Mythology,
Dungeon Siege, Mechcommander 2, and Sigma. We've got the AoM preview up right now, so click here to take a long hard look at the
future (and mythological past) of the legendary AoE series. |
| Sarah's E3 2001 Picks |
 It's become
a staple at GF! -- Sarah runs down her top picks for interesting, exciting, and innovative
console games coming out over the next year. This year she tackles GameCube, PS2, and
Xbox, and our previews of these games are better than ever. Check out Sarah's E3 2001 Picks. Click-click, Hombre. |
| Run Like Hell (RLH) Preview (PS2) |
 What
would a year of gaming be without some action horror titles? Crappy, that's what it would
be like. Run Like Hell (aka RLH) is one of
Interplay's new console titles, and it is looking really scary. What's most scary is just
how innovative and interesting this game is. This ain't your daddy's survival horror. Click here if you can take it. |
| Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance Preview (PS2) |
 The beloved PC RPG series makes a leap to the
PlayStation 2 this Fall. Baldur's Gate: Dark
Alliance is not a port of one of the PC titles, and it's not just Gauntlet. It's a
great new action RPG based on 3rd Edition AD&D rules that might bring a breath of
fresh air into the stagnant console RPG genre. Get
your quests here. |
| Pryzm Chapter One: The Dark Unicorn Preview (PS2) |
 TDK
Mediactive is bringing us a great adventure game for all ages. Pryzm Chapter One: The Dark Unicorn will have
you questing all over a huge world in order to save the inhabitants from evil and
destruction. Fantasy action, a great story, and compelling gameplay should make this a
hit. Click here. |
| Smugglers Run 2: Hostile Territory Preview (PS2) |
 Definitely
not a "wholesome" title, but a hell of a lot of fun, Smugglers Run 2: Hostile Territory is looking like
a more than suitable heir to the SR throne. Haul contraband all over the world, through
war zones and populated villages, in order to hook up the connection. Banditos click here. |
|
|
E3 Photo Blowout! |
May 24, 2001 |
 What a long, strange trip it was--at this year's E3 Al shot announcements,
demos, CEOs, booth babes (of course!), and even a few photos of the GF! staff.
In fact, we've put together a gallery of
over 60 images documenting the fanfare, all in a nice, easy format that will make your
surfing experience a pleasure. Come on
in and take a gander at the visual splendor that defines E3 2001... |
| State of Emergency Preview (PS2) |
 Rockstar
really threw us for a loop this year with the debut of their new title, State of Emergency. Best described as a
"riot" game, this title will have you looting, shooting, bashing, and breaking
everything in sight, along with about 100 of your closest NPC friends. Sound incredible?
It is. Click here for anarchy! |
| THQ Unleashes Xbox Frenzy |
 THQ
has been hard at work prepping for the Xbox. WWF
Raw is War is a launch title, and brings wrestling games to a whole new level. Dark Summit will (hopefully) usurp
SSX as the best fantasy snowboarding title. And New Legends brings a mixture of
Shadowrun and Dynasty Warriors to the Xbox. |
| MX 2002 Preview (PS2) |
 Get
that laundry detergent is ready, because you'll get dirty playing MX 2002 featuring Ricky Carmichael. With even
more pros, ultra-realistic tracks, and pretty, pretty visuals, this ain't your momma's
motocross game. Check it out this June on PS2. Click here. |
| Devil May Cry Preview (PS2) |
 From
the creators of Resident Evil and Onimusha comes Devil
May Cry, a game so intense and beautiful that you just might cry, too. With an
incredibly high "cool" factor, you'll weild kitanas and John Woo style pistols
as you take out the dark lords of the underworld. Spooky
stuff this way. |
|
|
Sega's Xbox Lineup |
May 23, 2001 |
 Sega is all set to release
two Xbox titles this year. To coincide with the launch is Gun Valkyrie, a way-cool
action/shooter that not only has big monsters and cool guns, but jetpacks, too. Due this
winter is Jet Set Radio Future, the sequel to
Jet Grind Radio. It's a lot like the first, but with more tricks and much more astounding
visuals. Lock and Load or Tag It Up, holmes. |
| Dreamcast Still Kickin' |
 The
Dreamcast should see about 30 titles released in the next year. Two big hits will
undoubtedly be Crazy Taxi 2, the
wacky cab simulator with a huge cult following, and Shenmue II, the compressed ending to the
epic tale of revenge. Both games are looking really pretty and sport great new gameplay
elements. |
| Monkey Ball Preview (GC) |
 Sega is bringing us what looks like another really addictive puzzle
game called Monkey Ball. I know,
what else could I possibly say to make it sound any better? How about this: There are
MONKEYS. And they're in BALLS. Roll it
up. |
| Sega Rolls Out the GBA Titles |
 Rounding
out Sega Day here at GF! is a better look at the two GBA titles they're releasing. Chu Chu Rocket! (note the exclamation
mark) is an enhanced version of the DC game. That's right -- it's bigger, better, and even
more fun. Sonic Advance will come out this
November, and brings back the classic, and speedy, gameplay of the Genesis versions.
|
|
|
Daily E3 Coverage Continues |
May 22, 2001 |
| Our daily
E3 coverage continues today with a whole bunch of new previews. We've only got one new
story, this one regarding Sony's announcements at E3. It looks like Sony will bring out a
network adapter, and they've partnered with several companies to give themselves an edge
in the online market. Click here. |
| Interplay PC Games at E3 |
 Interplay's booth is always a quiet
bastion of sanity amidst the general madness of E3. So imagine this PC guy's dismay when
everyone's favorite RPG company had more console than PC games on display this year. The
good news is that the PC games pretty much rocked. Check out our quick previews of
Neverwinter Nights, Hostile Waters: Antaeus Rising, Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal,
Star Fleet Command: Orion Pirates, and Torn right here. |
| Game Boy Advance Onslaught I |
 The GBA is going to be a big deal. This is the handheld that will make
handheld consoles seem like a good idea. The Game Boy
Advance is really sweet. Also, check out these launch titles: Hot Potato! is a cool puzzler. Fire Pro Wrestling packs tons of characters
and moves. And action fans should dig Pitfall:
The Mayan Adventure. Check them all out. |
| Game Boy Advance Onslaught II |
 Don't
think GBA releases will taper off towards fall. With a schedule of over 60 titles due by
the end of the year, we've got some early looks at a few of the most promising. Ecks vs. Sever is a Perfect Dark style
FPS game that looks great. Dark Arena
is also an FPS title, but takes an approach more similar to Half-Life. |
| Xbox Launch Titles |
 The Xbox will be well-supported this fall. Check out Blood Wake, an insanely cool looking
gunboat combat game. This title snuck up on us, and we love it. Also, we've got updated,
hands-on info about Halo, one of the biggest
launch titles for Bill's Baby. |
| Soldier of Fortune Preview (PS2) |
 The cult hit Soldier
of Fortune will migrate to the PS2 this fall. Sporting an in-depth storyline and a
cool locational damage system, this game has all the gore and action you could ever want
in an FPS. Click here, soldier. |
| Eternal Darkness Preview (GC) |
 The GameCube will be blessed with the horrific Eternal Darkness. Spawning
centuries of human existence, you'll fight the creeping evil that makes things, well,
creepy. With an innovative gameplay system and incredible graphics, this is a truly
immersive and exciting game. Click here if you have the
guts. |
| Twisted Metal: Black Preview (PS2) |
 Jeff
finally got his hands on Twisted Metal: Black,
and he doesn't regret it. Now that the development has reverted back to the original team
that made TM2 so grand, TMB is looking like a phenomenal next-gen installment of the
beloved vehiclular combat series. Get your motor
runnin'. |
|
|
E3 Coverage Every Day This Week |
May 21, 2001 |
| Our E3
coverage this year is bigger and better than ever before. We've got our writers socked
away in little cages, pounding furiously on their keyboards to bring you a veritable
plethora of previews, news, articles, editorials, and miscellaneous goodies. Check back
every day this week for updates. |
| GameCube Details |
 Big N has done it again. The GameCube was incredibly popular at this
year's E3, and Nintendo announced a launch date for their system, as well as launch
titles. Also, Panasonic showed the alternate version of the GameCube, and Nintendo showed
off their modem, ethernet card, and wireless controller. Click here for the full scoop. |
| All Kinds of Xbox Goodness |
 The
Xbox was blowing up at E3. In addition
to a ton of titles playable for the new system, Capcom
announced a lineup of three games for the Xbox. Sega
announced they would release online versions of the 2K3 sports titles. Microsoft has
cornered the AI license, and will create interactive
sequels to Spielberg's film. Microsoft also committed to broadband gaming. Oh yeah, and there's that launch date and price info we've all been
waiting for. |
| Kiss Pinball Review (PSX) |
 It ain't pretty, but it's a KISS game, and that's all that really
matters, right? Well, maybe not. Although KISS Pinball probably won't be on
your summer wishlist, it does feature some spiffy soundtrack options that'll make you
rock. Click here or TILT. |
| Atari Makes Splash at E3 |
| One of the
sleeper hits of E3 was the ultra-secret Atari project being undertaken by Infogrames. We
got the scoop, so click here for some cool,
refreshing goodness. |
|
Lose something? Check the Archives. |
