The
Interplay booth at E3 is always one of our favorites. It’s traditionally set off in a
corner of the concourse hall, and stands as an oasis of calm amidst the noise and bustle
of the rest of the Expo. Access is limited, which sucks if you’re not a member of the
press or a buyer, but which allows those who do get past the gatekeepers to spend some
quality time talking with Interplay’s developers. And you get some great free food
(by E3 standards, at least).
The
bad news for PC gamers is that Interplay seems to be moving more and more towards
producing games for console systems. Last year Interplay showed its first console title,
Run Like Hell (now RLH). This year Interplay had six console titles on
display—Baldur’s Gate Dark Alliance, Galleon, Giants for the PS2, RLH, Rubu
Tribe, and Star Trek: Shattered Universe. They all look great, but with only five PC
titles on the floor, PC jockeys might have more than a little cause for concern.
The
good news is that the PC titles looked pretty darn good. Though there was nothing on
display that blew our heads apart like Sacrifice did last year, Hostile Waters: Antaeus
Rising was a very pleasant surprise, Neverwinter Nights is coming along nicely, and
Torn—a real-time RPG from Black Isle that combines the Fallout S.P.E.C.I.A.L. system
with a totally original fantasy world—looks a lot like Baldur’s Gate in 3D. The
other two games, Baldur’s Gate II: Throne of Bhaal and Star Fleet Command: Orion
Pirates are both continuations of successful game franchises. Here’s a closer look at
each of them:
Hostile
Waters: Antaeus Rising
Baldur's Gate 2: Throne of Bhaal
Star
Fleet Command II: Orion Pirates
Neverwinter
Nights
Torn
Rick
Fehrenbacher |
