The Activision booth was filled with hype and anticipation surrounding its latest offerings. Games ranging from titles inspired by major motion pictures to reintroduced classics to some of the gaming world's most expected titles could all be found at Activision. Here?s a rundown of some of the games at the show.
Shrek 2
This year, movie-inspired video games are branching away from following the same storyline as the film. Shrek 2 will expand upon the story of the next film featuring the humor and comedy fans enjoy about Shrek. Traveling alongside the film, though certain elements are more expansive, players will experience key moments from the film. New personalities and
environments will be discovered as players switch control between Shrek, Donkey, or any of a number of additional characters.
Pitfall Harry
Pitfall was one of video gaming?s first platform adventures, and some will say it is still one of the best. However, years have passed, and the game's elements have taken a beating. Pitfall Harry is set to reintroduce the Pitfall franchise to a whole new world of gaming. With over fifty levels of action and puzzle solving, Pitfall Harry is much more than just a visual facelift. Players will be challenged to make their way through eight types of South American environments such as jungles, tombs, and ruins. The famed elements
that made Pitfall unique, however, are still intact in Pitfall Harry. Players should expect to encounter their fair share of vines swinging, crocodiles and scorpions.
Call of Duty
The drama of WWI has been used and abused in recent video games, and a multitude of video games being launched by just about every company here at E3. With Call of Duty, players are promised a true sense of the scope of wartime action by enlisting as a soldier in one of the Allied forces. With campaigns involving the United States, Britain and Russia, Call of Duty features explosive cinematics and action right out of the
history books.
Vampire: The Masquerade ? Bloodlines
Another favorite among gamers, Vampire: The Masquerade makes returns with a combination between first-person action and role playing. The dark and gritty vampire
underworld of modern day Los Angeles comes alive as players enter the game as a vampire in the service of the city's dark Prince. An open adventure, not limited to one story or track, invites players to develop their character according to any of seven different vampire clans. Each clan has its own attributes and as the game progresses, the events are affected lending to multiple endings and paths. In addition to this RPG-like element, gamers will also engage in first-person action combat. An array of weapons, including stakes, guns, shotguns, and flamethrowers, will keep players occupied.
True Crime: Streets of L.A.
Nick Kang is a rogue Elite Operations Division operative. With a brutal reputation and lethal skills, he has earned the difficult task of taking down the Chinese Triad and Russian Mafia. The City of Angels has turned into a war zone, and it is up to Nick to rid L.A. of its garbage. Gun battles, martial arts, and high speed shootouts will keep players occupied as they traverse 250 miles of accurately recreated Los Angeles streets. With game play taking place both in the car and on foot, missions range from locating witnesses to taking out some heavily armed villains.
The Movies
Imagine running your own movie studio. Now imagine doing that in the early days of film, before color, even before sound. In The Movies, players will be invited to run a Hollywood movie studio in the 1920?s, taking the studio through the advent of technologies into today and beyond. As the head honcho in a Hollywood studio, players decide which movies to make and who will be the stars. With actual scripts, directors, and actors from history, you can reinvent the way the movie industry progressed. Players can manage the money, egos, and events that progress through all of Hollywood?s glitz and glamour.
DOOM III
The buzz surrounding this title is gigantic. Even so, id Software's battle with the forces of Hell has been shown very little in the past and here at E3. The visual are astounding, and regardless of anything else, by name association alone DOOM III will
be massive. Built on a revolutionary 3D graphics system, DOOM III will be perhaps the most realistic, and horrific games ever released.
Activision?s list of E3 showings are rounded out by X-Men: Legends, a real-time RPG featuring the Marvel Universe, Empires: Dawn of the Modern World, a historically based RTS, Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix, and a handful of others. Each game has its own general appeal and fantastically personal spark. Players should look forward to Activision this season.
