Hopes and Dreams

Nothing major today, just some stuff that's been on my mind...

-Eternal Darkness HD

-Along those same lines, I hope Silicon Knights can get their act together. I'd really like to See Eternal Darkness 2 and Too Human... 2.

-Snatcher 3DS remake

-Half-Life3, L4D3, TF3, and Portal 3... THE ORANGE BOX 2! I know this will never happen, but the articles called hopes and dreams.

Thoughts on E3 2012 Day 1

Let's start at the top, and work our way down.

The best reveals of the day obviously went to Watch Dogs, The Last Of Us, and Assassin's Creed 3, in that order.

Watch Dogs took me completely by surprise. I'd heard nothing about it, and watching the game in action, I was floored. This is the stealth/espionage action game I've been waiting my whole life for. Fingers crossed the final product lives up to the expectations that come from this demo...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=FcMRkyoHKeA
Traffic Accidents! Eavesdropping! Splode! Oh, my!

I've been down with Last Of Us from the start, and this walk-through just got me even more excited. All the dramatic tension that was absent from Uncharted is overflowing here, and it's wonderful. Every step is tense. You feel every blow- the sound design is amazing. And last but not least, let's not forget what they've managed to pull off with Ellie... this is no escort mission. She can handle herself, and she's more likely to clock a fool with a brick than cry out for help. Excellent, Naughty Dog.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=8ZYkj0glnqs
You got knocked the fuck out!

Ubisoft took things to the next level with this naval battle reveal. I don't know how much stuff like this is going to factor into Assassin's Creed 3 as a whole, but that it's in there at all is commendable. This is warfare on the seas like I've never seen in a game before. Could not be looking forward to it's release more than I already am now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=8ZYkj0glnqs
Big ship go boom...

Next up, let's talk about surprises. And by that I mean stuff I knew existed, but didn't think would get my attention as much as it did.

I'm a big fan of Cage and Quantic- played through both Indigo Prophecy and Heavy Rain. Not fully done cooking, as ideas or games, but still excellent attempts at pushing the medium forward. So, here we are with his next major release: Beyond. I knew his new title would be announced, but I wasn't prepared to feel much more for it than "yeah, I'll play it." Instead, I found myself invested and wanting to know more. It's amazing what his team is able to pull out of the PS3. Here's a look...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=8ZYkj0glnqs

I had less than no interest in Lost Planet as a franchise. I gotta admit, though- this trailer for part 3 is getting me a little tingly. We'll see how the final product turns out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=8ZYkj0glnqs

I usually hold out little to no hope for both film tie-ins and Spidey games. But... maybe?

http://www.allgamesbeta.com/2012/06/amazing-spider-man-game-trailer.html

And here are my honorable mentions. Looking forward to these, but they didn't light my world on fire...

http://www.allgamesbeta.com/2012/06/splinter-cell-blacklist-e3-2012.html

http://www.allgamesbeta.com/2012/06/far-cry-3-step-into-insanity-trailer.html

http://www.allgamesbeta.com/2012/06/halo-4-trailer-and-gameplay-demo.html

http://www.allgamesbeta.com/2012/06/dead-space-3-trailer.html

http://www.allgamesbeta.com/2012/06/tomb-raider-e3-direct-feed-footage.html

http://www.allgamesbeta.com/2012/06/resident-evil-6-gameplay-walkthrough.html

http://www.allgamesbeta.com/2012/06/south-park-stick-of-truth-trailer.html

http://www.giantbomb.com/e3-2012-xcom-is-mankinds-last-stand/17-6082/

http://www.giantbomb.com/e3-2012-gears-aint-heroes/17-6065/

The Best News To Come From The Big Huge Scandal

http://e3.gamespot.com/story/6380047/laid-off-reckoning-devs-landing-at-epic-games

This makes me happy. Glad to hear some of those affected will be landing on their feet. My best to all others.

The Hell Was That?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Yb_Gpqoc1wQ

I liked it, I think. Wha?

Here's to 38 Studios and Big Huge Games. I'm enjoying Reckoning for what it is, and I really do hope everyone employed there lands on their feet.

Dragon's Lair

With the release of Dragon's Lair on XBLA, it's become clear that unless Bluth plans on riding his classic title into the sunset, it's time for the equally revered and despised series to get a Heavy Rain-ish makeover.

Imagine a new installment with gorgeous hand-and-computer-animated graphics that controls like an iteration of everyone's favorite current-gen choose-your-own-adventure Serial Killer tale.

I'm just saying, that'd be pretty sweet. Come on, people- I'm straight up giving these ideas away!

My Favorite Video Features Online

Podcasts are great background noise for making comics, but sometimes you want to look up. These are the best game-centered video features online...

Obviously, the kings of video game features online are clearly the guys at Giant Bomb. Four years and counting, they've kept me entertained. http://www.giantbomb.com/videos/

Replay is a feature that Game Informer has been running over two years now, and I sadly just discovered it a few months ago. There's a huge archive, and every episode is hilarious and entertaining. http://www.gameinformer.com/p/replay.aspx

Dodger, and her short video segment, Press Heart To Continue, is a great way to catch up on news in the industry that you may have missed. She's cute, smart, funny, engaging, and manages to bring a personal, succinct spin to what would other times be bland, uninteresting bits of information. http://www.youtube.com/user/PressHeartToContinue

While I often find myself disagreeing with the opinions of the hosts of Invisible Walls, I still value their insight as veterans of the industry who know a thing or two about a thing or two. http://www.gametrailers.com/show/invisible-walls

So there you go- tons of content to keep your eyes and ears occupied while writing, drawing, or whatever. Get to it.