LOS ANGELES — E3 is back. After a two-year experiment as a relatively sedate, exclusive conference, the Electronic Entertainment Expo returned to its bombastic glory here last week as video games’ premier global showcase. Attracting more than 41,000 attendees from almost 80 nations, E3 recaptured its buzz of old without degenerating into the sort of over-the-top crush that had prompted the retrenchment in the first place.
Here are eight of the most interesting and exciting games from E3 that are scheduled to be released this year. This list does not include any of the potential blockbusters from E3 scheduled for 2010, a lineup that includes the suspense thriller Alan Wake, God of War III, Mass Effect 2 and Final Fantasy XIII.
BIOSHOCK 2 The sequel to one of the most important games of recent years, BioShock returns players to Rapture, the ruined Art Deco city under the Atlantic Ocean. In the first game players uncovered the story of the twisted civil war in Rapture’s supposedly utopian society. With its pointed, mature critique of the notion of free will, BioShock set a new bar for interactive storytelling. BioShock 2 hopes to continue the adventure. It is to be released by 2K Games on Nov. 3 for the Play Station 3, Xbox 360 and Windows.
For more than two decades, Mario’s side-scrolling, two-dimensional journey to rescue Princess Peach in Super Mario Bros. has stood as one of the seminally entertaining interactive adventures. At E3, Nintendo announced that it was developing the first multiplayer version, allowing as many as four players to jump and bounce over one another at once. It is to be released by Nintendo by year’s end for Wii.
Full Story:
Video Games Electronic Fair Returns, Trying to Regain Its Luster - New York Times
