Ten more games from last week's mega-show that don't belong to a long-running series and aren't tying in with some horribly over-hyped summer blockbuster that we'll all go and see and inevitably feel cheap and used afterwards...
Devil Kings – PS2 It's hardly a new idea – select a muscle-bound warrior then roar into battle against swarms of enemies in mass feudal battle. Perform 'critical moves' (i.e. special moves), level-up your character to gain new weapons and skills, etc, etc. But the visuals look scrumptious and Capcom just knows how to deliver this kind of gameplay and make it feel fresh and exciting. Screens and more info here.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - DS Somehow, courtroom drama, a staple of TV programming, has been widely neglected by western game developers. However, in Japan, the Gyakuten Saiban series of GBA law sims has been hugely popular, so with the first DS outing, Capcom has changed the name and opened up this intriguing concept to a global jury. As the titular legal eagle you must examine evidence, interview witnesses (is there a co-operative good player/bad player mode?) and then present your case in a court of law. Ali McBeal meets Onimusha? No, I'm being silly. Your honour, exhibit A: the screenshots.
Without Warning – Xbox The first title from CiRCLE Studio, the development house set up by Core Design founders, Adrian and Jeremy Smith. The ex-overlords of the Tomb Raider franchise are sticking in third-person action adventure territory, but influenced perhaps by world events, 24 and the whole Tom Clancy explosion, this one pits the player against terrorists who have hijacked an American chemical facility. Interestingly, you get to swap control between six characters, and experience the same timeframe through each of their different viewpoints. Sort of like Jackie Brown. But with terrorists and explosive chemicals. More here.
Spore – PC Will Wright's bravely experimental follow-up to intergalactic phenomenon The Sims is nothing less than a simulation of evolution, allowing you to control the destiny of a lifeform from single cell pond life to advanced civilization. The word 'ambitious' doesn't really do it justice. The decent website has screens and links to news articles from around the net.
The Movies – PC, PS2, Xbox, GC The latest strategy groundbreaker from Lionhead is a simulation of the Hollywood movie biz in which players control a studio from the innocent days of silent movies to the modern era of blockbuster special effects blow-outs. It looks like there'll be a main story mode, where you deal with actors, writers, agents, etc while building your empire. Then there's a sandbox mode where you make your own movies – a similar feature to the movie mode found in Sims 2. As usual for a Peter Molyneux project, expectations are high. I'm going down to Guildford to see the game next week so I'll let you know how it looks.
Nintendogs It's strange really that pet sims have never taken off in the west – in Japan, they're a staple genre, hamster games proving especially popular with the kids. Nintendogs will, however, be huge. Select from 15 popular breeds then train and look after your delightful pup with the touch screen and microphone. Apparently you can even set your DS to bark when another Nintendog owner walks past. So sweet it could conceivably carry some sort of health warning. Go walkies to the official Japanese site.
Electroplankton - DS Weird art toy in which you create images and sounds by manipulating ten different types of… plankton. Each has a different range of noises and beats and they can be rubbed, prodded or drawn on to elicit a response. I didn't really expect this one to get a western release when I visited the website a few weeks ago, but Nintendo of America has picked it up, and we should even get it over here. Seamen meets Rez? Hurray for art toys! Sort of.
Wizard of Funk – PS2 This one caught a lot of people by surprise at E3: an RPG designed to employ the EyeToy peripheral. Created by Dutch outfit Playlogic, the game requires players to fight monsters and cast spells using arm gestures rather than joypad button presses. The title sounds like some kind of Eighties kids movie involving a medieval magus transported to modern day Brooklyn to help ghetto kids put on a dance show.
Coded Arms – PSP This cyberpunk FPS revolving around attempts to hack into some global mega-computer may sound like generic shooter fare, but what impressed journos at E3 was the excellent wi-fi multiplayer mode – a real showcase for the Ad Hoc networking capabilities of the machine, apparently. Screens look pretty impressive too.
Tabula Rasa - PC A new sci-fi themed MMORPG from the mind of Ultima creator Richard Garriott. Apparently it's designed to appeal to the massively multiplayer novice with a new character progression system, walled home area and the ability to change your profession as you go through without losing cash and items. The story appears to involve teleporting round the galaxy seeing off an alien menace known as, The Thrax. Read something that actually makes sense at the official website.
