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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Tuesday, June 4, 2002

'Doom III' leads pack of upcoming game masterpieces

By Marc Saltzman
Gannett News Service

While the Electronic Entertainment Expo, known as E3, wrapped up a couple of weeks ago, the buzz surrounding the new video game titles announced at the show hasn't let up.

Regardless of whether you're a fan of console or PC games, get prepared for the wave of new titles heading your way. Here's a look:

PC games

Publisher Activision (www.activision.com) previewed id Software's "Doom III" inside the "Doom Room," a custom-built theater designed specifically for the 11-minute game demonstration.

Imagine a realistic 3-D shooter played from a first-person perspective fused with a disturbing horror theme, not unlike the "Resident Evil" games.

The graphics were so good that they rivaled those used in computer-generated movie and television animations. Combine them with 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound (with effects created by Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor) and a good story line (from a professional script writer), and the result is nothing less than breathtaking.

Other impressive PC games launched at the show include LucasArts' "Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided," Electronic Arts' "Command & Conquer Generals," Blizzard Entertainment's "World of Warcraft" and Sony Online Entertainment's "EverQuest II."

PlayStation 2

What do you get when you combine mission-based driving in "Grand Theft Auto III" with on-foot action similar to "Max Payne?"

The answer is "The Getaway."

Sony's (www.playstation.com) ambitious project looks and plays more like an interactive movie than a video game. Actors were used motion-captured to create realistic animations and character interaction. More than 40 square kilometers of downtown London were recreated to generate the game world.

In "The Getaway," players take on the role of an ex-con who is framed for the murder of his wife. To make matters worse, his son is kidnapped and held captive by a deranged crime boss. Look for this gritty and mature title in the fall.

Other PS2 games to watch for include Sony's "Ratchet & Clank" and "SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs," Electronic Arts' "Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers," EA Sports' "Madden 2003" and Activision's "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4."

GameCube

Link is back in "Legend of Zelda," the latest epic adventure in the "Zelda" action/adventure game series.

Our hero's younger sister is kidnapped by a huge bird and taken from their once-peaceful island. Link sets sail to rescue her.

The game features a new animation style dubbed "cell shading," which looks like a Disney cartoon but is fully interactive. Characters also show emotions with real-time facial expressions.

If the upcoming "Zelda" sounds exciting, be patient, because it isn't going to be released until February.

Other GameCube titles look promising, too, including "Metroid: Prime" and "Super Mario Sunshine."

Xbox

In "Blinx: The Time Sweeper," the main character is a janitor-turned-hero who happens to be a cat. She also has a special power that isn't seen very often in video games. She can control and even stop the flow of time.

The game play mechanics allow players to pause (or slow) the universe while they remain at full speed. Alternatively, gamers can rewind time to replay certain events, or record a set of actions and then rewind and replay them.

"Blinx" is slated for a fall launch.

Other forthcoming Xbox (www.xbox.com) titles include Ubi Soft's "Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell" and Microsoft's "Brute Force."