【E3】IGN对XO游戏的期待，野望！！

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/886/886189p1.html

IGN：XO在E3的十大精英！

10. Puzzle Quest: Galactrix
We're big fans of Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords on the IGN Xbox team, and not just because it has such a long name. Without question, Puzzle Quest is one of the deepest experiences you can have on Xbox Live Arcade, which is no small feat for a game whose main element is basically beefed-up Bejeweled. Not content to sit on their laurels, developer Infinite Interactive is stepping things up for the sequel. Now based more on Hexic than on Bejeweled, Galactrix takes the puzzle/RPG hybrid idea into the sci-fi realm. We still know very little about Galactrix, which is why it's on this list. How will the world map look? How do the puzzles play out? Who are the characters? We need answers, and we call upon the E3 gods to provide them.

9. Dead Space
We'll be honest. Until recently, we've been on the fence about Dead Space, EA's upcoming survival horror first-person shooter. But recently our interest has been seriously piqued, and we're getting more and more curious about this new IP. Dead Space is due to release this fall, alongside a flurry of other top-notch shooters (many of which join it on this list). What makes it different? Just how scary is it? Are the weapons, locations, characters and storylines compelling enough to make it stand out in a crowd? Proving that will be a tough task for EA, but we're hoping to be wowed.

8. Left4Dead
Survival horror games, or variations thereon, will be well represented at E3 this year, and Left4Dead looms tall among the them. Valve's co-op zombie-vs-human shooter has been on our radar for some time now, and we're ready to see in full-fledged horrifying action. Left4Dead's retro zombie movie aesthetic, intense action feel, sharp AI focus and overall creativity set it apart from the pack. At E3, we want the opportunity to play as both the humans and zombies to get a feel for both sides. Valve + zombies + guns = lost editor productivity.

7. Halo Wars
Real-time strategy and the Halo universe? What could possibly go wrong? When RTS veterans at Ensemble Studios are involved, usually nothing. The studio behind the Age of Empires series has put the UNSC armies in the middle of the first war between human and Covenant forces, creating what essentially serves as a Halo prequel. But instead of playing as Master Chief, you'll be commanding armies, vehicles and aircraft in a desperate attempt to save the species. The last time we saw Halo Wars in action was at last year's E3, so we're hoping MS has more to show this time around. As with any console RTS, controls are key, and we're itching to get our hands on this title to test its mettle.

6. Star Ocean: The Last Hope
The announcement that Star Ocean: The Last Hope, the fifth installment in the historically PlayStation RPG franchise, would be heading to the Xbox 360 came as a bit of a surprise when it was announced at an event hosted by Microsoft and Square Enix in Japan last month. But it was a welcome surprise. Many fans of Japanese RPGs hold the Star Ocean series dear, and The Last Hope looks like it will take the series to a grander scale than ever before. So far, we've only seen a CGI trailer showing a group of beautiful travelers gallivanting through space in an impressive looking starship. Cutscenes are always great, but combat and story are what make or break an RPG, and we're anxious to see a solid helping of both at E3.

5. Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts
When Microsoft unveiled the next Banjo title prior to its recent Gamer's Day event in San Francisco, we were mightily impressed and left pondering the possibilities. For its first reveal, Rare chose to show off the most unique part of the game – the creation and use of outlandish vehicles. We know we're not alone in longing to see some of the more traditional platforming elements the series is so well known for. We'd love to see a level that uses both typical Banjo platform craziness and the zany new contraptions at E3. How will these elements blend together, and what can we expect a nuts-and-bolts level to be like?

4. Fable 2
When Peter Molyneux talks, people listen. That's because he has a British accent, and it makes him sound important. It also may have something to do with the fact that his fabled development studio, Lionhead, will release one of the year's most anticipated games in October. Fable 2, the sequel to the hit Xbox RPG Fable, is an ambitious project that promises love, adventure and excitement on an epic scale. And that's a pretty good description of what we expect to see from the game at E3. We know how the combat works, we've been introduced to the HUD-replacing dog, and we know that our early actions in the game will have serious ramifications later on. Now, we're anxious to see it all tied together in a lengthy demo.

3. Resident Evil 5
We saw a precious 10 minutes of Capcom's survival horror sequel at the company's 2008 Gamer's Day in Las Vegas last month, and we instantly wanted more. Although RE5 is still a long way from completion, what we saw wowed us, and we're hoping E3 blows the doors off the game even further. Resident Evil 4 was the pinnacle of survival horror, and we're expecting nothing less than a repeat from the 5th installment. Set in Africa, RE5 tracks Chris Redfield's journey to track down the origin of the deadly Progenitor Virus, which has a tendency to turn people into flesh-eating zombies. Dare we dream that an RE5 showing at E3 might finally confirm the existence of a much-rumored co-op mode?

2. Gears of War 2
When it comes to Gears 2, we're like early Depeche Mode -- we just can't get enough. So far we've seen a touch of single-player, a smidgen of multiplayer and heard the words "bigger, better and more badass" more times than we can count. Now we want to see new levels, some co-op action and more meaningful grunts from Marcus Fenix. It's going to be a long wait until November, so we need a significant summertime sneak-peek to tide us over.

1. Fallout 3
Of all the games on this list, Fallout 3 is the most mysterious. We know the basics, and we like what we've seen, but there's a lot we still don't know about Bethesda's post-apocalyptic RPG sequel. If the words VATS, Pip-Boy, GOAT and Dogmeat don't mean much to you, then you're not alone. Unless you've been following the game closely or are a diehard fan of the PC series, Fallout 3 probably seems like nothing more than Oblivion set in the future. We know that's an inaccurate description, but we're hoping Bethesda will make that abundantly clear by shedding some light on the inner workings of their baby at E3 this month.

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IGN：4大期望

Prediction #1: Alan Wake a No-Show Remedy's Alan Wake was announced at E3 2005. Three years later and the game seems more rumor than reality. While some would believe E3 is the perfect place to showcase Alan Wake, our guess is that this (likely) 2009 title will slip by E3 and make a splash later in the year at the German Games Convention. Microsoft will keep it's focus on the titles of '08, with rare exceptions.

Prediction #2: BioShock 2 Drops Jaws at E3 We know BioShock 2 is a reality. What troubles many is that Irrational Games (now 2K Boston) has passed development on to 2K Marin. Not only will we be tickled to see a BioShock 2 trailer debut at E3, but we're betting it will look better than the original. And considering the heavy concern over BioShock 2's switch to a new developer, the big surprise of E3 may be that the sequel looks even better than the first. Except a Big Daddy with a twist and more of the eerie (and wet) environments that made us howl last year.

Prediction #3: Peter Jackson's Halo Project Debuts Way back at X06, Microsoft announced that Peter Jackson (of Lord of the Rings fame) would team up with the company to develop a new chapter in the Halo saga. Jackson's company, Wingnut Interactive would collaborate with Bungie and MS to create the game and take it in an entirely new direction, they said. That was nearly two years ago, and a lot has changed since then. Halo 3 was a smash hit, Bungie left the Microsoft fold to become indy again, and film and gaming have continued to grow closer together. We think E3 2008 is a perfect opportunity for Microsoft to prove the project is alive and kicking. Now that the Halo franchise is firmly in Redmond's hands, they need to show that it won't stagnate without Bungie's constant involvement. Unveiling Peter Jackson's Halo will do that in a big way.

Prediction #4: Xbox 360 Price Cut Announced The industry buzz for the past couple of months has been that this could be the year Sony's PlayStation 3 comes into its own. And that has to have the execs at Microsoft steaming more than their venti double-Americanos. To combat the growing appeal of Sony's Blu-Ray-playing, Kojima-having, in-game-XMB-getting console, Microsoft will announce a price cut for the Xbox 360 at E3. Nothing gets gamers excited like a good deal on a proven platform with a deep library, and Microsoft will be keen to point that out at the show. And it's not just the average Joe who wants things cheaper. Activision chief Bobby Kotick recently called for an across-the-board drop in console prices, saying costs were still prohibitive for most of the mass market. Can a healthy discount on Xbox 360s help stave off the growing threat of the PS3? If so, then the ball will be back in Sony's court.

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澳洲IGN期待榜：

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/886/886006p1.html

Top Xbox 360 Games
Sonic Unleashed

Alright, so you won't find Cam Shea barracking for Sonic Unleashed; we're not all fully recovered after the abortive Sonic the Hedgehog or even Shadow the Hedgehog quite yet. Still, if ever there's a game that's making all the right first moves, it's Sonic Unleashed. The team appears to be going back to the series' roots and focusing on speed and platforming, rather than shoehorning any kind of shooting or RPGing mechanic into the formula (no offense to Bioware, who are undoubtedly doing great things).

Could it be? A Sonic game that isn't trash?

Sonic Unleashed's first few videos look the part – the only thing we're a little worried about (and you should be too…) is the 'Unleashed' bit, with so-called Super Sonic eventually turning up or being turned into by Sonic or something equally unnecessary. Who knows. The developer better not get all Shadow the Hedgehog on us, or there will be retribution. Oh yes. --Patch



Prototype

It was a little over a year ago that I first caught a glimpse of Prototype and I've been following it like an eager groupie ever since. Seriously, what's not to like. It combines Terminator 2's violent shape-shifting antics, with GTA's 'control any vehicle and any weapon you want in an open world' mechanic and adds in a touch of Assassin's Creed-style free-running.

Prototype. Better than a tentacle upside your bottom.

As we've seen, going up against GTA with a competing open-world game is normally disastrous but Prototype has aimed its action in the opposite direction to GTA's. Where GTA focused on as much realism as possible (stripping out all the 'crazy' antics from San Andreas, like jetpacks, fighter jets, parachutes and even tanks) Prototype is GTA Unleashed. Steal a stealth bomber if you want. Jump on the side of a helicopter gunship, rip off its rockets and hurl them at enemies. Go nuts. I will be. --Naz



Fallout 3

Bethesda Softworks has elegantly taken over where Black Isle left off with Fallout 3. Simply put, the game looks stunning, packing in all the black humour, offbeat characters, in-depth mechanics, gritty post-apocalyptic design and Ron Perlman you could hope for.

One of the coolest elements of the game is the fact that once you leave the womb-like training ground that is Vault 101, the entire sprawling expanse that is the world is open to you. How you move through it is up to you. The choices in this game run deep; whether it's how you build your character or how you behave in the world, Bethesda are looking to give the player true options, and the more significant of those will then have consequences.

Post-apocalyptic America has never sounded more appealing.

It's all backed by engaging combat mechanics that are an interesting mix between real-time and turn-based. The turn-based component takes the form of the new 'VATS' system, which essentially allows you to pause the scene and tactically cue up how you're going to assault each enemy, complete with percentage hit likelihoods for each bodypart, and other useful info. The arsenal looks pretty cool too, with 50+ weapons, including custom weapons that need to be built from parts and schematics. Two words - mini-nuke catapult. Need we say more? --Cam

Brütal Legend

Anyone who knows me understands that I have a small man-crush on Tim Schafer - and everything his meaty paw touches turns to gold. Unfortunately, that gold doesn't always translate into retail success. Until now. Brütal Legend - which is a merging of action and adventuring, wrapped in a delicious coating of hard rock and metal stereotypes - is going to change all that.

So much awesome in such a simple image. Take it all in. Righteous!

Is it by the same team that did Psychonauts? Check. Does it star Jack Black? Check. Awesome metal soundtrack? Check. Does it have a sense of humour? Double-check. What about chrome volcanoes, chicks in leather and guitar axes? Check, check and check. Need I go on? No. No I needn't. --Patch



Ghostbusters: The Video Game

Video game adaptations have a bad rep (let's face it – because they usually suck) but Ghostbusters is being built on some amazing technology and has plenty of enthusiastic input from the film's stars, so there's every chance it will do justice to the legendary movie.

"Bustin' makes me feel gooooood..."

The tech has been built around fun, on a massive scale. We've seen how the graphics engine can handle thousands of physics objects on-screen, whether they're furniture, cars or crowds of people, and they're all waiting to shatter, collapse or fly, screaming through the air as realistically as possible when you unleash mayhem with Ghostbusters' wacky arsenal. There are a lot of cracking great titles lining up at this year's E3 but we simply cannot wait to slip into the baggy Ghostbusters jumpsuits and power-up our proton packs. --Naz



Fable 2

The sadist in me can't wait to break apart families, sleep around and send kids to orphanages. But the gamer in me wants to trek through thoughtfully designed fantasy landscape, leaving my mark on the world. That's Fable 2: high fantasy, procedurally generated characters and stacks of potential. The original game was flawed, yes, but the potential for future improvements was clear.

Smug-much?

Molyneux knows how to make great games – Populous, Dungeon Keeper and Black & White among them. Fable 2 takes elements from his God-games, adding to these a focus on the smaller details of day-to-day life; a dog, a family, greater emphasis on morality, hierarchy and popularity. Taking place 500 years after the original, it also features a moderately evolved world that's ten times the size of the first and is organic and fascinating to explore. Or we presume, since we're going into E3 without a proper hands-on. Still, we're very excited by Fable 2, and you should be too. --Patch



Gears of War 2

Any hyperbole aside, Gears 2 really does have all right elements to make this a sequel to remember. As the effervescent Cliff Bleszinski recently put it, 'bigger, better and more badass' is what Epic is shooting for. Frankly, the original was a fantastic single player jaunt, but even with co-op and an addictive multiplayer, as a package it felt pared back and even too light on the multiplayer offerings.

Saying Gears 2 is going to be great is like saying it's going to be cold this winter.

This year's E3 is a great chance for Gears 2 to show off how many ways a shooter can evolve when you have some solid mechanics and a stunning graphics engine behind it. The handful of videos and vast pool of screens released so far tease at large scale battles, epic new (and recycled) locations and, pleasingly, flamethrowers. We can't wait to have a bash. --Patch


Mirror's Edge

Why is it that a first person perspective should be the most immersive, yet as players we rarely feel as though we're embodying our character? More often than not we might as well be a floating camera. Mirror's Edge is setting out to change all that; to bring an unprecedented level of physicality to the humble first person perspective. As you've no doubt seen in the teaser trailer, that means you see your arms reaching out and grasping ledges as you jump to them and haul yourself up, you see your legs kicking in the air during a big jump and your body coiling into a roll as you land. It's amazing how big a difference this makes, and as a result Mirror's Edge's parkour-esque action is that much more believable; its gravity-defying stunts that much more awe-inspiring.

True first-person gameplay.

The city looks incredible too – gleaming skyscrapers dominate the skyline, while the streets are clean and crime-free. In the world of Mirror's Edge, big brother is constantly watching, and the only way to pass unauthorised messages (or other 'products') to people outside the system is via messengers across the rooftops… which is where you come in. Sounds cool, doesn't it? --Cam



Resident Evil 5

There's no question that Resident Evil 4 deserves a place in the top five games of the previous generation (along with Halo, Smash Bros. Melee and GTA: San Andreas). Considering how many thousand games were released during last generation, that's a pretty huge achievement right there, and with sequels to the other heavyweights already having showed their hands, for me, E3 2008 belongs to Resident Evil 5.

WANT

All the things that made RE4 such a hit – vicious, bloodthirsty, sprinting enemies; utterly non-stop action; and glorious, cinematic visuals – have been amped up considerably. On top of this RE5 has been re-tooled to feature destructible environments and a far greater level of flexibility and freedom. I cannot wait. --Naz



Prince of Persia

With the new Prince of Persia title, Ubisoft is re-imagining the series. What's changed? Well, the Sands are gone - so no more time manipulating shenanigans, there's a new central character – a vagabond adventurer, and the visual design of the series has been given a vivid reboot – the new look is heavily stylised, with an almost painted quality.

New Prince of Persia is a reason to do the happy dance.

The game's new big bad is Ahriman, a being of darkness who is spreading corruption across the game world. This corruption takes the form of a black ooze, from which enemies, traps and challenges are formed. The pay-off is that this allows Ubisoft to dynamically change the game world. Backtracking through an area may have completely different challenges, while the order in which you tackle sections of this open-world have flow on affects to the remaining areas, changing the challenges by virtue of the intensity of the corruption.

It's a neat way of keeping the elegance of the old level design, while also having consequences for the player's actions and replayability. Speaking of level design, the protagonist has many familiar tricks up his sleeve such as wall running and pole swinging, but with his clawed gauntlet he's also able to perform grip-falls – controlled slides down walls. This is your safeguard when you miss a jump, but it's also a good excuse for Ubisoft to introduce even more verticality into the level design. --Cam
Honourable Mention:
Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts

I fought for this one to be in the Top 10 – but I got voted down. Am I the only one who remembers the glory days of Banjo Kazooie? And the soaring heights of Tooie? Okay, so the core team is completely different and the game looks nothing like the originals – but it's been in development for a long time and there looks like there are some interesting ideas at play behind the LittleBigPlanet-inspired coating.

It's kinda like the Banjo we know and love...

It might only be a faintly similar jaunt this time around, but it also looks like a lot of fun – and hey, it actually uses a full colour palate too, not just shades of brown! --Patch