All the biggest video game developers came together last week at the Los Angeles Convention Center for the Electronic Entertainment Expo, the industry’s premier trade show. As companies competed for eyes, ears and thumbs with loud videos and scantily clad women, some actual games were announced and displayed. Here’s what could be found beneath the noise, dear gamers:

Halo 4
Developer: 343 Industries
Platform: Xbox 360

The new ‘Halo’ developers at 343 Industries seem to be doing good by Master Chief after taking over for Bungie, the series’s creator. The new story pits the Chief against the ancient robot Prometheans, whose abilities include teleportation and command of grenade-catching drones. The visual detail is unmatched by previous games. From every leaf in the jungle to every metallic groove on battle rifles, ‘Halo’ has never looked this good. Even multiplayer mode is getting upgraded with the announcement of ‘Spartan Ops,’ an episodic animated web series that will be accompanied by online cooperative missions. Finish the fight, for real this time, Nov. 6.

The Last of Us
Developer: Naughty Dog
Platform: PlayStation 3

The creators of ‘Crash Bandicoot’ have come a long way. After wrapping up the stellar ‘Uncharted’ series last year, they are headed in a totally new direction: specifically, post-apocalyptic Pittsburgh. Joel, a grizzled survivor, and Ellie, a teenage orphan, must fight and avoid both fungal zombies and rival scavengers as they move through the wreckage. Sony’s press conference featured the first game playfootage, and it looks brutal. Players will have to search for supplies like bandages and possibly even food to survive. The characters are realistically fragile, including Joel, and whether punching or shooting, action is rough, bloody and painful. Don’t expect to see this one until late 2013, though.

Nintendo Wii U

Last year, Nintendo announced its follow-up to the Wii: the Wii U. This year, fans wanted details. The hardware is confirmed to be comparable to the Xbox 360 and PS3, but we still don’t have a release date or price point. ‘Nintendo Land,’ a collection of themed mini games, features some interesting uses of the touch-screen tablet controller, like sniping in a ‘Zelda’-themed archery game and tilting to control a ball falling through an obstacle course. ‘Pikmin 3′ and ‘New Super Mario Bros. U’ look much better than their predecessors, thanks to the HD-capable system. However, beyond Nintendo’s own offerings, the only other games announced were existing titles with tacked-on tablet controls, like ‘Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition.’ Thus, most publishers seem hesitant to support the system. Hopefully, Nintendo will have some more encouraging news before the end of the year.

Beyond: Two Souls
Developer: Quantic Dream
Platform: PlayStation 3

Hollywood actors appearing in video games is nothing new; Samuel L. Jackson played a crooked cop in ‘Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas,’ and Jack Black was the centerpiece of Double Fine’s ‘Brutal Legend.’ But rarely is their involvement like that of Ellen Page in next year’s ‘Beyond: Two Souls.’ More than just a voiceover, she is doing full performance capture for the game, which follows Jodi Holmes, a fugitive with crazy ghost powers. Game play has yet to be publicized, but leaked footage shows some unconventional action, similar to the studio’s previous game, ‘Heavy Rain.’ Action sequences are fully cinematic, with timed button presses taking the place of traditional direct control. Director David Cage has a history of reaching for the stars with his stories, so this is definitely one to watch.

Assassin’s Creed III
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U, PC

Ubisoft ran the risk of overdoing the ‘Assassin’s Creed’ series with last year’s ‘Revelations,’ but ‘Assassin’s Creed III,’ which moves the series from Renaissance Italy to Revolutionary War-era America, appears to be a full step forward. One segment they showed, set in the snowy wilderness of the American Northeast, demonstrated how well the building-climbing mechanics translated to barren trees and cliff faces with Connor, their new Native American protagonist. Combat looks smooth and stylish, with Connor using human shields against musket fire and quickly taking out multiple Redcoats at once using his two hatchets. The biggest difference, though, was the announcement of naval combat, in which Connor takes command of a ship, directing cannon fire and eventually even boarding enemy ships. Look for it Oct. 30.

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Published on June 13, 2012 at 12:00 pm

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