The E3 2006 Preview

There may not be many new games hitting the shelves this month, but no matter, because there’ll be a wealth of hot new game info at this years ultimate gamer’s gathering –  E3. Here’s a sneak peak at the sneak peak; a look at the could-be-good, the could-be-bad and the will-be-ugly. In other words, a short list of the notable 360 games taking up table space at the 2006 Electronic Entertainment Expo. Enjoy.

Chromehounds
Sega will launch this online multiplayer, robot-battling, action-oriented shoot’em’up this summer. Screenshots suggest something similar to MechAssault, but Sega’s promise of a show-floor demo may prove otherwise.

Dead Rising
Capcom is releasing another zombie-infested video game other than RE 5 (see below). Why aren’t they just calling it Resident Evil 6? Because this time-round, the emphasis isn’t on horror, but rather all-out, blood-and-guts, bats-and-clubs fighting. Early screenshots show literally hundreds of enemies on screen at once. More information and a rough launch date should be revealed at the show… hopefully along with a playable demo.

Superman Returns
Developer Tiburon, the folks responsible for the invincible Madden Football series, are currently at work creating their first non-sports title, Superman Returns. The game, based on the upcoming film of the same time, hopefully won’t be merely another quick movie cash-in, we seriously don’t need any more crappy Superman games. The release will feature the voices of a number of hot-shot actors from the flick, so at least the audio should be good. Electronic Arts will launch the title this Fall.

Too Human
Silicon Knights has left Nintendo to create this long-awaited action title for the Xbox 360. Little is known about the game except that it will be running off the Unreal 3 game engine and feature a plot too complicated to explain here. Microsoft will publish the game in time for the next holiday season.

Crackdown
The creators of the original Grand Theft Auto, Real Time Worlds, are hard at work on this GTA3-inspired game in which players take on the role of an angry cop with superhuman powers. Microsoft will likely announce a rough shipping date come E3.

Def Jam 3
A release date hasn’t been revealed for this latest incarnation in the bestselling combat series from EA. Expect more focus on realism this time round, as well as some awesome visuals.

Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth II
Hopefully EA Los Angeles won’t destroy this popular RTS in porting it over to the Xbox 360. EA Games will launch the title in the Summer.

Alan Wake
Apparently developer Remedy got bored of the name Max Payne, so their next action title will be called Alan Wake instead. Thankfully, it’s a little more than just a name change. Rather than the run’n’shoot gameplay of Payne, Alan Wake will feature more stealth/horror stages and possibly supernatural enemies as well. 2K Games will let the title fly this Fall.

Update: We have just learned that Alan Wake will not be appearing at E3 this year.

Mobile Suit Gundam
Bandai will launch this giant robot romp from developer Dimps next Fall. The screenshots and videos are looking great, though potential gameplay quality has yet to be revealed.