E3 2010 is almost ready for action. Are you ready for the action games of E3? These console and PC games, we think, are going to be the biggest video games of video gaming's big show.
Games that were announced a year ago at E3 2009 and games that were just announced this week will, we hope, be playable and full of the action we crave. Whether that means action RPGs like The Legend of Zelda or the "lightning bolt action" of Metal Gear Solid: Rising, we're looking forward to the following long list of action and adventure games, so that we can shoot, slice and whip our way to big bosses. (Kotaku's look at the shooters and platformers of E3 2010 are coming soon.)
Let's refer ourselves to the third-person and get some action, courtesy of these games that we sure hope will be at E3 2010 in some shape or form.
The Legend of Zelda (Wii)
Nintendo will be showing the still-unnamed next entry in the long-running Legend of Zelda series, a Wii game that it revealed only in concept art form at last year's E3 expo. The new Wii game will make use of the Wii MotionPlus controller add-on. Will it also make use of Nintendo's other new peripheral, the Wii Vitality Sensor, for a real shake-up? One thing's for sure, Nintendo's expecting it to be "perfect."
Infamous 2 (PS3)
Sly Cooper developer Sucker Punch dashed hopes that its thieving raccoon would return to the PlayStation family any time soon with the reveal of Infamous 2, its superhero/antihero action adventure game. Expect more superpowers, more Cole McGrath and lots of lightning.
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (PS3, Xbox 360)
Can developer Mercury Steam make 3D Castlevania work under the direction of Metal Gear series lead Hideo Kojima? We'll known more by the end of E3 2010, when we expect to spend a lot more time with the vampire slaying, monster killing Belmont clan as re-imagined in Lords of Shadow.
Yakuza 4 (PS3)
Sega's bringing back more Japanese gangster brawling in the form of the Yakuza series next year. This E3, we'll spend some time with the further adventures of Kazuma Kiryu. In Yakuza 4, he'll be joined by a merry cast of street toughs with a penchant for kicking the shit out of folks. Will we get a chance to take Kazuma to a hostess bar this time?
Metroid: Other M (Wii)
Nintendo and Ninja Gaiden developer Team Ninja... err, team up for a very different Metroid. Part side-scrolling action game, part first-person shooter, Metroid: Other M takes us back in time to learn more about the mysterious bounty hunter Samus Aran, who, rumor has it, is actually a woman! It should have been out in June, but E3 will give us a chance to see how Other M has changed over the past year.
Metal Gear Solid: Rising (PS3, Xbox 360)
After a stormy build-up and a surprise reveal—Metal Gear Solid is coming back to the Xbox—we didn't hear much about the next game in the series, Metal Gear Solid: Rising. We know it will prominently feature Metal Gear Solid 2 co-star Raiden and will trade "tactical espionage action" for "lightning bolt action," but Kojima and crew have been coy about revealing more about the next big Metal Gear game.
Okamiden (DS)
The PlayStation 2 and Wii game gets downsized and sequelized for an outing on the Nintendo DS, letting players control the adorable wolf-god Chibiterasu in an all-new adventure. Okami's ink-painting mechanics should work even better on the Nintendo DS touchscreen. We should know, we've already played it!
Assassin's Creed Brotherhood (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
Assassin Ezio takes multiplayer for a spin in the 2010 follow-up to last year's Assassin's Creed II. But Ubisoft isn't just tacking on online modes to ensure that you keep your copy of Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, it's throwing in a lengthy single-player campaign, set in Rome, for the semi-sequel.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II (PS3, Xbox 360, PC, Wii)
Thank goodness for cloning technology! Darth Vader's apprentice is back in the sequel to the surprisingly good Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and he's got giant Rancor monsters to take down with those two lightsabers.
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light (XBLA, PSN, PC)
Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics finds a new angle on the Lara Croft franchise. Lara's no longer raiding tombs solo, but with the help of her Mayan pal Totec. Oh, right, and it's an isometric adventure, a la Diablo, and not a traditional third-person Tomb Raider adventure game. And it looks fabulous.
The Last Guardian (PS3)
Team ICO's third game, after Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, may have lofty expectations to meet. But the cooperative action adventure of The Last Guardian that we've seen in previous trailers has us satisfied. We don't know much about Sony's video game release plans for the latter half of 2010, so hopefully this year's E3 will bring hands-on time with the game and a release date.
Dead Rising 2 (PS3, Xbox 360)
Zombies invade the Vegas-like town of Fortune City and Dead Rising 2 star Chuck Greene must find a way to kill 'em all. Fortunately, Chuck can phone a friend for some co-op zombie slaying action and he's a whiz with a roll of duct tape. Dead Rising 2 lets players craft their own bizarre weapons, combining chainsaws with boat paddles or knives with boxing gloves, for creative undead killing.
God of War: Ghosts of Sparta (PSP)
Is it the last great PSP game, as God of War II was for the PlayStation 2? We'll see, as we strap on Kratos' chains once again, killing Greek gods and letting loose Spartan rage in the follow-up to the excellent God of War: Chains of Olympus.
Enslaved: Odyssey to the West (PS3, Xbox 360)
Namco's banking on Heavenly Sword developer Ninja Theory's Enslaved to be one of its biggest franchises. The cooperative single-player action in Enslaved: Odyssey to the West looks pretty, even in this post-apocalyptic setting. We'll find out how beautifully it plays at E3.
Dead Space 2 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
Visceral Games' Dead Space 2 puts players back into the suit of interstellar engineer Isaac Clarke, straps some rocket boots onto his feet and gives him a sleeker suit in which to kill those disgusting Necromorphs. More scares, more action, more Dead Space—we can't complain.
Splatterhouse (PS3, Xbox 360)
Namco's revival of the 16-bit horror game series has had its ups and downs. But the action looks gory and we're coming to terms with Rick's new look. Will Splatterhouse satisfy?
Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions (PS3, Xbox 360, PC, Wii)
The Spider-Man game that aims to break the suck cycle—c'mon, they weren't that bad!—lets players take on the role of four different Spider-men. Peter Parker, the amazing Spider-man, is joined by Spider-man 2099 and Spider-man Noir, along with a fourth mystery Spidey in this multi-dimensional action game.
Resident Evil Portable (PSP)
Hold up. Maybe this will be the last great PSP game? Maybe we're calling this thing too early. Officially unveiled at last year's E3 with little more than a logo and a promise that the survival horror game is "an all-new title created specifically for the PSP platform, with the PSP go in mind."
Silent Hill (PS3, Xbox 360)
Konami has tapped developer Vatra Games to handle the next Silent Hill game, which sounds like it may be closely tied to the second game in the psychological horror adventure series. But should this Silent Hill have been saved for our preview of the Big Shooters of E3 2010? "The silence ends at E3," they say.
Knights Contract (PS3, Xbox 360)
If Splatterhouse and Enslaved can't get the job done for Namco, perhaps its gory cooperative action game Knights Contract can. It's bloody attractive!
Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom (PS3, Xbox 360)
If you're looking forward to The Last Guardian, maybe you'll appreciate Game Republic's take on the adventures of a boy and his beast.
Mafia II (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
Do you like your open world action games with better clothes and slower cars? Then get excited to play as World War II veteran Vito Scaletta in Mafia II and enjoy a new life of crime set in a simpler time.
Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage (PS3, Xbox 360)
Take the gameplay of Koei's successful Dynasty Warriors series, add Fist of the North Star characters, make a few "You're already dead!" jokes and you've got the foundation for a rock solid brawler, overflowing with bloody action.
Itagaki's Next Project (???)
Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden creator Tomonobu Itagaki has a new game in the works at his start up Valhalla Game Studios. That's what we know!
What's The Trend?
With a list of games that long—and that's not everything action-oriented that we'll see at E3—it's clear that the action-adventure space isn't dwindling. There's a bigger emphasis on multiplayer and cooperative action than ever before. We're expecting big changes for The Legend of Zelda and Metal Gear Solid, as well as something exciting from Tomonobu Itagaki. Don't let us down, E3!