Shooting

One of the survival horror games coming out this year that intrigues me is Dead Space: Extraction. This Wii-only title is a tie-in to Electronic Arts' hit release from late last year. Basically, it's a survival horror game set on a spaceship overrun by hideous alien monsters.

The Wii version is a stand-alone game, and it differs from its big brothers in that it's an on-rails shooter. I've said before that I'm a little disappointed by the on-rails part, but after watching this new four minute video, I'm more interested in this game than I was before.

This latest video, hosted by guys from developer Visceral Studios, highlights how the Wii controls will work in the game. It appears as though a lot of thought has been given to ensuring that players won't be just swinging their Wii-mote around like a spastic kid after a sugar bender. This is good news.

My only real concern with the controls is the idea of having to turn the Wii-mote at a 90 degree angle to use the secondary fire mode of each weapons. Seems to me that using a weapon with your wrist turned like that for an extended length of time would probably be annoying (and uncomfortable), but other than that, this title seems to be shaping up nicely.

I downloaded the demo for ARMA II earlier this week, and I've spent some time dabbling with it. I never played the first one, but the concept of a realistic, broad-scoped military simulator/shooter sounded pretty neat. And, judging from the demo, it is indeed pretty neat. All it requires is a little patience. Actually, it requires mountains of patience. Despite my best efforts to really soak up the experience, the game just keeps getting in the way, and I admit, I just don't have the ambition required to get really immersed in this type of game.

Playing the wrong half of the story

HIGH I got to shoot Castro. That's interesting, at least.

LOW The part where the game tries to explain that killing a drug-addicted prostitute is basically a public service.

WTF So Robert Duvall was too good to be in Godfather III, but he'll be in the mediocre Godfather video games? How bad was that movie?

With all of the E3 craziness this week, I somehow forgot to post this footage of Left 4 Dead 2’s multiplayer in action.

If you haven’t seen it yet, check it out below.

My brain tells me that I should be guardedly optimistic about the prospects of an Aliens vs. Predator game (the movies haven't exactly managed to take advantage of the awesome potential of this idea…), but my heart—well, my heart's already convinced this is the greatest thing since porn.

Sega and developers Rebellion showed off the game at E3 yesterday and you can have a gander at it below.

Players will be treated to three campaigns in the game—one as a human, one as an alien, and the third as a Predator. Naturally, each race will have its own strengths and weaknesses and class balance would seem to be a key issue (if the aliens and Predator aren't fun to play, this game will not do well). Players will take control of each faction at different points in the narrative (which involves an alien temple with an angry queen, space marines, and a Predator hunting expedition).

Bioshock still stands as one of my favorite games of this generation. Its creepy atmosphere coupled with some excellent writing and narrative design make it stand out as one of those games that should be mentioned whenever the tired discussion of "games as art" pops up. To say I'm excited about the sequel is an understatement.

Here's a look at a new trailer for the game. This year's E3 has seemed to focus on great looking games that aren’t coming out until 2010, but Bioshock 2 remains on course for a November 3rd 2009 release on the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.

Ready to guide Claire and Leon on another sojourn through zombie-infested Raccoon City? Then Capcom's got just the game for you—provided you own a Nintendo Wii.

The company showed off footage of its new Wii-exclusive, Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles—an on-rails shooter sequel to Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles. The game promises to take players back to some of Raccoon City's classic locales and allow them to shoot an endless parade of rotting zombies and other assorted beasties while doing it.

Here's the latest trailer for the game.

Good news for gamers who love the zombie apocalypse. Valve has announced that Left 4 Dead 2 will be available on the Xbox 360 and PC on November 17th.

The sequel ups the ante from the original game, moving to a new locale with a new cast of survivors and features melee combat (the chainsaws look fun…), boss zombies, and like all sequels, is said to be bigger than the game that started it all.

I'm incredibly bummed that I'm not going to E3 this year. I've gone numerous times in the past and I highly recommend that anyone who really loves games go at least once—even in it's newer, more streamlined, form, it's still a spectacle unlike anything else. I could have gone this year, but I don't have the money to get to LA, so I'll be watching from home like the majority of my fellow gamers. I'm not happy about this.

The show hasn't started yet, but we're already seeing little bits and pieces of things that will be at the show. Take, for instance, this trailer for Dead Space: Extraction. Extraction is the Wii-only on-rails shooter prequel to Electronic Arts' big hit of last year. I'm still not sold on the whole on-rails shooter thing, but the graphics in the trailer aren't bad and the game's universe is interesting enough that I'd make a return trip to it even if the visit was a guided one with little room for exploration.

Dead Space: Extraction hits retailers on September 29th.