E3 2008, best twenty video games, now done in Haiku

According to my watch, E3 is now finished. The conference has been shifted and downsized and generally turned upside down by format changes but it is still one of the biggest video games spectacles in the world. Nearly everything worth looking out for in the coming months and, in several cases, years was on show. I can’t write up each one individually as it would take me till September, so here they are in a convenient Haiku form. I take no responsibility for whether these actually conform to rigorous Haiku format requirements.

Animal Crossing: City Folk (Wii – expected Xmas 2008)

Wacky friends return
Explore whole new area
With nunchuck or not

Resistance 2 (PS3 – November 2008)

PS champ to Hale
Hungry goliaths invade
Crazy-big multiplayer

Gears of War 2 (Xbox 360 – November 7th, 2008)

Butch men save Sera
Duelling chainsaw battles
Take a Brumak ride

Far Cry 2 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360 – expected October 2008)

No mutants, thanks
Vast and stunning Africa
Set fire to it all

Wii Music (Wii – expected Xmas 2008)

“Better than a game”
Everyone play together
Utter cacophony

LittleBigPlanet (PS3 – expected October 2008)

Custom characters
Design and build your levels
Goodbye Powerpoint

Fable 2 (Xbox 360 – October 2008)

Swords, murder and sex
Actions shape player worlds
Drop-in, coop friends

Operation Flashpoint 2: Dragon Rising (PC, PS3, Xbox 360 – expected 2009)

Gritty warfare sim
50 plus unique weapons
No Clancy prefix?

Wii Sports Resort (Wii – expected Spring 2009)

A day at the beach
With new control enhancement
I feel nauseous

FFXIII (PS3, Xbox 360 – TBA)

Androgeny rules
Bad Squenix betrays Sony
Nice animations

Resident Evil 5 (PS3, Xbox 360 – March 13th, 2009)

Coop mode in sight
Zombies now seem more diverse
Giant chainsaw man

Resistance: Retribution (PSP – expected Spring 2009)

Now on PSP
Graphics superb for handheld
Intelligent aim

The Sims 3

World’s biggest franchise
Improved customisation
Even bigger world

Tomb Raider: Underworld (Everything – November 21st, 2008)

Lara raids Norse gods
Jungle, ice, underwater
Huge tentacled foe

I am Alive (PC, PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii – expected Spring 2009)

Jade Raymond returns
Desperate citizens fight
Water bad for some

Dragon Age: Origins (PC – expected Q1 2009)

Swords and sorcery
Diablo clones assemble
It’s not Mass Effect

Lips (Xbox 360 – Xmas 2008)

Karaoke stars
Back Microsoft casual push
Shameless SingStar clone

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (DS – Winter 2008)

Liberty City
Roaming, crime gang action game
With WiFi connect

Pixel Junk Eden

Gameplay in some doubt
YouTube support confirmed
Visually unique

(Many thanks to former editor Stu from whom I completely ripped off the Haiku idea – see his far superior post from last year here)

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