E3 2004: Choice Picks

The industry's biggest annual event gets underway in less than a week in Los Angeles - and with thousands of games on the show floor, it's easy to miss a few of the gems. To help you out though, we've compiled this list of key E3 titles from the available publisher line-ups, highlighting the games which you should definitely take a moment to check out in the hectic halls of the LA Convention Centre.

It's by no means a comprehensive list - some publishers don't reveal their line-ups until the day of the show, and others announce only a portion of the line-up, with product launches taking place at the event itself. However, with this guide in hand, you should be able to plan out your game-viewing time more effectively - and of course, GamesIndustry.biz will be updated throughout the show with information about new product launches or unexpected title appearances, so it's worth getting online and checking back daily for new information.

Without further ado, on to the listings...

1C Company

PC published 1C Company is bringing a whole raft of titles to the show, most of which we know little about - raising the possibility of a few hidden gems to be found here. With one exception (Axle Rage, which has a PS2 version) all of these are PC-only games. We've heard good things about StarRush, a simulation style title which may be worth swinging around 1C's stand for a look at, and we're frankly fascinated by the mere existence of a title called Vivisector: Beast Inside.

Titles on show: A.I.M, Ascension to the Throne, Axle Rage (also PS2), BorderZone, Brigade E5: New Jagged Union, Captain Blood, Cuban Missile Crisis, Desert Law, Parkan II, PT Boats: Knights of the Sea, Rig'n'Roll, Space Rangers 2: Dominators, Sphere, Stalingrad, StarRush, Star Wolves, Swashbucklers: Legacy of Drake, Vivisector: Beast Inside, World War I, XIII Century: Sword and Honor, You Are Empty

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Acclaim

Although we fully expect more titles to appear at the show itself, Acclaim's line-up as it stands is looking quite sparse. There's potential here, though, particularly in the form of new titles like Juiced and The Red Star, while the new Legends of Wrestling is unlikely to be terribly exciting, but will probably sell decently regardless.

Titles on show: 100 Bullets (PS2, Xbox, Cube), Alias (already released on PC, PS2, Xbox, Cube), Combat Elite: WWII Paratroopers (PS2, Xbox, Cube), Juiced (PS2, Xbox, Cube), Legends of Wrestling: Showdown (PS2, Xbox, Cube), The Red Star (PS2, Xbox, Cube)

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Activision

Activision has one of its strongest line-ups in years at the show, with a selection of titles peppered with names like Call of Duty, Doom, Spider-Man and X-Men all on the stand. Both PC and console editions of Call Of Duty will be on the publisher's stand, as will the Xbox and PC versions of id's long-awaited Doom III. The visually stunning Rome: Total War (as seen on TV, folks!) is also set to make an appearance, and fans of Peter Molyneux' endeavours will undoubtedly be interested to see how The Movies is shaping up.

Titles on show: Call of Duty: Their Finest Hour (PS2, Xbox, Cube), Call of Duty: United Offensive (PC), Doom III (PC, Xbox), Rome: Total War (PC), Shark Tale (PS2), Spider-Man 2 (PS2, Xbox, Cube), The Movies (PC, consoles), X-Men Legends (PS2, Xbox, Cube)

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The Adventure Company

A small selection of titles from this all-PC company is on show - it's a somewhat niche genre, but if adventure titles are your thing, this is clearly a stand to put on your must-visit list.

Titles on Show: Aura: Fate of the Ages, Dark Fall: Lights Out, Atlantis Evolution, Missing

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Atari

Although much of its release schedule relies heavily on distribution deals with Japanese giant Bandai, Atari has still managed an impressive line-up of its own titles for E3 this year. Reflections' Driv3r is the obvious stand-out title from the line-up, but several other games are probably worth checking out - including Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 and the apparently quite good (and hence appropriately named) Terminator 3: Redemption.

Titles on Show: Asterix & Obelix XXL (PS2, Xbox, Cube), Driv3r (PS2, Xbox, PC), Driven to Destruction (PS2), Duel Masters (PS2), Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone (PS2), Godzilla: Save the Earth (PS2, Xbox), RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 (PC), Shadow Ops: Red Mercury (PC, Xbox), Terminator 3: Redemption (PS2, Xbox, Cube)

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Capcom

Capcom has been establishing something of a reputation for innovation with its recent development efforts, and its E3 line-up looks set to show plenty of that. Expect to see graphically remarkable titles Killer 7 and Viewtiful Joe 2 on the stand, alongside the barmy gameplay of Under the Skin and a radical departure for an old series in the form of Resident Evil 4.

Titles on Show: Crimson Tears (PS2), Killer 7 (PS2, Cube), Mega Man X8 (PS2), Monster Hunter (PS2), Onimusha 3: Demon Siege (PS2), Resident Evil 4 (Cube), Shadow of Rome (PS2), The Nightmare Before Christmas (PS2), Under the Skin (PS2), Viewtiful Joe (PS2, already released on Cube), Viewtiful Joe 2 (PS2, Cube)

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Codemasters

British publisher Codemasters is best known for its driving titles, so Colin McRae Rally 2005 is likely to scoop a lot of attention on its stand. However, Codies has a few other tricks up its sleeve - notably interesting PC massively multiplayer title Dragon Empires, and Free Radical Design's hugely promising Second Sight.

Titles on Show: Second Sight (PS2, Xbox, Cube), Club Football 2005 range (PS2, Xbox, PC), Colin McRae Rally 2005 (PS2, Xbox), Dragon Empires (PC), IndyCar Series 2005 (PS2, Xbox), Soldiers: Heroes of World War II (PC), MTV Music Generator 3 (PS2, Xbox), Operation Flashpoint (Xbox), Perimeter (PC), Wartime Command (PC)

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Digital Rex

We don't have any information about what, exactly, Digital Rex will be showing - but this is a company which legendary designer Yu Suzuki has a hand in, so we'll certainly be watching with interest...

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DreamCatcher Games

A fairly sparse line-up from the chaps at DreamCatcher - and it's all PC as well, with nary a console title in sight.

Titles on Show: Dungeon Lords, SuperPower 2, Besieger, Cold War

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Eidos Interactive

The big news for Eidos this year, in ways, isn't what's on the show floor - it's what's not on the show floor, with the next Tomb Raider set to skip E3 despite claims that progress on the title at its new developer, Crystal Dynamics, is promising. What you will see, however, is the eagerly awaited Thief: Deadly Shadows and Vietnam title Shellshock: Nam '67, and we expect a number of other titles to join them on the Britsoft publisher's stand.

Titles on Show: ShellShock: Nam '67 (PS2, Xbox, PC), Thief: Deadly Shadows (PC, Xbox)

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Electronic Arts

The industry's biggest independent publisher will once again have one of the largest stands at the show - and, if it remains true to form, by far the noisiest. It has plenty to make noise about, though, with a gargantuan line-up of software which, as well as the usual annual updates, will also showcase keenly awaited titles such as Battlefield 2 (and console outing Battlefield: Modern Combat), Lord of the Rings: The Third Age, TimeSplitters: Future Perfect and Criterion's stunning looking racer, Burnout 3. Also making an appearance for the first time - before a highly judgemental audience - will be the controversial GoldenEye: Rogue Agent, and summer potential-blockbuster tie-in, Catwoman.

Titles on Show: FIFA Football 2005 (PS2, Xbox, Cube, PC, GBA), Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005 (PS2, Xbox, Cube, PC, GBA), Madden NFL 2005 (PS2, Xbox, Cube, PC, GBA), NBA Live 2005 (PS2, Xbox, Cube, PC), GoldenEye: Rogue Agent (PS2, Xbox, Cube), Battlefield 2 (PC), Battlefield: Modern Combat (PS2), Catwoman (PS2, Xbox, Cube, PC, GBA), Def Jam: Fight for New York (PS2, Xbox, Cube), Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban (PS2, Xbox, Cube, PC, GBA), The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth (PC), The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age (PS2, Xbox, Cube, GBA), Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault (PC), The Sims 2 (PC), The URBZ: Sim in the City (PS2, Xbox, Cube, GBA), Burnout 3 (PS2, Xbox), TimeSplitters: Future Perfect ((PS2, Xbox, Cube), Armies of Exigo (PC), Black & White 2 (PC)

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Game Factory Interactive

PC publisher with a small selection of (mostly law-enforcement themed) titles on the show floor.

Titles on Show: Officers, COPS 2170: Power of Law, ALFA: Antiterror

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Infinium Labs

As yet we have no idea what kind of software line-up they'll show, but Infinium Labs will be presenting the public debut of the Phantom game console at E3 - which has to be worth taking a spin around to their stand to see, regardless of your own thoughts on the device.

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Koei

We're not sure what to expect from Koei, Japan's finest supplier of samurai action titles; the excellent Samurai Warriors will almost certainly be present, and we'd rather hope to see the next chapter in the Dynasty Warriors series as well.

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Konami

The show floor line-up from Konami neatly splits into two camps - there's the original titles, and then the huge slew of anime-based games, focused mainly on Yu-Gi-Oh!, Shaman King and newcomer (to the western market, anyway) Rave Master. In the rather more interesting original title category, the obvious ones to watch out for are Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, which may well be playable for the first time, and Silent Hill 4: The Room, while RPG fans will want to keep an eye out for Suikoden IV - although Europeans may not want to hold their breath for that one, since we're still waiting to see Suikoden III here.

Titles on Show: Dance Dance Revolution Extreme (PS2), Gradius V (PS2), Neo Contra (PS2), Nanobreaker (PS2), Rumble Roses (PS2 - formerly "WWX: Rumble Rose"), Silent Hill 4: The Room (PS2, Xbox), Suikoden IV (PS2), Boktai 2: Solar Boy Django (GBA), Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (PS2), Rave Master International (working title, PS2), Rave Master Special Attack! Now! (GBA), Shaman King: Power of Spirit (PS2), Shaman King: Master of Spirits (GBA), Yu-Gi-Oh! Capsule Monster Coliseum (PS2), Yu-Gi-Oh! Reshef of Destruction (GBA), Yu-Gi-Oh! Destiny Board Traveller (GBA), Yu-Gi-Oh!: Power of Chaos Joey the Passion (PC)

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LucasArts

After the variety of last year's line up (several titles of which have since been canned), Lucas' portfolio this year is practically wall to wall Star Wars, with only Pandemic's excellent looking free roaming action title Mercenaries to break up the sci-fi love-in. The obvious headline game is Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, but also keep an eye out for Star Wars: Battlefront, a very interesting looking game which will launch alongside the DVDs of the original trilogy later this year.

Titles on Show: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords (Xbox, PC), Mercenaries (PS2, Xbox), Star Wars: Battlefront (PS2, Xbox, PC), Star Wars: Republic Commando (PC, Xbox), Star Wars Galaxies: Jump to Lightspeed (PC)

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Microsoft Game Studios

As a platform holder and a pretty major publisher in its own right, expect Microsoft's stand to be absolutely brimming with software, much of which probably won't be announced until the company's pre-show conference next Monday - but there are already some stand-out titles which anyone travelling to E3 would be mad to miss. Halo 2 is the obvious show-stealer, but Bioware's next Xbox RPG Jade Empire will also be taking a bow in public for the first time, and Big Blue Box' Fable is edging ever closer to release. No word on whether we'll see anything new from Rare, although it'd be surprising if we didn't. Meanwhile, on the PC front, Dungeon Siege 2 should be interesting for RPG fans, while we fully expect to see something of the new projects underway at Age of Empires studio Ensemble at the show as well.

Titles on Show: Halo 2, Fable, Sudeki,, BC, Jade Empire, Unreal Championship 2: The Liandri Conflict, Dungeon Siege 2 (PC)

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Namco

Arcade legend Namco has had a somewhat patchy year in terms of quality titles, but overall it's had more hits than misses - and its E3 line-up looks like a pretty impressive set of hits to us. It's certainly one of the top stands at the show for RPG fans, with the stunning Xenosaga: Episode II on show, along with Cube RPG titles Baten Kaitos and Tales of Symphonia, but there's also plenty of quality here in terms of more action oriented titles - with Tekken 5 and spin off title Death by Degrees taking pride of place, and graphically awesome combat flight 'sim' Ace Combat 5 providing aerial thrills.

Titles on Show: Ace Combat 5 (PS2), Tekken 5 (platform TBC, probably PS2), XenoSaga: Episode II (PS2), Dead to Rights II (PS2, Xbox), Time Crisis: Crisis Zone (PS2), Tales of Symphonia (Cube), Smash Court Tennis Pro Tournament 2 (PS2), Street Racing Syndicate (PS2, Xbox, Cube), Death by Degrees (PS2), Ghosthunter (PS2), Baten Kaitos (Cube), The Adversary (platforms TBC), Taiko Drum Master (working title, PS2)

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NCSoft

Massively multiplayer title specialist NCSoft has an interesting line-up at the show; City of Heroes expansion pack City of Villains is certainly worth a look, but the real title to watch is Lineage II, the sequel to the world's most popular role-playing game. It's graphically fantastic, albeit quite hardcore - and it'll probably have literally millions of players by the end of the year, not least thanks to the ascendant Korean online gaming market.

Titles on Show: Auto Assault, City of Villains, Guild Wars, Lineage II, Tabula Rasa

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Nintendo

Like fellow platform holder Microsoft, Nintendo is playing its cards close to its chest ahead of the show, and we expect that the bulk of its software line-up won't be announced until the pre-E3 press conference next Tuesday. We have no idea what DS software will be shown, for example, and we expect several new Cube and GBA titles to be unveiled at the conference. What we do know, however, is that you'll be able to check out Metroid Prime 2: Echoes and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker 2 at the show, along with the promising Geist and homegrown RPGs Fire Emblem and Paper Mario 2.

Titles on Show: Donkey Konga, Fire Emblem, Geist, Mario Party 6, Mario Tennis, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, Paper Mario 2, Pikmin 2, The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventure, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker 2

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Nokia

Burgeoning platform holder Nokia is promising plenty of surprises at its pre-E3 conference on Tuesday, but it's already got a few titles on its line-up which are worth a gander - most notably Sega's massively multiplayer mobile title

Pocket Kingdoms, and the company's own online-enabled turn based strategy title Pathway to Glory, which was looking remarkably like killer app material when we saw it in Finland last month.

Titles on Show: Pocket Kingdoms, Pathway to Glory, Ashen, The Sims, many more

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Playlogic

Euro publisher Playlogic has quite a wide range on show, but the real title of interest is Engine Software's PSP Racing, originally announced last year, which is on show to the public for the first time.

Titles on Show: Inuits (PS2, PC), Xyanide (Xbox, GBA, N-Gage, Symbian phones), Project Delta (TBC), Snap (TBC), Cyclone Circus (PS2), Airborne Troops (PS2, PC), Alpha Black Zero (PC), PSP Racing (PSP)

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Rockstar Games

Rockstar are usually very secretive about their forthcoming line-up, so the bulk of their line-up will be behind closed doors and shown only to a very select audience. Even then, we don't expect to see GTA: San Andreas anywhere at the show; leaving the actual line up (which hasn't been officially announced yet, so we're guessing here) looking a little sparse.

Titles on Show: Red Dead Revolver (PS2, Xbox), The Warriors (PS2)

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Russobit-M

Russian publisher Russobit-M is bringing an impressive range of PC software to the show - and with Eastern European developers proving their worth repeatedly over the past few years, this may be rich pickings for E3 "hidden gems".

Titles on Show: Kreed, Kreed: Battle for Savitar, Firestarter, Golden Land, Golden Land: Cold Heaven, Phase: Exodus, Homeplanet: Playing with Fire, Neuro

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Sammy Studios

Sega's new owners have quite a bit of interesting software up their own sleeves, and although it's a short list, the company's E3 line-up is an interesting one. Sadly there's no sign of Seven Samurai 20XX here, but Guilty Gear Isuka will keep beat 'em up fans happy, while TV adaptation The Shield promises to be every bit as unflinching and uncompromising as the show which inspired it.

Titles on Show: Darkwatch: Curse of the West (PS2, Xbox), The Shield (PS2, Xbox), Spy Fiction (PS2), Iron Phoenix (Xbox), Guilty Gear Isuka (PS2)

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Sega

If ever proof was needed that Sammy's acquisition of a significant stake in the company hasn't hurt Sega one bit, this year's E3 line-up should provide it. Stand-out games like Altered Beast, Eye Toy title Sega SuperStars and SPIKEOUT Battle Street rub shoulders with a few British-developed stars - notably Sports Interactive's Football Manager 2005 and Eastside Hockey Manager games, and Climax' forthcoming massively multiplayer RPG Warhammer Online. As for the whole "SegaTon" announcement which has been the subject of intense speculation online recently... Word reaches us that it's a product specific announcement, and actually not a terribly exciting one for non-US audiences at that. Don't hold your breath, in other words.

Titles on Show: Altered Beast (PS2), Astro Boy (PS2), Blood Will Tell (PS2), ESPN NBA 2005 (PS2, Xbox), ESPN NFL 2005 (PS2, Xbox), ESPN NHL 2005 (PS2, Xbox), Football Manager 2005 (PC), Headhunter Redemption (PS2, Xbox), Eastside Hockey Manager (working title, PC), Otogi 2 (Xbox), OutRun 2 (Xbox), Sega SuperStars (PS2), Sonic Heroes (PC), Sonic Mega Collection Plus (PS2), SPIKEOUT Battle Street (Xbox), Warhammer Online (PC), Worms Forts Under Siege (PS2, Xbox, PC)

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SNK Neo Geo USA

Arcade legends SNK Neo Geo are showing off a large range of their classic properties at E3 this year, with pride of place being given to King of Fighters, Metal Slug and Samurai Shodown - all games which the hardcore will certainly appreciate, even if sales figures are unlikely to set the world on fire. Rather more likely to be commercially interesting (albeit probably less interesting as a game) is SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos on Xbox.

Titles on Show: KOF: Maximum Impact (PS2), King of Fighters 2002 & 2003 Double Pack (PS2, Xbox), Metal Slug 3 (Xbox), Metal Slug 4 & 5 Double Pack (PS2, Xbox), Metal Slug Advance (GBA), Samurai Shodown 5 (PS2, Xbox), Samurai Shodown 5 Special (PS2, Xbox), SNK Vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos (Xbox)

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Sony Computer Entertainment America

As you'd expect from the biggest company in the industry, Sony will have a gigantic stand showcasing not only its own titles, but a huge range of third party PS2 software as well. The best reason to swing by Sony's stand is probably the debut of PlayStation Portable, but there's also plenty of quality here in terms of PS2 software - The Getaway 2 makes an appearance, as will platform champions Jak 3 and Ratchet & Clank 3 and much hyped shooter Killzone. Oh, and a little driving game called Gran Turismo 4, of course...

Titles on Show: The Getaway 2, God of War, Gran Turismo 4, Jak 3, Killzone, Ratchet & Clank 3: Up Your Arsenal, Arc the Lad, Athens Summer Olympics (Athens 2004), Dark Cloud 3, Formula One 2004, Hot Shots Golf: Fore!, Rise of the Kisai, NHL Hockey 2005, Forbidden Siren (already released in Europe), Sly 2: Band of Thieves, Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain, World Tour Soccer 2005, Champions: Return to Arms, Cold Fear

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Square Enix

Japan's champion RPG developer has a pretty impressive range of titles on its stand this year - the obvious ones that everyone will want to see being Final Fantasy XII and the surprisingly dark-looking Kingdom Hearts 2. Scratch beneath the surface of those steamroller titles, though, and there's plenty of other interesting stuff - including the Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children movie, mech tactics title Front Mission 4, and the western debut of hugely popular Japanese cross-media series Full Metal Alchemist.

Titles on Show: Front Mission 4 (PS2), Star Ocean: Till The End of Time (PS2), Full Metal Alchemist and The Broken Angel (PS2), Final Fantasy XII (PS2), Kingdom Hearts 2 (PS2), Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories (GBA), Final Fantasy XI: Chains of Promathia (PC, PS2), Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (movie), various mobile projects

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THQ

Much of THQ's line-up this year is focused on its range of kids licensed properties - SpongeBob Squarepants, WWE, The Incredibles and EyeToy title Nicktoons all feature - but the company is also working hard to maintain its credibility among older gamers, and Full Spectrum Warrior, STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl and Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War are all likely to be of interest to more mature audiences.

Titles on Show: Full Spectrum Warrior (PC, Xbox), The Incredibles (PS2, Xbox, Cube, PC, GBA), The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (PS2, Xbox, Cube, PC, GBA), The Polar Express (PS2, Cube, GBA), S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl (PC), Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War (PC), The Punisher (PS2, Xbox), WWE Day of Reckoning (Cube), Destroy All Humans! (PS2, Xbox), Tak 2: Staff of Dreams (PS2, Xbox, Cube), Nicktoons (PS2-EyeToy)

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Ubisoft

It's been a great couple of years for Ubisoft, and the French publisher's E3 line-up looks like continuing that success for a while longer. All eyes will be on the unveiling of Prince of Persia 2, of course, but there's also a new addition to the Tom Clancy franchise here in the form of Ghost Recon 2, while Far Cry comes to consoles with Far Cry Instincts - and there's a dark horse in the form of Brothers in Arms, which could well be Ubi's next retail hit if it turns out well...

Titles on Show: Prince of Persia 2 (working title, platforms TBC), Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2 (PC, consoles), Brothers In Arms (PC, consoles), Far Cry Instincts (Xbox and other consoles), Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Black Arrow (Xbox), Myst IV: Revelation (PC), The Settlers 5 (working title, PC), Rocky Legends (PS2, Xbox), Pacific Fighters (PC), Silent Hunter III (PC), Playboy: The Mansion (PC), The Dukes of Hazzard: Return of the General Lee (PS2, Xbox)

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Vivendi Universal Games

One of the largest third-party line-ups on the show floor - second only to EA's - comes from Vivendi Universal Games' stand, which also plays host to some of the most anticipated games of the coming months. Half-Life 2 is likely to draw in the crowds once again, despite the pantomime style saga of slippage now associated with it, while titles like StarCraft: Ghost, Ground Control 2, World of Warcraft and Empire Earth 2 are all bankable hits. E3 attendees will also get a chance to check out Elixir's second project, the apparently-actually-very-good Evil Genius, and summer blockbuster tie-ins Van Helsing and The Chronicles of Riddick - both of which look far better than any movie tie-in title has any right to look.

Titles on Show: Half-Life 2 (PC, video only), StarCraft: Ghost (consoles), World of WarCraft (PC), Van Helsing (PS2, Xbox), The Chronicles of Riddick (Xbox), Red Ninja (PS2, Xbox), Crash Bandicoot Unlimited (PS2, Xbox), Predator (PS2, Xbox), Fight Club (PS2, Xbox), Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude (PS2, Xbox, PC), Men of Valor (PC, Xbox), Empire Earth 2 (PC), Tribes: Vengeance (PC), Spyro: A Hero's Tail (PS2, Xbox, Cube), Fahrenheit (PC?), Evil Genius (PC), Dark Age of Camelot: Catacombs (PC), Ground Control 2 (PC)

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