Another year is here which means it’s time for another X event from Microsoft. X09 was held in downtown Toronto at a great local in This is London. This year’s show was scaled down significantly in comparison to last year and honestly was a bit of a disappointment. The event is supposed to be about showcasing upcoming releases, so I was quite puzzled to see some already released games in Halo 3: ODST, NHL 2010 and The Beatles: Rockband on hand. So what upcoming games were on display you ask? Well there was Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Splinter Cell: Conviction, Forza 3, Left for Dead 2, GTA 4: The Ballad of Gay Tony, DJ Hero and Tony Hawk: Ride.
Where things start to get really interesting is with the new Splinter Cell. I must admit that *gasp* I have never played a Splinter Cell game before but this one has me intrigued. Some of the things that you can do as Sam Fisher, interrogations, executions….well they are truly badass. Not to mention that the graphics and presentation is suburb. The big game at the show was obviously Modern Warfare 2, which was even being kept behind a fancy big black curtain. They were showing off a new co-op mode. The level in question was very reminiscent of the shower scene from The Rock (The movie not the wrestler). Needless to say being shot at from an elevated position is both difficult and bad ass to pull off at the same time.
This now brings us to DJ Hero which to me is the biggest question mark due for release this year. Will it sink or will it swim? With its potential hefty price tag I just don’t know if the living room is ready for another plastic instrument with the games “scratcher controller”. I also don’t know if that style of music has the universal appeal of a Rockband. Only time will tell
All in all Microsoft puts on a classy event, even if there went as many games there as I had hoped (Where was Smackdown vs. Raw 2010, Assassins Creed 2 and Mass Effect 2?). Regardless it is safe to say I can’t wait to see what X10 will have to offer.
