When walking down the long corridors that lead to the main halls at E3 ’02 there’re some distractions. Beautiful blondes beckon like sirens for you to take off your shirt to win a prize (and grimace when the portly gentlemen come their way), sword wielding characters from games literally come to life to promote their new games, and even a celebrity or two brushes by. And as you approach the South hall entrance there is a pretty cool Lucas Arts presentation, but when you get to the hall’s glass doors, you see something behind you and you turn. Glowing bright orange is the bustling booth of Simon and Schuster Interactive. Like miniature billboards, Flat screen monitors above the booth flash screenshots of their latest games, giving people at the adjacent food court something to talk about. But I wanted to do more than talk…. After greeting our contact, so began the tour of the world of Simon and Schuster Interactive. From on-line PC titles to X-box releases, they had their bases covered.
If you like shooters, Simon and Schuster has “Seablade”
for the X-box. Pick up the gamepad and you are off in 3D futuristic
world. After my ship finally bit the dust in “Seablade”, it was time for me to say so long to the team at Simon and Schuster Interactive and give the waiting others a chance to take these awesome tiles for a spin. Upon departing for my trip to the South Hall, they gave me a special link to share with you, and here it is:
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If
you like sci-fi, you’d jump at the chance to play the rpg /
action game “Farscape“ based on the t.v. series of the
same name. As you pick up characters throughout the game, you form
a sort of team, where you can select what character you would like
to play (each of course having his/her own unique abilities) and direct
other team members to take certain offensive or defensive actions
to help defeat the enemy. Lighting effects really add to the feel
of being on another planet as you battle your way outdoors with dangerous
wildlife and as you find yourself navigating indoors. The best part
of the game is playing as other characters on your team. You’ll
never find yourself getting bored. Maybe frustrated, trying to find
an exit (like all RPGs), but not bored. I got really lost, so I thought
I’d move on to another genre SSI had to offer.
For
intense strategy and action, you can go to war with the sequel “Real
War: Rogue States”. The first “Real War” game, based
on video game software made for Joint Chiefs of Staff training, received
critical acclaim, and this one is sure to be a great follow up. With
the country at war, gamers get the chance to get a little insight
in how war strategies are drawn up--from a safe distance. And even
for those who aren’t gamers, the game’s unique draw may
make people think twice about seeing their computers as mere “business
machines”. But, for myself, I was looking for something fast
paced that day, and I found it.
Sounds
like your run of the mill idea, but instead of flying around all day,
you get a chance to plunge into the ocean and fight your battles in
your hybrid craft. If you need a game to unwind with “Seablade”
offers you a fun way to take it out on the scores of enemies coming
at you without getting into the arena of blood and gore. 
