While it has been rumored for a couple of weeks now, it is finally confirmed that Mass Effect 3 will support the Kinect. I know, I know, the idea made me cringe at first too. The thought of using the Kinect to do things like throw grenades or use abilities through stupid hand motions was unbearable. Rest assured though, this Kinect support seems pretty limited to certain actions and is tied to voice recognition.

From what was shown in the demo, this voice recognition seems most utilized when making dialogue decisions. Notice I said utilized and not useful. Let’s be honest, why would you say verbatim the dialogue choice displayed on screen when you can just press a button and choose the option with your controller? The more useful part of the voice recognition in Mass Effect 3 seemed to be during combat as you will be able to direct your team to use certain skills. Ultimately, it all feels quite gimmicky. But then again, isn’t that the motto for Kinect? Read more… »

Ever since the Tomb Raider reboot was announced in Game Informer, I was convinced that it would be exactly what the franchise needed. While the game looks absolutely beautiful and emits a dark, gritty feel, the demo shown at Microsoft’s press conference has me concerned. Nothing makes me roll my eyes more than the overuse of QTEs (quick time events) in games – a la God of War.

Despite my distaste for this outdated gameplay mechanic, I remain convinced that Crystal Dynamics will stay true to Lara Croft and the Tomb Raider franchise. The presentation is there, the set pieces seem to be there, and hopefully the gameplay proves to be more than what was shown. If it isn’t, the future of Tomb Raider will be more grim than ever. Judge for yourself though with a video of the demonstration after the break. Read more… »

Controversy! It isn’t an E3 without it. From what I saw during the demo of Modern Warfare 3 during Microsoft’s press conference at E3 2011, I truly question whether this demo was played live. While it isn’t really a huge deal, it is real fishy as you can see in the video after the break that the controller disconnects, pauses, and then what looks like a video input switch occurs.

Nonetheless, this demo of Modern Warfare 3 was full of some fantastic looking set pieces as it opens up with forcing a submarine to surface, infiltrating it, launching some missiles, and eventually escaping as battleships blow up around you and the skyline of Chicago in the distance is falling to shambles. What else can you expect from a Call of Duty title though? Be sure to hit the break for a little bit of extra news regarding Modern Warfare 3 and of course the aforementioned video.

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While E3 still remains an industry and press only event in the physical world, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) is partnering with IDG Entertainment/GamePro Media to give gamers virtual access to 2011′s largest gaming expo. Announced Tuesday, the E3 Insider site will give players the ability to see exclusive E3 interviews, previews as well as tour the plethora of exhibitor booths.

ESA senior vice president for communications and industry affairs, Rich Taylor, said, “E3 is the leading computer and video game event in the world. Millions of enthusiasts who want to attend will now be able to have the same incredible experience as the attendees on the exhibit floor.”

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Today publisher Square Enix announced that the Agent 47 will be making he return in the fifth installment of the Hitman series, Hitman: Absolution.

Slated to arrive on the PC, Xbox 360, and PS3, Hitman: Absolution will be developed by franchise creator IO Interactive. The big selling point of Absolution is that it will allow gamers to explore the Hitman universe, something that has been teasing fans of the series for a long time. Read more… »

Bethesda showcased four different titles, and of the four, Fallout: New Vegas was the most well known.  Ironically, Rage, Brink, and Hunted were the lesser known, but because of their solid display, they quickly became the focal point of discussion whenever Bethesda was brought up.

Simply put, New Vegas was a disappointment for me, and because Vegas was once a place I called “home,” it was the title I was looking forward to most.  While it may sound contradictory, or even slightly biased, my impressions of the demonstration are completely separate from how I feel the overall game will be upon release and with good reason too. Read more… »

Since the advent of the WoW era, countless subscription MMOs have begun with a fanfare before slowly fading into free-to-play obscurity. While many fun games in this genre have been created, the life-blood of any MMO’s long term success hinges on one all-important factor: end-game content. If there isn’t something fun to do once you’ve bumped up against the level cap, players will eventually move on to the next big thing.

This is why I was impressed with the way Sony Online Entertainment chose to show off their superhero MMO on the E3 floor. Instead of a standard PvE walkthrough of features, when I picked up the controller for some hands-on time with the game, I was thrown immediately into a PvP battle with other live players, intended to be one form of endgame content once the game launches.

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I feel bad for Nintendo. Their press conference had an abysmal display of the upcoming The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. They couldn’t get anything to work correctly, and the Internet ate them alive for it.

I took it upon myself to determine whether or not their debacle on stage was legitimate interference, or poor design. I’m happy to report that LoZ: SS isn’t only one of the best looking games on the Wii, but it works perfectly.

Now, my childhood dream of controlling sword and shield independently is coming closer to fruition. Read more… »

OK, so the picture IS a joke.  There aren’t any images of the new system (yet), but it can supposedly create a 3D effect without requiring the use of those goofy 3D glasses that you had to wear at Avatar.

You know, like the Virtual Boy.  Except that Nintendo might know what they’re doing this time.

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Before I can even begin this review, I must preface it by saying that Hearts of Iron III is not for 75% of gamers out there (maybe more). It is for the hardest of the hardcore strategy gamers. Thanks to a ridiculous learning curve and poor tutorial system, new comers to the HoI series should expect to put in a few days of learning before playing the game.

That being said, let me add that Hearts of Iron III is one of the most in depth strategy games ever made. If you are willing to sit down and try to figure out whats going on, you will  have a very rewarding experience. Read more… »

E3 just won’t go away. It’s been 3 weeks since it officially came to a close, but the results of the annual Best of E3 Game Critics Awards have now been announced. And the winner is…Uncharted 2: Among Thieves!

Whilst Gamer Limit’s very own hand picks of the show standouts ultimately differed, Uncharted 2 stubbornly went on to win another 2 awards in addition to the “Best of Show”, by being awarded the “Best Console Game” and “Best Action/Adventure Game.”

But Uncharted 2 wasn’t the only winner – read on for a full lowdown of all the awards after the break!

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In case you didn’t know, E3 2009 was Gamerlimit.com’s first. We worked our butts off to bring you the very best coverage from the show and we hope you enjoyed it while it lasted – it felt like a couple of days for you but, for us, it was a lifetime’s work!! The following set of handy links is your guide to E3 2009, according to Gamer Limit. Enjoy!

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