Best Of E3 2008

There was a lot to see at this year's E3 Media & Business Summit, and I did my best to scurry about the show floor, attend press events, meet with developers and publishers, and most importantly, play and see all of the upcoming videogames that the industry had to offer.

While there was indeed a certain amount of, shall we say, junk, on display at the show, there were also many, many highly impressive titles that I just can't wait to play more of in the future. It was difficult, but I've managed to compile a list of my favorites from E3 2008. Without further ado...

Best of Show:

LittleBigPlanet

Even with incredible games like Left 4 Dead, Resident Evil 5, and the ever-present Spore dotting the show floor in various states of playability, LBP stood out as the one that will not only be a joy to play, but will also increment the state of gaming toward wider adoption and integration into popular culture (and NOT by pretending to play virtual instruments while throwing frisbees to your virtual pet dog and cutting virtual vegetables on your virtual kitchen counter). This multiplayer "gaming 2.0" platformer is a combination of gameplay, creativity, social interaction, limitless possibility, and most of all, FUN, that is simply undeniable.

Best Console Game:

LittleBigPlanet
(see Best of Show)

Best PC Game:

Left 4 Dead

I love zombies, I love cooperative gameplay, I love intense action, and I love Valve Software. That combination pretty much seals the deal for my best PC game of E3 2008, Left 4 Dead. My hands-on time with this online shooter was one of the most enjoyable gaming sessions I had at the show, thanks to the nearly flawless Source engine and the unique interactivity between the game's players and the game itself. Hordes of enemies will always rain down on the group of survivors, but from that point the game unfolds based on the players themselves. My time was short with Left 4 Dead, but it certainly left an impression.

Best Handheld Game

???

I honestly didn't see enough to crown a victor in this category, so rather than make something up to sound important, I am bowing out of this one. No, I didn't get to play Resistance: Retribution.

Best Non-playable Demo

Gears of War 2

It's always difficult to crown a "best" game based on non-playable demonstrations. With your eyes and ears, one can only absorb a game's superficial presentation and conceptual makeup, rather than actually feeling how it all comes together. That being said, my choice for the best non-playable game of E3 goes to what was possibly the most visually stunning demonstration, layered on top of proven gameplay mechanics with a handful of added features and improvements.

Gears of War 2 looks incredible. The environments and scenarios I saw were some of the most impressive at the show, with dozens upon dozens of Locust on-screen, ranging from man-sized creatures to hulking behemoths. The flow of combat also seemed to be smoothed out a bit since the first Gears of War as I watched the COGs dip in and out of cover, taking out anything that posed a threat. Then there is multiplayer, which has been upgraded to support ten players at once over Xbox Live, and will be powered by an all-new matchmaking system. I'm ready for more Gears.