E3 '10: Sony Online Entertainment

While at the Sony Online Entertainment booth, I was very interested in getting my hands on DC Universe Online, since I'm a big comic book fan. The game will feature episodes that make story arcs, much like comic book issues, and will mix you up with the classic DC Comics super heroes. There are 9 kinds of weapons and 7 kinds of powers, all of which are used in conjunction with movement abilities to create your hero. There are episodes that end with a boss battle, and also player vs. player which pits anywhere from two against two to 16 against 16. Also, you can choose to play as a hero or a villain, whichever you decide. During my hands-on time with DCUO, I played as a pre-made character who battled a bunch of goons and ultimately Harley Quinn to rescue a kidnapped Robin. While the game is looking good, I found the controls a little overly complicated, and combat less than fluid. That might be because it was my first time playing, and without a tutorial, or because it was a pre-fab character that I didn't specifically create with the abilities I chose. Then again, it might be a combination of both those things. DC Universe Online is due out this November, and the PC version will be ten bucks cheaper than the PS3 one. But it's the $14.99 monthly cost to play it that's the real turn-off for me. I just don't think I'll enjoy it enough to justify that monthly fee.

That wasn't the only game SOE was showing off. I had some hands-on time with The Agency, as well. This is also coming out for the PC and PS3 sometime in 2011. Basically, it's an MMO shooter where you chose which of two spy groups to join and accept missions that make up the story. They're both good, but each has their own methods of getting things done. Various character classes all have their own unique skills, and the proper combinations are crucial to survival. You can do missions solo or team up with friends, but since it's an MMO, why wouldn't you be teaming up? Oh, and you can also choose to be the Vendor, and get experience points for dealing out the missions! It played pretty much like an online shooter for the brief session I had with it. Obviously there wasn't enough time to delve into the depths of the storyline!

The other game I saw was Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures, which is targeted at boys 6-14, and based off the Free Realms engine. It's a free-to-play virtual world with lots of personalization. From a central hub, you can select a variety of mini-games, with 20 planned. I tried a starfighter game, which while on rails, was still a decent shooter. The Gungan Push will delight JarJar haters, as it allows you to use your Force Push to launch the annoying little twit into various objects including a giant pile of Bantha doo doo. Of course, being an online game, SOE is also planning to expand it as new episodes of the cartoon air, hopefully launching new content immediately after an episode. You have a pet droid that follows your Jedi around, and they can be really amusing. I thought seeing C3PO's idle animation that has him doing the robot was good, but then they demoed turning R5D4 into a portable disco ball, which set everyone in the vicinity to dancing. At E3, the placeholder animation was Beyonce's "Single Ladies" choreography, which was so hilarious that I almost wish they wouldn't change it! Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures is due out this fall on the PC.