Another Electronics Entertainment Expo has come and gone, and while there was next to nothing that surprised me at this year's show (two new handhelds aside), I'm still completely thrilled by what went down. Most of the industry continues to travel down the tried-and-true path of the sequel, but that doesn't bother me one bit in light of the staggering amount of quality I've seen thus far this year. New entries in the Metal Gear Solid, Silent Hill, Grand Theft Auto, Devil May Cry and Halo series showed up in full force at this year's show to repeatedly knock me on my ass.

Just one of these games could tide me over for months at a time, but no fewer than ten must-have, triple-A titles will be making the rounds in my consoles during the last three months of the year alone. I've been waiting three years for the stellar gaming lineup of 2001 to be eclipsed; the latter half of 2004 just might blow the doors off of it entirely. I'm extremely excited what this year holds for video game players, and the following snippets represent my thoughts on a few of the highlights of this year's E3 show.

Halo 2
Not surprisingly, the most anticipated game of the year had a huge presence at Microsoft's booth. While the single-player experience of Halo 2 was a highlight of last year's event, Bungie cinematics director Joseph Staten was on hand this year to demonstrate the multiplayer aspects of the game. What was shown was extremely impressive, and I'm more excited than ever to see how the game plays over Xbox Live. The demo depicted a war-torn beachfront on the coast of Africa and pitted a blue-clad Spartan (complete with customized decals) against a red Covenant Elite. The game continues to amaze visually with its extensive bump-mapped surfaces and excellent environmental reflections.

No new weapons were shown off (though the Bungie folks did get a rise from the crowd when they showed the Spartan wielding the badass Covenant energy sword), but the demo did reveal the ability to mix and match firearms when going akimbo. Destructible vehicles and the new speed-boost ability of the Ghost were highlights as well. A fly-by at the end of the demo revealed the massive scope of the battlefield and provided plenty of ideas on how to attack and defend various sections. Based on what I've seen thus far, Halo 2 very well could be the definitive single-player and multi-player game for the Xbox. We'll find out for sure on November 9th.

More:
• Official Site
• E3 Demo: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 (WMV)

(Note: Direct linking to the movies is disabled, so you'll have to copy and paste the URLs into your web browser.)

Silent Hill 4: The Room
It's no secret that I am in love with all things Silent Hill, but the preview material for the fourth installment is continuing to surpass even my extremely high expectations. The recently released music samples have definitely satisfied my curiosity, but it is the games' art direction, tone and atmosphere that are really flooring me at this stage. Silent Hill 4 is shaping up to be an intense mind-fuck in a medium that traditionally steers clear of issues that are even remotely complex, and I have high hopes that it will set new standards in artistic game design.

I'm dying to learn how all of the frightening imagery I've seen thus far will mesh with the plot, but with Silent Hill 2 producer Akihiro Imamura on the team, it's a safe bet that the storyline will regain that deep-seated psychological edge that part three sorely lacked. Do yourself a favor and download the E3 Trailer for an in-depth look at what the game has in store for you. I can safely say without hyperbole that this trailer is the most artistically accomplished thing I've ever seen in the video game world. This game simply cannot arrive soon enough, and I sincerely hope it doesn't get lost in the holiday game stampede.

More:
• Official Site
• E3 Trailer (Quicktime, 29MB, 9:06)

Devil May Cry 3
Jesus Christ! That's pretty much the only thing I could mutter to myself while watching the E3 trailer for the recently-announced Devil May Cry 3. Billed as the "stylish crazy action" sequel we've all been hoping for, Capcom looks to rekindle the balls-to-the-wall lunacy of the first game and rinse the foul taste of part 2 from our collective mouths. Judging from the trailer and from the preview material that was first revealed by PSM earlier this month, they may do just that. DMC3 holds an enormous amount of potential at this stage, and I'm very excited to play a game that exponentially expands upon the excellent foundation established by the original.

This slick-looking prequel stars a younger version of badass demon-hunter Dante, and it turns out that he is embroiled in a battle against his evil-as-hell twin brother. The energy, challenge and cheese factor all look to return in DMC3, and producer Tsuyoshi Tanaka promises to skew the game more towards the campy ideals of the universally-praised first title rather than the blasé sensibilities of its so-so sequel. With a host of upgradeable fighting styles, impeccable visual flair and a plethora of ridiculous combat hijinks that would make Ryuhei Kitamura proud, Devil May Cry 3 might just become the best pure action game released this year. I defy you to disagree after watching the incredible trailer linked below.

More:
• Official Site
• E3 Trailer (MPEG, 48MB, 3:54)

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
The final installment in the Metal Gear Solid trilogy continues to impress, and this year's E3 brought us the first details of the games' cold-war storyline. We'll be taking "Snake" through a series of infiltration missions to investigate a top-secret nuclear weapon. It sounds suspiciously familiar, but the 1960s setting, new characters and promised plot twists should keep things more engaging than the latter half of Sons of Liberty. Of course we all know that our lead character can't possibly be Solid Snake, but we might just get to see a young version of everyone's favorite revolver-wielding Russian.

New gameplay details include impressive close-combat disarm-and-interrogate moves and the ability to use stationary turrets to mow down enemies and vehicles. Snake's environment won't passively accept his presence; he'll find himself caked with leeches if he ventures into a river, and crocodiles won't give up their stamina-boosting flesh without a fight. With its top-notch visuals, engrossing atmosphere and its survival-of-the-fittest theme, Snake Eater will likely send the series out with a bang when it arrives later this year. Tide yourself over with the extensive trailer below.

More:
• Official Site
• E3 Trailer (WMV, streaming)

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