Microsoft made several key announcements, which included details on downloadable content in addition to release dates for most of the games.  Some of the titles previewed made their public debut appearances, which only added to bolster the impact of the entire event.

Developers of the showcased first and third-party (exclusive) titles were available to provide walkthrough demonstrations, with most of the games being accessible for direct, hands-on previews.  Interestingly, most of this year’s line-up once again comprises of sequels to major franchises, except for Alan Wake and Final Fantasy XIII (a franchise first on the Xbox 360).  Additionally, another noted trend is to include co-operative multiplayer support in most of this year’s big titles (again, Alan Wake and FF XIII being exceptions).

It was not long after the critically-acclaimed Halo 3 was released, that many questioned whether the Xbox 360 platform had reached the pinnacle of its success and predicted that Microsoft’s commitment to the platform would soon diminish.  After this event, there should be no doubt that the real fun has yet to begin.  See impressions of specific game titles below.

Lost Planet 2 (Capcom)

The original: Lost Planet was a gorgeous Starship Troopers game in the snow, but with wonky controls that came with a bit of a learning curve.

The hook: Earlier in the week, Gears of War Design Director Cliff Bleszinski revealed a crossover of epic proportions, rocking the headlines.  It came as a surprise that Gears heroes Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago would be playable characters in Lost Planet 2, but the similarities between the two games makes the cameos appear fitting.  Obviously, Gears fans will be pleased with the crossover, but the greatest feature in this sequel seems to be the more robust multiplayer mode.  With 4-player co-op and 16-player competitive modes, Capcom it seems, listens to the fans.

The concern: Unfortunately, Lost Planet 2 features the same quirky controls from the first game, and hardcore Gears of War veterans who try out this sequel might get turned off by the difference in controls.

Dead Rising 2 (Capcom)

The original: The first Dead Rising game was a cult hit, and for good reason.  Being a survivor in a zombie outbreak with a slew of mundane objects to use as destructive tools against plentiful, but slow-moving undead was just part of the fun.  Capcom’s inclusion of numerous outifts for the protagonist, Frank West, and the photography aspect of the game made Dead Rising stand apart.

The hook: In the sequel, the zombie-killing continues, but now the protagonist (not Frank West) can combine regular household items to make ingeniously wicked weapons.  A workbench allows the player to make the following examples: knives + boxing gloves = Wolverine claws; garden rake + car battery = electric, jabbing rake; chainsaws + boat paddle = giant Q-tip of death; motorcycle + chainsaw = death on two wheels.

In addition, through all of the zombie slaying, the protagonist eventually is covered completely red in blood – but blood fades after non-killing for a few minutes.

Lastly, Capcom has added a highly demanded multiplayer arena mode where players compete to rack up the most kills within a certain time period.

The concern: Dead Rising 2 developers would not discuss whether there were any changes made to the game save system or possible tie-in to Frank West’s story.  It also looks like the photo feature is gone, and while the amalgamated weapons bring another dimension to the game, the weapons deteriorate far too quickly.

Splinter Cell: Conviction (Ubisoft)

The original: Sam Fisher is a household name for Xbox gamers, and the sneaking, spying, and infiltrating gameplay has never been better produced than in Splinter Cell titles.  The technology at a player’s disposal made Sam Fisher into a Jason Bourne with James Bond’s tools.

The hook: Ubisoft worked incredibly hard to develop a fresh style and approach to the game we all know and love by introducing two new core features: Last Known Position and Mark & Execute.  Basically, these are gameplay mechanics to allow Sam to evade, trap, and eliminate enemy A.I. in ways never done before.  Part of the campaign strips Sam of his gadgets, forcing him to improvise (by using a broken mirror to peek under doors, for example), which is implemented quite nicely.  The slick projection of contextual video queues onto surfaces in the game also pushes Conviction’s innovation.

The concern: A small, but loud contingent of Splinter Cell fans have reacted quite negatively to the exclusion of the Spies v. Mercenaries mode that was featured in Splinter Cell: Double Agent.  Instead, Conviction offers a co-op multiplayer mode that pits players against computer-controlled enemies.  Conviction Game Director Patrick Reading, on absence of the Spies v. Mercs mode, made it clear that Conviction is a new Splinter Cell game, developed around Last Known Position and Mark & Execute.  These two gameplay elements makes Conviction incredibly fun to play, but are impossible to implement into a Spies v. Mercs mode.  Therefore, to avoid stripping down the new core mechanics, Ubisoft had to ditch the old multiplayer mode and create a new one that uses the new features.

Final Fantasy XIII (Square Enix)

The original: Final Fantasy XIII represents the franchise’s first real foray onto the Xbox platform (the MMORPG FF XI doesn’t count), but comparisons will inexorably be made to the beloved previous versions that have graced the Playstation 2 platform.

The hook: Microsoft’s announcement of Final Fantasy coming to the 360 back in 2008 set the gaming world on fire.  FFXIII’s gameplay visuals are just as stunning as the pre-rendered cutscenes that have previously been released (just don’t expect to really enjoy them since you’ll likely be busy looking through your party’s action menus throughout battles), and from the little that was shown at X10, it is safe to say that FFXIII will probably be as enjoyable as the Final Fantasy gamers remember.

The concern: While FFXIII will consume an inane amount of time to complete, the linear gameplay and plot brings some worry the side quest hungry.  Square Enix has responded by emphasizing the importance of telling a cohesive story, but some still think hundreds of side quests are what makes a true FF game.  Also, the tremendous drop in resale value in Japan, where the game was released in December, could be interpreted as a bad sign.

Xbox Live Gameroom (First Party)

The original: Basically, Xbox Live Arcade is the original, but Gameroom will apparently feature more retro games.

The hook: The virtual world presentation of Gameroom allows for interaction with your friends, of course, in their Avatar forms.  Also, paying for a game once, and being able to play it both on the PC and on the 360 is a feature long overdue.

The concern: While the potential for tons of licensed properties is there, so far, the pricing seems a bit stiff, especially considering these are retro games.

Crackdown 2 (Ruffian Games)

The original: Everyone bought the first Crackdown game for access to the Halo 3 beta, but were surprised when they found a third-person action game with a bold twist: you play a cop with superpowers.  DLC made Crackdown far more robust with multiplayer modes and new characters, and the orb-hunting madness became everyone’s latest addiction.

The hook: Enhanced textures, saturated colors, and the same cell-shaded look are sublime, but the biggest news to come out of X10 is a 16 player multiplayer mode (including 8 vs. 8 teams), and 4-player co-op.  Orb hunting is now taken to the next level with addition of rogue orbs – orbs that MOVE!  Also, the addition of a passenger-carrying helicopter makes possible formation skydiving.  Side note: enemy A.I. do not have flying vehicles, but they can shoot players down.

The concern: Sadly, transforming vehicles are out, but Agency vehicles now come fully upgraded.  Also, while there are a variety of agents and costumes, there are unfortunately no female agents.  Lastly, comparisons will continue to be made to GTA IV’s multiplayer offerings, but the agents’ super abilities really makes Crackdown 2 unique.

Fable 3 (Lionhead Studios)

The original: Creator Peter Molyneux’s first two Fable games were excellent RPGs, distinctly allowing gamers to make choices that impacted not only the character which they played, but also the game’s inhabitants and world.  Fable 2 allowed players to marry, procreate, and even have a dog companion.

The hook: The third game in the series introduces even more expressions of emotion through stunning angel’s wings that either shock or inspire.  Weapons will now be shaped by the actions a player takes, whether the player is ruthless or heroic.  In our conversation with Molyneux, he described his ambition to simply occupy the few moments in a gamer’s mind just as his or her head hits the pillow – Molyneux wants gamers to be compelled to consider the actions they took, and the choices they made in the game.  To this end, physical contact, or touch, will be a large component in the game.  Indeed, Molyneux even described perfecting the art of the “man hug,” an embrace without the lean, so to speak.

Another large component to Fable 3 is the kingdom-ruling component, which makes the impact of a gamer’s choices far greater and perhaps even profound than ever before.

The concern: Recall the Milo demo Molyneux presented at E3 last year, where Project Natal was used to allow a gamer to emotionally connect with an in-game character at an entirely new dimension of immersion.  Like the Milo demo, Fable 3 pursues an emotionally-engaging experience, but is that what gamers really resonate with?  Would the apparently significant touch aspect of the game be overlooked by gamers who just want the thrill of questing and killing, or will this finally be the ultimate Fable game Molyneux has been trying to make for years?

Halo: Reach (Bungie)

The original: Spanning four FPS titles, the Halo franchise has consistently provided some of the richest gaming experiences on any platform.  The controls, music, weapons, vehicles, epic storyline, and superb multiplayer modes all contribute to Halo’s success.

The hook: Because Reach takes place before the events of the first Halo game, the cast of protagonists are comprised of a squad of Spartans.  Yes, a GROUP of Spartans taking on the Covenant in a battle that we know ends with the Covenant winning.  Not only does the 4-player co-op campaign mode sound great, but the story has to be a compelling one of heroism and tragedy.

Graphically, Bungie has pulled off some amazing tricks.  During a free camera run-through of one level, Community and PR Director Brian Jarrard showed just how great the level of detail is in Reach.  From improved particle effects to tiny details on the weapons and on the smallest bolts holding together a building, the Halo universe looks incredibly rich and more realistic than ever.  In the audio department, all of the weapons now sound like they have weight behind them, including the traditionally wimpy-sounding Needler.

Lastly, multiplayer will feature what almost looks like a class-based system, where a player will have at their disposal, one type of support skill or tool, whether it is the ability to sprint, or the use of a bubble shield.  This feature will certainly change how teams have been playing in the ultra-competitive world of Halo multiplayer.  When we asked Jarrard whether Reach is Halo’s “Modern Warfare,” he said that because at its heart, Reach preserves the core gameplay that makes up a Halo game, the analogy was not accurate.

Oh, and the groundbreaking level-making tool, Forge, is back, after being absent from Halo 3: ODST.

The concern:  Bungie’s last offering with a Chief-less Halo in ODST was received well by both critics and gamers, but not as well as the previous Halo titles.  Of course, whether or not Master Chief will make any appearances in Reach has yet to be determined, but if our favorite Spartan is absent from Reach, Noble Team better be able to fill those huge shoes.  Finally, will Reach present enough gameplay advances to overtake Modern Warfare 2, which has been sitting atop the Xbox Live activity list?

Alan Wake (Remedy Games)

The original: Alan Wake is one of the few games being released this year that is not a sequel, but the developers behind this title aren’t new to gaming.  Remedy Games is best known for the Max Payne franchise (which was produced into a critically-panned feature film starring Mark Wahlberg), and with Microsoft’s full weight behind it, this studio has something to prove with Alan Wake.

The hook: Imagine if Stephen King wrote a season of the TV show, Lost.  Alan Wake would have some striking resemblances to it.  Presented in an episodic format, this third-person horror-adventure-mystery game uses light as a gameplay element.  In order to kill possessed townsfolk and objects, the player must use various light-emitting tools (i.e., flashlight, flare gun, spotlight), in addition to assorted firearms to weaken and destroy the mysterious and evil darkness.  During the developer walkthrough demonstration of a level that appears late in the game, the dark atmosphere, haunting sound, and limited resources (Alan has limited access to batteries and flares) made for a creepy experience.

Beyond the stellar graphics and innovative presentation, the storyline and narrative seem to be the most compelling aspects of the game.  Basically, Alan’s latest fictional horror novel seems to be coming to life in a sleepy little town called Bright Falls.  Add to the mix Alan’s own personal stake in finding his missing wife, and we’ve got ourselves a great mystery to play through.

The concern: Sure, Rome wasn’t built in a day, but Alan Wake, having been in development for over five years has extremely high expectation levels to fulfill.  And while this game is promised to have a definite conclusion to the story, the prospects of additional “episodes” being made available for DLC tells us that maybe some answers are being saved for those willing to pay for them.

This day started out with us forgoing a couple of appointments in favor of doing more floor exploration. The best way I can describe the show floor (there are two floors, by the way) is like a buffet at a restaurant. Instead of food choices however, you have a smorgasbord of game choices, as well as some other tasty bites, like energy drink booths, and even a woot.com booth! It’s often a good strategy to get a little taste of everything to check out your options, then go back to the buffet line to take in more of your favorites. Really though, it’s quite impossible to absorb everything, even in three days, so we had to be picky with where we’d spend our time.

By the way, I should point out that outside of the Convention Center that morning, we saw a bunch of people who called themselves “Salvationists Against Virtual and Eternal Damnation,” protesting EA’s Dante’s Inferno. They carried signs that read “EA = Electronic Anti-Christ,” and “Just say Infer-NO,” and handed out flyers. For a split second there, I was convinced that they were legit protesters, but after seeing the intentionally cheesy look to the flyer and signs, it became apparent that this was merely a staged protest, intended to promote the game rather than bash it.

Inside the Convention Center, thanks to our friends at Microsoft, we managed to get in some quality time with model, gamer, and all-around awesome person, Liana Kerzner. We’ll post our complete interview with Liana in a little bit.  While inside the Microsoft booth, we ran into Lakers point guard, Jordan Farmar, who was apparently taking in some Xbox 360 action before playing in Game 1 of the NBA Finals the next day.

After our visit with Liana and Jordan, we rushed over to the J Lounge and Restaurant, courtesy of Windows 7. It was a little drizzly out that day, and Windows 7 generously secured transportation from the Convention Center to the J Lounge via stretch limo. The folks behind the Windows 7 event, Promethium Marketing had something really special planned for us. While absent from the show floor, Gaming for Windows 7 was available in force at the J Lounge. Top of the line desktops and laptops were loaded with Windows 7, showcasing game performance, and experts were on-hand to talk about new technologies, such as D3D 11.

The really special treat at the Windows 7 event however was the opportunity to talk on camera about what Windows 7 meant to me as a gamer. The video interview was even uploaded to youtube.com’s main E3 page! We really appreciate Tony, Nelson, and Chris from Promethium Marketing for the royal treatment.

After our J Lounge session, we made our way to the Bethesda booth, where we checked out Wet and Rogue Warrior. We chatted a bit with video game journalist, N’Gai Croal, and to our surprise, got close and personal with beauty Eliza Dushku and Former Laker, Rick Fox.

Our next appointment took us back to our home away from home, Microsoft’s huge booth, where we were squeezed into a session with Alan Wake. Even in a room packed with a dozen other people, Alan Wake freaked me out. The sound effects, haunting storyline, and ghost-like enemies (who were actually possessed locals) added to the freakiness. Alan Wake unlike me however, doesn’t scare too easy. He has at his disposal a variety of light-based weapons (flare gun, flashlight, etc.), as well as firearms (pistol, shotgun, and others). What Alan Wake doesn’t have however, is control over what his manuscript says is going to happen. We’ll be looking forward to seeing more from this episodic thriller in the near future.

While there were still a few more hours left of E3, Brad and I had other plans today – we had tickets to the Jimmy Kimmel Live taping! Despite the typical traffic gridlocks, we made it in time, and had a fantastic time seeing Jimmy banter with guests Heather Graham and Denzel Washington.

A few hours later, we were on the road, headed back to the J Lounge for the Windows 7 social event. Promethium Marketing really outdid themselves with the food choices (the chocolate fountain and sliders were the stars of the evening), and it was just a wonderful time to end a long and eventful day. We decided to cut out a little early to rest up and recharge for our last day at E3.

Click here for all of Brad Bretz’s E3 2009 photos: LINK