Jetlag Fun

I've never been so far west before and my poor body clock is suffering, but at least there are some great new games to tell you about.

It's almost a week now since my return from the E3 Expo in Los Angeles and I've still not quite got to grips with the timezone back here in the UK. I keep waking up and odd hours and am finding it hard to sleep. However it's certainly getting better and the fog on my brain that's been making it hard to do anything for a week other than say "duh" is finally lifting. Which is great because it finally means I can tell you about some of the games I saw at the event.

Amidst the high-profile games on show at the event were some real gems that really shouldn't be overlooked. Take for example Aggression: Europe 1914 from Russian publisher Buka. This strategy game looks set to bring the first half of the 20th century to life in a game that owes a lot stylistically to the Total War series. Events take place between 1910-1950 so begin with the transition to modern warfare and end with the use of nuclear weapons. The publisher was kind enough to show me the game behind closed doors in LA and I was very impressed. The detailed graphics with hundreds of units on-screen made for some convincing battles and the physics system, showcased with a few nuclear blasts, is excellent. The PC game isn't out until early next year but is one you should really keep your eye out for.

Turning to consoles Eidos had the interesting Battlestations: Midway on show in LA. This game gives you the control of aircraft, ships and submarines during the Pacific Theatre conflict of World War 2. What makes the game so appealing is that it allows players to easily switch between the various weapons systems and vehicles easily, with the AI taking control over the one you've just left. So you can set up complex battles in this action-game and jump into the points where there's the most action. I was shown the game on Xbox 360 and it was looking very impressive.

Let's not forget the high-profile games though and Assassin's Creed on PlayStation 3 was a real highlight of the show. The game is being developed by Ubisoft's Prince of Persia team in Montreal and features the adventures of an Assassin in the Holy Land during the Third Crusade. The way the hero can climb buildings freely and leap around high places is very impressive, as are the detailed graphics and busy crowds on the medieval streets. Rather intriguing is the hint there's a science fiction element to the game and it could feature time travel. Ubisoft was just teasing at E3 and I'm sure we'll learn more about these aspects at a later date. For now the game seems very promising and one of the best on show for PS3/Xbox 360.

Tune in for more E3 impressions tomorrow.