E3 2004: THQ Unveils Solid Line-Up
Full Spectrum Warrior, Destroy All Humans! and The Incredibles lead THQ's line-up for next week's show.
THQ unveiled its E3 line-up this week, with the highly anticipated Full Spectrum Warrior leading the selection of new titles to look forward to this year and beyond.
Destroy All Humans, The Punisher and WWE Day of Reckoning will also be available for demonstration along with brand new PC titles S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl and Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War.
Following the release of Finding Nemo on all platforms, a licensed game based on the forthcoming Pixar movie, The Incredibles will also be on show, while other movie licensed games on show will include The Polar Express and The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.
THQ's E3 Lineup includes the following:
Full Spectrum Warrior - (Xbox) Based on a training tool developed for the U.S. Army to reinforce training at the Infantry level, Full Spectrum Warrior is the most realistic portrayal of urban warfare via true squad-based gameplay. After garnering many critical accolades including Best of E3, magazine covers such as OXM, a perfect score from Maxim, as well as Playboy's June Game of the Month, FSW is scheduled for release on the Xbox in early June and on PC this fall.
Destroy All Humans! - (PS2, Xbox) Developed by Pandemic Studios, creators of Full Spectrum Warrior, Destroy All Humans! turns players' conventional expectations of playing the human defending against an alien invasion to now allow them to play the alien hell bent on infiltrating and taking over all of humanity. Destroy All Humans! delivers an open ended world where the player can rain down destruction from his UFO or land at any point to walk among the humans as the 3rd person alien subverting and terrorizing all of humanity. Packed with humorous science-fiction mythology and tons of conspiracy theory. Players will soon discover that it is better to be the superior being.
The Incredibles - (All) Following the success of the Finding Nemo videogame, which shipped more than five million units worldwide, The Incredibles is the second offering in THQ's three property deal with Disney and Pixar. The Incredibles tells the story of a family of undercover superheroes that are trying to live a quiet, suburban life, but are forced back into action in order to save the world. The game is expected to launch simultaneously with the film, which will hit theaters on November 5, 2004.
The Punisher - (PS2, Xbox) Developed by THQ's Volition studio, The Punisher is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series. The game is built for players to enter the mind of the Punisher. More than just shooting, it will be important for players to walk into a room and think 'What would The Punisher do?' Features like character interrogations and highly interactive environments add a layer of depth that truly set this game apart.
WWE Day of Reckoning - (GameCube) Developed by Yukes, WWE Day of Reckoning features the WWE's top Superstars including, Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit and Triple H. Players will transform a rookie's dream into a Superstar's reality as they fight their way to the top of WWE programming in an all-new story mode filled with deception and betrayal.
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (All) - Based on the highly anticipated November 2004 release of "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie," this action platform game is being developed by Heavy Iron Studios, creators of the critically acclaimed SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom, released in October 2003. The SpongeBob character continues to hold the #1 Q-score rating for kids aged 6-14 and is the most watched animated show in TV history by kids.
The Polar Express (All) - Based on the tent-pole holiday release from Warner Bros. Pictures, The Polar Express, directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Tom Hanks, brings the magic of Christmas to life in beautiful CG animation.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl (PC) - Boasting some of the richest graphics ever delivered on a PC, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl brings to life the actual Chernobyl terrain in the year 2012 - six years after a mysterious second explosion rocks the landscape. As a "stalker" exploring the vast "Exclusion Zone" to procure artifacts for the black market, players must survive mutant creatures, dangerous anomalous areas, competing "stalkers" and a military charged with quarantining the 30 square kilometer area.
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War (PC) - From "Game of the Year" developer Relic Entertainment, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War takes strategy gaming to new cinematic, visceral heights. Set in a universe ruled by brutal warfare, four ancient enemy races collide with a single objective - annihilation of all others.
Tak 2: The Staff of Dreams (PS2/EyeToy) - The next installment in THQ and Nickelodeon's million-unit selling original Tak franchise. Additionally, THQ and Nickelodeon will unveil their first game for the PlayStation 2 EyeToy, Nicktoons (working title), in which popular Nickelodeon characters interact in multiple Nickelodeon cartoon environments.
Adam Doree
Director, Kikizo.com
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