Yesterday Xbox Canada held a preview event for some of its upcoming games. The atmosphere was great as people from the gaming media had a chance to check out the games and talk to the respective representatives of the video game companies. The games at the event included Forza 3, Left 4 Dead 2, Tony Hawk Ride and others. Although we were impressed by what was on display, the show was easily stolen by Splinter Cell Conviction. Read below for our previews and thoughts of the games that were present:

Splinter Cell Conviction:

One of Ubisoft’s representatives took us through a walkthrough for a mission in the middle of the game. This was a different mission from what was shown at E3. The first thing that stood out for me was the visual overhaul of the game. As Sam started the mission the objective text was projected into the environment. During interrogation scenes and points that moved the plot forward were accompanied by projected video that allowed us to better understand what was going on. We really liked this presentation of the game as it no longer required the player to pause the game to read up on the objectives. It kept the game continuous.  

One of the complaints of the Splinter Cell series has been that it was a game that required patience and had slow progression. Therefore it did not always appeal to people that are not fans of the stealth genre. It was stressed that this was a different type of Splinter Cell game. Ubisoft said they wanted to give the player the feeling that they were the predator. To keep the game continuous, Ubisoft said they will no longer have missions where the player fails if Sam is spotted. Another welcome feature of the game was that it showed a hologram of Sam Fisher to display the position where the enemy last saw him. This feature will aid the casual gamers in getting a better grasp of the scenarios.

We were also impressed with the interrogation mechanics. During interrogation the player can choose which environment object to use for inflicting pain on the victim. The great thing here is that Ubisoft have not kept a limit on the gore. In the walkthrough they pushed the victim against a tree and then shoved a knife through the victim’s palm to stick it to the tree.

With the new gameplay elements, focus has been put on hunting the enemy rather than sneaking in the shadows. That being said, the game will still have multiple paths to an objective and numerous gadgets at Sam’s disposal. The faster-paced gameplay does well to make Sam look like a total badass. We can’t wait to get our hands on the final game in 2010.

Left 4 Dead 2:

I was only able to get 10 minutes of game time with this title. The sequel still maintained the fast paced frantic survival gameplay that has made the original a large success. The EA representative told us that the major upgrades in the sequel are that the AI not only controls the zombies, but now can also control the time of day and routes that can be accessed. Hence the added flexibility would make the game feel even more different on each play through. The short gameplay time limited us on forming a conclusion. Look for our review towards the end of the year.

Tony Hawk RIDE:

Since it is to be used with your feet and perhaps that of your friends, the primary concern with the Skate peripheral was its durability. After testing it out, I am happy to say it felt quite strong. I tested it out at the half pipe. I was impressed on how well the game responded to my actions on the skateboard. The board also has four sensors around it. These are used to initiate other actions such as holding your skateboard while off the air. Overall I really liked the feel of the skateboard and look forward to its release on November 17.

The other unreleased games on display included the DJ Hero and The Ballad of Gay Tony. Due to time restrictions we were not able to check them out.