E3 2004: Namco Booth

Tekken 5 (PS2)
First, the good news. Tekken is back. Although the last iteration of one of the longest standing 3-D fighters was overshadowed by near simultaneous releases of Virtua Fighter and Soul Caliber, Tekken fans can rejoice now that a new chapter in the Tekken series has been announced. Now, the bad news. For fans who've followed the Tekken series from the beginning, the physically and financially powerful Heihachi is dead, finally assassinated by a company of explosive Jack robots. Perhaps to compensate, Tekken 5 does offer four new characters, including Raven, who resembles Wesley Snipe's Blade character and seems to have had a major part in organizing Heihachi's murder, Asuka Kazama, who undoubtedly is related to Jin and Jun, and Feng Wei, a swift and powerful fighter that resembles Kazuya. The footage showed the return of most of the other characters, and also showcased and flaunted the much improved graphics engine, which, even though it is a work in progress, is already stunning. The trailer promised that Tekken 5 would be in arcades in 2004 and find its way to consoles in 2005.

Dead to Rigths II (PS2, Xbox)
Jack Slate and Shadow return in the sequel to the innovative and eclectic shooter, Dead To Rights. Dead To Rights brought disarms, multiple mini-games, melee fighting, and bullet-time fighting to the action genre. Dead to Rights 2 is set to expound upon that formula, with better graphics, more disarms, more mini-games, and even more melee weapons for Jack to use. The diving system is more dynamic, allowing Jack to twist and contort to shoot multiple foes. Jack can also now take advantage of mini-guns, shoulder mounted RPGs, landmines, flechette grenades, and incendiary shell shotguns. I was able to play a stage set on the street, with multiple attackers trying to kill Jack. The game still plays similar to the previous version, but the graphics and responsiveness seem much improved. Dead to Rights 2 seems to take the action-packed gameplay of the original and cram even more action, making a title that will be highly anticipated when it debuts later this year.

Baten Kaitos (GameCube)
Baten Katios is one of the Namco duo of sorely needed RPGs coming to the Gamecube. This visually stunning card-RPG boasts over 1000 cards to collect and used in battle, an in depth and interesting turn-based battle system, and incredible graphics. You are an actual spirit guide to the main character, Kalas, who may turn and ask your advice and guidance at times. Gamers can expect a deep storyline, emotional and well-developed characters, and a long and fulfilling gameplay experience.

Tales of Symphonia (GameCube)
Tales of Symphonia is the other half of the Namco RPG duo, and will be the latest iteration of the Tales of series, which includes Tales of Destiny I and II. Tales of Symphonia has a beautiful cel-shaded style, an intense and real-time battle engine, and an epic 80-hour storyline. The characters are adaptable, and the relationships between the characters change and evolve based on the decisions that you make. There are also a number of mini-games and side quests that add a lot to the already staggering 80-hour quest. Tales of Symphonia is easily a title that Gamecube owners are looking forward to, both because of its already established franchise and because of the drought of RPGs on the system.