E3 2004: Midway Booth

Written by Matt Swider  on June 08, 2004

Specials: For Midway, this year's E3 was all about mind control and recreating old favorites. So Finish Reading This! and check out the Midway booth tour.

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Mortal Kombat: Deception (PS2, Xbox)
Last year at E3, I was told that Mortal Kombat 6 would be coming back to the consoles with online play. Sure enough, it was announced this past February and playable at E3 2004 in the form of Mortal Kombat: Deception. However, head-to head play isn't the only addition in the game. Uppercuts also make a comeback along with new characters and combos. Of course, the first game I played was a match-up between Sub-Zero and Scorpion in which my opponent was freezing me and I was telling him to "Get Over Here!" He finished me off not with a fatality, but with something new and slightly cooler. Instead of actually killing me off with an impending punch, part of the cliff's edge gave way and I fell into the canyon below. This was probably because I was one the edge and about to die, so it didn't make me made as much as it impressed me. And, for the record, I came back and whopped my opponent twice to go on and win the game.

Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy (PS2, Xbox)
Psi-Ops seemed like such an ordinary stealth action title when I first read about it, but upon playing a nearly complete version of the game at E3 2004, I was impressed with its originality. Along with the sneaking action that I expected, there's also a lot to do with the psi (mind) elements of the game, just as the name suggests. So, in addition to standard weaponry, players have a variety of mental powers to play with including telekinesis, pyrokinesis, mind control, remote viewing, mind drain, and aura viewing. These powers enable picking up and throwing objects or enemies at other enemies, ignite a wall of fire, take control of enemies to do your bidding, to have an out of body experience to see through walls or doors, and so on. These novel gameplay approaches give Psi-Ops a unique experience that other games have yet to touch on and won't be able to do first since this one launches in a couple of days.

NARC (PS2, Xbox)
Politicians, parents, and newspapers who have criticized video games for having too much violence and nudity over time, will soon have a new controversial topic to nitpick about. Midway's recreating the 1988 arcade title in NARC, which had its players as police busting drug abusive criminals. More than ten years later, the gameplay concept will mainly remain the same, except for the fact that you'll now be given the choice to bust criminals like a straight cop would, or go the way as a crooked one does. NARC's Grand Theft Auto-esque world will use a mechanic that displays a badge icon starting at 100. With law-biding citizens and criminal-types both roaming the streets, you'll have the option of figuring out whom the bad guys are, and apprehend them without any excessive brutality, murdering innocent civilians, or inducing drug content. Fail in these regards, and your meter will both lower in number and you'll eventually be kicked off the force. There's always the possibility of regaining police status, by obtaining evidence (drugs, money) from suspects and handing it over to the police. Sticking with the law does have the advantage of continuing on missions. But, the interesting part of this good and evil balance of elements is becoming suspect to the game's different forms of paraphernalia. Crack, LSD, marijuana, speed, and the game-only drug, Liquid Soul, are five drugs in all in which you can snort, sniff, inhale -- or do whatever with inside the game. Each one will have a different effect on you, as each one can aid you to eliminate street trash. Marijuana for instance will make the screen blurry and slow down time -- sort of like a bullet time effect. Liquid Soul, on the other hand, is kind of like a steroid, in that it will make you powerful and aggressively violent. With a penalty for using these drugs (the character can get addicted to them), this all makes for an interesting system of gameplay. As of present, NARC is currently shipping in February of next year.

Area 51 (PS2, Xbox)
In the late 90's, Midway explored the confines of the U.S.'s legendary and top-secret facility, Area 51. That is, they created a light-gun shooter about it and an alien infestation inside of it, anyhow (don't want any feds showing up unexpectedly). This year, Midway's intentions are to tread back into Area 51 -- coming out with a much bigger effect this time. Recreating their past shooter of yore, Midway's plan is to bring Area 51 into the First Person Shooter genre. In this new and upcoming release, your part is as Ethan Cole, a HAZMAT specialist. After the closely guarded Area 51 is suddenly invaded by alien lifeforms, who transform researchers there into "things," that's when you get your gun and try to stop the contamination from spreading to the outside world. Area 51 won't be just a solo journey, as computer controlled teammates will join up with Ethan over time. More than one person will be able to sign up too, as four-player splitscreen and multiplayer online modes will be available. But best of all will be Area 51's gorgeous visuals, which will include rag doll and fabric physics, eerily rendered worlds, and creature designs from Stan Winston Studios -- the same people behind the monster effects in movies like Jurassic Park and Aliens. Secretive and safe until under alien siege, Area 51 will open its door this October.