E3 2005: Level Up
THQ's 2005 Titles
Product: THQ Games
Company: THQ
Date: 05/29/2005
Avaliable On:

Most of THQ's booth was flocked with Nick Games, but that article can be found here. This article is for the rest of the games at the publishing company's booth.

Ash returns to an all new action/adventure title called Evil Dead: Regeneration. Well we knew it had to happen eventually; Ash has been arrested and deemed committable. Now the hero of the Evil Dead movies and games is locked up in Sunny Meadows, an insane asylum. In the basement, a deranged doctor is using the Necronomicon to fuse evil and machines. Regeneration features a new breed of deadites and monsters that will be unleashed upon the Earth unless Ash and his new sidekick can stop the doctor's insane plans. Wait, that can't be right... a partner? Yes, Ash now has a three-foot tall, wise-ass empathic deadite of a sidekick. Regeneration will show up on the PS2, Xbox and PC later this year.

The Incredibles also return in a game that starts off where the movie stopped. The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer puts the family of supers against The Underminer. Mr. Incredible, Frozone, Violet and Dash must join together and keep the subterranean terror from sinking all the cities on the surface of the Earth. At any point in the game, you have the ability to switch between the four playable characters in order to take advantage of each super's unique abilities. Rise of the Underminer is scheduled to come out this Fall for the Xbox, GameCube, PS2 and Nintendo DS. The DS version will feature an exclusive co-op mode that will let you and a friend join forces against the super villain.

MotoGP 3 brings back the lead motorcycle racing game for the Xbox. Now, not only can you experience the Grand Prix and Street Racing aspects found in the previous games, but MotoGP 3 also sports the tracks, bikes and riders from the 2004 MotoGP season. MotoGP 3 features an Extreme Mode that features 16 street tracks and 16 racing bikes. Xbox Live supports 16 player online races.

Bionicle: Maze of Shadows follows the Toas of Metru Nui as they navigate their way through the underground labyrinths filled with Rahi, traps and puzzles. They must complete this new mission in order to awaken their sleeping people (the Matoran) and defeat the evil Karzhani. Maze of Shadows is a top-down turn-based RPG game based off of the Bionicle: Maze of Shadows book and LEGO toy line. Maze of Shadows also features two types of multiplayer games: Battle Challenge and Tunnel Flight Challenge. Each multiplayer mode lets two gamers go head-to-head in order to see which is the better Toa Metru.

Worms comes out for the two current high-powered handhelds in a game that will use each system's wireless and hardware capabilities to the fullest of their abilities. Worms Forts: Under Siege is filled with lovable, cute characters on completely deformable terrain. Under Siege gives gamers a huge array of weapons. Both versions (DS and PSP) have a unique feel to them that works best with the each system's unique characteristics.

But THQ's biggest draw was The Outfit, a squad-based real-time strategy that takes place during World War II. Relic Entertainment continues their trend of high-powered games with this over-the-top explosive game. Gamers get to choose between three commanders, each with their own personalities and specialties. Unique squad control lets you either manipulate two forces simultaneously to flank the enemy, or combine both groups into one larger tactical army. As you progress through missions, you will gather Action Points. These points are used in-battle to summon everything from stationary guns, to tanks to air strikes. Instead of having to manage the people necessary to man these armaments, the equipment also comes with its own military personnel who are already trained in how to use these weapons. The single player campaign spans 12 explosive levels, and Xbox Live features a co-op mode that lets you and your buddies test your skills online. You also get the added bonus of being able to hop onto any of the vehicles and control it yourself. Another notable fact is that pretty much anything in the game is destructible. You will be able to level walls and buildings in a matter of seconds with your guns and tanks, allowing you to clear out any place the enemy might be hiding. The Outfit comes out for the Xbox 360 this holiday season and supports high-definition picture and 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound.

Look for reviews of all of these games throughout the year on GameVortex.com.

J.R. Nip aka Chris Meyer

GameVortex PSIllustrated TeamPS2