14 DAY TRIAL // Konami focused its E3 presentation on talking about its established franchises, without offering any news regarding unannounced games.
Castlevania: Judgment, which was announced only a few weeks earlier, is set to redefine the way fans view Catlevania. The characters featured are the likes of Alucard, Dracula, Simon Belmont, Maria, Death and Shaona, which appears in the new title Order of Ecclesia, and the gameplay is highly similar to that of the Soulcalibur series. The game is developed for the Wii and uses the Nunchuk and the Wiimote. The Nunchuk is accessed in order to perform block moves and jump while the Wiimote is used solely to launch attacks, which can include picking up various objects and hurling them at the enemy. The title is set to hit in early 2009 and we are eagerly expecting reports that Dracula is overrated.
Silent Hill: Homecoming is arriving on the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 and offers up more of the scary, weird atmospheric gameplay that the Silent Hill series is known for. The main character is Alex Shepard, a young man who returns home after a brief stint as a soldier in a war. Back in Shepard's Glen, he realizes that something is wrong with himself and the city he lives in. Exploration combined with quick, gritty combat and a lot of scary moments will bring him the answers he is searching for. The game is very violent, with brutal combos and a lot of moments when you need to make tough choices, a perfect fit for those who enjoy survival horror concepts.
The presentation also featured the upcoming Rock Revolution, which is positioned as being a rival to both Guitar Hero: World Tour and to Rock Band 2. Unfortunately for Konami, the people they put on stage to demo the game looked a bit out of place and apparently failed at performing their song. So, no bonus points for Konami there, but the new Silent Hill and Catlevania look like sure winners for the company as they are clearly designed thinking of their fans' wishes.