I remember my first look at Splinter Cell: Conviction came in an issue of EGM, full of concept art of a Sam Fisher given a “rugged”, some might say “homeless” new look. The game featured gameplay elements to allow the player to hide in plain sight, using crowds and the environment to slow and escape from enemies. It was a radical change from the past five games, all of which focused on stealth gameplay and an arsenal of gadgets. While these changes might’ve upset some, Splinter Cell Conviction, unlike its precessors, was shaping up to be a game I was legitimately psyched about.

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This past weekend was the Penny Arcade Expo 2009, a video game convention for gamers, by gamers. Besides a showcase of upcoming games, PAX offers a host of events, tournaments and social events to bring the gaming community together. Despite being catered towards the gamers rather than the press, this annual three day event in Seattle  is fast becoming one of the premier videogame events, and this year was no exception for big announcements. Read the full story

Among the ridiculous amount of fall game releases is the PS3-exclusive Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. The original Uncharted, developed by Naughty Dog,  is one of my very favorite games on the Playstation 3, so you can imagine my excitement with the announcement of the sequel. This anticipation was compounded by a few excellent trailers released for the game recently Read the full story

I had the pleasure of visiting the Bioware booth at PAX this past weekend. One of the highlights of the expo for me was the playable Mass Effect 2 demo. I only recently picked up the original Mass Effect (the review of which you can expect later this week), but while I was impressed with the game’s engaging plot, the combat left much to be desired. Read the full story

The Blizzard booth at PAX 09 was crowded, with gameplay demos of the new World of Warcraft Cataclysm expansion, Starcraft II, and, of course, Diablo III. Despite already showing a high level of polish, Diablo III still lacks any definitive release date, and much of the game, namely classes, remains under wraps. The demo stations at PAX allowed around 10-15 minutes of free exploration with one of the four announced classes, including the recently revealed Monk class. I was actually a little surprised at how long the demo lasted; the lines for the game were among the worst at the convention. Read the full story

I stumbled across the Hi-Rez studios booth this weekend at PAX, showcasing their flagship game “Global Agenda”, a third person shooter MMORPG for the PC. The game bears a striking resemblance to Tribes, not simply because of a jetpack as a key gameplay mechanic, but the classes and visual style are similar enough to Tribes to be more than a simple coincidence; clearly the developers had some inspiration there. I was able to play a few rounds of the PVP element of Global Agenda, and while I had little exposure to the RPG elements of the game, the fluid gameplay and strategic combat mechanics really shine through. Read the full story

While I won’t have time tonight go into depth on what I’ve played and seen at PAX, you can get the occasional update from my twitter feed. To be brief, there is some very exciting stuff going on, and I can’t wait to tell you about it! Stay tuned (I should have something up on Sunday, as I couldn’t get a 3-day pass)

–Jeff