GamesCom is under way in Cologne, Germany today, and like any respectable video game trade show, the event has kicked off with big press conferences. EA took the stage this morning – well, I suppose that's afternoon over there – to show off a bunch of their wares, but most noticeably, DICE gave us our first glimpse at "Battlefield 3" cooperative play. The demo itself didn't exactly break new ground in terms of co-op gameplay, but there's no denying the mode looks incredibly fun.
The live PlayStation 3 demo featured two soldiers working together to assist a PLA defector in escaping. The pair run through an urban area, dispatching enemies in unison through dark corridors. The entire experience reminded me a bit of "Rainbow Six Vegas 2," specifically that game's Terrorist Hunt mode, with the soldiers marking the bad guys. I'm already looking forward to playing through the "Battlefield 3" co-op mode with a friend.
EA also premiered a trailer for a brand new multiplayer map, Caspian Border. The map definitely looks like more of the same frenetic, crazy gameplay we've seen with every trailer release. The biggest, most exciting thing about it, though? Jets – they're back and man, do they look great.
BioWare made their presence known during the conference, showing off the new, free-to-play "Warhammer Online: Wrath of Heroes." The player-to-player title will feature six-player, three-team
combat when it launches on PC this fall.
Of course, BioWare discussed "Mass Effect 3" and "Star Wars: The Old Republic," as well. "Republic" has set a pre-order sales record, and the team showed off some end-game content called the "Eternity Vault." The end-game sequence was definitely impressive, highlighting the teamwork necessary to take down stronger enemies. "Mass Effect 3" appears to be receiving a new video campaign that delves deeper into the combat mechanics. The first video, "Squad Leader" focuses on – well, it obviously focuses on ordering your squad.
In super interesting news, the "SSX" reboot will feature ghost runs, similar to auto-logs. When you log a best time, your friends will be able to race against your ghost. There's also apparently going to be an iPhone app that will alert you when a buddy has beaten that run you thought was invincible. Combine that with game maps that utilize Google Earth satellite photos to create the mountain landscape, and "SSX" is looking really promising.
Lastly, a new MMO title is coming to PC next April. "The Secret World" is being developed by Funcom, and dispatches with the stereotypical MMO components. Instead, players develop their characters from an available pool of over 500 skills. I'm definitely keeping an eye on this one.