Though Soul Calibur II was clearly the star of Namco's E3 lineup, the company also showcased an extensive line-up of titles for all three major platforms, ranging from racing to comic book heroes.
First on the block was Namco's return to racing with R: Racing Evolution. Developed by the same team behind the Ridge Racer and MotoGP franchises, R: Racing Evolution features a full compliment of licensed cars and eleven tracks, including both real and fantasy courses. In addition to the usual racing modes of Time Attack, Arcade, and Versus, the game will also include a new mode called Racing Life. This story-driven single player mode will follow the rivalry of two female drivers as the progress through the game's circuits. The game will also contain eight race types, such as rally, drag and circuit. Another new feature of the game is the "New Interactive Driver AI System", which will indicate the pressures that drivers feel during real races. Victory will hinge on how well drivers can handle this pressure. R: Racing Evolution should be out later this year.
Up next is Extreme Force: Grant City Anti-Crime, which will see Namco returning to Grant City, the setting for the game Dead to Rights. In this 3rd person adventure game, players will assume the role of a member of the city's elite GAC Squad. The game will find players fighting crime using various tools of the trade, including night vision goggles, grenades and door charges. Players will also have access to an arsenal of firearms like the MP5 machinegun, PSG-1 Sniper Rifle and more hand guns than a Los Angeles high school. Stealth and smart playing will also play a major role in the game as the sheer number of enemies in each level are too much for one man to take out alone - regardless of how much heat he's packing.
Based on Todd McFarlane's best-selling comic book series, Spawn will make the move to all three consoles later this year. This action/adventure game will give players access to all of Spawn's abilities - his living symbiotic costume, his Hell Powers and his super-human strength. Spawn will also have hand-to-hand fighting and a full arsenal of weapons to help in his fight against both Heaven and Hell. Spawn ships later this year.
