The UK’s largest videogame expo is currently taking place in London so naturally TheKoalition’s UK team are there to bring you all the scoops from the event. While the Eurogamer Expo isn’t exactly the home of major videogame announcements, it is a great venue to play final builds of games and go hands-on with titles that were announced but unplayable at shows like E3.

Over the next few days you can expect quality event coverage from myself, Gary (Swiff) Swaby, Kieran (Ruthless Kid) Blackman and TheEpicNet’s very own Rameez Quadri, who took these handy photos.  Most (if not all) of my coverage will  be in the form of daily wrap ups like this one as I let you know what I saw, played and experienced on a daily basis.

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DAY 1

What I Saw

Today we all attended an Infamous 2 conference where we got a chance to see previously unseen footage of the game and take an in-depth look at Cole Mcgrath’s final character model. I don’t want to talk too much about this conference as we will have a separate article containing all the electrifying details but one thing I will say is… InFamous 2 is looking to become one of this generation’s best titles.

In what was by far the most bizarre moment of the event, me and Ruthless saw the legendary Peter Molyneux strutting around the show floor clearly using his hands to emphasize his words, while a group of star-struck kids followed aimlessly behind him. The Pied Piper evidently has nothing on the Lionhead founder.

Finally I saw video footage of Ruthless Kid which I’m sure both his lovers and haters will equally appreciate. Install some sort of GIF creation software on your computer in advance people, you’ll certainly want to use it for this.

What I Played

Motorstorm Apocalypse (3D)

Holy crap! While Criterion were busy making Need For Speed, Evolution Studios sneaked in through the back door and secretly crafted the most thrilling racing game ever made. I only managed to complete one race today but it was enough to convince me that 3D is the future of videogames. Every single most I spent with this game was intense. There is something amazing happening on screen at all times, whether its buildings collapsing on top of the track, the ground caving in from underneath your tires or other racers trying to run you off the side of the road in to oblivion. Also factor in the stunning visuals, heart pumping soundtrack and the aforementioned 3D effects and Motorstorm Apocalypse just might spell the end for the likes of Burnout, Split Second and any other arcade racer.

Killzone 3 (3D)

Today I popped my Killzone cherry and I liked it. I still don’t know anything about the game but I enjoyed mowing down enemies from atop a flying turret and shooting who I assume are the Hellgaust in the face. The 3D effects didn’t blow me away but they did allow for some cool depth of field moments. While I’m still not sold on Killzone from this brief demo, I did thoroughly enjoy my time with it. I really hope this wasn’t just a one night stand.

The Fight: Lights Out (Playstation Move)

Remember when I implied that Kung Fu Rider was the worst Move game ever? I think I was wrong… The Fight: Lights Out (or Prison Fight Night as it’s known around the TK office) is shocking bad and I hope for Sony’s sake that the retail build will contain several improvements. Ialso  think the demos on the Eurogamer show floor were set to Bat-Shit Crazy Hard mode because the AI controlled character is seemingly unbeatable. I stood at the Sony booth for over 10 minutes watching keen gamers excited to show off their boxing skills, only to walk away disappointed 2 minutes later. The problem is, the AI character seems to be 10 times stronger than you are, so even if you successfully land dozens of blows your opponent will easily send you to the canvas with 4 or 5 rib shots. Difficulty issues aside, the animation, controls, visuals and everything else about The Fight was underwhelming, I really hope the game doesn’t ship in this mediocre state.

Goldeneye 007

Another underwhelming experience occurred at the Goldeneye 007 kiosk as I engaged in a 4 player deathmatch which I’m told was supposed to evoke some kind of nostalgia… it didn’t. From what I played there was nothing “Goldeneye” about the multiplayer mode, Activision could have easily called this demo Generic Shooter 4 and I would have been none the wiser. From what I played the only thing that Goldeneye 95 and Goldeneye 2010 have in common are guns and terrible graphics. With games like Halo and Call Of Duty already on the market there really is no need to waste your time with Goldeneye’s multiplayer. I’m much more excited about what the solo campaign has to offer.

Donkey Kong Country Returns

I was hoping that Return of DKC would blow my mind like the original games did but I’m just not feeling the magic at the moment. Maybe it’s because the levels weren’t hard enough or because shaking the Wii Remote to roll feels retarded… either way I was slightly disappointed with what I played although I still remain optimistic that the final game will be fantastic.

LittleBigPlanet 2

I don’t want to talk too much about LBP2 at the moment as I only managed to fit in time for one level, but expect a lot more LBP2 talk from me tomorrow. Yes, the game is still awesome. No, the delay does not signify failure… LBP2 is already an amazing game; the folks at Media Molecule just want to make it even better.

Kirby’s Epic Yarn

Game of the Day for me was Kirby’s Epic Yarn. I got a chance to play the co-operative two player mode and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The demo was a little on the easy side and I was never presented with the opportunity to swallow an enemy (pause) and steal their abilities but I’m sure both these issues will be resolved later on in the game. The graphics are beautiful, Kirby is adorable and you can double tap forward to transform in to a car… pure genius!

Gran Turismo 5 (3D)

Look, I suck at Gran Turismo… I crashed at almost every turn and embarrassed myself in front of my fellow gamers. For that reason the only thing I will comment on is the 3D effects and they did not look good. The gorgeous vehicles look like paper cut outs when displayed in 3D and I found it hard to focus on anything other than the car or the track which sucks for the hub. Back to MotorStorm I go…

InFamous 2

And finally I sat down with Infamous 2 for all of 2 minutes before the demo abruptly ended. 120 seconds was enough to confirm that the combat system has drastically improved as has Cole’s ability seamlessly traverse the city. I also got a chance to wreak havoc on innocent bystanders with Cole’s new Ionic Vortex power which unleashes a devastating whirlwind of electricity capable of taking down choppers. Good stuff.

And that was my first day at the Eurogamer Expo… Look out for more coverage tomorrow.