IGN: 10 Biggest Gaming Surprises of E3 2009

E3 has come and gone, but IGN is still reeling from it. Yes, that's partly still the hangover, but it's mostly because so many huge games came out of nowhere and blew them away. Here are the ten that had the biggest impact.

[La Chance]

1 : FF14....until you learn its and MMO...

2 : MGS Rising

3 : The Agent, wasnt expecting Rstar to ever go exclusive again.

4 : Crackdown 2, I was kind of expecting it but they just showed the trailer out of nowhere.

5 : The quality of Splinter Cell Conviction, wasnt expecting it to look that cool, a billion times more appealing than the first version of Conviction.Im really really sold for this one.

And though it wasnt a suprise its kind of surprisng that MSFT kept Forza 3 under wraps till 5 months before release not a single screenshot, not a word...nothing at all!!

Its simply crazy, they announce Forza 3, one of their their biggest games for 2009 and we know that we'll be playing it in less than 6 months...crazy!

[Real Gambler]

But somehow, I would try to slip Modnation in the list as well... Came out of nowhere, highly creative, and basic fun... But I'm not sure which games I would remove for it.

[IdleLeeSiuLung]

I think MS strategy is to only release information on games far enough into development that a release is within 6-12 months if not sooner. All their recent announcement seems to go that way.

[SnuggleBandit]

** a *** mmo...not and mmo

but ya i have to agree i was really excited about it until the end of the trailer lol

[PeZuS]

It's ***an*** MMO not a MMO

[life doomer]

how is alan wake surprising? more like disappointing.

[Forrest Gump]

Not if you're a fan of Alone In The Dark.

[really duh]

IMO more exciting than most games at E3 only being beat by Mass Effect 2, Splinter Cell.

[jdktech2010]

Please explain your statements.....any monkey on the internet can make a claim that it was disappointing but it doesn't hold a lot of weight without reasoning

Anyway, I was shocked by Natal and what's possible with it if they get it completely right. Amazing stuff.

I was also shocked by L4D2 (and thankful since I was about to buy #1 on pc but now I just wait and get the 2nd one)

I loved The Old Republic's trailer and want to know more about it. I got sick of WoW because it was just a job but I would love an MMO with a story to draw you in andk eep you there instead of the grinding

Lot's of good stuff and those are just a few of the things I'm very excited for

[Foxgod]

Then dont buy Alan wake, Remedy wont miss your money, cause this game is gonna break the charts.

[Pistolero]

That is such a pathetic attempt at cutting down Alan Wake by acting like it is just like Alone in the Dark. How does someone as dumb as that second guy have that many bubbles? Anyway, Alan Wake looked badass and it was one of the best games of the show. The depth of the narrative, the open world, the solid looking gameplay mechanics and the amazing graphics sold me on it.

[IdleLeeSiuLung]

I wasn't interrested in Alan Wake before, but after seeing the trailer and the narration I'm expecting it to be as good as (if not better than) Bioshock in terms of storytelling!

I looking forward to it.

[II Necroplasm II]

The only people really doubting Alan Wake is you know who. Yet they all say they have high end PC's and will buy it on PC lol

[TheCagyDies]

Alan Wake is Alone in the Dark???
I don't think Alan is going to scream "I'm the lightbringer, I'm the fvcking universe!" (for those who completed Alone in the Dark)

[The Master Chief]

"What do you get when you announce a game way before you're ready to really pony up and show it? A lot of expectations, that's what. Alan Wake, from talented studio Remedy, takes equal parts Stephen King and Silent Hill and blends them together with a large dollop of American gothic storytelling and intense action.

What we saw at E3 totally took us by surprise; it's been years in the making, but when you see the seamless action, gut-churning suspense and incredible graphics and lighting effects (those flares are out of this world), you'll understand why it took this long. The combination of tight storytelling, cool combat and a massive overworld make Alan Wake one of E3 2009's biggest surprises. "

IGN sure seems impressed with Alan Wake. I wonder why no PS3 games made the list? :)

[Syronicus]

My main concern is this, I hope that what we saw was the lions share of shooting for that game and that the rest of the game has less shooting and more horror survival to it. I just don't want it to suffer from the same RE5 issue of turning a survival horror game into an action shooter in the dark.

[doshey]

1. L4D 2 i cant believe that was announced i never would of saw that coming.

2.the agent

3. Sonys motion controller i really only expected something better than the crapaxis but i was way wrong

4. MS motion control

5. MAG it looks a lot better than what i though it was going to be

6. Alan wait finally showing itself

7. Splinter Cell Conviction

thats really as far as i want to go

[sunnygrg]

I didnot expect Final fantasy 14 in this E3. Maybe TGS but not this E3.

[KingKionic]

ALAn wake

NATAL

CRAZK DOWN 2

FF14

AGENT announcement

now time to dance http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[cliffbo]

natal = eyetoy and it aint any better

[II Necroplasm II]

Is the eyetoy on Xbox? Thought so. Think before you speak

and it ain't any better? lol, Natal isn't even out yet, not even close to being released.

[The Master Chief]

Natal = Eyetoy + 3D depth sensing technology, facial recognation, voice recognation, Infra-red technology so it works in the dark, can tell when you smile frown(emotion reading technology)

So basically the only things in common with Natal and eyetoy is that their camera that can sense movement.

But keep trying to lend Microsoft's innovations to Sony, wouldn't except anymore from you Sony fanboys. You should be whining about Sony directly ripping of the Wii-mote, not Microsoft for trying to do something new.

[Valkyre]

No Last Guardian mention?? Sorry but FAIL...

i mean to choose all over this crap and not even mention Last Guardian is epic fail...

[really duh]

Whats Last Guardian? Is that the dog beast game where you watch it sleep and play ball with? I can't imagine the pooper scooper you would need for such a large chicken dog.

[ShabzS]

actually last gaurdian although didnt provide much gameplay info ... had one of the best trailers i have seen in recent times... the music in that trailer man .. omg!

But then again dude it really wasnt a surprise was it since psl (?) had leaked it weeks ago... hence the expression ... fanboys can ruin gaming for the normal folks

[xabmol]

Nice comment. Spoken like a true 360 only owner.

[really duh]

PSN ID: MassEffect1

The Chicken dog beast game seemed lame. I don't know how anybody can be mad about it not being on this list from a video simply showing a boy playing fetch with a giant Chicken dog beast and a boy watching it sleep, play and walk.

[xabmol]

I have a Live account too. xD

[really duh]

Send me a message or look at my profile and I'll reply and then we should delete the actions lol.

[eagle21]

You must be an idiot, TEAM ICO games are phenomenal and The Last Guardian is better than any 360 game at E3. Shadow of The Colossus is #16 on IGN's top 100 of all time. And ICO in the top 30. You go read Joystiq Alan Wake hands on...Alone in the Dark is mentioned 8 times from the way the levels are like episodes to the feel on the game. The Last Guardian will win more praise than any xbox game in history. You aren't a gamer in my eyes anymore from that comment. :)

[mt]

it has been like this since ps2 . but they have one of the most creative games in gaming industry . so waiting for last guardian .

[The Master Chief]

Last guardian? Sorry, no one cares.

[eagle21]

milo? no one over 12 cares
L4d2? BOYCOTT
alone in the dark 2? lol
forza? no one really cares

The Last Guardian is for real gamers. :)

[The Master Chief]

Forza 3 will outsell every game coming to PS3 this year.

Halo ODST will outsell every game coming to PS3 thie year.

L4D2 will outsell every game coming to PS3 this year...who cares if 20,000 have boycotted it haha

Natal is the future.

Splinter Cell Conviction will outsell PS3's entire line-up.

15 Hour GTA Expansions only on Xbox 360, again. PS3 loses out like always.

And again, PS3 has a pathetic line-up of no namers and flops.

Alan Wake is going to be a HUGE hit next year and will release right about Mass Effect 2. :) Alone and the Dark what? We will see.

And again, no one cares about Last Guardian and you know its the truth. No has even so much as mentioned it since E3. Games like that dont sale...maybe in Japan. :)

Sorry for you :(

[eagle21]

Gran Turismo PSP will probably outsell forza worldwide and score awards.
Splinter Cell is not guaranteed to be anything special. Not GOTY
L4d2 is bullshi#. None of my friends play the 1st anymore.
ODST will sell, but it's not GOTY. No sites awarded it for E3 2009.

You sound like you only care about sales and not quality. Xplay didn't award anything on your list this fall and those games were playable at E3. PS3 got GAME OF SHOW. :)

[All Time Greatness]

Eagle21 PS3 doesn't have the best games this holiday season.....sales wise its very obvious and in critical review I'm willing to bet Xbox 360 will have the better rated games.

Gran Turismo PSP will outsell Forza 3??? lol ok, we'll see.

You're all talk, your console is millions in dead last....with less popular games/online and your just talking for the sake of talking.

We will see like we always do. :)

[Antan]

"Is that the dog beast game where you watch it sleep and play ball with? I can't imagine the pooper scooper you would need for such a large chicken dog."

Ignorance at its finest.

[eagle21]

Gran Turismo is 52 MILLION. Bigger than halo, gears, forza, and l4d COMBINED. Gran Turismo PSP will sell over 7 million worldwide.

MS will never top Sony. Sony sold 35 MILLION consoles in 2008. The red ring machine is all MS has to sell.

GOTY is on PS3. 2008 gave PS3 10 AIAS awards including GOTY. MS won ZERO.
http://www.interactive.org

UNCHARTED 2 is E3 2009 Best of Show. 2.6 MILLION fans for the 1st.

360 is DLC in 09' and forza will get outsold by Gran Turismo PSP!

The Last Guardian will be huge!

[ShabzS]

when hideo walked on to the stage ... i jumped off my seat in joy... i was thinking ... thats it all bets are off ... anything can happen now ...

and right after that BAM! ... natal and milo ... after that it would be splinter cell (i was not expecting something that good)...even final fantasy 13 (which looked as good as the ps 3 ver) ... and alan wake .... the graphics just blew me away

[really duh]

MGSR reveal was great but I knew it was coming the countdown for a PS3 announcement would defeat the purpose when it was known to come to the PS3 before the countdown was over.

[KingKionic]

oh yeah i forgot metal gear...I was kind of like the guy from halloween saying in disbelief " no no nononon " http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[xabmol]

Don't worry though. It's not like Kojima is actually making it or any thing. lol

[ShabzS]

this is a metal gear solid game we are talking about here and its coming to 360... this is sony's poster child..

i always felt that the 2 third party games that were the identity of the 2 consoles were gears of war for 360 and metal gear for sony...

and this is like releasing a gears of war Dom on ps3 without cliff blezinski leading it ... but that doesnt take the Quality of the game away does it ?

Edit @ Below: I agree that this is a spin off of sorts ... but Well dude speaking in terms of third party games only that would be saying like marcus fenix is the poster child for 360.. but thats not the case is it ... its the gears of war Name that pushes the consoles ... not solid snake .. but name Metal gear ...

but arent most of those spin offs that you mention on the gc oxbox or nes days ... but this generation its really different .... now a days both companies are literally hanging on to exclusives to get ahead of this stiff competition ...

look regardless ... as a avid metal gear fan and a 360 only owner i am really excited that i get to play metal gear rising and i really hope its a good game

[SnuggleBandit]

"poster child" ????

think again...maybe snake could be considered that but not the franchise itself. A lot of metal gears have been multiplat. A lot of the spinoffs that is

[Persistantthug]

But it's not that special of a game, imo.

1. It's a spin off.

2. It's not exclusive.

3. It sounds like it's gonna more than likely be a hack and Slash beat em up type game.

You add all that up and it sounds like a weekend rental type game

[Spike47]

Sony still has its first party games(Uncharted 2), GT5, and God of War 3.

really duh, its funny cause that chicken dog game will be developed by a very talented group of developers, but you wouldn't know that.

[Gamer_Z]

i liked everything on that list except for Final Fantasy XIV Online

[m23]

Splinter Cell Conviction was by far the biggest surprise for me. After what they showed a couple years ago, I thought the franchise was done for, but after what they showed it's definitely back.

[KingKionic]

I remember when i was watching the press conference and saw the debut trailer i was like

" NO way this is sam fisher." and seconds later i pooped my pants.

[DudePV]

I was most surprise by Golden Sun DS. LOL I mean, I been waiting for the next installation of golden sun for year and no information or hint about the series for year. It suddenly appear like that surprise the hell out me.LOL I don't know why nobody is talking about it.

[DuneBuggy]

I know everyone already knew Bioshock 2 is coming,im just surprised how little press its getting. What a great game the first one was.

L4D2 was the shocker for me. This Fall is going to be fun with those two titles alone......

[Shnazzyone]

scribblenauts... i want that

[eagle21]

I guess Wii Fit PLUS, New Super Mario will outsell everything this fall on xbox combined so they are better. You guys sound retarded. UNCHARTED 2 will sell millions but it also won E3 2009 Best of Show. That will be a GOTY contender you idiots. Everyone who is a core gamer knows what UNCHARTED is, over 2.6 million sold. I wish PS3 drops price cause you sales whores would get excited. Now go convince your friends that L4d2 and borza 3 will be GOTY cause teh salez. :)