"Is this a reboot?" I asked a Capcom representative at a recent preview event. I had to ask, because Lost Planet 3 was not what I thought it would be. Beautiful, atmospheric, and intense, Lost Planet 3 is the rare game that goes completely against expectations, and offers something refreshingly new and exciting.

It's an odd admission to make, given the awful turn the franchise took with Lost Planet 2. Perhaps taking too many cues from Monster Hunter, Capcom's sequel became too multiplayer-focused. Battles against the game's many towering enemies felt like grinds, with the game's "shoot the glowing weak point for half an hour" gameplay growing thin. And with the franchise now in the hands of a developer as unproven as Spark Unlimited (Turning Point, Legendary), it's no wonder I was skeptical. However, after thirty minutes of hands-on time, I would say Lost Planet 3 is the game I always wanted Lost Planet to be.

Read more: Lost Planet moves into survival horror »

"Defy everything you know about conventional storytelling." I can't recall the number of hyperbolic statements I overheard at a recent preview event for Trion Worlds' next MMO, Defiance. The word "revolutionary" was thrown around quite a bit, and as with any self-proclaimed revolution, I was skeptical.

Unfortunately for this jaded writer, Defiance is revolutionary. The upcoming MMO shooter developed by Trion Worlds isn't a game "based on" or "inspired" by Syfy's upcoming new show--it's being built as an integral part of transmedia story. While many properties have attempted convergence between cinema and gaming, the persistent world of Defiance offers an opportunity to create something genuinely new.

Read more: Will 'fun enough' be good enough? »