So its May 28th, and Ubisoft is showing off its wares at its own press event Ubidays. With video debuts of many highly anticipated sequels and some new IPs, the event is shaping up to be a highlight of any gamers’ calendar.

Far Cry 2 leaves me with very mixed impressions. For anyone that doesn’t know, originally the Far Cry franchise was handled by Crytek, most recently responsible for Crysis. Now, the game is being handled by one of Ubisoft’s studios. Having already played and immensely disliked Far Cry Instincts Predator for the 360 (also handled by Ubisoft) I can’t muster up much enthusiasm for what looks like it will be more of the same. Not to mention, Ubisoft hasn’t made a single FPS that has won me over this gen. I’d be more excited if Crytek was behind this, but there’s always Crysis 2.

It only takes one game to make a conference great. Prince of Persia: Prodigy is definitely that game that makes this Ubidays something to remember. As a casual fan the PoP franchise, I like the fact that Ubisoft is taking the latest one in a new and interesting direction. Not only is this one of the most unique and beautifully rendered games I’ve seen on the current gen platforms, but if the free form nature of Assassin’s Creed transfers over, I’ll be hoping the sands of time pour a little faster for its release.

It’s rare for games that fail to sell over a million copies to receive a sequel from their publishers. It’s even rarer that pigs talk and wear clothes. I never played the first Beyond Good & Evil, but from the praise it has received from those who have, I clearly missed out on something special. Luckily, it seems my lapse in judgment and that of many others hasn’t led to the demise of a noteworthy intellectual property. Ubisoft is bringing out a sequel after all. Although I can’t say I understand exactly what’s taking place in the debut trailer, I look forward to seeing more of what the game has to offer.

No, this isn’t a mistake. Namco Bandai’s famed fighter Soul Calibur IV was featured at Ubidays. Ubisoft is publishing the game in Europe. Looking good as usual. I don’t see why guest characters would put anyone off from getting a fighting game. More variety, and it could garner appeal from a different fanbase. I remember getting Soul Calibur 2 on Gamecube just because it had Link. Now, the same rules don’t apply universally. If Yoda was in FFXIII, there’d need to be a lot more explaining. But for now, I suggest we focus on the more important argument here. A fanboy battle must be waged. No, not whether the PS3 or 360 version looks better. Who’d win in a fight: Darth Vader or Yoda? WHO!? You’re right. Just as pointless.

The only reason they called it Shaun White Snowboarding was because [Insert Tom Clancy pun]. I haven’t played an Ice Wood (what we used to call snow boarding back in the day) game since Amped 3, and I’ll admit, that was only for the achievement points. Hopefully this one will feature more physics based realism and less acid trip storytelling. If the Wii version is going to use the Wii Fit balance board for controls, I’ll have to get my camcorder ready for all the hilarious videos I’ll take of Hollowman getting mauled by a Yeti. Obviously because he’ll have cut in front of the Yeti in the kiosk line to play the game first.

Tom Clancy EndWar. Oh, Ubisoft better hope not. If Tom Clancy put an end to war they’d be out of games. But this game came as a surprise to me. It looks very good for an RTS. I’m not a big fan of them either except for StarCraft and Red Alert. But they never seem to carry over well to consoles. It feels almost like you’re restricted even when you’re not. Maybe its personally just the mindset of someone who’s used to using a KB&M. But EndWar adds a new feature to the battlefield, issuing orders over a headset. I hope this turns out to be less of a useless gimmick than its predecessors. The last thing I want is for my troops to disregard my orders and run out to their deaths. I want them to act like the real people on my team in multiplayer games! Oh wait, they do the exact same thing.

My favorite flight game on consoles will probably always be Ace Combat 4. But if Tom Clancy’s Ubisoft (err switch them) thinks they can change that with their flight shooter HAWX, I’ll welcome their effort. It already looks like it takes the best of flight combat and gives it an added HUD. The more that they can simplify from the craziness of fighter jet cockpits the better. Details in the shots are very encouraging, showing that this game is definitely no slouch when it comes to graphics. Seeing this game just makes me think of how much I would love to see a decently priced flight stick for consoles. And no, I don’t mean a Wii version.

I honestly don’t even remember the 2nd one of these, now they’re announcing Raving Rabbids 3? I played the first one though. Didn’t enjoy more than half the mini-games. The controller just wasn’t sensitive enough. You could throw your arm from its socket and it wouldn’t do anything but mock you. Pretty funny character designs and some of the jokes seem cute. This is something I could see selling on the Wii’s supposed casual install base. I don’t expect this one to get announced outside of the Wii like the first one. Anyway. I have a rabbit. Maybe he’d like this…?

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