Recapping Sony’s E3

Posted by stephon90

Sony hit the ground running at E3 with displays of new games, new installments in current series, as well as a couple of big nostalgia bombs. Lets see what Sony had to offer this year.

God of War

Is there a way for something to be the same and yet totally be different in just about every way? Cause that is the way God of War is feeling now. Still, it looks to be great even if a little different, and you always gotta give it a shot. I mean would you tell a grizzled Kratos no?

Days Gone

Ready for another post apocalyptic open world game? What if I told you got to play as a bounty hunter? Days Gone sets itself up two years after a global pandemic devastates the human population. Now, as Deacon St John, your only job is to survive.

The Last Guardian

Take a Myazaki film, make it dark and turn it into a game. That’s essentially The Last Guardian. And I can’t wait. Seven years in the making and it returned in glorious and unexpected fashion at last year’s E3. Fortunately this should be the last time that we are teased with the project as its official release date is October 25th of this year. The wait is finally over.

Detroit Becomes Human

Now I love decision based games. Every decision is meaningful and even the seemingly safe move can still devolve a situation into chaos. Detroit Becomes Human is just that. Only you aren’t a human. Artificial intelligence runs the city, but what happens when the lines between right and wrong are blurred? Do the ends still justify the means to them?

Resident Evil 7

For decades Resident Evil has been scaring the hell outta players but they got away from that some time ago. This time around it feels like there’s gonna be a lot of spooked gamers out there should they choose to pick up this game. And that’s the way it should be. Exclusive looks at this game make it seem as though it could be a classic in the horror genre for video games.

Farpoint

Wanna experience space battles with giant hostile aliens? Take the VR software and pick up Farpoint. It may be your typical outer space FPS but with the VR experience it looks to be one of the first of its kind and fans are gonna wanna have fun with this one.

Battlefront VR Xwing Mission

Speaking of VR experiences in space, everyone who’s a Star Wars fan wants to fly an Xwing fighter. And with the new VR hardware fans will soon be able to live out their dreams through Battlefront VR Xwing Mission. Whether it’s actually good or not will be left for another discussion. Right now, I just wanna fly an Xwing.

Batman Arkham VR

It’s Batman. You get to be Batman. That is all you need to know to want this game.

Final Fantasy VR Experience

Experience Final Fantasy XV in the virtual world with Final Fantasy VR Experience. It’s been a bit but we’ll finally get a new FF game and if the new gameplay style is why the wait is so long, then hopefully the VR experience makes the change a far more welcome one.

Crash Bandicoot Remastered

Not a whole lot to say. But the announcement was more than enough for everyone. Just happy to see Crash back where he belongs.

Death Stranding

Not really much to say as it’s just Norman Reedus naked on a seemingly uninhabited island (which we all can figure is not actually true). I think everyone will be interested to see where this one goes.

Spider-Man

Not exactly a fan of the suit but I am a fan of seeing Spider-Man back. So many games based on comic book heroes have been unsuccessful for one reason or another. Outside of the Arkham games no other hero has a better track record in the realm of video games than Spider-Man. I look for this one to maintain the same quality as the games before it.

Ubisoft: Recap

Posted by stephon90

While it remains to be seen which games shine and which don’t it does seem that Ubisoft put together the most unique and eclectic lineup of games, targeting a lot of different groups of gamers. Lets take a look at what they had to offer this year.

Ghost Recon Wildlands

The Ghosts are back at E3 with Ghost Recon Wildlands. The Santa Blanca Cartel are running the wildlands so the job is clear for the Ghosts. This spec ops quartet has their hands full this time around. But that just makes it more fun. And we finally have a date (sorta) for it so now you can expect to pick up Ghost Recon Wildlands in March 2017.

South Park: The Fractured But Whole

The Stick of Truth was a smashing success so it was only fair that Trey Parker and Matt Stone get in on the superhero side of the fantasy genre in their new project South Park: The Fractured But Whole. December 6 is the date and in case you haven’t had a chance to experience The Stick of Truth before, you can do so when you pre-order The Fractured But Whole.

Eagle Flight

Seemed like Ubisoft took great pleasure in showing off Eagle Flight as their first VR game. Flying through the air as a pack of eagles at impressive speeds looks daunting. But judging from the gameplay trailer, it should be a real treat to simulate flight in such a fashion. Or give you a headache.

Star Trek: Bridge Crew

Star Trek: Bridge Crew is another one of those projects that Ubisoft rolled out that seems pretty interesting from the jump. And not just because of the Star Trek branding. This fully interactive world created is next-gen stuff not just in terms of VR capabilities but in terms of the co-op capabilities as well. Who doesn’t want to manage their own Enterprise ship and go on space adventures with their friends. Just as long as I’m captain.

For Honor

You play as a Viking. It doesn’t get cooler than that. But if you take a look at the gameplay walkthrough it is very reminiscent of those hack and slash action fighting games. Of course it’s 2016 so it isn’t as easy as button mashing your way through droves of enemies exactly, but this game provides a very interesting set up for a classic gaming style.

Grow Up

The title itself sets you up for exactly what this game is all about. It is a quirky and charming nostalgia bomb. Simple shapes, vibrant colors and whimsical gaming mechanics make this game a treat for the long time gamers. In the stress of MMO’s, FPS’s, and achievement based gaming, this game looks to be a creative departure from that. Players will be able to just sit back and enjoy this one. Hopefully it is successful in reminding many hardened gamers why they began playing games in the first place.

Steep

Steep looks like it is primed to be the most realistic extreme sports game we’ve seen. It is innovative and mechanics of the game looks to be intricate and extensive with the ability to retrace every step and see just what affects your ability to perform in the game. Seven minutes of gameplay footage and I was ready to hop on a snowboard and hit the mountains myself. It could certainly revive a dying extreme sports genre of gaming.

Microsoft’s E3 Recap

Posted by stephon90

Now it’s Microsoft’s turn and they had quite a few things to show off as well. Let’s jump into it.

Xbox One S

We begin with Microsoft giving us a first look at one of two new consoles set to be released over the next two years. While project scorpio (which will no doubt change in name as we approach its release), won’t be for a couple of years, the Xbox One S will be available in August will a few notable differences. The smaller and more compact design, and larger hard drive are expected, HDR support for gaming and media playback and 4k for media playback and bluray. There is so much to say about how there is so much right and wrong about this, but at least it looks nice.

Battlefield 1

Battlefield looks great upon its return and with a revamped multiplayer experience which will allow up to 64 combatants to join in on the war theatrics. No doubt it’s gonna be your classic war story with some original wrinkles in it. But the calling card for Battlefield has always been its multiplayer features and with that many potential players in one party it sounds like the focus is on making as genuine and as epic a war experience as possible.

Forza Horizons 3

Forza is still going strong after all these years and now they’re ready to get back in the driver seat with Forza Horizons 3. It’s vibrant, and now it is multifaceted with the inclusion of off-road vehicles to use now. Australia will be your racing scene this time around so get your game on down under Forza Horizons 3 it drops September 27.

Killer Instinct

Chapter 3 for Killer Instinct will have a very VERY big bug problem when General RAAM wreaks havoc on the fighters. If you’re a fan of Gears of War (which face it, most people probably are) then you know RAAM is all about business. And his business is pure destruction.

Tekken 7

I don’t know if this is officially the end of the Mishima saga which has dominated the Tekken lore for decades, but if it is it looks like it’s getting the right send off. New fighting mechanics should make for smoother transitions and a more palatable experience for players. But that’s not what everyone is excited for. Akuma is here. I don’t know why he’s here, and I don’t care. I just want to break fighters with purple hadokens.

Dead Rising 4

It’s the only game that makes the zombie apocalypse your own personal playground. It’s been a decade of making fun of the un-dead in the most gruesome way possible with Frank West so lets keep it going. As long as they stick to whats worked so far, this time around should be just as fun as the last. And what’s better is that Dead Rising 4 will be here just in time for Christmas!

Halo Wars 2

And what would the Microsoft showcase be without Halo. The official trailer for Halo Wars 2 dropped and it was not short on the theatrics. While the game itself is not set for release till 2017, the beta is already available. You know more companies should do this more often. Really makes the time waiting go by a lot easier.

Bethesda at E3: Recap

Posted by stephon90

Well, it’s time to start recapping some of the big news that’s been breaking over the last couple of days at E3 this year. Over at Bethesda, there is no shortage of news.

1. Quake Champions

Id software stuns again for the second year in a row. Last year it was Doom, this year is the return of Quake with Quake Champions. Classic games never looked so good. With the success of Doom, expect the new installment of Quake to break ground again when it hits stores.

2. Elder Scrolls: Skyrim is Coming to PS4 and Xbox One

Most had suspected the move for awhile and the confirmation was a delight to all. Elder Scrolls: Skyrim will be moving up to the flagship platforms! Full mod support should give the game new life for gamers in the form of a sharper and more enjoyable playing experience.

3. The Elder Scrolls Online will give full access to content

For those who don’t know exactly what that entails, that means no level restrictions! You can roam freely throughout the expansive universe. This is a fairly unprecedented move for an MMO. No one knows how this will affect the overall gameplay and fans are interested to see what is to come.

4. Prey is on its way

Well, no one knows exactly if this is a remake of the first game entitled Prey, but it sure looks to be in the same vein as such. It is stated to be a re-imagining of its predecessor so one can only assume it’s at least a soft remake. Whatever the case, the trailer didn’t reveal a whole lot so lets hope that there’s more to it than what was shown.

5. Dishonored sees new setting in upcoming sequel

If the trailer didn’t say enough then that’s not a bad thing entirely. But I would say we got everything we needed. This is E3 after all. The biggest this is that we got a clear change of scenery and some pretty gruesome scenes following the previous game nicely. Karnaca will have a hell of a lot to offer when fans get a chance to traverse the new location when Dishonored 2.

EA Play Press Conference Recap

Posted by tehr3m1x

Missed yesterday’s Electronic Arts Play Conference? Don’t worry, we’ll catch you up right here.

To kick things off, Frank Zampella of Respawn Entertainment took to the stage to reveal more information on Titanfall 2. The critically acclaimed series will be branching out to not just the XBOX One and PC, but the Playstation 4 as well. A single player campaign will be included this time since the first Titanfall only focused on multiplayer. Expect this game to hit shelves on October 28th, 2016.

EA Sports is highly praised for their Madden and FIFA series. With E-Sports receiving critical acclaim, it’s not only about the first person shooters and MOBAs (Massive Online Battle Arenas), but sport video games as well. That’s why EA is having their own Sports League, having events and competitions from their wide array of sports games. With that being said, EA also announced that a total of $1 million will be in prize money.

For the first time, both FIFA 17 and Madden 17 will be engineered in EA’s Frostbite 3 Engine. For FIFA fans out there, for the first time you will have a single player story mode called The Journey, which follows rising soccer star Alex Hunter. FIFA 17 releases for Playstation 4, XBOX One, PC, Playstation 3, and XBOX 360 on September 27th, 2016.

Mass Effect: Andromeda is looking promising as the conference showed off a behind the scenes video of Bioware working hard on the game. Running on the Frostbite 3 engine, the premise of Andromeda has you exploring the Andromeda galaxy, making new findings such as planets and species. More information will be revealed this coming Fall.

Since the release of Unravel, EA has announced their EA Originals program, focused on independent games and development. Their next game Fe, features an open world game dedicated to nature. You make the choices on how you want to start and go throughout your adventure.

When it comes to Star Wars, EA is keeping us busy either with Star Wars Battlefront, Star Wars: The Old Republic, and Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes . With new and updated content on the way, there are also more Star Wars games inbound. EA released this behind the scenes video of their studios working on upcoming Star Wars games. We can’t wait what more they have to offer us.

Last and certainly not least is DICE’s Battlefield 1. Setting place in World War I, this shooter features huge battles having 64 players placed against each other using different weapons, vehicles, and tactics. Battlefield 1 hits XBOX One, Playstation 4, and PC on October 21st, 2016.

So what was your favorite moment of the EA Play Press Conference? Tell us on the comments below and stay tuned for more E3 2016 news!