E3 Recap – What did we learn this year?
It has been over a week since E3 rolled around. The conference saw over 50,000 gamers and press looking at the latest hardware and software on offer from developers all around the world. However, with so much information on offer in such a small amount of time it was easy to miss important news. Since the dust has now settled slightly we are going to take a look back at all the biggest announcements that came out of E3 2014.
Nintendo
The Japanese publisher and developer has been struggling lately. Wii U and 3Ds sales are down on what was originally expected and there has been a severe lack of quality in terms of games for their next generation console.
They set to remedy this with a host of game announcements. We saw a number of new entries in established franchises such as Yoshi’s Woolly World, Kirby and the Rainbow Curse, StarFox and Captain Toad’s Treasure Tracker. We also got a first glimpse at Mario Maker, a new title that allows you to create your own Super Mario levels to share with your friends.
Nintendo fans were also given plenty more information about Hyrule Warriors, a combination of Dynasty Warriors and Zelda that sees players use famous characters from the series to battle hordes of enemies using hack and slash gameplay. Other games on show included Super Smash Bros and Bayonetta 2.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Nintendo provided a trailer for the latest Legend of Zelda title that looks set to release on the Wii U next year. With a new unique art style it, the latest installment certainly looks different from its predecessor.
Microsoft
Microsoft began by showing off the latest Call of Duty game, Advanced Warfare. Xbox platforms have had a strong relationship with the first-person shooter series, often getting downloadable content earlier than other platforms. They then showed off Forza Horizon 2 which will launch September 30 and allow players to drive up to 200 different cars in a completely online world.
Other titles on show included Evolve, a monster themed game that will have exclusive content on the Xbox One along with a beta before its release in October. The developers behind Fable Legends talked about the new co-op mode and went into lots of detail about the new ability to play as the villain in an attempt to prevent the heroes from accomplishing their goals in a sort of reverse tower defence mode.
Sunset Overdrive took centre stage, as you might expect being one of the flagship exclusive titles for the Xbox One. The live demo not only gave all the details about exactly what the game is about but also showed off plenty of gameplay from the open world exploration and combat with the ravaged enemies. Project Spark, the much talked about game creator, also got some stage time. An in-depth video helped to give some idea of its potential along with a brief cameo suggesting the return of Conker.
The biggest news from Microsoft’s E3 press conference though came from its most important franchise. While they didn’t reveal too much about Halo 5: Guardians, they did announce a new bundle. The Master Chief Collections brings HD remakes of Halo: CE, Halo 2, Halo 3 and Halo 4 together in one bundle, giving players access to all four campaigns, over 100 maps and full online multiplayer for each game in its own engine.
Sony
Important franchises that are key to the PlayStation platform were revealed to be getting new installments. Little Big Planet 3 should arrive at some point in Fall while Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End also got some love in the form of a reveal video. Additionally they got to show off a number of exclusive titles that included the horror themed Bloodborne and The Order: 1886.
One of the biggest announcements that Sony made about the PlayStation 4 was that they would soon be allowing gamers to pre-load brand new games before their official release dates, allowing them to be unlocked and played immediately once released.
There was also the news that a couple of games would be seeing remastered versions on the PlayStation 4, including The Last of Us, Grand Theft Auto V and more unexpectedly the classic Grim Fandango.
A new version of the PlayStation 4 will be making its way to store shelves later in the year. The bone white console and controller will launch bundled with Bungie’s Destiny in September, bringing a bit of variety to its appearance.
Big Games
One of the most anticipated games of recent time got plenty of stage time at E3. Destiny, from developer Bungie who created Halo, had an extended trailer displaying gameplay and story details. The studio also revealed lots of new information about the game and launched an alpha before announcing that the beta for the game would begin in July for the PlayStation 4.
Assassin’s Creed Unity, Far Cry 4 and The Witcher 3 all got significant attention thanks to new gameplay videos or teaser trailers. An unexpected reveal came in the form of Rainbow Six: Siege which has replaced the cancelled Patriots game that had a somewhat convoluted development.
The Division took up a large part of Ubisoft’s efforts at the conference, with the publisher showing off the tactical third-person game at its best. The live demo showed a variety of players facing an attack from enemies, giving gamers an idea of what it will be like to play when it releases next year.
EA also took the opportunity to announce the evolution of their sports titles Madden and FIFA. Each game will have a number of improvements to their engine and overall gameplay that should make for a far more realistic and satisfying experience. The publisher also released plenty more information about Dragon Age: Inquisition before giving a brief glimpse of the latest Mass Effect game in a mini documentary about its development.
Indies
Indie games took a much bigger stage than in previous years. With these types of titles becoming increasingly popular on PC, Sony and Microsoft appear to have finally understood how important they are to being successful. Both showed off a host of new games that they hope will help drive fans to their own consoles.
Some of the biggest hits were Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number and Hyper Light Drifter, both of which look likes games developed by large studios rather than small one or two man teams. We also got to see titles such as Ori and the Blind Forest, Night in the Woods and Rain World all of which should release over the next year. Other favourites were #DARB, Cuphead and Slash Dash which all got trailers or new gameplay screenshots.
One game which stole the show though was No Man’s Sky. It is a procedurally game set in an infinite universe. It allows deep space exploration to planets where you can discover creatures and lost civilizations. The developer has said it is coming to PlayStation 4 but that they are also open to bringing it to other platforms.