Today we take a look at what games caught the keen eyes of our Non-Fiction Gaming crew at the E3 Conference just gone by.
Most of the big names were there: Bethesda, Microsoft, EA Games, Ubisoft, Sony, Nintendo, and Square Enix. A wide range of new IP, continuation of old favourites, and HD remakes. AMD and PC Gamer even put on the first-ever PC conference at E3.
Shenmue 3
Wilson Tang
I thought this years E3 was the best one in recent years. This year was the year for sequels; Mirror’s Edge Catalyst (even though a reboot), Fallout 4 a new Hitman game, and even new IPs like, the team based; For Honor, being developed by Ubisoft, introduces a new mechanic I can’t wait to try out, but the game I’m most excited for, is one that shocked a lot of people worldwide, the game I’m talking about is of course Shenmue 3, and was the fastest funded Kickstarter project.
This was bound to happen, with older game designers leaving companies, going to develop new titles, keeping certain fundamentals that made their games what they are today, and utilizing new platforms such as Kickstarter to promote and fund their projects, like; Keniji Inafune’s Might No. 9 or Koji Igarashi’s recently announced; Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. And with Hideo Kojima leaving Konami, I’m interested in seeing his future projects, either it be a new IP, film or whatever.
But to my surprise during the Sony press conference, when the trailer started up and the iconic music started playing, I just couldn’t believe it, we were finally get another Shenmue game. And being a fan of the Shenmue series for so long, me and the other dedicated fans, desperately wanted to finish the story of Ryo Hazuki.
Now we finally can, I only hope now it was worth the wait, and hope that the third installment will have as much depth, wonder and charm as the previous games had. And that Yu Suzuki will continue to get the fans involved to make this game a even greater success. And it’ll be a emotional experience for me, when the game finally releases.
Fallout 4
nfgDan
We had been given a few days notice that the announcement was coming, like the first vault-dwellers we were still trying to digest the information when we were hit with an atomic blast of screenshots and video. Bethesda knocked their first E3 presentation out of the wasteland with a massive line-up of game announcements. Doom, Elder Scrolls Online and Dishonored 2 are great and all, but Fallout 4 took the show.
We got a look at the pre-war world of Fallout 4 and it wasn’t too much to spoil the intro story, it was enough to get our hype senses tingling. Optional crafting makes an appearance in the form of weapon customisations and being able to construct your own town. I can’t wait to power-suit up and take to the rad infested wastes bringing the kind of justice only a laser-pistol can.
The final mic drop included a November release date, which leads us to believe Fallout 4 had to have been pretty close to if not already finished development by the time they announced. This is pretty unheard of in the entertainment industry these days, not many publishers (except maybe Blizzard) can keep a secret that well guarded for so long.
Well done Bethesda, you’ve got me excited.
Horizon: Zero Dawn
KRS 2
Well, everyone and their dog thinks that Fallout 4 won E3 (did you see what I did there?). I am technically most excited about that game as well so I’ll take this chance to list the one I am most curious about and hoping will succeed.
Horizon: Zero Dawn looks damned interesting combining a post apocalyptic world with wildlings straight out of Game of Thrones. What’s not to love? I especially love the idea of it being the extreme future since robotic dinosaurs roam the Earth and the human tribes used futuristic weaponry. Also, is it just me or is the lead character in Horizon the voice of Korra from The Legend of Korra?
But this is where I get mean and say as interesting as it looks, the game is probably going to suck. Why? Because this is a AAA game and if 2014 taught us anything, all triple AAA games should be treated with scepticism until launch. I will treat Horizon no differently!
Dark Souls 3
James Wilson
By far the biggest surprise for me at this year’s E3 (despite the leaked screens) was the official announcement of Dark Souls 3. There were a few gems at the show; Uncharted 4, Ghost Recon: Wildlands and No Mans Sky to name a few, however this game has me the most hyped.
I’m a huge fan of the series since I was directed to Demon’s Souls, and was admittedly surprised that as it stands we’re getting three ‘Souls‘ games in three years, but this isn’t a bad thing as more is always better, and Hidetaka Miyazaki is again at the helm for this one so I’m really not worried.
Speaking of which he detailed new gameplay mechanics to combat and the setting of From Software’s latest project, and previewed an awesome looking trailer featuring what I’m guessing to be in-game bosses. They also announced an early 2016 release date and I can’t wait.
Dark Souls 3
Senor Stiv
My favorite moment for E3 was finding out Dark Souls III was real. Leading up to E3 all we had were a few leaks which did not come from a reliable source. I was constantly balancing my scepticism and excitement up until the show in the hopes of trying to lessen any disappointment had the rumour been false.
But thankfully that cinematic trailer finally revealed that, yes, Dark Souls III is very real. The trailer on its own gives us a vague idea of what the story is going to be about, in typical From Software fashion. While the trailer wasn’t thrilling, reading what many game journalists got to witness at the behind closed doors preview sounded impressive.
Much of the gameplay will be returning to the first Dark Souls mechanics especially combat. Parrying and backstabbing will have the same animations as the original game. However, players can switch up to a different stance for a wider range of attack animations.
Enemies and level design feel very Souls like and even the boss of the area that was featured left a great impression on those who witnessed. I’m looking forward to more info to come out as early 2016 approaches.
Rare Replay
Aidan B
Holy cow, everyone. So abandoning the theme of massive titles like Fallout 4 and Dark Souls 3, the real gem that caught my eye was the announcement of Rare Replay. Alongside backwards compatibility, it may seem small but this is tremendously exciting for me.
Rare has been responsible for so many of the games that coloured my childhood.
My friend and I have spent hours trawling the depths of Perfect Dark. Countless simulations against the ridiculously-strong Dark Sims. The opportunity to revisit that without having to dig out the N64 is exciting.
Even more so to see if there’s anything that might bring it a little closer to current gen. Then there’s Perfect Dark Zero. Never having access to my brother’s Xbox 360 at the time, I missed out on this.
The ethos behind Rare Replay is something I heartily agree with. Token nostalgia is a common theme among many current developers. Throwaway references to the games gone by to boost sales. To respect these titles, as well as present them in a refreshing way, to allow an entirely new generation of gamers to experience them first hand is a wonderful ideal.
What Game(s) at E3 2015 Did You Like The Most?
