The Video Games of This Year's E3
E3 has ended but it surely started off the hype train in full speed. Various gaming heavyweights showcased some amazing, highly-anticipated games while introducing ground breaking technologies that will shape the future of video gaming.
Let's look at what really got people off their seats and why this year's E3 was the best in a very long time.
FALLOUT 4
The newest iteration of the Fallout series by Bethesda was presented to the audience by the ever eloquent Todd Howard. The showcase started off with highlighting the game's revamped character creation system which puts an eerily high amount of freedom in the players' hands. A brief look at the dialog system indicated that players now have the ability to walk away from on-going conversations with NPCs. Afterwards, one of the game's main characters was introduced: your very own dog. You can issue various commands to your dog such as telling him to go fetch a gun you spotted nearby or checking out a derelict building for anything interesting. The game will allow players to create their own settlements complete with electricity, food, water and defences. Todd also showed the game's extremely extensive armour and weapon customization. An example of the extensiveness was shown when a mere pipe pistol was turned into a full-fledged sniper rifle with random everyday objects. By the way, you can decapitate people by launching a teddy bear at them. Yes. A teddy bear.
DOOM:
Again, from Bethesda, a reboot of the popular shooter series was met by jubilation from the crowd. What followed was a bout of mindless demon-slaying in the most gruesome of ways. The classic weapons like the iconic chainsaw make a triumphant return. What we could deduce from the gameplay was that Doom was going for the old-school shooting style that gamers adored back in the day, infused with modern mechanics like the double jump and the weapon wheel. However your health does not regenerate after a few moments of idleness. The sheer brutality was so realistic that it even garnered criticism from the bowels of the internet who are always out to demean gaming.
Final Fantasy VII Remake
The announcement sent shockwaves throughout the internet. The cheers, the emotions of many gamers who longed to play their favourite Final Fantasy game on the new gen consoles. The developers have stated that it won't be an exact copy of the original but it will have a lot of new stuff which fits the modern gaming age because let's face it, gaming has changed; JRPG combat systems which used to be the bomb in the olden days just won't be appealing anymore. As of yet, no gameplay has been shown but more details are to come soon.
KINGDOM HEARTS III
Another game which was met with immense excitement: Kingdom Hearts III, the crossover RPG which is set in many of Disney's iconic worlds. The gameplay trailer showed off many new components of the gameplay, several new keyblade transformations as well as the diverse worlds in which the game will take place. There are also new group attacks which involve Sora, Goofy and Donald. Not much else was shown as this was the first trailer of the game.
MICROSOFT HOLOLENS
The future is now. That fact could not be more obvious when Microsoft showed its Hololens. The demo showed off how the Hololens can be used in gaming. The demonstrator put on a headgear mainly consisting of a pair of goggles. He then proceeded to project a screen of the gameplay of Minecraft on to a wall. With the help of a special camera, the audience was shown what he was able to see. While this didn't sway the crowd much, what came afterwards was something special. The demonstrator took the world of Minecraft and put it on a table. A 3D render of an entire gameplay section was shown on a table. The world could be moved around with natural motion of the hands of the demonstrator. Truth be told, it will take a couple of years for this technology to be commonplace amongst gamers but it was a very intriguing sneak peek.
STAR WARS BATTLEFRONT
Fans have been clamouring for a new Battlefront for a very long time. So, earlier this year when EA announced a new Star Wars Battlefront game, every one of those fans went berserk. Finally at E3 2015, EA showed off DICE's new game, running on the Frostbite 3 engine. The gameplay demo was running on a PlayStation 4 at 1080p and 60 FPS which was quite impressive given the graphical fidelity. It showcased the iconic battle at Hoth between the Rebels and the Empire. It captured the true essence of a Battlefront game which is based on large-scale battles on open maps on land and air alike. Battlefront also has a new two player co-op mission mode which is essentially horde mode with two players.
RISE OF THE TOMB RAIDER
Lara CROFT returns in all her glory in the latest instalment of Crystal Dynamic's Tomb Raider. This time, Lara will venture to a Siberia in search of an ancient city which holds the key to unravelling the myths surrounding the world. The gameplay demo showed off an impressive wintry tundra setting in which Lara and a companion traverse through the harsh terrain to reach their fabled destination. After a few perilous moments, Lara manages to reach the peak of the mountain and looks upon the city. After that, a trailer showcased the game's new locales and set pieces yet did not offer much in terms of showing gameplay. Also, a rather disappointing fact is that Rise of the Tomb Raider is a timed exclusive for the Xbox One with no details on when the other platforms will get the game.
This year's E3 was chock full of amazing titles and new innovations. What's next in the world of gaming? Who knows?
Shahrukh Ikhtear is a gamer who doesn't rage. A writer who doesn't read. A musician without a teacher. Full time procrastinator. You can reach him on twitter @sr_ikhtear and email shahrukh.ikhtear@yahoo.com
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