You might have missed a few things this past week with E3, but you haven’t missed anything - here’s a refresher and a reminder of what is to come. One thing we know for sure with both the console giants, is that we won’t be seeing the next generation consoles; that’s quite a way from now. What you will receive are upgraded models of both the Xbox and PS4.
Microsoft, of course, revealed their newest version or the evolved state of their gaming console, the Xbox One X. This is, without argument, a beast of a machine – the most powerful gaming console around. Unfortunately, there aren’t any notable games that are worth mentioning and it will cost you $499 this November. With that said, let’s talk about the exciting new games, which was really the main focus from both showcases.
There’s plenty of more to discuss outside of what we decided to mention today, but don’t fret, we’ll go in-depth to each title as the weeks go by.
The franchise continues
Sony revealed a new story trailer for Uncharted: The Lost Legacy for the audience and for those watching at home on LIVE stream. Even though Nathan Drake is no longer the leading star of his own franchise, this spin-off starring Uncharted 2's treasure hunter Chloe Frazer, continues the Indian Jones-like adventure on the PlayStation.
She teams up with Uncharted 4’s mercenary Nadine Ross, and things do not end well, so it seems. After the two are in search for the tusk of Ganesh, a tussle happens between the two and the audience is left wondering, “what’s next.” The trailer was put together quite well. And even though Drake is no longer in the scene, fans of the franchise look very eager to play and discover more of what the franchise has become famous for.A god no more?
Sony also presented a lengthy in-game footage of the new God of War, which shifts the attention from Greek mythology to Norse mythology. If you as us, that’s a fascinating and exciting prospect. The ancient Northmen were all about war and dying in glory, hoping to reach Valhalla. This time around, Kratos ushers his son Atreus in the ways of the world in a gorgeous backdrop of old. It has yet to be confirmed how far we actually get to interact and play along with his son.
What we did see is a bit of action – the usual hack and slash adventure through blood and gore. However, the focus was more on the surroundings and introduction to characters unfamiliar to the franchise. Also, the story drove the trailer, giving us a clearer vision of what the game has to offer.Spidey’s back
Insomniac’s new Spider-Man game footage closed out the Sony showcase. There was surprisingly a lengthy look at a completely different, evolved version of Spider-Man than its predecessors. In truth, it was like watching a mixed bag, but a damn good one. There are plenty of elements from Batman: Arkham series, Uncharted franchise and little hints of Infamous. All in all, the cinematic take on Spidey’s game is absolutely brilliant.
Even though the game itself isn’t planned to be released until 2018 (no actual date), gamers were exposed to the proper amount of game play and footage. This PS4 exclusive really does capture the essence of Spider-Man’s characteristics and his honourable contributions to society. To top things off, there’s a surprise cameo by Miles Moralas. Yes, comic book fans, that Miles Moralas.Star Wars Battlefront II
EA’s crew behind the first Battlefront had no choice but to hear the complaints of many gamers and their gripe with the first instalment. First things first, create a complete story mode version with new canon characters never before seen or heard in the Star Wars universe. The new female lead of this story, Iden Versio (played by Janina Gavangkar) is an Imperial squad commander set on a mission by the Emperor’s last recorded order to the rest of the Empire.
The second major problem was the extra downloadable material that came at a price. The fans, understandably, found this as a cheap trick so that EA could make a quick cash grab alongside the folks from Disney and Lucas. This time around, the developers made it quite clear that everything from now on, apart from the actual game itself, would be absolutely free. That will have many satisfied for sure. There was a huge chunk of the presentation that was used to show a large multi-player game play that was going on LIVE backstage. It all looked seamless, but we’ll have to get our hands on it to see if the story mode side of it lives up to expectations.A few Ubi-surprises
Ubisoft pleasantly surprised everyone with a huge collaboration with Nintendo. Mario and crew mesh with Rabbids in a fun and unique take on RPG, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch. In addition, there was plenty to talk about in another established franchise Assassin’s Creed, which now takes place in Ancient Egypt. For all of you South Park fans, their new instalment looks loonier and more fun than ever. Ubisoft Singapore presented a full-on pirate game Skull & Bones, which is based on the features seen in Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag.
The entire Ubisoft team looked very much like a family on stage, almost the total opposite of how the other brands dealt their cards. It felt like a single unit that gifted us all to a look of games we are all eager to either play or dabble in.
