Photo Courtesy: Gamespot
By: Matthew Behrndt
E3 is a magical time for any gamer because so much information is given in just a 3 day span. For those who don’t know what E3 is, all you need to know is that its where new games are showcased in Los Angeles every year around this time.
This years conference didn’t disappoint. It started off with a bang, as 5 companies gave their press conferences: Bethesda, Sony, Microsoft, Electronic Arts and Ubisoft all dazzled the audience with their respective showcases. The next day Nintendo and Square Enix gave theirs. After that the days are mainly used so the gamers themselves get a first hand crack at the new games inside the Los Angeles convention center. Enough with the formalities, lets get down to what games are a must buy as well as other cool things debuting at E3.
First off, both Sony and Microsoft always try to out-duel each other by giving you console exclusives and awesome new technology so they can be crowned the “winner” of E3. Most years it is easy to see who “won” but this year was different. Both Sony and Microsoft wowed, and to the delight of gamers around the world both consoles are going to have some great games coming out. Unfortunately for Nintendo they just didn’t have that wow factor this year. They did have some cool games coming out for the Wii U and 3ds like: Star Fox Zero, Super Mario Maker, Metriod Federation Forge, Yoshis Wooly World. They also announced two Zelda games and two Mario games but only for the DS. They just didn’t have the firepower that Sony and Microsoft brought to the table.
FALLOUT 4- A game that has taken years to make and looks as awesome as promised. Since 2010 Fallout fans have been waiting for this game to come out. This game will win multiple awards and will be one of the most profitable games of the year. It has all new interactive features including building and shaping your own environment. It also is super attentive to detail as you can fully customize your character in new ways that no other game has been able to do before. Expect Fallout 4 on shelves November 10th.
HALO 5: GUARDIANS- The most storied franchise in Xbox history gets even better, the new game play for Halo 5 looks pretty dope. The new plot that Master Chief is the bad guy adds a new dimension to an already great story-line. Plus the multiplayer game play that Halo practically invented, looks as great as it always has been. This is a must buy for any Xbox One owner coming out October 27th.
STAR WARS BATTLEFRONT- Yes! Oh my, thank you Electronic Arts for doing something every gamer wanted in this world. Everyone was excited when we first heard it was being made, but now that we’ve seen actual game play, we want it even more. Not only does it keep the elements from the original games, it expands on it with the new and developed technology that wasn’t around 10 years ago. The game is expected to be on shelves November 17th and you better pre-order because it will be wiped clean in the first week.
HORIZON ZERO DAWN- This game was debuted at Sony’s press conference and it left a puzzling but entrancing effect. For one, a game about hunting robot dinosaurs in a post apocalyptic world with a electric bow is just plain magnificent. Plus it just looks like it belongs on the new next gen consoles. The overall picture quality is something you have to see for yourself and will be a must get when it come out around New Years Day 2016.
FINAL FANTASY 7 REMAKE- Wow! That is all that needs to be said when just mentioning this game. Actually seeing footage of the game left the audience attending the press conference, to give a standing ovation. This is the most storied franchise in Sony’s history and the mere fact they are going to take this game, which came out in 1997, and remake it, not remaster it, is just wonderful. When this game releases, which will hopefully be next year around this time, it will be everything Final Fantasy fans want and more.
NO MANS SKY- A game that will blow the doors off of everything we know about open world gaming made a second appearance at E3. When first announced in 2014 the concept was out of this world, but in 2015 we got to see actual game play from a game that literally has no boundaries. The concept that you can fly anywhere in the galaxy and are not limited to a certain area is just mind-blowing. On top of that the game looks stunning and the idea that you can do anything and progress and create what you want, it is just a game that is hard to describe because its so open and cool and a game that will be well bought when it finally does come out.
HONORABLE MENTIONS- DOOM, Dishonored 2, Rise of The Tomb Raider, Dark Souls III, Sea of Thieves, Unravel, Mirrors Edge Catalyst, The Last Guardian, Street Fighter V, Hitman, Batman Arkam Knight, Ghost Recon: Wildlands, Uncharted 4, Kingdom of Hearts 3, Just Cause 3, Metal Gear Solid V, and Gears of War 4
E3 is not only about games, Microsoft displayed a new controller that is fully customizable but with a hefty price tag of $150. The main story for both Sony and Microsoft is that they unveiled virtual reality headsets. Sony which showed off their system called Project Morpheus uses the PlayStation Move and worked well with the games they had there and is expected to release in 2016. However, Microsoft for the first time unveiled Microsoft Hololens which blew everyone’s mind because not only does it take you into the world but you can take the world with you anywhere from a wall to a table. Then you can then interact by just using your finger or a controller if you want. Xbox also made an announcement that made Xbox One owners very happy. They finally made the Xbox One backwards compatible. Right now only a select 100 titles are available but in the press conference they said they plan on expanding to more games in the near future.
E3 has finally come to a wrap and a lot of excitement was brought to this years edition. Sadly we’ll have to wait another year for more updates and games to be announced but until then you can play the games they announced this year. With the lineup that they announced you should be busy for years to come playing some wondrous new games.
