E3 2011
Musings of a Ninja
- Day One -
Here we are again: another year, another E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo). Often coined as the "Christmas for video games", if something big is coming down in the industry, it is usually here - from newest blocker buster titles, to cutting-edge technology, it's an exciting week for video game journalists and enthusiasts alike.
E3 2011 started earlier today with a parade of big hitters: Microsoft, EA, Ubisoft, and finishing with Sony taking to the big stages to impress the gaming world.
Okay, okay. That's great and all, right? But was there anything that was cool this year? Any kickass reveals? Any games that tickled my fancy? Yes, there was some great announcement, and some disappointments, and I will go over each with you right now, what I felt were the biggest (and worst) in today's E3 events.
Top Games
Mass Effect 3
Commander Shepard's last mission to save mankind came out in full-force today, and there was quite some tasty tidbits that Bioware offered for the finale of this sci-fi RPG epic, including some awesome gameplay demos featuring some new gameplay mechanics (Shepard's new laser-blade melee attack looked both brutal and fun), as well as features for additional command inputs outside the standard controller with voice-command. While the X-Box 360 version will allow for integrated use of Kinect, I am still scratching my head as to how well this mechanic could even work (still wondering how Kinect can allow you to turn your camera around), even being more skeptical if Mass Effect 3 with Kinect will get the X-Box fence-sitters to jump on the Kinect bandwagon. The improves visuals seem to be an improvement from Mass Effect 2, and for fans of the franchise, Bioware insures that choices made in the previous games will affect things in Mass Effect 3, as well as the return of familiar faces. A late comer to this series (having only played the demo for Mass Effect 2), this impressive game has gotten my attention. At least with ME3's spring release, should give me ample time to catch up for the finale.
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Overstrike
I am a fan of Insomniac Games. If my love for Ratchet & Clank and the Resistance games have any say, I am in full support of this developer, geniuses behind all weaponry wacky and batshit craziness! While Resistance 3 gave us a solid showing at Sony's press conference with a onstage demo, it is Insomniac Game's newest multi-platform IP, in partnership with EA Games, that got me fixated. Enter: Overstrike. Based on the rather humorous teaser trailer, the easiest way to describe the premise is a four-player co-op game, whereas players take control of a motley crew of armed specialists, each with their strengths and weaknesses, using high-tech weaponry and gadgets like a shield gun and invisibility, kicking ass. Think of it as Team Fortress 2, played more like Left 4 Dead, without the zombies, and quirkier equipment.---
Battlefield 3
Move over, Modern Warfare! There's another kid in town, aiming to put you in your place as the realistic military FPS game to beat. DICE's onstage showcase of Battlefield 3 was breathtaking, from the gorgeous environments, to the painstaking amount of detail, the the fluidity of the engine's performance, Battlefield 3 is pulling all the stops, and I means all the stops. Even though the version shown was the PC version, prior interviews with DICE concerning their new Frostbite 2 engine suggests that the same level of graphic quality would be present in the console versions of Battlefield 3. I wish I could explain how awesome it looked, but perhaps the demo trailer can show better what I fail to describe in words that would do it justice:Military shooters were never really my thing, but I couldn't think of a better way to introduce myself to this subgenre of the shooter. Also, it helps to note that all the online features in BF3 are free of subscription. Take that, Activision!
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Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
Oh, hell yes! Need I say any more about this that hasn't been said before? It's rare to see series continue to improve on itself much like NaughtyDog's love letter to the adventure genre and everything pre-Crytsal-Skull Indiana Jones. It looks better, looks more massive than before, and it never seems to miss a beat. Combine this with what has been revealed about the multiplayer (and need I remind you of how awesome Among Thieve's multiplayer was), Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception demands your full attention.---
Bioshock: Infinite
The newest trailer doesn't quite clear up many questions in the wake of the impressive ten-minute gameplay demo prior, the little tidbits handed to us by the folks of Irrational Games provides some more insight into Elizabeth, the mysterious love interest your character seems to be charged with protecting, and the tenacious menace that prowls the both of you - hellbent to make sure you don't leave Columbia with Elizabeth. If not for the appeal of Bioshock: Inifinite's bizarre and surreal world of floating paradise gone wrong and the horrors that await in the clouds, the trailer sports some of the best facial animation seen in a game of this kind.
Seeing just a little of this game is great, but it seems Irrational Games has something more in mind for PlayStation fans. In addition to a PS3 version already slated, developers are offering both this game and the original Bioshock game (for those pathetic enough like myself to have not already own a copy of the original) in a bundle, on the same Blu-Ray disc, and is Move compatible. In addition, a Bioshock game for the PS Vita (explained later) has been confirmed. What lies in store for that? I dunno, but it sounds awesome!
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Best Conference
Sony
Surprising, right? Now, now, before you lash out, lemme start off by saying that EA had a great conference, as well. Unfortunately, with the exception of Mass Effect 3 and Battlefield 3, most other things presented in EA's press con was mostly comprised of teasers, albeit mostly good ones. It may be unfair, but EA Sports titles have never phased me, and the announcement of such titles have become expected (I mean, they are only released once every year, right?). The same could be said about the new Need for Speed, as well. Just not my cup of tea. Plus, it felt a little odd having a game featuring high chase car sequences to have QTE's running down an alley way with the main protagonist.But what about Microsoft? It had Halo 4, and HD remake of Combat Evolved. They also featured Modern Warfare. Gears of War 3, was there, too, I believe. I wasn't able to catch the live feed, and had to resort with Twitter feeds following most of the major video game news websites. And what was received on my end, felt much like a repeat to Microsoft's last E3: too much focus on Kinect, not enough on hardcore titles. Kinect or Move, motion gaming just hasn't struck a chord with X-Box or Sony's demographics, both trying to ride on the coattails of Nintendo's success, catering to a broader demographic, who could probably not care as much for precise control schemes. Even with Microsoft's offering of hardcore titles, it just seemed bare-boned.
Ubisoft? Even worse. Assassin's Creed aside, another case of been-there-done-that-like-last-year. And no Beyond Good & Evil 2 really hurt, too.
Biggest Disappoints
No Kevin Butler
No Beyond Good & Evil 2
The Last Guardian's Absence
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