Last year’s E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) was about one thing and one thing only: next-gen consoles. Since then, the PS4 has outsold the XboxOne by about two million consoles, and Nintendo’s Wii U is nowhere near the powerhouse it once was.
This year saw the gaming industry return its foundation: games. As always, in the back of the mind of industry buffs and gamers are the questions of the ever-daunting rivalry of the Xbox-PlayStation-Wii trinity. Can Microsoft recover from last year’s E3 blunder? Can the PS4 continue to edge out a lead against the Xbox One? Will some of the announcements be enough to pull Nintendo out of its slump?
According to E3, be ready for a cavalcade of remakes in the next little while. As this new generation of game consoles picks up momentum, studios are starting to release remakes of hits from the last generation. Starting with Last of Us: Remastered, coming later this month, we can expect to see up-scaled versions of Halo (entitled Halo: The Master Chief Collection) as well as Sleeping Dogs and GTA V.
Ground Zeroes was the prequel; Phantom Pain is the real deal. Personally, I think this next game in the Metal Gear Solid series will be its crowning achievement. With open level design, solid character story, and the best graphics in the business, look to Phantom Pain to blow the tactical espionage genre wide open. Tragically, we have to wait until next year for it – there’s no “phantom” in that pain for gamers.
Whereas last year, Destiny was a name on a screen with some teaser footage, E3 brought some more details on the most anticipated, cross-platform sci-fi shooters of this new generation. Developer Bungie, of Halo infamy, is ready to roll out one of the best new games in the industry. At first glance, the in-game footage at E3 seems like a souped-up Halo, but there is much more going on. There are integrated RPG elements (levelling up, unlocking skills), integrated multiplayer and a rich history underlying it all.
Destiny and Metal Gear may not be coming to the Nintento Wii U, but that doesn’t mean Nintendo is out of the game yet. Far from it. This year at E3, the big news surrounded what Nintendo does best: proprietary titles. While Super Smash Bros. was a raved success, the big news was the unveiling of the next Legend of Zelda game. Though nowhere near on par with the Xbox One or PS4 visually, the teaser showed a more open style of combat, rich graphics and a landscape that captures the fun and fantasy of this classic franchise.
Last year’s Tomb Raider was a crowning achievement. A new, more human take on the most recognizable female character in video game history – second only to Ms. Pacman, perhaps – brought new life not only to the series, but to adventuring. Square Enix’s Rise of the Tomb Raider looks to build on the popularity. I just hope they keep the character-driven quality that we saw. I’d hate to see the Tomb Raider franchise go the way of Assassin’s Creed.
Speaking of which, I have to say I haven’t been that impressed with the Assassin’s Creed series for a long time. Are they fun? Sure. But the last few iterations of the historical stealth game seems to be more about pumping out games in rapid succession and less about staying true to the spirit that made the series great. With October’s release of Assassin’s Creed Unity, I may be eating my words somewhat. Set during the French Revolution, the footage from E3 reveals a game that streamlines in-campaign multiplayer with the “death from above” stylings of its early predecessors. The sheer fact that you can explore the highs and lows of a Hugo-esque Paris is simply exhilarating.
I’m a huge fan of Edmonton-based Bioware and subsequently teeming with excitement when, at one of their E3 press conferences, Microsoft unveiled more details of the upcoming Dragon Age: Inquisition, set to hit shelves in October. It may not have been the best-looking game seen at the expo, but fantasy fans will applaud the changes in combat and the sheer beauty of the world in which Inquisition takes place.
There were some hardware highlights from E3: Alienware showed off more of its upcoming gaming console; Sony had Sony TV as well as some preliminary details on its virtual reality hardware. Overall, this E3 was thankfully all about the games, a taste of the tantalizing treats in store for gamers over the next year.
When he’s not teaching high school, St. Albert Catholic High School alumnus Derek Mitchell can be found attached to a video game console.
