While currently in between household moves, I got the chance to pick up Homefront: The Revolution. Sequel/Reboot to 2011’s Homefront by Kaos Studios and THQ. The game was about a resistance movement fighting off the occupation of the USA by a military powerful unified Korea.
After THQ’s public bankruptcy, the rights were sold to Crytec, and then to Koch Media. Deep Silver took over publishing of the sequel/reboot Homefront: The Revolution, and it was developed by Dambuster Studios.
The style changed from linear FPS to an open-world FPS, and you continue to play an out-matched resistance fighter fighting against the imposing enemy.
Visually the game is pretty. Very similar to the latest Far Cry games. In both looks and feel. The open world is split into quadrants and blockaded by huge security walls. But the resistance has underground tunnels to access new areas. And there is a fast travel option once the area is unlocked.
I did notice that the game freezes fro a few seconds every time a quick save or checkpoint is happening, which is a little more than frustrating. And the difficulty is also ramped up a bit. For realism sake, I suppose. We are supposed to be outmatched and out-gunned after all. I found that enlisting some resistance stragglers around your base will help. They follow you around and will help defend you.
Little updates will come in sporadically over the next little while as I continue my move, and go in and out of Internet access. Stay tuned.
Finishing off day zero of E3 2016 is the Bethesda press conference, like last year, holding their own solo event away from the convention itself. EA also did this earlier today with EA PLAY. Why these two studios have decided to do this is unclear. Is it so they get their own spotlight before the mass media coverage that starts tomorrow. Is it because they feel that E3 is a media only event, that gamers are included, so they host their own public shows. It’s unknown.
Either way, let s get to the show already.
QUAKE Champions
A quick teaser for QUAKE Champions is revealed and Pete Hines takes the stage. Pete thanks the fans, welcomes us to the Bethesda E3 briefing and announces Quake Champions. What ID does best. Fast crazy FPS games. Gorgeous visuals, only for the PC without a frame rate cap.
Pete Hines also discusses the big hits from the last year:
Fallout Shelter
Elder Scrolls Online Console Launch
Fallout 4
Doom
We are then introduced to Elder Scrolls: Legends, a Strategy Card game in the Elder Scrolls Universe. Will have a single player and multiplayer story, available across all platforms.
Fallout 4 Additions and Fallout Shelter
Next up is the Bethesda Game Studio where we are introduced to the new additions coming to Fallout 4: Contraption Workshop, Vault-tec Workshop, and Nuka-World.
As well, a big new update is coming to Fallout Shelter, which includes new locations, new enemies, update combat system, new characters and quests. As well, it’s coming to PC.
Skyrim Remastered
Coming out October 28th, a remastered edition of Elder Scrolls: Skyrim. Also, Skyrim mods coming to consoles.
PREY
Raphael Colantonio from Arkane Studios takes the stage and quickly ackowledges the work that half of Arkane Studios is eorking on: Dishonored 2. But his team has been working on PREY.
A reboot of the franchise that never saw its sequel. A first person psychological sci-fi thriller that takes place on a space station overrun by aliens. You’ll need your wits, weapons and mind-bending abilities to play this game. Out next year, more info at Quakecon later this year.
DOOM
New updates coming to DOOM are announced. More free updates coming to Doom Snapmap, new construction modules, new props, logic options, and the ability to make campaign-like stories that include the weapon wheel.
Two new team modes are coming to Doom Multiplayer soon. Later in the summer 3 new free-for-all modes will be released, and then later in the year, the first batch of Premium DLC will drop, including new maps, new playable demon, new guns, armour, and equipment.
A DOOM demo is also available now for free, and includes the fist level. For a limited time.
Elder Scrolls Online
Celebrating the One Year Anniversary of ESO released on consoles, and now has 7 million players online. A quick highlight package is shown, and the the Dark Brotherhood DLC expansion is announced for console. Also “One Tamriel” which automatically levels the game for all players, and drops the restriction barriers for all zones, so you can play with your party, no matter what level your character is. Never been done in an MMO before.
Bethesda VR
The team quickly announces that they are working on VR for their games: DOOM and Fallout 4, and is available to try on the game floor. Will be available on the VIVE Platform for the PC
Dishonored 2
The presentation wraps p with a huge chunk dedicated to Dishonored 2 from Arkane Studios, and Harvey Smith takes the stage. In Dishorored 2, like its predecessor, we play a supernatural assassin in a steampunk city. A lot of love has been put into the new location with a new custom game engine: The Void Engine, which brings a lot of atmospheric enrichment to the world.
D2 takes place 15 years after the events of the first game and gives the player the choice of playing either character: Emily Kaldwin, or her father from the first game, Corvo Attano. Both have their own unique set of abilities. Once you pick, you can’t switch.
First level that is shown is the Dust Districts that has random weather that can assist with assassinations as it effect visibility. The player has the ability to join different factions or work alone and there is a lot more work done to make the game more vertical. We are shown Emily’s new Mesmerize talent, which distracts enemies and holds them in place and will allow you pass unseen. The Far-Reach talent is also shown, with allows the player to reach distant ledges, as well as grab enemies. The Domino talent is showcased. This talent allows you to tag multiple enemies, and whatever happens to one,will simultaneously effect them all. Finally the Shadow-Walk ability turns you into a silent creepy shadow that crawls along the floor and can take out enemies unseen.
The biggest gameplay addition is the Timepiece. This device allows you to see the past through a lens in the level or area you are in. You can also jump into the past, interact with the enemies, and jump back.
Dishonored 2 will be available on the Xbox 1, PS$, and PC November 11, and if you pre-order any of the digital editions, you get the Definitive Edition of Dishonored 1 for free.
All the global Bethesda teams are shown on screen waving. Thank you to the fans. Goodnight.
Definitely a good way to wrap up the night. Bethesda’s conference I think was stronger than EA’s, but I think EA’s was hurt by some early leaks. I am most excited for Dishonored 2 and the newly rebooted PREY. A strong conference that hit all the key points, and was over just as quick.
I’m excited for the free copy of Dishonored 1 when pre-ordering 2. I’ve always wanted to replay D1, but couldn’t bring myself to buy it again on the latest-gen. Now I don’t need to.
Starting of E3 first – well, before E3 officially begins – EA is jump starting the festivities by hosting their own event: EA PLAY, at their own venue in Los Angeles, and also hosting an event simultaneously in London. Using this simul-event to announce their upcoming annual sports games like Madden and FIFA, discuss Star Wars, and Battlefield 1.
TITANFALL 2
After kicking off the show, Vince Zampella from Respawn Entertainment is introduced and happily acknowledges the leak from earlier in the morning: Titanfall 2 Story Mode:
Telling the tale of the connection between Pilot and Titan. They also showed off a very exciting Multiplayer trailer highlighting some of the new Titans and their abilities, as well as the new Pilot abilities.
Next up, we move over to the London crown where Peter Moore discusses Madden 2017, and EA’s focus on competitive gaming, and ESports. They want all players to feel like pro players with multiple tiers of competitive gaming events as well as Premiere and Major competitive global events. They finish that segment off with a video package of the best Madden players and the Madden major event, and the top 8 players are brought to the stage to get their spotlight.
MASS EFFECT ANDROMEDA
Like last year, not a lot of news, but they do show a behind the scenes look at the making of this next huge arc in the story. No new gameplay, but they’re promising bigger worlds and a bigger story. And the game is now on the Frostbite engine. Frostbite was the big story of the day as FIFA 17 is also now on the Frostbite engine.
FIFA 17
The next version of the largest sports franchise in the world, FIFA, now on Frostbite also has a new mode called The Journey, which is a single player career mode where you play as a young up and coming star, Alex Hunter, and work your way up through the ranks to premiere, and deal with all the club, coaches, management, and fame along the way.
Peter Moore also announces that Premiere Managers will also play part in the upcoming game.
EA Originals
Patrick Soderlund is back on stage in LA and reminds us about last year where we saw Unravel. Soderlund announces EA Originals, which is the studio’s focus on working with smaller innovative studios and helping them bringing their ideas to light. EA Originals first game is called FE, from a Swedish Studio call Zoink.
A very pretty, unique exploration title which boasts that no helpful hints will be given to the player. They are just asked to explore and interact with the forest and the creatures.
STAR WARS
Next up, Jade Raymond hits the stage and talks about everything Star Wars, and a look ahead at what the many studios under EA are working on. No real gameplay, but a reminder that teams at DICE are working on Battlefront, and Visceral is working on a title coming out in 2018, and even Respawn Entertainment is working on a Star Wars title.
BATTLEFIELD 1
Last up in today’s press conference is Battlefield 1.
A very intense gameplay trailer is shown. They announce that it’ll be playable on the floor this week at their event, and remind us that it has horses, and trench wars, and airships, and tanks, and 64 player online combat.
Overall, EA‘s showing was just OK. No surprises. Nothing new was announced. The Titanfall 2 game has me the most excited, but that had already been announced, as well as Battlefield 1. The gameplay for Titanfall 2 has me excited, as well as the release expected later this year. Battlefield 1 was announced a few weeks ago as well, so all they showed was a more robust gameplay trailer which didn’t show and real gameplay. But they did have a 1 hour gameplay reveal following the show and available on the demo floor. Star Wars news left us actually wanting something tangible, as well as the nothing-to-show Mass Effect talk. The simultaneous broadcast in both LA and London was a unique idea.
Overall, it left me wanting more.
Hopefully Bethesda has something more in store. On at 7pm later tonight.
No new reviews for a bit as I prep for my move at the end of the month, but currently there is a lot of E3 hype going around. Bethesda and EA have their own E3 press conference on Sunday June 12, and then the big ones are on Monday. I will be writing a re-cap of all the big press conferences over those few days. So stick around for that. Also over the next few days, as news and rumours start swirling in, I’ll highlight the things I’m excited for for.
To start…things that make me want a PS4 in February:
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Sledgehammer Games
Platform: Xbox One
Availability: Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, PS3, Windows
I’m always a little behind when playing Call of Duty games. I used to buy them eagerly upon release, back when the single player campaign was the primary focus. This was back when Infinity Ward was in their prime, making the Modern Warfare titles. Back when there was one good Call of Duty developer, and one not-so-good developer. Modern Warfare 1 was great, Modern Warfare 2 was great and Modern Warfare 3 was a hack job, scrambled together by the gutted remains of Infinity Ward after Vince Zampalla and Jason West jumped ship/were forced out, along with a lot of the other senior creative talent. With the help of Sledgehammer Games, Infinity Ward was able to release a feeble conclusion to the Modern Warfare trilogy and move on to their next Call of Duty game, Ghost.
After the releases became muddled, with three separate developers working on their own Call of Duty titles, and Activision’s focus on Multiplayer and Zombies took precedent, I started to lose the insatiable drive to pick up the games on release, and resigned myself to get them later on in their life, around the time the next iteration is announced.
So that brings us to 2014’s Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. The first Call of Duty title to usher in the new console generation, releasing simultaneously on the Xbox 1/360 and Ps3/Ps4. This was Sledgehammer’s first go alone at a Call of Duty game, and the results are pretty impressive, even considering they are working in the three year development cycle now.
Advanced Warfare pushed the series forward into the next-gen visuals, and for the first time since Call of Duty 2, used a game engine that had its majority re-written and built from scratch. The game’s story also pushed the franchise further into a futuristic setting, taking place between 2054 and 2061. Call of DutyBlack Ops 2, Treyarch’s first step towards a futuristic game, was set in 2025.
The story follows one playable character, Jack Mitchell – as opposed to previous titles which followed multiple – and makes use of pre-rendered cinematic cutscenes to tell the story in between missions. After a mission in North Korea, and losing his friend in the fight, Jack is offered a position in Atlas Corporation, which is a private military organization. Following a series of terrorist attacks, the world turns to Atlas – who holds no country or government allegiances – to stop them. After a year of fighting, watching as the terrorist groups attacks becoming increasingly sophisticated and deadly, Altas – essentially for-profit mercenaries – has emerged as the dominant military force in the world, showing that they are the key to holding back the terrorist attacks and aiding countries around the world.
The story jumps forward a couple of years, and we start to find information linking the Atlas leader, Jonathan Irons (voiced and acted by Kevin Spacey) to the ongoing attacks, showing that he has been deliberately allowing the attacks to occur to continue Atlas’s reputation, profit, and power throughout the world. When his devious plan is revealed, Irons takes to the United Nations General Assembly, reveals his plan to remove all politicians, and declares war on the world. And there isn’t a country with a big enough military to stop him.
Coinciding with the futuristic theme in the story, drones, and other futurist technology play a big part in the game, and gameplay mechanics. The player is equipped with an exo-skeleton suit that allows for boosting in different directions, or long falls and a soft landing. It allows for additional strength as well, for melee combat, and moving large objects, like cars; ripping the door off a car and using it as a shield is pretty fun. There are also a few instances where a mute charge is used, when taking part in a breach-and-enter. Everything in the zone of the mute charge is silenced, and is an interesting event to watch unfold. The guns in the game are updated as well, and offer different types of scopes – some of the hybrid type, allowing for different levels of zoom, or thermal views. The player also has unique types of grenades: one type highlights all the enemies in the area, and another is a drone-like grenade, that will propel towards the closest enemy grouping.
Visually and gameplay-wise, I think Advanced Warfare is a positive step for the franchise. I still have to go back and play Black Ops 2 to see how that last-gen game pushed the boundaries. Story-wise, the game didn’t break much new ground, aside from using a famous Hollywood actor – nothing that hasn’t been done before. I do see that as the future of some games, as mo-cap and 3D rendering gets more and more advanced, and the production quality and story telling visuals become parallel with Hollywood movies. We’ve seen it already now with EPIC Games latest announcements towards their Unreal Engine being used to render Animated Movies.
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Overall, a great step forward for the franchise as they truly break ground into the latest gen. The new types of combat add a lot to the series, and the technology of the new engine, and consoles allows for bigger, more detailed level design and creative destruction. The exo-suit allows for some verticality to the levels as well, and while somewhat limited during the campaign, Multiplayer allows for full use. The story is also a little more coherent, although it does jump ahead a few years at a time. I thought Ghost was a step forward, but Advanced Warfare just leaps ahead, and is breath a fresh air to a franchise, that was starting to grow a bit stale.
Now to move ahead again, and try me some Call of Duty Black Ops 3… but I promised I would play 2 first.
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The achievements in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare are very standard for the franchise. There are those for completing each level, and those unique achievements for each level. There are those for each new gameplay mechanic, killing a certain number of enemies using said mechanic. And then the Intel collection and Multiplayer types. Nothing really memorable.
Notable Achievements: Never Saw It Coming (Boost jump, dash forward, and then air stomp an enemy) – 10G
Carma (Kill and enemy by throwing a door at them) – 10G
Idly Playing the Waiting Game 