Microsoft Press Conference
Games, games, games. Microsoft shifted their focus from last year on the Xbox One being an all-in-one entertainment system for the living room to a gamer focused approach. There was not a single mention during the conference on the Kinect or Xbox glass, contrary to last year which seemed to be dominated by topics such as these. No, instead the show was all about games, and for the most part they did a good job. I did not care for them opening with yet another Call of Duty game, which just looks like a new paint job with jet-packs, and I also thought some of the other games looked pretty boring (Fable Legends being the biggest offender). There were however some extremely impressive looking titles announced, some of which I highlight below.
I think it's great that Microsoft is trying to listen to what the fans want. When it was first announced that the Xbox One would have to be an always connected console, and fans cried foul, Microsoft switched it's all in approach and made it so games could always be played offline. When fans said they didn't want to be forced to buy the Kinect, Microsoft released an Xbox One package without a Kinect at a $100 cheaper price tag. This type of feedback and response is cool but resulted in a murky image for the Xbox One and Microsoft's goal. Is it an entertainment system first that can also play games or a gaming console first that can also be a center for the living room? After this years show Microsoft has made it pretty clear the focus is back on the gamer, and for me this is a good thing.
Evolve- from the creators of Left 4 Dead comes the next co-op experience that either pits you and 3 other friends against a Kraken monster, or you as the monster versus 4 different adversaries. Judging solely on the quality of the Left 4 Dead games I have a feeling that Evolve will likewise be something special.
Ori and the Blind Forest- any time I see an indie game getting attention at E3 I'm happy. Ori and the Blind Forest will definitely be one I check out (trailer).
Halo: The Master Chief Collection- this is almost reason enough to get an Xbox One. An identity title for Microsoft's console, announcing this newly remastered package with old Halo games was a very smart move. I didn't even care that there wasn't any newly shown Halo 5 gameplay after I saw this.
My Game of the Show (Microsoft)
Inside- developed by Playdead, creator of one of my all-time favorite games in Limbo. This is the trailer that has me the most excited from E3 this year. Different from their game Limbo, the setting here seems to be a more futuristic type of purgatory. Check out trailer below!
Compare the similarities to Limbo.
Sony Press Conference
After last year's E3 it was clear that Sony's PS4 was in the lead for the console wars. In contrast to Microsoft, Sony went all in on selling their console as the most powerful running machine with the most games. This year Microsoft was the one that focused more on games with Sony getting slightly away from that. Nevertheless it was still a very strong conference in my opinion. Some of the biggest upcoming multiplatform titles, such as Destiny and Far Cry 4, were showcased at Sony's Press Conference boasting exclusive features to the PS4. They also delivered teasers to highly anticipated games such as the final installment to the Uncharted series. These were the moments when Sony was at it's best. For me the conference started going downhill when it went into the letters of recommendation written by fans (trying to one up Microsoft), and when it's new CEO Shawn Layden came on stage talking about new features coming to Playstation (such as free to play games). I wasn't nearly as engaged during these points and I can't imagine I'm the only one who felt this way.
Overall, I would still give the edge to Sony for having the best show this year based mostly on the fact that they showcased their console as the best place to play the biggest upcoming games.
Far Cry 4 looks absolutely gorgeous! If not for the batman trailer this would have been my game of the show for Sony.
No Man's Sky. This is something that needs to be seen to be believed. The fact that it supposedly only took four people to make this game might be the most impressive part. Even after researching and watching the trailer multiple times I still don't see how this game will be able to do what it says it can.
My Game of the Show (Sony)
Last but not least, Batman: Arkham Knight. As a biased batman fan this was by far the highlight of E3 for me. With the return of game developer Rocksteady I have no doubt that this game will deliver.
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