Another E3 has come and gone and once again I feel like it's time to stop and take a look at what games were announced or gameplay was shown and analyze it based on my overall personal interest. While some people may be against this approach, I feel like it will really help in narrowing down all the games that were shown at E3 as while several of the games looked impressive, many of them just didn't pique my interest. I'll also try to avoid covering games like Yakuza 0, as the game was already released in Japan, so it's quality is guaranteed.
Yooka Laylee- It's a Banjo-Kazooie style platformer being developed by several Rareware alumni and with music composed by Grant Kirkhope. The game looks to be following in the footsteps of its predecessor based off of the available gameplay and looks to rekindle the spirit of the mascot platformers from the 90's with its emphasis on bright colors, whimsical music, and exploration-based gameplay.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night- Seeing as how Konami gave a giant middle finger to fans and converted 90 percent of their properties into pachinko machines, this looks to be a proper follow-up to the Castlevania. It's to the point that the level demoed shows the influence of games such as Symphony of the Night, Order of Ecclesia, and Dawn and Aria of Sorrow. My only complaint so far is that the 3D character models look a little bit off, but otherwise gameplay is fine.
Injustice 2: Being a fan of both DC comics and the new Mortal Kombat games, I can safely say that this looks like a worthy follow-up to the 2013 Injustice: Gods Among Us. The fighting looks fast and it's reportedly running off of the same engine as Mortal Kombat X. The gear system also looks to be fun and from I what I heard it's going to function similar to the customizable characters in Smash Bros. so I probably won't use it. So far the roster looks promising, especially with additional characters such as Atrocitus, Gorilla Grodd, and Supergirl, though here's to hoping for John Constantine, Blue Beetle, and Captain Cold being announced as playable at some point. I am worried about the supposed "aggressive" DLC campaign that Netherrealms plans to utilize so if worst comes to worst, I may just end up waiting for the Game of the Year edition.
Kingdom Hearts 2.8: While I'm still waiting on Square Enix to count to three and to hear something new, Kingdom Hearts 2.8 looks to be a nice tide over in the meanwhile. While I'm happy to be able to play Dream Drop Distance on the big screen, and Kingdom Hearts Chi looks to make the canon even more convoluted, the tech demo which features Aqua fighting through the Realm of Darkness against hordes of heartless definitely looks like it's trying to show off the graphical power of the new engine as well as to give us a glimpse as to what Kingdom Hearts will finally look like.
Berserk Musou: While the game wasn't announced on the show floor, Omega Force didn't reveal anything about until the first day of E3 so i'll count it. Either way, I'm a fan of Berserk and I enjoy the over-the-top action of the Dynasty Warriors games. While the only screenshots released so far don't serve to give an indication of the full extent of the gameplay, it looks to be a fun, bloody, romp. The story will begin at the Golden Age arc and while I'm pretty sure longtime fans are sick to death of seeing the same story over again, it looks like it may go into at least the conviction arc. I wish it would go into at least the Falconia arc so I can play as Isidro, Serpico, Zodd, Mozgus and Berserker Armor Guts, but that's just me.
South Park: The Fractured but Whole: Definitely one of the best looking games of the show. While I did enjoy the first game, combat felt a little too simplistic at times and it was a little too easy to get very overpowered very quickly. Fractured but Whole looks to correct several of these issues while also allowing the player to select their gender as well as continuing the shows witty writing style. Combat has also been revamped to function more on a grid system as opposed to the previous system where characters would stand across from each other. Finally, the game will be having more classes as well as focusing on a super hero theme, which will definitely change up the way the game is played. Here's to hoping Cthulhu is the final boss.
Dishonored 2: The game looks to be an improvement in every sense of the word. Two playable characters, voiced protagonists, new levels and powers, plus a revamped morality system with multiple endings. Another aspect that I'm looking forward to is the revamped stealth gameplay which should allow for more nonlethal kills.
God of War 4: Not sure how I feel about this one. While I enjoyed Kratos' adventures in Greece, this take on Norse mythology is looking more Last of Us than God of War, especially with the camera now being placed behind Kratos' back as opposed to being zoomed out like other games. My biggest concern is the camera itself as it may end up proving to be a detriment the once strategic and bloody combat.
Resident Evil 7: While the new Resident Evil looks like a return to horror in terms of atmosphere and puzzles, I'm personally not a fan of the way the game seems to try and ape P.T. or other games such as Amnesia the Dark Descent or Outlast. I would have preferred a reinvention of the gameplay utilizing the fixed camera angles of the old games, but as it stands now, I'll wait and see on how it turns out.
Death Stranding: I have no idea what the trailer was about, as it mostly consisted of dead sea life, a naked Norman Reedus, a baby that dissolves into oil, finished off by Norman Reedus staring off into the distance. I have thoroughly enjoyed Kojima's games in the past and I'm looking forward to any new information that I can get from this new title. Fingers-crossed it turns out fantastic.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild: Easily one of, if not the most impressive looking new games at the show this year. The gameplay has been expanded upon by going back to the design philosphy of the original Zelda, as well as adding in some new spins such as a wide variety of equippable items, the addition of voice acting, and freedom to go wherever you want. The expanded world looks to breathe new life into the series as a whole.
Persona 5: My game of the show. It may not be a brand new title, but after waiting since 2014 and now knowing that the game is scheduled for release on Valentine's Day 2017, I can't help but be excited. The gameplay is way more dynamic than in previous games such as adding in elements of stealth gameplay, as well as turning normally static pieces of gameplay such as the part time jobs or school work into fun little mini-games. Enemies are back to being demons as opposed to the shadows from previously in the franchise so I'm looking forward to seeing how the demon negotiations have been expanded upon. The story is also a nice change of pace, featuring a delinquent main character as opposed to the squeaky clean, goody-two shoes from Persona 4. All-in-all, I can't wait until Valentine's Day.
Overall, this E3 was a good one, with several titles being announced and the focus being on the games. Here's to looking forward to next year's show and whatever exciting prospects may come.
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