Usually, E3 is all about the console manufacturers’ keynote presentations, but this year they all dished up a rather bland affair. Microsoft shied away from killer games, in favour of more connectivity shenanigans. These took the form of Internet Explorer for 360 and its new app, SmartGlass. Neither lifted the roof off E3, leaving the way clear for Sony and Nintendo to impress, but they didn’t. To be fair, Sony was all about the games, which I think was the right way to go and Nintendo was all about the Wii U, which makes sense, but still can’t get us excited about this ‘almost’ next-gen offering.
Whilst the big three kicked us off in less than spectacular style, third party publishers, led by Ubisoft, showered us with gifts. Here are my top five picks for upcoming games, based on the week’s trailers.
The Last of Us
Although, the official trailer was released before E3, the gameplay trailer wowed attendees and has the gamersphere buzzing. Set in post-apocalyptic Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the main characters are Joel, a hardened, street smart survivor, and Ellie, a 14-year old girl who has no knowledge of the world before the disaster. The end of civilisation came about through a brain-eating fungus and our two heroes have to struggle to survive.
The E3 gameplay trailer shows hard edged violence. In one scene, Joel is throttling a man and it’s a full on struggle, as he claws at Joel’s hands. This isn’t glorified violence. It makes you wince and recoil, rather than whoop and celebrate. And if that’s not enough, it looks like we get an engaging story with believable characters. And I’m all for new IP.
http://www.youtube.com/watch/?v=FmKgO8wdFUM
Developer: Naughty Dog
What to expect: The graphics look lush. The setting is The Road meets Unchartered ‘ what’s not to love?
Platform: PS3
Release Date: 2013
Dishonoured
This is another game that hit the headlines in the run up to E3 and hasn’t seemed to cause that much of a stir at the show itself. However, it’s Bethesda, so people are assuming it will be a dead cert on the quality front.
From the latest trailer, it looks de-gorgeous darling. There’s lots of blood, as the hero stabs and slices his way through dandily clad foes. Oh and who can fail to love those long-legged robot things!? If you want to know what I’m talking about, just watch this’
http://www.youtube.com/watch/?v=beSPh579_y8
Developer: Arkane Studios
What to expect: Cool steampunk setting, spooky, masked villains, magic and styling from Viktor Antonov (designer of Half-Life 2’s City 17).
Platform: PC/PS3/Xbox 360
Release Date: October 2012
Star Wars: 1313Okay, so Star Wars games haven’t had a great track record. There have been some highs, but there have mostly been lows. Star Wars: 1313 promises to end all this, which is a big ask for one game. Yes, it has shades of Unchartered, but is that such a bad thing? Lucas Arts promises us a game for the mature player. That means less ewoks and more gritty space adventure.
The gameplay trailer looks intriguing enough for me to hold judgement. I’m liking the atmosphere, but it will all hang on the story and the characters.
http://www.youtube.com/watch/?v=VrMhOPdVUaU
Developer: Lucas Arts
What to expect: Star Wars for grown-ups, set in a dark, gritty world.
Platform: PC/PS3/Xbox 360
Release Date: tba
Beyond: Two Souls
This is the next game from Quantic Dreams and promises more of the character driven gaming they delivered in Heavy Rain. Much has been made of the fact that Ellen Page (Juno and Inception) is providing the voice and likeness of the protagonist and judging from the trailer, she’s packing a punch in terms of quality acting.
As we’ve come to expect from Quantic, this is a game that asks big questions about what lies beyond death. The central character is a girl with supernatural powers, all set in a dark, atmospheric world. And that’s really all we know at the moment, so take a look:
http://www.youtube.com/watch/?v=mOWN7d0125o
Developer: Quantic Dreams
What to expect: A game with a plot ‘ a rare thing indeed. Add to that, great story, big philosophical themes and superb voice acting.
Platform: PS3
Release Date: tba
Watch Dogs
Watch Dogs pretty much stole the show at this year’s E3, as Ubisoft presented what feels like the next generation Grand Theft Auto. The graphics are stunning and set the forums wondering if it wasn’t actually a next gen game, despite denial by Ubisoft.
The game is set in Chicago during the 2010s and features a charismatic lead called Aiden Pearce. He has hacked into the city’s ‘Central Operating System,’ which means he can control technology and access information on the city’s residents. The gameplay involves phone hacking, controlling traffic lights and accessing digital data, which plays into contemporary fears about our interconnected and digital lives. This game taps into the zeitgeist and feeds the industry’s hankering for something new ‘ well done Ubisoft.
http://www.youtube.com/watch/?v=FcMRkyoHKeA
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
What to expect: GTA meets Hitman and Deus Ex. Open world gameplay for the next generation. Voice acting and script writing par excellence.
Platform: PC/PS3/Xbox 360
Release Date: 2013
With all but one of these games being new IP, E3 2012 has really excelled itself when it comes to injecting some life into the current generation. Okay, so we didn’t get new consoles, but we’ve got some stunning new games to look forward to. And the best bit is; none of them are sequels. However, with two out of five of them being PS3 exclusives, I’d say that Sony ‘won’ this year’s E3. I definitely want to play The Last of Us and Beyond: Two Souls, which makes the PS3 the only console to own over the next 12 months.