You would think that the first few weeks of summer for a teacher would be purely serene downtime during which plenty of blog posts can be constructed, but it just plain isn't. Yes, it has been a much needed time for relaxation, but it has also been filled with the busy task of catching up on all the responsibilities that have been outright neglected during the school year.
Anyway, I had the fantastic privilege of watching all the exciting E3 conferences alongside my husband and some close friends this year. We made a big event out of it and enjoyed getting collectively hyped over the very big reveals. This year's conference, in my opinion, completely overshadowed last year's and was about on par with 2013's. Below are some of my favorite announcements (in no particular order) from the gaming community's most exciting week.
The Last Guardian gameplay was irresistibly enticing
This beautiful experience certainly came to life at the opening of Sony's conference. The interaction between the boy and his colossal feathery friend was heartwarming in all the right ways and certainly left me wanting more. Like a Pixar short film, this gameplay trailer got me to laugh out loud, cringe with fear, and "aww" with welled up emotion all in a few short minutes. It certainly left me impatiently wanting more.
Kingdom Hearts III showcased previously unseen footage
Anything at all that gives me a fresh glimpse into the long awaited 9th installment of this franchise deserves to be listed here. While many consider Kingdom Hearts III to be the third "real" game in the series (because it will be launched on a home console instead of a handheld or mobile device), it will actually be the culmination of the entire first arc labeled "The Xehanort Saga". As such, it will theoretically bring together all the epic foreshadowing of the eight games that come before it, particularly bringing closure to the events of "Birth by Sleep" and "Dream Drop Distance". As a longtime thirteen year fan who has incidentally waited nearly ten years for this game, I can honestly say I am more than a little excited.
Kingdom Hearts Unchained X is officially coming west
Among the many Kingdom Hearts games mistakenly labeled as spin-offs, this game will bring fans the mysterious background of the Keyblade War. It was originally announced as a Japan only release, but E3 made it clear that it would eventually release elsewhere allowing fans in the west to play as well.
Final Fantasy VII remake is no longer a rumor
When the announcement was made back in December 2014 that the PC version of FF VII would be ported to PS4 sometime in 2015, millions of hearts sank. This was not the long awaited remake that so many die hard Final Fantasy fans wanted. I can only conclude that Square Enix must have noticed the tangible collective disappointment and secretly adjusted their plans. While I am quite certain that we will not see this large scale Final Fantasy VII remake for quite a long time, I believe Tetsuya Nomura and his team will do it justice. And I've always been okay with a longer wait if it means we get a better product.
Unravel's reveal was touching
This game looks cute. I like the 2D puzzle platformer genre, and the yarn concept definitely looks intriguing. But what really got me here was how the adorably nervous (understandably so) Martin Sahlin described his humble story regarding his little red yarn doll in front of a massive audience. Here is a person who has seen his imagination come to life, and it is absolutely moving.
Horizon: Zero Dawn helps us imagine what it would be like to hunt robot dinosaurs (but they apparently aren't dinosaurs)
I think this is one of the games my husband was most excited about during the many E3 conferences we watched, and I really can't disagree. This game looks a bit like a mixture of Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Enslaved: Odyssey to the West. Maybe sprinkle some Tomb Raider in there, but there are also elements that--to me--look brand new. There is something very fresh about this trailer. (Incidentally, that's something I look for at every E3, live stream, and expo. It is essential that new franchises show off a certain uniqueness; otherwise, it is far too easy for me to say "I've seen this before" and forget about it entirely.)
Firewatch teases a mysterious character-focused narrative
There's nothing like a couple of quietly charismatic characters and a scenario I've never seen to get me wondering about what kind of story might be told. Firewatch makes me tilt my head with intrigue as I consider the ramifications of being alone in the woods with nothing but a friendly voice over a dinky radio to help you while some unknown creep is roaming through your territory.
Fallout 4 demonstrates its breadth and depth of gameplay
I don't know about you guys, but I was thoroughly impressed with Bethesda's first ever E3 conference. To me, they came off as being far more professional than Ubisoft or EA, and they had quite a bit to show off despite being newcomers. Fallout 4 was absolutely the highlight of their event, and it showcased a lot of cool features. In particular, I enjoyed their character creation, settlement building, and interaction with the MC's companion.
Uncharted 4 gameplay and writing made me smile from ear to ear
The original announcement that Uncharted 4 was coming brought forth a kind of somber tone for the series. There feels like something rather final to it. Maybe it was the deep blue color scheme of their second teaser (the one where Drake first appears, not the one where Sully does a voice over while the camera pans over a bunch of adventure gear). Maybe it was the fact that Nathan Drake has aged. Maybe it's the downright funereal title, "A Thief's End" that does it. Either way, I both highly anticipate and slightly fear playing Uncharted 4. As much as I am 100% confident that they know what they are doing, I don't want Naughty Dog to do anything too drastic with my beloved Uncharted characters.
So when they tossed some new gameplay onto the big E3 screen, I didn't really know what kind of sequence we would be seeing. Would it be another sneaky combat sequence like the cave/forest mashup we saw last time? Or would it be something dark like the Nathan Drake teaser? I was rather relieved to see some typical Uncharted banter, including some beautifully crafted humor between Sully and Drake. I thought I would get an ominous or even teary cutscene. What we got instead had me laughing and cheering and getting excited about seeing the old gang take on another big Indiana Jones-esque adventure.
Recore allows you to save your puppy... by turning it into a gorilla
Here's another game that doesn't look like any other game I've played. The characters were instantly endearing, and the concept paves the way for new and interesting gameplay. I hope Recore lives up to the many possibilities it represents. Not to mention I love how strong female characters are becoming more of a matter of fact thing instead of a big deal due to their rarity.
