After what seems like an eternity, E3 2013 is here and is in full flow. Microsoft had got the ball rolling and true to their word concentrated on games. EA, followed them and as they are the biggest publisher on the planet you’d expect them not to hold back on reveals and details with their lineup.
Surprisingly they started small, Plants VS Zombies: Garden Warfare is not what I expected them to open with. The game itself looks as addictive as it’s first incarnation and it’s bright and fresh looking too. We’d already seen Titanfall at the Microsoft show. It’s a futuristic FPS but allows players to enter giant mechs to do battle. As the team who worked on it are formerly of Infinity Ward, multiplayer looks to be an integral part of the gameplay.
We then got the reveal that got a great reception by the crowd, Star Wars: Battlefront. No details were released, so we’ll need to hope it sees the light of day this year. The Need for Speed franchise has had a massive resurgence over recent years and this year we have Need For Speed :The Rivals looking great on next gen. We were also treated to a behind the scenes of the Need For Speed movie but we’ll reserve judgement on that. Thankfully we got back to the games and we got to look at Dragon Age: Inquisition and it looked brilliant. Sadly it’ll not reach us until next year but it’s one to keep an eye on.
EA Sports have again knocked it out of the park with their leading franchises. Madden 25, NBA Live’14 and FIFA’14 all looked incredible running on the new tech. Stadiums are now alive and the added power of the next gen allows even more real life physics to play a key part in the titles. EA Finally unveiled it’s plans for the UFC license and we’ll see it early next year. The game promises to be brutally realistic and carry what EA are calling MMAi allowing for realistic bouts and tactics.
How do you unveil a game like Battlefield 4? A game famed for online play. Simple. You get 64 players on stage to play multiplayer. The game looked stunning. The battle span through city streets, over rivers and up skyscrapers. Choppers fly overhead, Jeeps and tanks roam the streets and jet-skis storm the waterways. The Frostbite engine keeps everything smooth and the segment ends with the skyscraper coming down but not before players parachute to safety. Sound awesome? It was from start to finish. It was also confirmed that Battlefield 2’s Commander mode will return in Battlefield 4. This allows a single player on each team to assist their teammates by issuing instructions through a tablet or mobile device. The player can see where their team is, including vehicles and other assets. Seeing as you can have 32-vs-32 matches, this will definitely be helpful.
The show ended with a new chapter to a game that gained a cult following. Mirror’s Edge. Promising the same cutting edge visuals and styling, the game will be released “When it’s ready” the trailer revealed.
