Today marks the beginning of E3, starting with EA’s press event. Let’s keep it simple, here’s everything they announced.
Battlefield 5
Some new gameplay and cinematic footage was revealed for Battlefield 5. Outside of that, nothing “new” was revealed. They have a name for the campaign, which seems to focus on a female protagonist, but I couldn’t write the name down in time. I apologize. Nothing to report otherwise.
Origin Access Premier
EA has announced a new, upcoming subscription service known as Origin Access Premier. Much like Xbox Game Pass, this is a monthly service that allows subscribers to access a library of games. This is like the Netflix of games, so to speak. Expect this service to launch later this year.
Sports Games 19
After that, they revealed FIFA 19, Madden NFL 19, and NBA Live 19. While I’m sure they’re interesting enough, I can be bothered to report on them, other than their announcement. My apologies to sports game fans.
Star Wars Battlefront II Update
They’ve not thrown the towel in on Star Wars Battlefront II just yet. After remarking on the past updates, such as the Solo story and Ewok Hunt, the developers (or it might have been a rep) announced that they will now be moving toward a commonly asked for direction: The Clone Wars. They confirmed the inclusion of characters such as General Grievous, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Count Dooku, and Anakin Skywalker. They also announced an upcoming Squad Mode, and a dogfighting mode more focused on Hero ships. More information on those as they become available.
Unravel Two
Remember Unravel, the cute little platformer featuring a yarn-creature named Yarny. They’ve secretly been hard at work developing a new sequel. Unravel Two will feature a new co-op mechanic, where a red guy and a blue guy work together to solve more platforming puzzles. It can be played solo, as well. Most surprising of all, the game is available for purchase and play right now on Origin, PS4, and Xbox One for $19.99.
Sea of Solitude
EA is showing support for another indie dev team by publishing Sea of Solitude. When not watching a dev getting choked up over presenting at E3, she revealed some gameplay of the game while talking about the meaning behind it. Sea of Solitude is an artistic creation, embodying the feeling of loneliness and solitude, I guess. It looks cool enough, but that’s all we know now. More information on this as it develops.
Command and Conquer: Rivals
After five years of nothing, we finally get a new Command and Conquer game. Unfortunately, it’s a mobile game. That’s right. Command and Conquer: Rivals is a super simplified RTS for mobile devices. So far, the reception has been awful, with a 90% thumbs down on the official youtube trailer. I don’t blame them. The gameplay looks overly simplified for an RTS game. more information on this can be found via the news post I wrote elsewhere.
Anthem
Whoo boy, this was a bigger one. There was a new cinematic trailer, talks with the devs, who detailed the lore, gameplay, and other things, and ending with a gameplay video, and an official release date. To summarize. The world is dangerous due to a something known as the Anthem of Creation, the bad guys want to weaponize this Anthem, and you are a freelancer skilled in the special suits that you need to wear to brave the natural world. There are four classes you can play and swap between, and they are cosmetically customizable. There WILL be microtransactions, but nothing gameplay-altering, and no loot boxes. The game officially releases on February 22 of 2019. More details can be found on the news post I wrote elsewhere. It covers everything with greater depth than here.
That’s all for this one. I’ll see everyone tomorrow for Microsoft, Bethesda, and Devolver Digital.
Originally intended for a Spring 2018 launch, the super-police RPG shooter has been pushed back again, this time into 2019. Microsoft stated that they want to ensure the best experience for their players as possible, and the delay, while unfortunate, is a result of this desire.