Games, Game and More Games…
Hello all and welcome back for the second part of my E3 2014 preview. While many on the site are providing extensive coverage on all the news and rumors leading into this year’s event, the real work is about to begin tomorrow. The sheer volume of info that is bound to poor out of the next few days will fill headlines across the web for months to come. It’s a busy yet exciting time to be sure. Last week I covered what you can expect from the “Big Two” of Sony and Microsoft, while also speculating what I’d like to see from the Oculus Rift (Nintendo was thrown in there too, but unfortunately there was nothing of note to speak of). If you’ve not already, be sure to check out part one right here .
However, as the title of this article suggests, E3 is really all about the games, games, games. No matter what new flashy piece of next-gen tech or killer peripheral is unveiled, without the software to back it up, it doesn’t mean a damn thing.
So let’s jump right into my list of top five most anticipated games confirmed for the convention floor this year. We’ll start with a little franchise you MAY have heard of.
#5 – Halo 5: Guardians / Destiny:
OK, I know putting two completely different tiles in the same spot is kind of cheating (and destroys the concept of a top five list) but hear me out. I’m a die-hard Halo fan. Having said that, I’m not such a fanboy that I can’t admit when things have gone off the rails. Halo 4 wasn’t the jewel we hoped it would be, so Halo 5: Guardians is the last chance the series has to prove it’s not outlived its usefulness. Destiny , on the other hand, looks as if it has recaptured the innovative spirit of the original Halo , with everything in the world going for it. Did the creative muse ultimately stay with Bungie in this case? Is Destiny poised to make Halo an afterthought?
#4 – Hyrule Warriors:
I know I’ve been a bit down on Nintendo lately, especially after I learned they would once again be taking a pass on a public showing at this year’s event. However, that doesn’t mean I can’t recognize a potentially great game when I see one. Of all the demos that Nintendo will bring to the convention to showcase, Hyrule Warriors looks the most interesting. While many would default to the traditional Super Smash Bros. that has become the E3 standard, Hyrule ’ will throw Link into a hack n’ slash brawl reminiscent of a scene from Lord of the Rings . Certainly a refreshing take on a familiar franchise.
#3 – Star Wars: Battlefront:
This could truly be the Star Wars games that FPS fans have always dreamed of. Thankfully, the saga has blessed us with some great titles over the years, shooters have not been one of them in my opinion. I have never liked the Battlefront series, as I feel it missed the mark in several key areas. Now that EA has taken over, there is new light at the end of the tunnel. At this point, they could literally take the Battlefield 4 engine and re-skin it to look like the Battle of Hoth, and that would be just fine with me! DICE has already proven they know what they’re doing when it comes to shooters (provided they don’t repeat the debacle of endless technical difficulties that plagued Battlefield ’s release). If this works out as I hope, I will trade-in all other shooters for a good year (in lieu of endless nights lost with Battlefront ).
#2 – Batman: Arkham Knight:
It’s no surprise this would be on my list. Not only am I a huge Batman fan in general, but the Arkham series has been like my security blanket over the last several years. This series can simply do no wrong! We’ve just been given a tease of the Batmobile’s “Battle Mode” by Rocksteady, so I expect to see more of it in action. Additionally, as much as I’ve enjoyed their coverage of the new vehicle combat, I do hope to catch a more up-close look at Batman himself. After all, this is the first time we’ve seen what a next-gen system can do on the streets of Gotham.
#1 – Mortal Kombat X (pronounced “Ex”):
The new MK gets the number one spot as “most anticipated” on my list for one simple reason: we know almost NOTHING about it. Last week we were treated to our first glimpse of what the next game would look like, which also sparked fresh speculations. Would the game follow the previous continuity vs. forging a completely new tale (or possibly a combination of both á la a multi-verse concept)? While Scorpion and Sub-Zero have been confirmed in the trailer, Ed Boon promised two new fighters will be revealed at the convention (along with more details regarding the game’s official plot). Next-gen kombat begins again my friends…and I couldn’t be happier!
Although CheatCC will be covering all the news and information to come out of this week’s event, we’d love to hear your thoughts as well! Is there a game you’re looking forward to? Perhaps you were shocked at one developer’s announcement or another. Let your opinions be heard by coming back here (or in any one of the E3 pieces the site will feature over the next week) and posting them in the comments section.
E3 2014 is on our doorstep people! Strap in…it’s going to be a wild ride!