E3 Special 2017

It’s E3 week, so it’s time for another E3 special! But honestly, this is probably the least interested I’ve been in an E3 since I started writing this blog. I normally sit up late watching the conferences, but this year I really couldn’t be bothered. That’s not to say a few things didn’t catch my eye but overall, I didn’t see much to get excited about.

EA were up first but the only thing they had that I’d seriously consider picking up is Battlefront 2 (4?). But that depends heavily on how they’ll handle DLC content / micro-transactions, the quantity of release content and hopefully an expanded range of solo/bot modes and co-op options.

Microsoft unveiled the X-Box One X which is a dumb name. And what’s the point of 4K when they can’t even hit 60FPS? That should be the new standard for console, not 4 f**king K. They then proceeded to wank over a car on stage for five very awkward minutes. Things improved as they rolled out a series of trailers including a new Metro game which looks like it might have been infected with the Far Cry virus. God, I hope not.

There’s a new Assassin’s Creed set in ancient Egypt. I love the setting, but why did they have to ruin it with all the enemy ‘levels’, skill points and ‘epic loot’. The series has already become a mess of icons and unnecessary gameplay systems stacked haphazardly on top of each other. This was a chance to strip back the series and return to the simplicity of its roots. Instead, we now get to explore ancient Egypt so we can find ‘legendary bows’. F**K RIGHT OFF.

They also had a trailer for Ori and the Will of the Wisps. I thought Ori and the Blind Forest was pretty close to perfect so I’m certainly interested in a sequel, but I’m also a little wary. I don’t really want a ‘more of the same, but slightly worse’ kind of deal. State of Decay 2 might be fun. I liked the first game. Oh, and a Life is Strange prequel which feels a little unnecessary but I might give it a go.

Bethesda revealed a new Dishonored adventure and what I suspect may be the last. Let’s hope the series can go out with a bang. They also showcased a new Wolfenstein which I hope is better than the last one. Yeah, I know a lot of people liked The New Order, but I still don’t understand why. I thought it was boring as f**k. Oh, and as I predicted, they’re taking another crack at a paid mods service – because that went so well the last time.

The PC conference gave us another glimpse of Bannerlord, but still no release date. Boo! The Last Night looked interesting, but apparently we’re not allowed to like it because the developer got into INTERNET TROUBLE or something. More twitter drama that I really give no shits about.

Ubisoft revealed a new pirate game, Skull & Bones, but it looks like another ‘For Honor’ type deal with a focus on multi-play and micro-transaction bullshit. I’d rather just play AC 4 again. What else? The Crew 2, now with boats and planes, because that’s really what people wanted from their street racing game. And Far Cry 5 . . . yeah, I’m just f**king sick of Far Cry.

And that’s pretty much it. Nintendo showed some stuff but nothing I’m interested in. I can’t even get very excited about Warhammer 2, not when they’re charging 40 quid for it which feels a bit steep. Sure, you can shop around, but considering this sequel was built upon an existing foundation, I expected a slightly reduced RRP of at least 29.99 or so. Eh, whatever. I’m sorry I can’t muster up much excitement, but E3 now just feels like the ‘how can we best f**k your wallet and have you thank us for it’ show.