E3 2015 all the Big News in one article!

For the first time in a long time, excitement has returned to video-gaming’s biggest trade show. E3 has set the entire medium on fire with news of some amazing releases over the next year and we’ve put together a roundup on the biggest titles coming out of the show!

 

 

Shenmue 3 and Final Fantasy VII – Ultimate Hype

Following decades of speculation, 2015 has become the year of long-awaited sequels. Arguably the two biggest reveals of the convention are the Playstation exclusive returns of Shenmue and Final Fantasy VII. After 12 years in development hell, Shenmue 3 has been greenlit via a Sony-matched Kickstarter campaign led by a Yu Suzuki dream team. This will include assets produced while under the direction of Sony and Microsoft in the early 2000’s and reached its $2,000,000 goal in just under 12 hours.

The larger announcement however was the long awaited remake of Final Fantasy VII, the 1997 release that still sits as both the critical and commercial highlight of the series. The remake will be a ground-up remaster of the game, significantly altering mechanics and story beats while upgrading to the peak of Current-Gen graphics.

 

 

The Last Guardian rises from the ashes

Originally announced in 2007 and already 2 years into development, 2015 also saw the first appearance of the Last Guardian after languishing an entire Console Generation in development. Originally intended for the PS3, Last Guardian will see the creative return of Team Ico in creating another excellent action/stealth game exclusive to the PS4.

Also putting in a re-worked sequel is Arkane Studios, following up on their excellent Thief-alike Dishonoured. Dishonoured 2 will be taking place many years after the original title and will involve the dual protagonists of returning Corvo Attano and a grown up version of Emily Kaldwin, the young damsel of the original entry.

Bioware also made a large announcement this year, concerning their inevitable return to the Mass Effect universe. Announced with a Johnny Cash song and themes of exploration, Mass Effect will be returning with Mass Effect Andromeda. The title sees a new human protagonist exploring our closest galactic neighbour while still showcasing its central goal of epic sci-fi action and adventure.

 

 

Bethesda’s first E3!

Bethesda’s showing this year included the eagerly anticipated fourth instalment of its Fallout franchise. Fallout 4 will involve a journey around a post-apocalyptic Boston, and was showcased along with a full crafting and settlement development system never attempted in the franchise. The game will also include mod-making and support tools as a console first, along with a free port of its direct predecessor Fallout 3.

Another much-welcomed return this year is the appearance of Doom 4 on our consoles. Early screens show that id Software are going back to their roots with a brutally difficult and disgustingly gory dash through FPS hell that should be a delightful return to the company’s early genius. They also showcased a brutal gameplay video!

 

 

More Gears of War, a new Hitman and Dark Souls III

Also showcasing their next-gen entries were The Coalition with dual Gears of War announcements. Gears of War 4 will be the latest entry in the Microsoft-exclusive series, and will be released alongside a current-gen remake and remaster of the excellent first instalment titled Gears of War Ultimate Edition.

Also returning for another round is IO Entertainment’s Hitman. Simply titled Hitman, this entry will be the next-gen return to basics of Agent 47 after the disappointing Hitman Absolution. Claiming to contain more assassinations than any previous title, and with the promised community leader board DLC challenge missions, Hitman is shaping up to be a great return to form for the flagging series.

Overshadowing its already classic spin-off Bloodborne, From Software will be continuing it’s genre redefining Dark Souls series. Directed by the stalwart visionary Hidetaka Miyazaki, Dark Souls 3 will see another return to the setting with new experimentation in mechanics. The six-player multiplayer from Scholar of the First Sin is returning as standard, as well as elimination of the Agility stat and a re-invention of the combat system to be quicker and deadlier.

 

 

Rare’s Revival and return to the Mirror’s edge.

Adding to the classic revival this year is the announcement of a new game by Rare. Sea of Thieves will be a new pirate-themed open-world MMO from the legendary creators of Conkers Bad Fur Day and Goldeneye 007 and will be a console exclusive to Xbox One. To further celebrate Rare’s return to the gaming world they will also be releasing the Rare Replay Collection, combining 30 of Rare’s greatest titles in one current-gen compatible package.

Another reboot of sorts is also coming in the form of Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst. Again featuring excellent writing by Rhianna Pratchett, the nausea-inducing parkour simulator has decided to go open-world and gun-less in what feels like an excellent expansion of the wonderful potential of the first Mirror’s Edge.

 

 

Square Enix, and Nintendo’s woes

Following on from its excellent 2011 prequel Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Square Enix has announced a sequel in the form of Deus Ex: Mankind Divided. The series will be a return to the world of bioaugmentation and global conspiracies with hero Adam Jensen again taking centre stage. Building on the augmentation panic of the previous game’s conclusion, Mankind Divided will see Jensen exploring a more hostile word and new generation of technology to embrace.

By far the weakest of the platform offerings, Nintendo made several first-party announcements this year. Zelda: Tri-Force Heroes was an unexpected announcement, carrying on from the excellent Four Swords adventure with a three-player cooperative adventure on 3DS. Also coming on 3DS will be Metroid Prime Federation Force, a 4 player cooperative adventure ostensibly following in the footsteps of the excellent Wii-exclusive Metroid Prime trilogy.

 

 

On the Wii U, Nintendo had slightly strong offerings. Animal Crossing Amiibo Festival will be the newest entry in the series, a free-to-play console boardgame that will likely require heavy investment in Nintendo’s Amiibo technology. Also in the category of non-traditional videogames is the announcement of Super Mario Maker. With a huge toolset including the ability to invert rules and generate your own powerups, SMM will allow players to create and share stages for others to play online.

The most traditional of Nintendo’s announcements is the release of Starfox Zero. This will be a welcome return to the space/dog-fighting history of the franchise as the player controls the Arwing in precise detail through the Wii U’s dual screens.

Also coming out for Wii U is the much-hyped mashup of Shin Megami Tensai x Fire Emblem. Drawing on two of Japan’s biggest strategy-RPG franchises, Shin x Fire Emblem will involve the collision of the characters of the medieval/military Fire Emblem series integrating into the urban weirdness of the Shin Megami Tensai world. Early information indicates they will be uniting to fight an incursion from the “Idolsphere”, a world of endless synthetic japanese pop-music, in what has been described by creators as a “K-POP RPG” scored by leading artists from Japan.