The Shamus Showcase: Thoughts on Microsoft’s E3 2014 Conference

 All About the Games

As with previous years, Microsoft started up the freight train of gaming information known as E3 with their Xbox press conference. Going in, Microsoft knew that they had to make up for the aggressive conference held in 2013, where they attempted to convince consumers that their DRM policies were solid and that the Kinect is vital to life.

With this generation of console gaming already underway, Phil Spencer, Head of Microsoft’s Xbox Division, was able to lead a show where the focus was solely on games for the Xbox One without having to worry about price points or console features.

There were a few big games announced for the Xbox One. Halo: The Master Chief Collection definitely wins over fans of the series, especially those who loved the multiplayer of Halo 2. Being able to mess around with the maps and features of various games in the series is pretty cool.

On top of that, if that wasn’t enough to have you double dip in the series, 343 is tossing in the live action tie in series Halo: Nightfall as well as the exclusive Halo 5: Guardians beta.

Another big game announcement that stood out was Crackdown 3. The emphasis on fully destructible environments was apparent in the trailer, with a Mouse Trap like series of events that lead to the destruction of the enemy’s hideout.

The multiplayer present has potential for some cool gaming moments amongst friends, but I’m not holding my breath. Sandbox multiplayer never works out as well as intended (aka GTA V). It’s good to see Microsoft bringing back their old franchises; maybe this will become a trend with them.

Phantom Dust was also a forgotten title (I didn’t recognize it until I looked it up) that found life in the form of a new Xbox One game. The Gerard Way looking man throwing energy at some woman doesn’t tell us about how what gameplay will look like, but at least the few fans of the series have something to look forward to.

Tomb Raider returning was a nice addition for the conference, but it doesn’t add anything to the Xbox brand. It’s not exclusive, but you can bet there will be exclusive DLC announced next year. Besides that, its nice seeing how they are building up the character of Lara Croft. Gone is the scared girl of the first game; in her place is the iconic tomb raider we all know. Rise of the Tomb Raider does sound a little to close to the monkey packed film Rise of the Planet of the Apes, but its just sheer coincidence.

Another big third-party game shown was Assassin’s Creed Unity. I personally like the series, but seeing what they are doing with the next installment is pretty cool. The multiplayer co-op looks like its seamlessly integrated into the single player narrative, but I’m not sure. Also, the vertical movements look a lot smoother than previous Assassin’s Creed games. A good tease for the Ubisoft conference.

There was a set of quick indie games shown off for Xbox, the highlight being the next game from Playdead, Inside. The game carries a sharp resemblance to their previous title Limbo, but it seems to have a tense feel to the game. Being on the run and always hiding give the game a sense of urgency. You can’t help but think of the holocaust while viewing the trailer.

My top pick for the Xbox conference, hands down, goes to Sunset Overdrive. The opening trailer for the game was great commentary on the shooters of this generation. It shows how in tune Insomniac Games is with gaming culture.

The gameplay looks straight out of a Ratchet and Clank game, featuring grind boots and big guns. The weapon variety is also a staple of Insomniac, and its presence here is a big plus. Xbox isn’t known for having a great variety of games, seeing an exclusive platformer is a great step towards changing that notion.

Platinum Games’ Xbox exclusive Scalebound looks like another beast hunter game. I am not personally excited, but I’m glad to see some diversity for the Xbox One. Adding to this list of whatever games, Harmonix’s Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved gives Kinect owners another reason to flail their arms around their living room, except this time to the sounds of Disney. A quick cash grab for kids, but its not the game I’m looking for from Harmonix.

Fable Legends looks like Dungeons and Dragons for everyone, featuring a dungeon master who puts the heroes in danger, but it is far from being what previous Fable titles were.

On another note, Project Spark seems like an interesting experiment in allowing players to express their creativity. It has a DreamWorks’ like art style, throwing off its appeal to the “hardcore gamer”.

But almost as if to drag them back in, Conker makes a cameo at the end. What was the point of that? Does his character really belong in a free form game? I don’t think so, and I’d rather see him utilized in the Conker sequel people have been waiting for since the N64 classic.

I found Microsoft’s choice of opening and ending games to be a bit underwhelming. Call of Duty does not hold the same prominence as it did 8 years ago, starting off the conference in a less than exciting way. I’m sure that the majority of Call of Duty fans reside with Microsoft, but the game does not match up to last years opening game Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. Regarding the ending, Crackdown 3 is cool to announce mid-conference, but saving it for a finale, no.

This was a wasted opportunity for what could have been a Gears of War teaser or even a Halo 5 trailer, which was mostly absent from the conference. Microsoft neglected their larger franchises in favor of pushing a smaller one? Not the smartest move.

The conference overall was solid, but it was filled with safe picks. First party games, like Quantum Break were missing from the conference. Something like the Halo: The Master Chief Collection can only do so much, but it’s not new or risky. Just old games Microsoft already know people love. Phil Spencer did his thing up there, but it was nothing special. Solid conference though.

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And there you have it. If you disagree with anything stated above, or would like to chime in on your own thoughts regarding E3, feel free to comment below.

 

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