E3 always has its share of moments and this year was no different. Sometimes we don’t realize the significance of such moments until years later. Good and bad memories often get mixed together – for every reveal on the level of Half Life 2 or anticipated announcement like the Final Fantasy 7 Remake, we have to deal with moronic occurrences like Jamie Kennedy or the initial Xbox One plan. While we noted the more embarrassing moments from this year’s E3 yesterday, let’s take a look at five of the best moments from the expo.
Project Scorpio announcement
Nothing quite beats a new console announcement and Microsoft decided to outdo itself with two this year. That being said, Scorpio was clearly the star. We all knew beforehand that Scorpio was a thing, a concept that Microsoft would have to compete with Sony’s PS4 NEO and offer VR to consumers in the future. What we didn’t know was how significantly Microsoft is behind it, with powerful hardware capable of 6 teraflops of computational power. The fact that it’s going to lead the charge for 4K gaming was also surprising. In hindsight, it doesn’t sound all that different from the PS4 NEO outputting to 4K but Microsoft is making no bones about Scorpio being the most powerful console ever. Will it be the edge that the company needs to catch up to PS4 sales? We’ll find out next year when Project Scorpio releases in Holiday 2017.
Titanfall 2 reveal
When I heard that Titanfall 2 would feature a significant single-player campaign, I wasn’t too concerned about what that could entail. After all, I hadn’t been excited by an FPS’s single player component since replaying Bulletstorm earlier this year. Respawn not only pulled off the task of hyping up a story that I want to see told – that of a Titan gaining sentience and its journey throughout the war – but it also went above and beyond my expectations with the multiplayer. The last time a company really instilled faith in me that their FPS could do no wrong was when Overwatch first debuted in 2014. To Respawn Entertainment’s credit, it’s achieved that impossible feat once again.
Hideo Kojima reveals Death Stranding
Anyone who’s followed a Metal Gear Solid game through its development will tell you that Hideo Kojima likes to take his time with development. The results aren’t anything less than spectacular (well, depending on who you ask about Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain) but we didn’t expect the man himself to show up on Sony’s stage at E3 to show off Death Stranding. For that matter, it was a shock seeing Norman Reedus working with Kojima again though rumours pegged the two collaborating on something. Though Death Stranding may not ultimately show up until 2018 (Kojima himself admitted that an engine was yet to be chosen), it was still amazing to see the man up on stage, being his creative self and seemingly leaving behind the strain of Konami.
Resident Evil 7 Debuts
We somewhat knew that Resident Evil 7 was in development. What we didn’t know was that Capcom would take enough feedback to heart and actually channeling survival horror in the gameplay. It did so by debuting a debut on the PlayStation VR, showcasing the new Resident Evil from a first person perspective and within the confines of a creepy house. P.T. much? Maybe and Capcom did clarify that the demo wasn’t a part of the full game nor would the same protagonist be in the final product. That being said, the very fact that Resident Evil has returned and actually looks like something befitting the Resident Evil name is great. Its VR exclusivity to PlayStation VR is a huge win for Sony and to make things even sweeter, we won’t have to wait forever for a release – Resident Evil 7 will be out in January 2017 for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild finally named, heavily showcased
Nintendo wasn’t playing around this E3. It knew it had to make a big impact, having only one major game as its headlining showcase. However, as it turns out, the developer knew something we didn’t – that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was absolutely amazing. On top of debuting the new name, we got a look at just how free range the game has become. It’s no longer about exploring dungeons in a set order. Link is no longer dictated to move along a pre-defined story path. This version of Hyrule is enormous and might very well be one of the largest open world settings till date. There was so much to showcase, so much to show off and to its credit, Nintendo didn’t shy away from sharing with its fans. Judging by its buzz on social media this past Tuesday, it seems Nintendo did a good job convincing everyone to partake in The Legend of Zelda once more.
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