14 DAY TRIAL // E3 2015 took place last week and delivered a huge amount of news, announcements, surprises, and even a few awkward moments. However, one thing is quite clear: it's a great time to be a gamer, no matter the platform, and all sorts of big things are coming from developers, publishers, and hardware makers.
E3 is eagerly awaited by millions of gamers every year and the 2015 edition didn't disappoint, as most gaming companies brought forth a wide array of demonstrations, announcements, and goodies for their fans.
Bethesda blew many away
For its first pre-E3 2015 showing in history, Bethesda made a huge impression right from the get-go by showcasing its several upcoming titles. The new Doom looks to deliver some great retro-themed fun, while Dishonored 2 is building on the stealth experience delivered by its predecessor. Battlecry, while not that hyped up, is also looking decent.
However, the main project was Fallout 4, which got a huge amount of gameplay details, not to mention videos, screenshots, and all sorts of information straight from the developer. Suffice to say that, in a year that's already seen the debut of titles like The Witcher 3 or this week's Batman: Arkham Knight, Fallout 4 is a serious Game of the Year contender.
Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo tugged on heart strings
Meanwhile, the three large hardware makers present at E3 2015 – Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo – resorted to tugging on the heart strings of their loyal fans.
Microsoft announced backwards compatibility for Xbox One with Xbox 360 games, not to mention shared details on remakes like Gears of War Ultimate Edition, and upcoming new entries like Gears 4, Halo 5: Guardians and much more. Throw in the Rare Replay Collection pack and both old and new fans had many things to get excited about.
Sony, meanwhile, finally dusted off The Last Guardian, while showing up with a Kickstarter for Shenmue 3, which has since broken many records. Also add here the long awaited Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, and Sony has quite a few exclusive things to tempt people towards its PS4. It also partnered with other publishers to show off Call of Duty: Black Ops 3, Assassin's Creed Syndicate, Street Fighter 5, or Star Wars Battlefront.
While Nintendo opted just for a digital Direct video conference, it still had a few big announcements up its sleeves, including Star Fox Zero on Wii U, The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes on 3DS, and quite a few other Mario-based experiences
EA, Ubisoft, and Square Enix also impressed
Besides Bethesda, other large third-party publishers also held special conferences and dazzled many fans.
EA kicked things off with Mass Effect Andromeda, the next title in the series, not to mention the Need for Speed reboot, Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2, Mirror's Edge Catalyst, as well as the aforementioned Star Wars Battlefront.
Meanwhile, Ubisoft emphasized Assassin's Creed Syndicate, The Division, Rainbow Six Siege, South Park: The Fractured But Whole, not to mention Ghost Recon: Wildlands and a few other titles.
Square Enix's press event may have been a bit low key but it still delighted fans with footage from Just Cause 3, the new Hitman, not to mention the long awaited Kingdom Hearts 3.
Overall, if you are a gamer, no matter the platform(s) you may own and play on, it's certainly a great time to be alive.
Just one tip: make sure you save enough time and, hopefully, find a solution to get more time this fall to play many of these aforementioned big titles. Alternatively, hope that some get delayed, as it will be a tough time for any gamer starting right at the end of August and concluding at the end of November.