6/10/2017

EA just wrapped up their press conference to kick off E3 2017 and us here at VG Spectrum as well as our friend Dave from Nerd Bacon checked it out. Here are some quick thoughts I had while watching the whole show unfold:

The show kicked off with a drumline all sporting Tom Brady jerseys, so it’s clear something was coming in terms of Madden NFL 18, and what we ended up getting was the next evolution in sports games with story modes. “Longshot” was revealed as the story mode in Madden NFL 18 carrying on the idea from games like Fight Night Champion and Fifa 17. I am interested in checking this out, but just don’t know how much of a draw this will end up being to the hardcore Madden fans since they are all about the online scene.

We expected something talked about Battlefield 1 and what we got was an announcement for new DLC called In the Name of the Tsar which takes place on the Eastern Front in WW1. This DLC will include 8 maps and more content to a game that I keep telling myself to go back and play and will do so when I am done writing this. Reports indicate the expansion will be out around September, no mention on price.

FIFA 18 got a HUGE spot on the show, probably more than I would have liked but I do understand that it is the best selling sports franchise in the world and YouTubers make a living off card packs. Really, the only big piece of news was the story mode from 17 will be returning with a new installment in 18.

Recently, EA officially announced Need for Speed: Payback and today, we got an actual look at the game in motion. It will be an open world game that will use 3 playable characters, each with their own unique personalities. While I may not have been sold on this when it was first announced, I feel more intrigued after seeing how good the world looks, how much the car crashes remind me of Burnout and how this franchise is leaning into the Fast & Furious style of dumb action, which is something I have been looking for more from my video games.

The indie title that was touted on stage this year is a game from the men behind Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. Hazelight Studios presented A Way Out which is another co-op adventure game set during a prison break and the lives of the two protagonists after they escape. Playing as either Leo or Vincent, you see the game from different angles and can use this to your advantage when solving puzzles. My issue with this is that it is split-screen co-op ONLY. No single player here to speak of, so you HAVE to have someone on the couch next to you, or hop online with someone so you can play this game. I understand the unique concept and it seems interesting, but the idea that I can only play this game when someone else’s schedule can allow it is a bit of a red flag.

Then the idea of S.E.E.D. came up and after listening to the presentation again, I still have no idea what was being talked about.

Then the new IP from BioWare hit the stage in teaser form and helped me forget about Mass Effect Andromeda for a little bit. Anthem seems to be set in a futuristic world full of mechs and we will get the reveal trailer tomorrow at Microsoft’s conference. I am VERY intrigued by what this could be.

Next, a series brought back from the dead: NBA Live 18 will be a thing that happens and the mode they were pushing was “The One”. To me, this just seems like anything you do in any mode will go to the same XP bucket, whether it’s career mode or online. This game better be worth talking about if this series is to continue on after yet another revival.

Then we wrapped up the show with the big hitter: Star Wars Battlefront II. While the first game really suffered from lack of content and a hemorrhaging community, the sequel seems more like what we fans wanted from the first game and evokes the spirit of the older Battlefront games. I liked how it was presented with the notion of the development team acknowledging the shortcomings of the last game and making that a point of focus going forward. We got to see a big battle from the prequel universe as all 3 eras (Prequel, Original, and Current) will be featured in the game. We were treated to action on the ground and in the air and it all looked amazing. This is something I will be buying day one for my PC.

That was EA, while I maybe expected to see something from Titanfall or something from other EA teams’ Star Wars offerings, what we ended up with was a decent show of things we mostly knew about. No real surprises, which is really all I was hoping for from EA. I will say I am more hyped about Battlefront II than I was going in and I will be looking forward to seeing more of Anthem.