I went into this year’s E3 with very low expectations. Previous years have seen many yearly sequels and the same old “shoot everything that moves” gameplay. So, it was a little hard for me to get into the spirit of things this year. Luckily, there were a few things that sprang up that I was not expecting, and that made E3 2014 a bit more enjoyable.
E3 started with Microsoft, and while they didn’t show a ton of games I was interested in, the presentation was much better than last year’s — they remembered to bring the games. Sunset Overdrive and Crackdown both were looking pretty good, but, if I were to ever get an Xbox One, the Halo Master Chief Collection would likely be a big factor in that decision. The new Platinum Games exclusive, ScaleBound, sure did not hurt any, either.
Next up, we had EA. Yeah, this show was pretty boring if you were not a sports fan. I thought Dragon Age: Inquisition was looking pretty good, though. If they outline the combat more, that could turn out to be something really good.
Sony capped off the first night with their way-too-long presentation. They showed off a couple of impressive-looking exclusive titles like Bloodborne and The Order 1886. Being a fan of the Vita console, the PlayStation TV is right up my alley. Persona 4: Golden on my TV? Yes, please! The Vita got skimped over, but they never show that many Vita titles at E3, anyway. You’ll have to wait until Gamescom for that.
The next day, Nintendo did their new Treehouse thing. Honestly, this was the best idea they have had in years. They really showed off all the games they brought to show well — much better, in fact, than the others. Xenoblade Chronicles X stole the show for me. Being a long-time fan of the Xeno franchise, it pushed me over the edge to finally purchase a Wii U console. Hyrule Warriors looks like it will a blast to play, and Bayonetta 2 looks like a riot to play in that smooth-as-butter frame rate.
XSEED Games had the Senran Kagura games at E3, Shinovi Verus and Bon Appetit!, the rhythm cooking game. Both look great to me. I loved Senran Kagura: Burst on 3DS, and Shinovi Versus looks like it improves on that in every way. As for Bon Appetit!, well, the tagline says it all: “Tasty, yet Tasteless.”
Last, but certainly not least, Mortal Kombat X. Yep, being a huge fan of the series since the arcade days, I am very stoked. I remember playing Mortal Kombat in arcades as a young buck. God only knows how many quarters I fed those machines. The new game looks like it took a cue from Injustice: Gods Among Us, and incorporated the backgrounds into the action. Running at 60 FPS and at 1080p, it was enough to make your eyes get diabetes. I cannot wait to get my grubby hands on that when it releases next year.
All in all, E3 turned out much better than I expected. Sure, there were still tons of last-generation ports and yearly sequels, but there were a lot of unique and different games shown off, as well. No matter which console or genre was your favorite, there was something for you to enjoy there.
