Electronic Arts won’t be squatting in the center of the E3 show floor this year, but their press conference made a strong showing of their coming line-up.
Titanfall 2 is getting as much hype as anything EA has ever pushed. Between the straightforward but wide-ranging upgrades to multiplayer and the cinematic single player campaign finally capitalizing on the rich personality of the sci-fi setting, the second attempt at a Halo-killing blockbuster looks like it has a much better chance of success this time around.
In Titanfall 2, even the mechs will be getting personalities. The robots follow a slightly — but ominously — altered version of the Laws of Robotics set forth by Isaac Asimov. In order of priority, a Titanfall 2 mech must follow these imperatives: First, link with the pilot. Second, uphold the mission. Third, protect the pilot. If you don’t think this is very strong plot foreshadowing, you haven’t seen enough robot movies.
Interested fans will also have a chance to check out the multiplayer beta sometime before the game’s October 28th release.
Battlefield 1 also showed off some new gameplay footage, and it looks like the internet was right: this could be one hell of a game. From horses chasing down a train to fighter squadrons blowing up a massive zeppelin, the footage on display was, if anything, even more impressive than the announcement trailer. If the game can deliver on the franchise’s scale and complexity in such a novel setting — versus the visceral yet shallow approach of DICE’s last outing with Star Wars Battlefront — we may be looking at the best series shakeup since Battlefield 2142.
Mass Effect Andromeda showed up looking stronger than ever, reinvigorating hope for the next chapter of the franchise. The creators are hoping you’ll “lose yourself” in a universe that offers “more freedom” than ever before. The Mako will return for cruising across alien landscapes, ferrying custom protagonist “Rider” and his or her crew of compatriots across a strange galaxy in search of a new home for humanity.
With Star Wars projects underway at Visceral, Motive, BioWare, Respawn, and DICE, EA is making sure everyone knows how important the license is to them. There were lots of smoke and mirrors, vague hints, and brief glimpses of early footage from titles both known and unknown. Star Wars geeks like me are always happy about new potential experiences in the galaxy far, far, away, but I’d hoped for a little more substance from the publishers in regards to the multitude of products in development.
FIFA and Madden also made their annual appearances. Notably, the next incarnation of FIFA brings a narrative-based single player campaign, in which you will guide the rise of a new, fictional soccer star. Madden is touting a deeper franchise mode.
All in all, it was a surprisingly predictable song and dance from the video game mega-publisher. While it was a solid showing — Battlefield 1 and Mass Effect Andromeda looked particularly great — the announcements lacked anything apart from the wholly expected. Still, with a stable of upcoming titles like EA is packing, it’s hard to argue with playing it straight.
Follow Nate Church @Get2Church on Twitter for the latest news in gaming and technology, and snarky opinions on both.
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