Just this past week another E3 has come to a close. And while we may not be geeks or nerds; many of us are certainly gamers. After all, what better way is there to push our technical knowledge to the limit, than tweaking our computers to run the latest games optimally.
If you’re not familiar with what exactly E3 is, check out this helpful little blurb from Wikipedia:
“The Electronic Entertainment Expo, commonly known as E3, is an annual trade fair for the computer and video games industry presented by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA). It is used by many video game publishers and accessory manufacturers to show off their upcoming games and game-related merchandise. E3 is widely considered to be the ultimate expo in the video game industry and major video game critics routinely document the event and sometimes even provide a series of E3 awards. “
E3 gives us a glimpse ahead at what we have to look forward to in video gaming. And while there are tons of exciting and new titles coming out, we’d like to highlight a few PC gaming titles we think are worth talking about.
The Elder Scrolls Online – Publisher: Bethesda Studios
The Elder Scrolls franchise is one of the longest running and most popular role playing game franchises of all time. And unlike other franchises, who have forgotten their roots and abandoned what made them good, they have continued to develop and create amazing open-world games with each and every instalment. The latest of course being Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Now Bethesda is taking their game online to create a brand new massively multiplayer online game.
My thoughts: I’ve been in love with the Elder Scrolls series since the first time I played Daggerfall. I had never really played anything that was open world before, and the first person perspective in a roleplaying game blew my mind. Ever since, Bethesda has not failed to keep me happy with its series.
That is until now. I’m going to be honest here, I’m a little worried. I’ve always loved the idea of playing multiplayer with these games, but as an MMO, I just don’t know. The class system flies in the face of everything I’ve loved about this series from the beginning, and I am still recovering from the painful wounds each new patch of World of Warcraft brought. The pandering to whiny players, the constant dumbing down of the game mechanics, and the cookie cutter content regurgitation has made me extremely wary of anything with the MMO title attached to it. It could go really well, or it could break my heart. Regardless though, it is definitely something to keep an eye on as development moves along.
Hawken – Publisher: Adhesive Games
“Hawken is a multiplayer mech combat game. The game is focused on offering an intense and enjoyable battle experience that captures the feeling of piloting a heavy war machine while keeping the action fast-paced and strategic. There are two two unique team game modes in this mech combat FPS, as well as team death match and free-for-all death match.” – IGN.
So when I heard about this game, I definitely got excited. After all, here’s a new generation version of a classic sub-genre. From the above video, it looks like this game may play more like an FPS, than something you’d dust off your old joystick for. But nostalgia aside for one of my favourite and least used peripherals, Hawken promises at least some interesting game play and decent graphics, but that will only get you so far. Either way, I am eagerly looking forward to trying this game out.
Watch Dogs – Publisher: Ubisoft
Set in a alternative version of Chicago run by a supercomputer; you take on the role of Aiden Pearce, an anti-hero type hacker who uses his skills to turn that supercomputer (CtOS) into his own personal weapon, intelligence gatherer, and spy. Using both “fists and wits” to navigate your way through the game’s storyline.
My thoughts: One thing all gamer’s like to see, is something new, unique, and interesting. This game, based on the peek we had at E3, covers all three of those categories. Not only is the hacking mechanic such an interesting and unique way to interact with your game world, but the game is also visually beautiful. As long as the storyline holds up, this could be one of the best games to come out of E3 this year
A lot of great games were announced at this year’s E3, but as far as PC games are concerned, these three were the ones that really caught my eye. We’ll be taking a closer look at these games as they come to fruition, so keep an eye here for more on them in the near future.
