Electronics Arts went straight to Star Wars, starting the festivities with the series’ iconic theme. Dice Studios has been working on Star Wars Battlefront. There weren’t a lot of details beyond this. The video just spoke of their passion and love for the series before teasing that we will see more in Spring 2015.
Andrew Wilson, CEO of Electronic Arts, then came to the stage wearing his best James Bond villain attire, and promised that they will show us some behind the scenes stuff besides showing just gameplay footage. He also emphasized the company’s commitment to putting players first.
Dragon Age Inquisition, complete with a live cellist came up next. As emphasized by the trailer, Dragon Age will feature an open world and an emphasis in exploration while still retaining Bioware’s focus on narrative. There was a short demo of the combat system, in which you can switch between party members to have a good feel for the action and tactics. It could be called a mixture of the classic Bioware systems from games such as Baldurs Gate and the Dragon Age Origins and more modern games. Finally we are introduced to some party memembers, and get a release date: October 7.
Straight from that we jump into a new Mass Effect game. There is very little information, except the promise that the new generations of consoles will allow for some amazing things. Bioware then announces they are also working on a new IP. Again, no real information is given, but they do claim it will be a world that feels alive and evolves.
Rachel Franklin then stepped in to talk about the Sims 4. The game promises more control over the sims, better interaction and use of personality, and the possibility of sharing your sims and other things you create with other players. The sims is set to be released on September 2nd.
UFC also had a brief appearance, showcasing some Bruce Lee gameplay, and promising the usual improvements sports games tend to get in these. More details, better physics, more options, etc… If you can’t wait to play this, it drops next week on June 17th.
We are then treated to a first look at NHL 15 gameplay. This is supposed to be the first outing for next gen systems and at least the graphics are good, but there weren’t many hard facts to report.
Criterion, of Need for Speed fame, announced a new IP. It seems to be a first person stunt game focused on different types of vehicles and experiences. No title was given, nor was there a release date.
PGA Tour also got a trailer, as well as the promise of no loading times between holes.
Madden 15 then came on display, showing off its new tiered tackling system. As with the other EA Sports franchises, it boasts new graphical improvements as well as improvements to physics. The focus seems to be more control on defense.
Dawngate, a MOBA by Electronics art seems to have a focus in story, as well as a metagame designed to allow players to choose roles, and to adapt each character to each role.
We then get to see some more of the Mirror’s Edge reboot announced at the last E3. There will be more emphasis in expanding the role of the runners as well as making combat better, a big issue in the last game. When I played the original Mirror’s Edge I felt there was a great game there that EA didn’t realize was hiding underneath the one they shipped. I hope they are able to rectify that this time.
Next up is FIFA 15, which promises more emotions, more ball physics, more physicality, prettier players, but no news of whether they are gonna do anything about the AI.
The FIFA trailer gave way directly to Battlefield Hardline. Hardline seems to bring the player in the middle of a war between cops and criminals, drawing on the original creative impulse of five-year-olds shooting at each other with finger guns. You can see the gamplay demo below:
Once the video was done, EA announced that there will be a beta for Battlefield Hardline, and it launches today. You can sign up on Battlefield.com. It is on PS4 and PC and is first come first serve. PS4 owners who have Battlefield 4 can also get it for a limited time only. EA are promising 1080p, 60fps during the the beta. It will be interesting to see if they can deliver.
That is pretty much all from EA this year. Stay tuned to see the rest of our E3 coverage.
