E3 2013 has now come and gone, yet the hype is still in the air. Nintendo had games, Sony had games and Microsoft unsuccessfully tried to kill controversy with games. It was one of the more eventful industry showings which bodes well for the transition in to the new console generation. This leads us to the same question we ask every year: what are the best games of E3? Well, here are your answers:

Andres’ Choice:
Super Smash Bros.

If anyone knows how to stick with what they know, it’s Nintendo. This E3, they stood by that mantra stronger than ever. One of their biggest reveals was the fourth entry in the Super Smash Bros. series which exemplified more of the idea that video games are sometimes about pure unbridled fun.

As a game coming out for both the Wii U and the Nintendo 3DS, I am particularly eager to see a game that doesn’t lose any quality in its mobile format, as has often been the case for years. Thanks to the power of the 3DS, Super Smash Bros.for Wii U/3DS is looking to be a beautiful fighter on both consoles, even with some platform-specific stages and art styles to make them both different in their own way, rather than making the 3DS version simply a half-assed carbon copy to throw onto their other system.

Then there’s the inclusion of such characters as a Villager from Animal Crossing and the Wii Fit Trainer from Wii Fit. If you say you saw that second one coming, you’d be lying. It’s this silliness that feels so refreshing among the “console wars” every year. While they may not seem completely different every year, Nintendo always dishes out some quality titles, focusing on their strengths, and Super Smash Bros. is shaping up to look like another great example of that.

Yamilia’s Choice:
The Evil Within

Emily’s Choice:
Sony’s Indie Push

For me, the highlight of E3 2013 was during the Sony press conference, but not for the reasons you might think. Used games and standing ovations are all well and good, but what I found most exciting was Sony’s stance on indie developers. When I heard that Outlast, a survival horror game I played at PAX East, was going to be on the PS4, and that it would be one of the three free indie titles Sony was giving away, that very nearly sealed the deal for me. And Octodad: Dadliest Catch, quite possibly the most creative and clever concept for a game to date, is also going to be on the PS4! Finally, I’ve got my eyes on Transistor, the latest title from the developers that made Bastion. Although not much is known yet, it looks fantastic, and will likewise see release on the PS4. Not to mention that indie devs can self-publish using the PS4. To me, this was the best part about E3.

Henry’s Choice:
Mirror’s Edge 2

If you’ve read pretty much anything games-related that I’ve ever written, my high point of E3 shouldn’t come as a surprise. Clue: what’s been rumoured to exist for five years, has two thumbs and a lot of red things? Star Wars Battlefront could roughly fit that description, but I’m talking about Mirror’s Edge 2. Yes, finally I will be able to jump over, slide under, and fall off more things in the beautifully rendered city as my home girl Faith slips back into her old shoes (technically the shoes have changed as far as we’ve seen in the trailer, but I digress). The teaser seemed fairly confidently set on combat, which worried some, but at this point I’m so desperate I’ll chomp up whatever they throw at me, while I throw back at them every bit of money I have.

Alissa’s Choice:
The Wonderful 101

I got stuck at my day job for most of the E3 reveals and I’m god awful terrible at catching up on news I missed, so I didn’t really get a ton of the E3 experience. I was however both off work and awake for the Nintendo Direct pseudo-press conference and holy crap: The Wonderful 101 looks great. The game was at E3 last year under the working title P-100 and teased as a WiiU launch title. Likewise, P-100 was shown at PAX Prime last year where I first heard of it and it looked epic then. The gameplay looks similar to Pikmin, but instead of throwing cute little plant-toids at animals, you’re merging tons of everyday humans into giant weapons and beating the shit out of epic monsters. The multiplayer featured in the Nintendo Direct reveal looks pretty fantastic as well. I’ve had my eye on The Wonderful 101 for a year or so now and I’ll definitely be picking it up as soon as I’m able.

Mike’s Choice:
That Dragon, Cancer

I’ve already written about this, but it bears mentioning again because some things deserve as much attention as possible. That Dragon, Cancer was hands-down the most memorable game of E3.

A big part of why this game left such an impression is admittedly the fact that it’s based on the developer’s son’s medical issues, but that is only part of the story. It would be just as emotionally powerful if it were not based on actual events thanks to its heartbreakingly evocative sound design and writing.

More than simply a story, this is a fully interactive point-and-click game whose moment-to-moment objectives and challenges are as tense and meaningful as any title I can think of. That Dragon, Cancer is a tough, uncompromising, and shockingly accurate depiction of every parent’s nightmare, and I dare you to play it and not be moved beyond words.

Josh’s Choice:
Tom Clancy’s: The Division

With E3 come and gone, there was a lot shown and a lot talked about, so this is difficult. With so many games announced during the next-gen launch window, there is a lot I’m more than excited about.

Out of everything I watched, the only game I still actively think about and anticipate every day is The Division. A new title in the Tom Clancy universe, it took me by surprise by realizing there is another Tom Clancy game besides Splinter Cell I want to play. Everything about it looked ideal: the online play, the world and its inhabitants, the combat, and the fact that it looks like it has a leveling up system implemented tells me I need to play this game.

I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that graphics can look better than they do now. The Division being what appears to be an open world with many different areas and missions, there will obviously be a drop in graphical fidelity, but this game kept my jaw dropping. From the molotov thrown to trash and snow blowing in the wind at an impressive framerate, this is a game I’m sure I will spend more than my fair share of hours with. Now all we need is a release date.

Chris’s Choice:
Titanfall

This was actually a surprisingly easy E3 for me to judge. Four games stood above all the others honestly, but only one game made me sit back and go wow. Dead Rising 3 looks great (especially since I’m playing State of Decay right now), but it is trying to turn in to an action game and that is killing the fun strategy element I love. I’m a huge Road Warrior fan, so Mad Max was kinda awesome. Unfortunately its way to brown and gray for Mad Max. Those movies had amazing blue skies that contrasted the burnt skin of the survivors and made something more than the washed out colors of the trailer. Then there was the game nobody really is talking about in The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot which looks like a lot of fun if I was in to free to play hack and slash MMOs.

Then there was Titanfall. Titanfall was interesting, fast paced, and fun to watch. Sure it was tainted by the stench of the Xbox One during their conference, but then it was revealed as a PC and Xbox 360 title and all was forgiven. This is what we should have expected from the team that made Call of Duty a household name. You have giant mech vs human gameplay that looks fairly balanced and more importantly, it looks immensely rewarding for those that will be investing in to the game.

It is an online focused FPS that I would want to play. That means something coming from the RPG guy on staff. Titanfall looks to be well worth all the lawsuits and shady garbage that came out of the Respawn break.

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We survived, but at what cost? Yami’s soul, mostly. After being understaffed, overworked, and underpaid, Mike and I sat down to tell you all how E3 went for us. We go over some tips for newcomers, what were our favorite games, the parties we fist pumped at, and the wonderful people we met. I also do a lot of seat twirling because my chair has restless foot syndrome.

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I hate covering E3. I know, I’m not supposed to complain… but I will anyway. The glitz, the glamor, the swag, it’s all a gigantic lie. And you know that I don’t lie to you, so I’m here to break the misconceptions that seem to surround being a “gaming journalist” at E3.

We should be allowed to complain.

When E3 was impending and I knew I had to cover it with just one other Twinfiknight in LA, I turned to Twitter and let the world know just how little I was looking forward to that. Every single damn time, I’d get at least one person (never someone that’s actually covered E3) telling me to quit complaining. No. No. No, no, no. No.

It’s not all fun.

When I look back on E3, I remember it fondly as a life experience. Or at least I hope I will, as the time of this writing I am still waiting for my flight out of LA. But last year it worked that way. During E3, I wanted to quit Twinfinite. I wanted to go on our web hosting account, shut it down, run away, and never look back. Maybe shave my head and join a monk monestary. It’s that crushing. It’s shave-your-head-and-have-a-meltdown crushing.

I’d lay at night staring at the ceiling thinking about how exhausted I am and how little fun I actually get to have as the boss of a site working a convention. I got to play one game this year. One. If you say people are in this for anything other than passion for the game, you haven’t actually covered a convention. You haven’t seen what I’ve seen.

The exhaustion is palpable.

Everyone looks like ass.

Your eyes have become raccoonish, your skin is a pale shell, and you’ve probably developed a distinct limp. That’s what tends to happen when you’re working for 10+ hours a day on 3- hours of sleep. Not to mention when diets consist of “whatever is fastest.”

You don’t get to see shit.

What the hell is Dying Light?

You literally get to see shit.

Why did Konami focus so much attention on their mobile games?

You don’t usually get to be around the famous people in the industry.

I saw Felicia Day once and did a creepy double-take that she totally noticed. This was as I was rushing to an appointment so I couldn’t stop and fangirl like an idiot. Who you’re mostly around is your team, and hopefully your personal friends within the industry. That is to say if there’s even time for that…

There is absolutely no time.

No, I will not be able to meet you anywhere. No, it will not help us to exchange numbers because I literally do not have time to even eat. I mean, there is actually a box reserved on the Twinfinite schedule document that says: “Remember to eat.” If you’re working E3, you’re jumping around covering games. Twinfinite had two people there, we were going from appointment to appointment with no rest in between. Maybe once we’re not understaffed, maybe. But I see friends at larger sites having the same amount of trouble.

You want to grab lunch? Ain’t nobody got time for that.

Booth babes/bros are plentiful.

I had this dumb idea for a feature that involved me taking ugly selfies with booth babes. I managed to find maybe four. Four doth an article not make. So basically, thanks to there being almost no booth babes or bros, I look like a huge creep with four random selfies of half naked women on my SD card.

So much swag.

I got a journal, some pins, one shirt, and a lanyard. Big pimpin’, amirite?

Does this all not mean a thing to you?

Oh, that’s fine. Watch my E3 video diary above to get an idea of exactly how it went. Note, however, that before E3 I had great plans for the diary. It was going to be hourly. It was going to cover everything. Did it, though? Did it? You’ll see how exhausted I was that I only remembered/had time for two minute’s worth of footage.

The post E3 – The Misconceptions That Need to be Stopped appeared first on Twinfinite: Video game news, reviews, opinions, and community..

It’s no secret that this E3 was particularly hard on us. We only had two on-site correspondents and one of them (me) sprained their ankle on day 0 of the trip. Naturally, I had to limp to every conference, appointment, and meeting room to get shit done. Nothing got done. Originally, this video was going to be a dance through the showfloor. I was going to bust my moves at the most popular E3 locations, but then I decided to tweak it a bit so it’d fit our new situation a little better.

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Instead of giving out an excess amount of awards like we usually do at cons, this year we decided to narrow it down to five games that totally blew us away. Not an easy feat, considering the sheer number of games available at E3. Ladies and gentlemen, we present you with the winners of Twinfinite’s 2013 Drool Awards. These are in no particular order:

The Evil Within

The Walking Dead: 400 Days

Spin the Bottle: Bumpie’s Party

Saints Row IV

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

We had trouble picking our favorites together, but decided ultimately that these five stood above the rest in terms of fun, intrigue, and polished gameplay.

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As mentioned in our preview, Spin the Bottle: Bumpie’s Party can make two people get really close.  Get ready to laugh at how much of an idiot I am with our gameplay footage above. Notice how I don’t look at him despite it being okay to do so, and that I raise my arms up immediately after passing the wiimote thinking we had to do another revolution.

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Let me recount to you the ways in which I love this game. I would like to preface by saying that I was mostly unimpressed by E3 by the time I got to our Indiecade appointment. Annoyed that my foot was hurt, tired from walking so much with it, and bored by most presentations, I was ready to fall into a dark place. Enter Spin the Bottle: Bumpie’s Party.

My fondest memories of growing up involve video games. But not just any, rather, the ones that had me pitted against or in teams with my brother, cousins, or friends as we played through a game in the same room. I know, crazy concept. Spin the Bottle brings that concept back, and reminds us all why nothing will ever beat playing together in the same room.

The best way to describe it is: “Wario Ware in real life.” You’re doing ridiculous minigames, always paired with someone else, and always getting personal. It’s a fantastic bonding experience as you’re forced to work together to complete the minigame. Sometimes you won’t be looking at each other, sometimes you’ll have to communicate blindly, and most of the time you’ll be getting really personal with them.

A notable minigame had me passing a wiimote in between my legs and through Lau Krosgaard (one of the developers) in order for us to complete the minigame. For bonus points (which will always pop up with each challenge and add difficulty to it), we had to not communicate at all.

Spin the Bottle: Bumpie’s Party is sure to capture the hearts of families as well as drunken frat bros. It has the magic of Wario Ware with the togetherness that Mario Party’s minigames brought. You should definitely keep your eye on this gem (that received one of our five Drool Awards) when it comes out for the Wii U’s eshop in July.

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There have been many video game series that could stake a claim on being the best of the past few years. One dark-horse contender that has slowly crept up the ranks of public consciousness is The Witcher. The original and its sequel presented rich and complex storytelling, unique combat, and a mature dark fantasy world to explore. While the first game took a long time to find its audience, The Witcher 2 was an instant hit which means expectations are through the roof with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. We stopped by the CD Projekt Red meeting room at E3 to see footage from this game, and man oh man were we impressed.

The developers started off by giving a bit of background about the story setup for The Witcher 3 (Reader’s Digest version — monsters attacking from the south and Geralt embarking on a personal journey), and then showed us about 40 minutes of gameplay. They prefaced the demonstration by saying that the game was still in pre-alpha and that we should bear that in mind. I found that quite amusing actually, because even in this state it looks nearly as good as just about anything else out in the market right now. The world presented is absolutely massive and beautifully detailed. For perspective, the island sections we saw were twice as large as the entire world of The Witcher 2. According to CD Projekt Red’s fact sheet, the world of the Witcher 3 is 35 (!) times larger than that of its predecessor.

Not only is this world huge, but it is full of characters. The developers really wanted to make this as much of a living world as possible, and the behavior and actions of non-playable characters is dictated by time of day, weather, and random occurrences. Along with people to talk to, this world is full of dozens of enemy types. There are no bosses in The Witcher 3 per se, but the process of taking some down has to do with much more than loading up on potions and button mashing. You need to study the land, search for clues, and figure out the enemy before going into a fight. It’s an incredibly innovative mechanic that rewards an inquisitive mind as much as a quick sword.

One of the most appealing characteristics of a developer like CD Projekt Red is that they are incredibly ambitious, and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt might be one of the boldest RPGs by any developer in a very long time. I can’t wait to see how this game turns out once it’s ready for release.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is scheduled for release in 2014.

Click here to view the embedded video.

You can also check out our brief interview with CD Projekt Red.

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The IndieCade booth was so nice, I visited it twice. One of my biggest regrets about my time at E3 was that I wasn’t able to play all the games on display. Two of my absolute favorites came from this space, and my second visit yielded even more excellent titles. Here are three in particular that just blew my mind and made me giddy with pure video game delight.

Perfection

Perfection is an iOS/Android title by Greg Lobanov. It is a low-stress, Zen-like puzzle game. You are provided with a random shape and the outline of a different shape laid on top of it. Using the touch screen, you can crop off bits to make the bottom image fit into the outline. There is no time limit, nor is there a specified number of moves you can take. What is really cool about this one is that all of the shapes can potentially be cropped to perfection (hence the title — see what I did there?) in one move. This twist changes your strategy as you rotate and manipulate the puzzle to do it like the pros. The laid-back gameplay and ambient music make this a perfect game for passing the time on the bus, or for stretching one’s brain with a neat challenge. Perfection is $0.99 at the App Store, and you can get more information about it here.

TowerFall

“TowerFall is Super Smash Bros. on crack.”

That was a direct quote from another developer I spoke to who recommended I check this out. This game is a four-player archery battle game in which you have only three arrows (which can be recovered) to fire at enemies. One hit is all it takes to kill or die, and there are warp tunnels straight out of Mario Bros. or Pac Man that can give you a tactical advantage. It’s fast-paced, easy to learn, and ridiculously addictive.

As a side note, while I was playing with the composer a small group of executives from Nintendo came and asked him questions about the game. It may have been mere curiosity on their part, but to have gotten Nintendo’s attention means this game is doing something right.

TowerFall is set to be released on June 25, 2013 on the Ouya. You can get more information about this game here.

Pedandeck

Pedandeck is a bit of an indulgence as it is not a video game, strictly speaking. This is a card game developed by Brian Schrank which is designed to play with social mores and peer pressure. The basic gameplay is that a group of friends each has his/her own deck, and you select cards based on the awkward social situation you have witnessed or created.

Here’s an example: If you witness (or cause — there are many delightful trolling opportunities here) somebody criticizing anyone’s gender or sex decisions, you can pull out the ‘Crotch Cop’ card on them and claim 70 points. If somebody gets superior on a person who has not interest in politics or voting, collect a handy 50 points for ‘Civilord.’ My personal favorite is if you troll someone into accusing you of being racially insensitive towards white people, you can literally play the ‘Race Card’ on them and pick up a tidy 70 points. At the end of the day/week/whatever, you get together with your friends and count up sweet sweet points to declare a winner. I don’t know about you, but thanks to Pedandeck my Christmas shopping for 2013 is pretty much sorted and it’s only June.

Pedandeck can be purchased here for $8.99. Check it out, and have fun trolling the world!

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Me: “But Yami, I hate Suda 51 games!”
Yami: “Too bad. His games are popular with our readers and we need to cover that stuff.”
Me: “Okay, fine. Fine.”

That’s pretty much how the discussion went prior to me approaching a PS3 at the Xseed Games booth and trying out Suda 51′s upcoming Killer is Dead. The woman there got me set up and provided me with some helpful information about the basic mechanics, and away I went. In some ways, I saw what I expected in that it has a heavily anime-influenced style and a slightly demented world-view. What I wasn’t expecting was that by the end of the demo I was having a lot of fun.

The level I played involved you assaulting an office tower for the purpose of assassinating a priority target. At its core, this is basically a third-person brawler like Devil May Cry but with button mashing as an acceptable combat strategy. Along with sword and dodge attacks, you can also use secondary measures such as bullets, an ice beam, a giant drill, or a laser to help clear out enemies. The controls were intuitive and provided a seamless gameplay experience to compliment the style on display; something Suda 51′s games tend not to do well.

While the combat isn’t terribly varied (laser for the win), there are enough different kinds of enemies and clever animations on display to keep you interested. If you’re already a fan of Suda, then you’re not interested in what I have to say because you’ve already pre-ordered this game. If you’re on the fence or not a fan of his previous work, this might be one to check out.

Killer is Dead is scheduled for release August 27, 2013 on PS3 and XBox 360.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Here it is! The final day of E3 2013 is upon us, and it’s time for the final push towards the finish line. There are only a few appointments, and plenty of time to get things done. Let’s see if any of that actually happens though.

8:45AM

Oops. Looks like we’re not making that first appointment, I’m not too concerned however because frankly I am too tired to think straight even after sleeping in this much.

10:30AM

We get to the convention center, and I go have a quiet cup of coffee and muffin before the final push. It’s a nice quiet moment in the middle of this slowed-down-but-still-chaotic place.

12:00PM

Our appointment with CD Projekt Red for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt begins, and it is swagtastic. I get a T-shirt, a free copy of Edge magazine, and codes for the first two Witcher games. SCORE! The cherry on top of it all is that the game looks phenomenal even at this early stage, so I don’t have to feel awkward about sharing my thoughts about it.

2:00PM

Yami and I make our way through the show floors filming footage for her video project in which she lamely limps through the throngs of people. I suspect that when she’s done editing, it will either be hilarious or heartbreaking.

2:15PM

I’M FREE! I don’t meet with Sega for another hour, so it’s time to hit the floor and check out some of the booths that I missed. It had kind of a dual effect on my though; it was great to explore, but it really showed just how much I’ve missed out on these past few days. Well, c’est la vie.

4:30PM

Back from meeting Sega and it’s time to get writing. The next hour and a half is spent finishing articles before the whole thing closes down once and for all.

6:00PM

And that wraps up E3 2013. I am feeling amazingly energized as we leave the convention center and in search of dinner. I call my wife and daughter to tell them about my day, and it’s the perfect end to a wonderful day.

The Best Thing About Day 4:

We had great appointments (thanks Yami) and got to see a bunch of cool stuff, but the best part of today was the three hours when I had no appointments and could just wander. I strolled through the show floors and got to just be part of things without having to race around. I stopped and played some games I’d noticed out of the corner of my eye but didn’t have time to try, and went back to my IndieCade safe haven.

The Worst Thing About Day 4:

There is just so much to see and play that it is impossible to cover it all, especially when there are just two of you. Not being able to play Dark Souls 2 is something I particularly regret, as is missing out on so many of the indie games that could have benefited from our coverage.

What I Learned About E3 on Day 4:

1. Live for the final day. The way to do E3 is to get all your appointments out of the way on the first and second days, and allow yourself the chance to explore at the end. You’ll inevitably discover something you weren’t expecting to find, and you get to finish off E3 on a high note. Seriously, after Day 1, I was just about ready to pack it in and go home. By the end of today I was ready to go for another week.

2. When it’s all over, go out for a nice meal. I have eaten so much fast food and crap this past week, it’s ridiculous. Once we got back to where we were staying, Yami and I went across the street for Thai food. It’s funny; neither of us had noticed that our hotel was situated in what seems to be LA’s Thai community — there are seven restaurants and two grocery stores in the immediate vicinity. There’s nothing like some real food to make you feel like a functioning human again.

3. The video game community is made up of passionate and wonderful people. It has been a delight to make new friends, work alongside Yami, and feel like part of something larger in this world. This final post is a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to all of them, and to you reading this, for a memorable and exciting E3 2013.

The post E3 – Day 4 Diary: Reflections appeared first on Twinfinite: Video game news, reviews, opinions, and community..

One of my big secret shames as a decades-long video game enthusiast is that I’ve never really played a Sonic the Hedgehog game before. Naturally I’m familiar with them and have a basic understanding of how they work, but I never knew anyone with a Sega console so it was perpetually out of reach. There was no better place to experience Sonic than at E3, where I had some hands-on time with the upcoming Sonic Lost World on the Wii U.

As I sit down at the station, confess my ignorance of all things Sonic to the lovely Sega rep. She laughs and says something that has been my mantra since starting at Twinfinite: “It’s never too late.” She gives me some background to Sonic Lost World, explaining the back story that this installment involves our hero needing to navigate six unique worlds and defeat bosses to each one in pursuit of Eggman. I nod my head while taking in approximately 9% of what she said, press the ‘+’ button and dig in.

This is a fully 3D Sonic game, and the 3DS version of it will be as well (although that game will have its own unique mechanics specific to that system’s hardware). The thing it reminded me of most was Super Mario Galaxy for its gravity/sphere-based traversal level design, as well as being blasted through the massive game space. Despite this apparent influence, there are many signature Sonic features such as a focus on speed an momentum to clear zones as flawlessly as possible. There were three areas I played in the demo; the first two were standard levels with the objective of collecting rings and freeing those little animal things that you are supposed to free. The last level was a time-challenge map in which you are to blast (process?) your way through a level, avoid falling, and collect as many points as possible.

One thing I do know about Sonic games is that in recent years they can be pretty hit-or-miss. Based on what I’ve played, I think it was a hell of a lot of fun and it kind of makes me want to go back and see what I’ve been missing all these years.

Sonic Lost World is slated for release on the Wii U and Nintendo 3Ds in Holiday 2013.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Full disclosure: One of my favorite genres is Real Time Strategy, and 2006′s Company of Heroes is easily one of my favorite games in that genre. The perfect balance between accessibility, complex systems, and historical accuracy resonates on so many levels as a video game enthusiast. It was a pleasure to sit down and try out the single player campaign of Relic Entertainment’s long-awaited follow up, Company of Heroes 2 at the Sega booth at E3.

While the original game focused on the allied assault from D-Day to the end of the European campaign, this one covers the Eastern front; the site of some of the bloodiest and most brutal combat the world has ever known. Aside from the absolutely stunning detail in the visuals, there are three primary components which Relic has added to this game. The first one is ‘Cold Tech’, which factors the brutal cold of the Russian winter into combat — Ice breaks and refreezes, snow has depth that can impede progress, and blizzards can decimate exposed units. The second component is ‘True Line of Sight’, in which a unit can only see as far and wide as it would in real life. This addition increases the need for tactical awareness at all times because enemies could literally be right around the corner. The final addition is simply ‘Vaulting’, which improves the movement options for units.

The section I played was a middle chapter of the single-player campaign. I took control of Russian forces as we retook a city and had to defend it from a German counterattack. Many of the basic commands and unit types are similar to COH 1, but with the new environmental factors it felt like a new kind of experience. All of a sudden, a frozen river became a death trap as a well-placed grenade could cause a tank to sink to the icy waters below. In the end, I successfully defended the town but it was not easy. The enemy AI is much improved in this installment, and I shudder to think what they have in store in later levels.

Company of Heroes 2 will be released on June 25, 2013 on PC.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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While we would have loved to have a sneak peek at the PS4 in action (and I’m pretty sure Yami would have cut someone for the chance), we did manage to have a look at one part of the Sony empire. We spent some time with staff from Sony Online Entertainment and they showed us an MMO that they are going to be releasing shortly; Dragon’s Prophet.

This game is being developed by Taiwan based Runewalker Entertainment. This is an action MMORPG which has some differences from most games of its type. This one is DPS-focused, which means that attacks are not automatic and are dependent on the skill of the player rather than character level. Balancing this potentially game-breaking feature is the addition of dragon companions. Different dragons have different skills, and they can be customized and traded in and out of the game as you see fit. Another difference is that this game doesn’t use a traditional skill tree system. Instead, a series of abilities appear based on your in-game points and can be learned in any order. Finally, it has an in-game social system in which your friendships can yield you experience points even if you aren’t playing.

I’ll be honest; I’m not the biggest fan of MMOs, but Dragon’s Prophet has definitely captured my interest. Its active battles, fully 3D explorable environments, and dragon companions that you can ride around on… DID I NOT MENTION THAT YOU CAN RIDE DRAGONS IN THIS GAME? All of that, plus a learning curve that is designed to help newcomers to the genre, makes for a game that might be worth checking out.

Dragon’s Prophet is free-to-play and will be released on PC in late summer 2013. You can also join their open beta here.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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One of the most anticipated meetings of the entire E3 conference was with Telltale Games as they were showing off their new DLC for just about everybody’s favorite game of last year. The Walking Dead: 400 Days is a series of side stories taking place around a particular location at specific points between Day Zero and Day 400 of the zombie outbreak. The story follows five characters, each brought to that place by different circumstances and with stories that accentuate the slow march to extinction which is playing out.

The demo we were shown involved Vince, who is on a prison transport as the outbreak is just beginning. The approaching dead, as well as the escalating situation between inmates and guards on the bus, creates an excruciatingly tense scene that we’ve come to expect and love from this game. As is standard with all things Walking Dead, this episode concludes with you having to make (and live with) an impossible decision that dictates your experience from that point forward.

The total length of this content is approximately that of an episode from Season 1, and each of the five stories within can be tackled in any chronological order. The developer we spoke to stated that while this DLC only requires Season 1: Episode 1 to have been completed, he recommended that players not get into this one until the whole thing has been done — choices made and actions taken affect the outcome of this DLC and having played will yield the richest experience.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Walking Dead: 400 Days is coming out in July 2013, and it will be priced at $4.99. For PS Vita owners, it will also be coming out bundled with Season 1 on August 1, 2013.

Season 2 of The Walking Dead by Telltale Games is slated for release in late 2013.

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Today was the first day at E3 when I felt like I marginally had some idea about what I was doing. I enjoyed covering all the games I saw and talked with some really interesting people, which is what it’s all about for me.

7:15AM

I slept a little later than I wanted, but it wasn’t a big deal today. Today’s pace will be nothing like yesterday’s, which was completely ridiculous. Today will be better, Yami tells me.

(I think Yami is trying to kill me).

8:30AM

We arrive at the convention center and go straight to the media room. I spend an hour and a half writing like a madman to get caught up on previews and this diary, but manage to get myself a muffin and some coffee. I’m feeling more like a professional games journalist each day.

10:00AM

Time to meet up with Telltale Games and have a look at new Walking Dead content. The people who work there are so unassuming and friendly; I’ll bet Telltale is a great place to work.

11:00 AM

“What’s that, Yami? I have … free time?” *runs to nearest computer and feverishly writes.

2:00PM

My visit to IndieCade is easily the most memorable stop for me of everything I’ve seen to date. This booth had games that literally made me cry, laugh out loud, and think. Anyone who says that only cutting edge technology and graphics can create ‘emotional experiences’ is a moron.

4:00PM

Catching some rays from the shining sun that is Yami, I meet some notable industry people. Niero and Hamza from Destructoid are introduced and they seem like really nice guys. Upon reflection, I’m pretty sure they were confused about why Yami brought her uncle to E3.

7:00PM

Day 3 is finished, which means Night 3 is just beginning. Time to head to the Saints Row IV party.

9:30PM

I realize at this point that I haven’t eaten anything since around noon and am dying of hunger and exhaustion. Thankfully, this party will be over soon…

10:45PM

…But I get pulled along by Yami to the Wargaming party at another club to see a DJ named Zedd. Apparently he’s a super big deal, and I’ll admit he is a great DJ considering he’s only 11 years old.

12:00PM

Back to the hotel and I am starving. I find a 24 hour Subway, inhale a meatball sub, and crash back in my room.

The Best Thing About Day 3:

IndieCade. Hands down. I’m going back there tomorrow for sure.

The Worst Thing About Day 3:

I won’t name names, but trying to write in the media room while other press are having a loud, expletive-filled conversation about the party they were at last night is a little frustrating to say the least. Look; I don’t mean to be Mr. Buzzkill, but the media room is a space to work. Take that stuff outside.

What I Learned About E3 on Day 3:

1. Indie booths are where it’s at. There are no lines, you get to meet the developers themselves who are the most amazingly fascinating people, and the purity of creativity on display here really washes away the feeling of being dehumanized during the first couple of days.

2. The food court at the convention center is not that bad, and I’m not sure what all the complaining by other outlets was all about. Maybe they had the sushi, in which case it’s really their fault for making such a poor decision.

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There’s nothing quite like an appointment with the president.

We had the chance to visit Deep Silver’s booth at E3, get some hands-on time with the upcoming Saints Row IV, and even have a quick interview with one of the developers. All in all, it was a really nice time. Enough about that however; you all want to know about the game.

The demo we got to try out was basically the opening mission of Saints Row IV. It picks up with you as the President of the United States (because why not, really) who is faced with an alien invasion on ‘the White Crib’. Many of your pals from the previous game are around, with one notable new addition being Vice President Keith David (played by Keith David, naturally). Right from the opening frame, this game is every bit as ridiculous and funny as its predecessors so fans can rest assured that Volition has not lost their edge.

The story goes that you are captured by the alien invaders and find yourself in some kind of Matrix-like simulation. Why? Who the hell knows. Anyway, the cool thing about this section is that you have superpowers not unlike Activision’s Prototype. You can run, jump, and glide around the city — and of course vehicles are available too. All weapons are completely customizable and incredibly fun to use. Everybody knows about the Dubstep Gun, which is hilarious, but it doesn’t hold a candle to the Singularity Gun which creates a black hole that consumes everything in its path (including you if you’re not careful). Causing wanton destruction in this game was fun to a degree that I hadn’t felt since Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.

The only thing about this demo that didn’t really impress me was that Saints Row IV doesn’t really look that much better than the previous game. It still looks great, but honestly the game comes across like more of an expansion than a full release. Content-wise, this game promises a metric ton of ‘did I just see/do/say that?’ moments to enjoy.

Saints Row IV is set for release on August 20, 2013 on PS3, XBox 360, and PC. Also, check out our interview with Volition developer Scott Phillips.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Not that anyone’s keeping score, but CD Projekt Red might have had the coziest and friendliest meeting space in the entire convention center. Their presentation on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was outstanding, and they were cool enough to let us ask them a few awkward questions. I was a little starstruck — I’ll own that.

Check out the video above, and enjoy.

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Eidos Montreal is the studio that brought Deus Ex into the current generation of gaming with Human Revolution. As a follow up, their next big project is to do the same thing to the classic Thief series.

This is the fourth game in the franchise (it was actually previously to be called Thief 4 but they dropped the number at some point), and it takes place in a medieval/steampunk world in which you play as master thief Garrett. The objectives here are sneaking in and out of buildings, stealing well-guarded items, and slipping out undetected. As is standard with the finest stealth games, Thief provides you with a number of options for getting around. This demo focused on a particularly direct path which necessitated you using a variety of gadgets such as water arrows for dousing torches, regular arrows for killing guards, and spots for putting up ropes to climb out of trouble. You are also provided with a Focus ability, which highlights important items, weapons, and enemy positions. To draw a comparison, it is similar to the Detective Mode in the Batman: Arkham games.

Thief‘s user interface is cleverly designed in that it shows a kind of shadow around the periphery of the screen to communicate that you are hidden from view. One modern stealth feature which was shown off in this demo is that if you are discovered, combat is a viable option. The Focus ability can be used to identify an enemy’s weakness for you to exploit which triggers a nice takedown animation.

Climbing, fighting, shooting, and sneaking are the tools of the professional, and Thief appears to have them all well in hand. It is slated for release on PS4, XBox One, and PC in 2014.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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We had the opportunity to watch a demo of Wolfenstein: The New Order and get some hands-on time with it as well. This is the newest upcoming title from MachineGames, which is made up of former members of Starbreeze Studios (Chronicles of Riddick, The Darkness).

Wolfenstein: The New Order picks up in an alternate history 1960 in which Germany won World War II and have dominated the planet for nearly two decades. Series Protagonist B.J. Blazkowicz awakens from a coma and begins his attempt to take them down, one bullet at a time. The demo we saw showed two sequences; the first was a scene where you encounter villain Frau Engel and her right-hand man Bubi. Here, she forces you to play a mini-game with the possible consequence of being killed if you choose wrong. It’s an incredibly tense scene, and Engel and Bubi are a couple of really, really creepy characters. In the case of the latter, at first I thought what creeped me out about him was some kind of uncanny valley effect, but actually it’s the look of hedonistic glee in his eyes that set me on edge. The second demo was gameplay, in which you make your way across  a ruined bridge using a variety of weapons such as a plasma rifle, auto shotgun, and welding gun.

The playable demo begins with you being driven to a facility by an ally, who drops you off at the front gate and then promptly drives into the building and sets off a car bomb. Your job is to navigate the ruined lot and get to the top of the facility, avoiding soldiers and mechs along the way. Wolfenstein: The New Order runs on ID Tech 5, and it is a shiny and crisp looking game. There are a bunch of weapons to choose from and the game makes a welcome old-school choice to let you carry them all if you want. While the weapons themselves are high-tech and unique looking, the mechanics of this game are as old as the franchise which basically invented this genre. This is a meat-and-potatoes shooter with some surprisingly effective character and plot moments beyond the fray.

Wolfenstein: The New Order is scheduled for release on PS3/4, XBox 360/One, and PC in December 2013. Also, check out our interview with Narrative Designer Tommy Björk.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Final Fantasy XIV, Square Enix’s ambitious MMO, had a 2010 launch that was, ahem, rocky. It was very poorly received by fans and critics alike, so the developer took it back to the drawing board. The revised version, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, was shown here at E3.

The first part of our time with this game was being shown a trailer, mostly consisting of CG footage. It outlines a bit of the story, which seemed to me to be pretty standard fare for Final Fantasy (sample quote: “I would feast upon your aether!” – hilarious). Basically, it kind of came across like Final Fantasy fan fiction.

The gentleman who presented on the game didn’t go into any real detail about improvements to the core game, but instead focused on features such as the character customization menu. While I was more interested in what they’d learned from the experience of the failed launch a few years ago, it was somewhat of a consolation to know that you can give your female black mage a face tattoo (I can think of one staff member here who just got very interested in this game). In addition to these cosmetic features, players are also able to customize their combat style and choose companions that can sync with each others’ levels. Essentially, their stated goal is to get people into the game as quickly as possible. For players who wish to have more of a solo experience, a chocobo companion can be created to assist you.

Thus ended the presentation, but we were invited to take part in the Ifrit challenge. This consisted of our group choosing a character class and working together to take down the classic Primal (‘Primal’ being this game’s term for summon monsters). We fought bravely and actually had it down to a sliver of health, but were consumed by Hellfire and completely annihilated. To its credit, the game played pretty well and I didn’t experience any issues for the short demonstration. Perhaps this is the sign of better things to come?

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is coming to PS3 and PC on August 27, 2013. It will also be coming to PS4 in 2014.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Legendary video game developer Shinji Mikami has gone back to the genre that put him on the map in the first place. The Evil Within is his first horror game since the landmark Resident Evil 4, and we got to watch a demo of it at E3.

In introducing this game, Mikami said that he wanted to get back to the original roots of the Survival Horror genre and provide a truly scary experience. The story of The Evil Within goes that you play as a detective who is called to the scene of an abandoned asylum. As you arrive, you are met by nothing but about a dozen abandoned police cars. As you step inside to investigate, you see dead bodies everywhere…well, except for the one that knocks you out and captures you. The first part of the gameplay demo has you escaping from captivity and trying to get away from a guy with a chainsaw. The combination of the grubby and dark atmosphere, excellent sound design, and accurate character animations made this an incredibly memorable sequence.

From here, the demo switched over to a section which showed off The Evil Within‘s combat. There weren’t really any surprises here; over-the-shoulder shooting in which enemies (Zombies? Cultists? This part was never really made clear) come at you. As with Resident Evil 4, they react depending on where you shoot them so aiming at the knees looks to be a good option. While there appears to be plenty of ammunition and equipment spread around the asylum, enemies don’t look like they go down to easy so perhaps running might be a viable option at times. The demo concluded with what appears to be the sudden beginning (or end as the case may be) of a boss fight, and a quick fade to black.

The Evil Within is scheduled to come out sometime in 2014 on PS3/4, XBox 360/One, and of course PC. Based on what was shown, this game may well represent a nice return to form for Shinji Mikami as well as a statement that it is still possible to pull off survival horror in a AAA game.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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At Sony’s E3 Conference earlier this week, one of the low lights for many people was the trailer for Bethesda’s upcoming MMO, The Elder Scrolls Online. While it didn’t make the best impression in that context, we had the opportunity to play a bit of it and see if it was any better in practice. While the build that Bethesda showed us was missing some features (which they acknowledged), this game was actually looking pretty fun.

We were treated to a gameplay trailer which showed off some of the varied environments from a variety of regions of Tamriel. Additionally, it showed some examples of high-level combat skills being used against bosses. This level of play obviously wasn’t available to be tried out, but the point was that there would potentially be plenty to do for the beyond-endgame raiding crowd.

The demo we played dropped us into the middle of Daggerfall City. As with all Elder Scrolls titles, this is an exploration-based system where you are free to pretty much do whatever you want. As with all games from this franchise, my first instinct is to find a cave and start killing. On my way, I tested out my movement within the space. One of the most striking differences between The Elder Scrolls Online and existing games such as Skyrim is that Bethesda has made some real improvements with its physics. For the first time in this series, your character’s animations look and feel a lot more natural. Also, everything in the world feels a lot less ‘floaty’.

I finally found a cave and forged ahead. There, I ran into two bandits who promptly killed me. Combat in this game is pretty much what you’d expect from an Elder Scrolls game; hack away until one of you is dead. After respawning a few times, I managed to get one of them killed but gave up after a few more tries of getting frozen by their ice spells. I could’nt quite get the timing down, but to be completely honest that’s on me.

All in all, rumors of the awfulness of The Elder Scrolls Online have been greatly exaggerated. This is shaping up to be a fantastic game. What it really comes down to is whether or not you’re into this series.

The Elder Scrolls Online is coming to PS4, XBox One, and PC in Spring 2014.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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City Interactive isn’t exactly the best known publisher at E3, but they’re out there working in that nebulous area somewhere between the AAA metropolis and Indieville. We got to have a look at Lords of the Fallen, their newest action RPG, and what we saw was familiar but not unwelcome.

The demo, being played by Deck 13 developer Tomasz Gop, began with a bit of story about the old gods being destroyed by humans thousands of years ago and the return of ‘Rhogor’, ancient creatures. After that bit of preamble however, it’s pretty much all action. The easiest comparison to make that people will understand is that it plays a lot like Dark Souls; you approach an enemy that aggros and runs at you, you learn and anticipate its moves, and you carefully chip away at it until it’s dead. The strategy, third-person angle, and dark fantasy vibe are all very evocative of From Software’s masterpiece.  That’s not to say it’s a bad game — on the contrary, Lords of the Fallen looks like a lot of fun. Enemies are tough to beat because the developers balance attack patterns to be learned with randomness. In one battle, the enemy was using the Sun in the background as a tactical advantage which was something not in its standard attack pattern wheelhouse.

There are a number of features that Lords of the Fallen has which sets it apart. Equipment and weapons are completely customizeable and there are secrets hidden throughout the game world that can be unlocked for amazing upgrades. The demo had three starting character types (Rogue, Warrior, Cleric) but you have the ability to customize it however you’d like as you progress.  Characters can also learn Action Skills which can help you by increasing your power, distracting enemies, or rendering you invisible for a short time.

Is Lords of the Fallen a lot like Dark Souls? Yes it is, but even at this point it’s looking like a worthy iteration, and there’s plenty of room in this marketplace for it. This game is slated for release by the end of 2013 on PS4, XBox One, and PC.

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