As Day 3 and Day 4 of E3 2021 was a little lighter on the conferences. Day 3 basically had one conference with Capcom giving a fairly short show in general and Day 4 had Nintendo Direct and Bandai Namco. Bandai Namco covered one game, The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes in a more detailed interview.
Let’s see the highlights for Capcom and Nintendo Direct.
CAPCOM
Resident Evil: Village Updates
Producer Tsuyoshi Kanda teased new updates and DLC are arriving for the game from July while also providing a brief look at a new deathmatch mode Resident Evil Re:Verse where players will be able to battle each other as both heroes and bio weapons from the franchise.
Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin
The sequel to the original Monster Hunter Stories, which debuted in 2017 on Nintendo 3DS. Before being ported to mobile devices, with the translated version launching in 2018.
The series features the same creatures from the core Monster Hunter games, but instead of hunting them down, the game takes a more humane approach. Hunters tame monsters, ride them around the world, and battle alongside them against other monsters.
The game will see all the Rathalos disappearing from the world with you playing as the grandchild of a famous hunter named Red who receives a mysterious egg which hatches, a flightless Rathalos with razor hands instead of wings and proving a new mystery to unravel
One of the first update for the game will be Palamute from Monster Hunter Rise on July 9th while Monster Hunter Rise will also be getting new updates throughout June
The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles (July 27st)
Bringing together two titles previously only available in Japan here you will play as Phoenix Wright’s ancestor Ryunosuke Naruhodo who is joined by Detective Herlock Sholmes. The game will also include two new features: the Dance of deduction where Herlock will make wild assumptions that you will have to correct while finding new evidence. Summation Examination on the other hand will see you will attempt to swing the Jury in your favor and weed out contradicting stories. This one is landing on Playstation 4, Nintendo Switch and Steam.
NINTENDO DIRECT
While Nintendo is not normally one of the stronger conferences here really delivered a great collection of trailers all presented in their usual unique style. But if you’re a Switch owner there is plenty to look forward to it seems.
Mario Party Superstars (October 29th)
Continuing to tap into their history here they dig out and remaster 5 classic boards from the Mario party franchise as well as 100 classic mini games. Better still online play is included so you can play with friends or strangers.
These remasters continue to be a welcome addition to the Switch catalogue especially with the prices only continuing to rise on the previous gen consoles and games, thanks to a cut throat trading scene it allows fans to either tap into their nostalgic memories of these titles or enjoy them for the first time
Metroid Dread (October 8th)
The first 2D Metroid game in 19 years!! Sure they might still be working on Metroid Prime 4 but this stylish return to the game’s roots really hits all the right notes like Sonic Heroes. The game will also hit shelves with a pair of amiibo for Samus and EMMI, a new robot character introduced in the trailer.
Cruis’N Blast (Fall 2021)
Arcade publisher Raw Thrills co-founded by Eugene Jarvis, the original designer of the Cruis’n series released by Midway Games back in the 1990s released Cruis’n Blast in arcades in January 2017 the first Cruis’n title since 2007’s Wii game Cruis’n.
Needless to say this is perfect arcade racing fun and looks like a great port of the arcade game.
WarioWare: Get It Together (September 10th)
The mini game collection returns this time with two player.
Danganronpa Decadance
Collecting three games from the franchise for the Nintendo Switch The bundle brings together Trigger Happy Havoc: Danganronpa, Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair, and Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony. As you play a group of students forced to kill each other by a psychotic teddy bear while conducting trials to find out who the killer was.
Needless to say it’s a series with a big cult following so this is a great collection to see get a re-release
Fatal Frame – Maiden of Black Water
The latest addition to the fatal frame series looks to tap into all the things we love about the franchise when it returns later this year, as you battle more ghosts using your camera.
Legend of Zelda Announcements
If your a Zelda fan this really was the show for you with Nintendo not only announcing the remaster of Skyward Sword and the Game and Watch of the first three games The Legend of Zelda, Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link, and the game boy version The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
We also got our first look at the Breath of the Wild sequel due out next year and while the information about the game might have been limited the first footage looked great
Also announced:
Kazuya Mishima from Tekken heading to Super Smash Bros.Ultimate
Life Is Strange Trilogy heading to Switch along with True Colours: September 10th
Super Monkey Ball Mania: October 5th
Advance Wars 1 + 2 Re-boot camp: December 3rd
Hyrule Warriors DLC Age of Calamity: June 18th
Hyrule Warriors DLC Pulse of the Ancients: November
Day 2 of E3 2021 is huge with Xbox/Bethesda have their pair-up showcase followed by Square Enix. Warner Bros Studios didn’t have a show but did focus on talking about Back 4 Blood while the evening ended with PC Gaming Show and Future Games Show. We’re doing some Part 1 Highlights of what caught our eye and feel is worthy to talk about in the first half covering Xbox & Bethesda Showcase and Square Enix Summer Showcase and here it is!
XBOX & BETHESDA SHOWCASE
Kicking off Day 2 we had a big one with Xbox & Bethesda joining for a voltron esq conference rather than the usual separate conferences we have come to expect. But with Bethesda joining Microsoft it made sense that the two conferences would be shown as one.
Needless to say expectations were high for this conference especially with Playstation absent for another year and Ubisoft putting in a disappointing conference yesterday it fell to Xbox to give us something to finally be excited for or at least sell us some entertaining bullshit….don’t think we’ve forgotten about the Kinect launch back at E3 2009!
Well not only did they deliver one of the best conferences but also ensured that the Game Pass is going to continue to be a much envied commodity for Microsoft, especially with the additions to the Bethesda library to include ID games as well as a host of original Xbox titles which will be available on Day 1.
Starfield (November 11, 2022)
Coming from the creators of Fallout and Elder Scrolls this was already one of the most anticipated titles of the show and they wasted no time by opening the show with this Xbox exclusive which of course means instant access through the Game Pass. Sure it’s a cinematic trailer but the hype is high for this one.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl (April 28, 2022)
One to tap into the nostalgia of old school PC players, this much anticipated sequel to the original game based on the book “Roadside Picnic” is set for release on the Series X and PC taps into the Metro vibes while showcasing some stunning gameplay footage as the post apocalyptic Russia gets a major overhaul from our last visit to these radioactive wastelands.
Back 4 Blood (October 12, 2021)
Left 4 Dead 3!! Come on, let’s face it that’s what it is. With the original development team heading up a new studio and some gameplay tweaks, this is another one to be excited for. Plus, if you wanted to know more about it, they had a showcase specifically for this game showing how much emphasis Warner Bros. has put behind this one’s launch.
Sea of Thieves : A Pirates Life (June 22, 2021)
A free original story which will cross over with Pirates of the Caribbean which I guess is great if you’re one of that handful of people still excited by those movies. Why now though for the crossover is confusing especially considering that Johnny Depp’s stock is at an all time low making it hard to see it as nothing but the convenience of having a big franchise to draw new players in.
Battlefield 2042
Offering up a pre-alpha gameplay of this upcoming multiplayer war shooter which allows up to 128 players on the everchanging battlefield. It boasts new weapon designs for the new environment and also some new abilities like ziplines and skydiving. The expectation is that they probably will have more to talk about in the EA Play showcase in July.
Twelve Minutes (August 19, 2021)
Twelve Minutes have been teased over the past 2 years (at least) and now it finally has a release date. Twelve Minutes is an interactive thriller about a man trapped in a twelve minute time loop and having voice acting from James McAvoy, Daisy Ridley and Willem Dafoe. The concept definitely looks like a ton of fun to try to get to the bottom of what’s going on in 12 minute segments and one that probably could be a pick up and put down sort of game for anyone with a dozen minutes.
Somerville (2022)
As fans of Inside, we all sit here thinking about when Playdead is going to release their next game when Somerville gets their drop and while its under a new company called Jumpship founded by Playdead founder Dino Patti, the stylish atmosphere and art style of Inside oozes from the game’s visuals as the game follows a family travelling through an apocalyptic world. There’s not a whole lot of narrative gathered from the trailer but then, are we really expecting it to have more knowing the man behind the project? The mystery is probably part of the intrigue at this point. Plus, it’s a day 1 Xbox Game Pass title which is even more exciting.
Halo Infinite
Obviously a big reveal for the show and surprisingly not saved for the finale but we couldn’t help but have the feeling of the Deja Vu when looking at the start of the Master Chief segment which looked a lot like the promotional footage we saw way back with Halo 4 but hey we have a new blue lady to look forward to now.
Not only will this latest edition bring the largest world to date, crossplay with PC as it taps into the power of the new generation machines. At the moment no release date apart from the Holidays.
Shredders (December 2021)
Another Day 1 Game Pass/Console Launch Exclusive this snowboarding game actually still has a fair amount of mystery surrounding the game even though the trailer showcased some gorgeous scenery and smooth snowboarding action. Certainly looks like it will be fun title to look out for while the game pass access only adds to the appeal.
Replaced (2022)
A “sci-fi, retro-futuristic action platformer.” were you play as R.E.A.C.H., an artificial intelligence that finds itself trapped inside a human body. Set in Phoenix-City, a dilapidated future city set in an alternative version of the 1980s. With a focus on both weapons and hand to hand combat aswell as a fantastic pixel art style this looks like a great debut from Sad Cat Studios who have teamed up with Cake Bash creators Coatsink.
The Outer Worlds 2
Basically an announcement trailer but for The Outer Worlds that captured quite the audience since launch, this whole affair was pretty fun. Who doesn’t like a studio that knows how to make fun of itself and talk about the obvious, that the game isn’t far enough in development to show more than it can. For that reason, it landed as a highlight because of its entertaining element. The Outer Worlds 2 will be set in a new solar system and have a new crew and above that, there’s really nothing else.
Forza Horizon 5 (November 9)
Forza Horizon series has really grown over the years. Every time they announce the next instalment, its always fully prepared. This time, it moves away from the UK landscape and moves to Mexico. It includes a campaign mode and lots of landmarks to discover whether its graffiti art on walls or the volcano heights or the fluidity through Forza Link to join up with other players including mini games and Event Slab that allows for creations from your own mind. Forza Horizon 5 emphasizes on the sharpening of visuals in the different areas to explore and how authentic the scenery feels to the players.
Red Fall (Summer 2022)
This announcement definitely feels a little split in the middle. On one hand, it’s exciting because Arkane Studios has made some fantastic games over the years. There will be good production value behind Red Fall and probably decent execution since it’s set in a world with humans, robots and vampires. However, with Back 4 Blood coming out soon and having the same type of style, it feels like it would occupy the same space although this does have the option of single or co-op and is in an open world shooter. Plus, it’s an Xbox Exclusive.
Microsoft Flight Simulator: landing on Xbox S/X (July 27th) & Top Gun Mavericks expansion (Fall 2021)
Eiyuden Chronicles: Hundred Heroes (2023)
Eiyuden Chronicles Rising (2022)
Slime Rancher 2 (2022)
The Ascent (July 29th) : Multiplayer co-op
Age of Empires IV (October 28)
Atomic Heart
Games that are landing on Xbox Game Pass Day 1:
SQUARE ENIX SUMMER SHOWCASE
While a bit surprising that Square Enix didn’t showcase anything other than an ending few snippet for the Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, they did have a lot of Final Fantasy content to show whether for mobile or remaster. It was of course expected, much like having a lengthy dive into Life is Strange: True Colors. There were some unexpected things but then the show itself felt like a lot of it still felt a little lacking.
Here are our highlights:
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (October 26, 2021)
A fantastic way to kick off this showcase as Square Enix delivers both cinematic and gameplay for Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy under their own interpretation. With Insomniac Games delivering a great job with their own interpretation of Spiderman, we can only hope that Eidos Montreal is able to do the same with this Marvel universe.
This game, you play as Peter Quill aka Star Lord who leads the other guardians in this story-driven action game. In fights, he can control the other guardians to make them perform certain actions while in narrative, his choices could lead to consequences of how certain characters will react in future situations. Still packed with an 80s soundtrack (which is definitely going to be a challenge for streamers with the new DMCA guidelines in place), the game overall feels like it has some depth, not to mention the humor, the visuals and the character design all seem pretty on point. Definitely one to look forward to!
Babylon’s Fall
Featuring a whole developer’s interview to complement a cinematic trailer, Babylon’s Fall has a strong team behind it as PlatinumGames takes the helms on this hack and slash action game that boasts its online multiplayer with a team of four in a co-op campaign to complete dungeons and collect equipment and materials and so on. They talk about how this is meant to be a live service title meaning that new content will be regularly updated.
Life is Strange Remastered Collection (September 30th)
While it feels way too soon to have a remastered for Life is Strange and Life is Strange: Before The Storm, it’s definitely happening. The remastered versions will improve on visuals and lip sync as some of the main elements of improvements judging from the trailer presentation. We love Dontnod Entertainment and Life is Strange and all and yet, a remastered version doesn’t exactly feel necessary at this point and time. However, I’m sure some people will view this differently.
Life is Strange: True Colors (September 10th)
A few months ago, Square Enix dropped their announcement for both Life is Strange 3 and the Life is Strange Remastered Collection. There wasn’t a whole lot of information at the time. This time around, they share gameplay on how Life is Strange 3’s powers will be like and the story that it wants to tell and of course, the decisions and consequences that could happen.
Life is Strange: True Colors takes the story to another character called Alex Chen who has to embrace her psychic powers of empathy to try to sense her brother’s aura in order to uncover the truth behind his death. Her Empathy powers allows her to see the auras surrounding the people around her and sense their strong feelings which when interacting with them could spark new dialogue, much like the stronger the aura will allow to experience fragments of the person’s thoughts and memories which can lead to life-threatening consequences.
True Colors definitely feels in line with the previous Life Is Strange games which will bring on some tough decisions as well as consequences to the scenario. Going back to a story about uncovering the truth and having the line of investigation feels much more in line with the first game which is a good angle.
Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin
Pretty much a Final Fantasy spinoff as Final Fantasy veterans pair up with Team Ninja to develop this action heavy game. Its just a debut trailer so there’s not too much to talk about. If you want to check out more, you can try out the trial version on Playstation 5, available until June 24th.
Other games in Square Enix Summer Showcase:
Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster (PC/Steam): Remaster of Final Fantasy 1 to 6
Legend of Mana Remaster (June 24, 2021)
Hitman Sniper: The Shadows (2021, Android & iOS)
NieR Reincarnation (Android & iOS): pre-register now open
Marvel’s Avengers update: All New Patrol Mode (Summer 2021) & War For Wakanda (Free Expansion)
Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier (2021, Android & iOS)
E3 crept up on us before we knew it. While mostly everything is still in a virtual set-up due to the pandemic, we’ve changed out approach to only cover the highlights of what stood out to us in the different showcases over the next few days. Day 1 kicked off with Ubisoft Forward followed by the quirky Devolver Digital Showcase and wrapped up with Gearbox Entertainment.
UBISOFT FORWARD 2021
Considering that E3 is the showcase for the year ahead, it’s obviously very disappointing that Ubisoft usually the highlight of the E3 conference calendar came with such a disappointing slate padded out with updates for existing titles and trailers for their TV / Movie projects and just so much cringe worthy presentation….is it too late to get Aisha back?
So let’s cut the fat from the steak as here are the few highlights from the show.
Rainbow Six Extraction(September 16th)
Normally we don’t have a lot to say about Rainbow Six Siege as over the six years of the game’s launch, we’re not exactly big players of online multiplayer games or into e-sports. However with Back 4 Blood on the horizon the Rainbow Six team keen to not be outdone bring us Rainbow Six Extraction
A tactical shooter game which is a 1-3 player co-op experience set in a world battling an alien threat (see completely different). The game will also bring back many of the popular operators with a strong emphasis on risk and reward with captured players going MIA and can’t be playing until their team members save them.
The show did offer a good look at both gameplay and the different alien threats along with their design including a look at how the alien threat is a parasite that evolves in the different containment areas on the world map. Though for fans of Left 4 Dead you can’t help but feel that nagging feeling of familiarity.
Rocksmith+
Following in the footsteps of Just Dance, the Interactive Music Learning will be offering its own mobile version as well as the expected subscription service. The big plus being that it will require no gear other than your guitar and your phone which will double as a mic.
Certainly this is a smart move for the evolution of the game, with the subscription certainly providing a more appealing draw to the most casual learner not wanting to shell out on a full priced game for a hobby they might not stick with.
No, it’s not Steep 2 even though everything on offer is essentially the same so you’d be forgiven for thinking this was a sequel to the open world winter sports sim. As with that game, you have the freedom to go and do what you want while competing in a variety of extreme sports from jet powered wingsuits and BMX’s to snowboarding in a natural playground packed with landmarks and competitions that you can have fun solo or with your friends.
Far Cry 6 (October 7)
Another cinematic trailer for the game showcasing Giancarlo Esposito as the main villain Anton Castillo but nothing that we havn’t seen before.
Surprisingly the most interesting part of the presentation was Far Cry 6 Season Pass which includes Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon as well getting to play the iconic villains from Farcry 3 to 5 with their original voice actors returning and Ubisoft promising that this DLC will “Delve into these iconic villain’s twisted minds, uncover their backstories, battle their inner demons, and reunite with familiar faces,” when the game is released in October.
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope (2022)
The next Nintendo and Ubisoft collaboration is here as the next game in the Mario + Rabbids is announced and titled Sparks of Hope. Sparks being the Rabids and Lumas morph. This time, the new adventure takes place with an entire galaxy to explore via spaceship. There are new elements added to the genre and claims to still be easy to play but hard to master for those looking for a challenge. That being said, this is a Nintendo Switch exclusive.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora (2022)
Ubisoft always presents their surprise first looks as the big ending to their showcase to wrap things up. Much in that style, they offered up a first look at the upcoming Avatar game boasting the use of their Snowdrop engine.
What we got here though was another cinematic trailer for the upcoming first person action adventure game in an open-world experience which promises a whole new story from the upcoming film(s) but really all it did was bring back memories of the last time they tried to turn the film into a game back on the Xbox 360 and PS3.
And all the rest from Ubisoft Forward below…
Just Dance 2022 returns with it’s yearly update on November 4th with special guest: Todrick Hall (exciting if you know who this is I guess)
Year 6 of Rainbow Six Siege brings with it Crossplay with PC, Stadia, Luna
For Honor, Trackmania, The Crew 2, Watch Dogs Legion: all packed with new updates and seasons
Brawlhalla: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are being added as playable characters
Ghost Recon Breakpoint will have some upcoming updates in celebration for the franchise’s 20th anniversary
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: A wide slate of free updates and upcoming second expansion, The Siege of Paris coming in Summer 2021
TV series: Mythic Quest, Season 2 on Apple TV
Movie: Werewolves Within: in theatres June 25th and On Demand July 2nd
DEVOLVER MAXPASS +
Devolver Digital’s showcase has always been a skit of over the top performances while dropping their upcoming independent games set to be published in the coming year. This year is no different as they use a backdrop of having Maxpass+ with premium access to their games and end it in a rather clever way. For a half an hour show, it’s quite entertaining overall with this unique approach with a few interesting indie games to look forward to.
Let’s check out of some of the highlights of the show:
Trek to Yomi (2022)
The past few years have been a good few Japanese samurai games that’ve been released and mostly fairly big budget AAA titles. Taking it back a step is Trek to Yomi which is not only black and white but also a side scroller combat game. The art style and the combat both look really good in the fairly short trailer but might be an intriguing one to discover. It’s being released on the new generation consoles and PC.
Phantom Abyss (Steam Early Access June 22nd)
Multiplayer games have definitely been a huge focus and yet, Phantom Abyss takes on an asynchronous multiplayer first person experience through a temple full of obstacles as you chase after phantoms of other players that failed their attempts. The angle definitely sounds unique enough but it just depends whether the game is focused more on trial and error and luck or is there something more to it. It is heading into Steam Early Access on June 22nd so not too long of a wait to find out how it plays out from concept versus reality.
Wizard with a Gun (2022)
Wizard With A Gun is an upcoming sandbox survival game which can be played as multiplayer co-op or single player, much like Don’t Starve. In fact, looking at the art style and certain elements, the similarities are definitely there. The colors however are much more vibrant. The world does seem more magical as you do play as wizard characters and that adds a lot more combat and different fantastical enemies to encounter. Magic, crafting and building: Wizard With A Gun does seem to have its own angle. It’s expected to release on Nintendo Switch and PC.
Inscryption (2021)
From the creator of Pony Island and The Hex comes Inscryption, a card-based odyssey that looks like a lot of things from a card game/deckbuilding roguelike and a board game design. It also has a unique inked art style and some kind of adventure going on which involves escape room puzzles blending to create a psychological horror game. The idea is definitely unique in its various elements but the story is still not revealed yet. There’s still a lot of unknown about this one but you do have to appreciate that unlike other companies that give cinematic trailers over gameplay, Inscryption took the opposite path.
Other games mentioned in Devolver Digital showcase:
Death’s Door (July 20th, 2021)
Devolver Tumble Time (2021, Android & iOS)
Demon Throttle (2022, Nintendo Switch Physical Exclusive)
GEARBOX ENTERTAINMENT
Another quick showcase to get through as Gearbox Entertainment hosts a half hour show mostly boasting a few games and spending a good portion of the time on the movie set of the Borderlands film currently in production. The key points to note for the Borderlands movie is that its directed by Eli Roth and stars some popular names like Cate Blanchette, Jack Black, Kevin Hart. Of course, this is a gaming showcase considering its part of E3 so here’s a quick look at the few games presented…
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands
There’s no doubt that Borderlands is a fabulous universe that Gearbox created. Taking on a standalone game from the franchise and bringing out a story circling Tiny Tina who was part of the fantastic Borderlands 2 DLC prior to this, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands centers around this character in a looter shooter set in a new fantasy environment. They reassure that this requires no prior knowledge of Borderlands to dive into. In this fantasy world, it’s filled with its own adventure full of goblins and dragons for starters along with other enemies. There’s no doubt that this announcement is the highlight of this showcase.
Tribes of Midgard (July 27th)
Developed by Norsfell and published by Gearbox Publishing, Tribes of Midgard is an upcoming survival role-playing game which can be a single player experience but best played as a co-op with up to 10 players. You play as a Viking and have to collect resources and build the tribe and village while also defending it from the threats like giants that will come to destroy it. It launches on Playstation 4, Playstation 5 and Steam.
Other updates from Gearbox:
Godfall is coming to Playstation 4 in August 2021 and will have an expansion, Fire and Darkness
Homeworld 3 is in production
That wraps up the highlights of Day 1 of E3 2021. What games caught your attention? Let us know in the comments.
Game Warp 