NINTENDO
DEVELOPERS ACTIVISION
EA
biggest guns in reserve for its own PSX event later this year .
NINTENDO
Because Nintendo always likes to do things differently , instead of holding an E3 press conference we were treated to a 30-minute Nintendo Direct video instead . The brief runtime was just enough to focus on the games , and it seems like Nintendo has a lot of them in the works for the Switch . There was no chest-beating or self-congratulation , no pomp and ceremony , just a back-to-basics stream of announcements of new games and extended looks at what we ’ d only glimpsed before .
The brand new game announcements begun with a beautiful-looking Kirby title , followed up by a new Yoshi game with a beautifully realised cardboard world to explore . We were given an example of how Nintendo is finally embracing online and multiplayer gaming with the announcements of tournaments for Splatoon 2 , Pokken DX and Arms , before being teased with the revelation that a new Pokemon is being developed for the Switch . Oh , and there ’ s Metroid Prime 4 on the way , too ….
The whole thing was typically Nintendo , and whilst the Metroid and Pokemon announcements were clearly way in advance of us being able to see anything of the games , what Nintendo did have on show was pretty compelling .
DEVELOPERS ACTIVISION
Activision put on a rather muted showing this year , with just a couple of games on display - but they ’ re pretty heavy hitters . Bungie had already revealed Destiny 2 , of course , but it looks set to retain all the best bits from the first game whilst ejecting some of the less welcome elements . Call of Duty WWII has similarly been revealed prior to E3 , but we got an extended look at the gameplay this time around and it ’ s clear Sledgehammer is going for a dramatic , cinematic take on the Second World War .
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is opting for a brighter , more colourful look than its predecessors
There ’ s so much of Super Mario Odyssey its hard Photographer know where : Laughing to begin to Orc work out what the game involves .
Call of Duty returns to World War II , and looks suitably gritty .
Words by Alice Hoddinott
192 www . eliteonlinemag . com
EA
Once again , EA held its own EA Play event just outside E3 , where it was showing its biggest properties . Anthem was the clear highlight , the new Bioware title that looks to combine Mass Effect and Destiny with some remarkable visuals . A Way Out puts forced co-op at the forefront , but looks to offer something genuinely unique . Sports games were featured prominently , from NBA Live to Fifa 18 , and there ’ s a new Need for Speed in the form of Payback , which looks even more Burnout-y than ever before , complete with a Fast & Furious style story mode . The biggest name there was Star Wars Battlefront II , of course , which will capitalise on the success of the last game with the inclusion of a sizeable story mode .