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Hands on with Agents of Mayhem | E3 2016


Posted on June 19, 2016 by Fionna Schweit

One of the things I absolutely could not miss this E3 was the new game from Volition and Deep Silver. makers of the Saints Row franchise. which I absolutely love. This new game is called Agents of Mayhem. Featuring a three character team – each with unique abilities from a team created to oppose the evil masterminds of the world. During the short presentation, we were given prior to the demo we were told to think of the playable hero’s more as rogues, your Han Solo or Dexter Morgan than a true good superhero. This really comes through in the game, as we started out by having a developer telling us that if we used out special ability it would “detonate” any pedestrians that we walked past. Ped-splosion it was called by him. He was not kidding, I activated the ability and purple lightning started emanating from me started a 3 second counter over anyone I walked near. When that timer reached 0, BOOM, no more pedestrians. They literally exploded into tiny little bits of meat all over the place. That single bit of gameplay from the demo would color my entire experience. The whole demo was just fun. Its really hard to describe fun, but imagine basically feeling like a superhero (a stated objective of the game) but one who doesn’t worry about damage to the local area of pedestrians.

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that floating thing is dual pistol girls special move, its controlled by the AI and does MASSIVE damage

 

To get into the actual game itself, you play as a team of three “agents” which you can choose from a stable of 12. I chose three of the most basic, a large man with a shotgun and a harpoon (really? a harpoon, I swear it worked just fine) a tiny girl who had two fast shooting pistols that worked on a cooldown system, and a Hollywood reality star who fast-talked through his lines spent as much time talking as shooting. Each of these team members had a unique weapon and a unique ability called their agent ability. My favorite of these abilities I can only call crotch rocket, which was on the Hollywood reality star character. He sort of stops does a pelvic thrust and it just shoots out a missile in front of you. This is basically the whole game. It is all like this and it is amazing.

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The shotgun guy is large.

Mechanics wise, each hero has a main weapon that is their primary damage, for Hollywood this was a rifle, for the smaller girl two pistols, and the the large man a shotgun, each also has a powerful melee attack which is great when things get in real trouble. The vast majority of the time I didn’t feel like I was in trouble, but there were a couple of moments when my shield did get low, and a large group of enemies was nearby so I resorted to the meele, and I must admit it felt a bit more powerful than it probably should have.

The game is going to rely heavily on building combos, and using different heroes- each with their own different roles.  Each hero has a main weapon, an ability, a sort of super move, and a meele, and it mostly feels balanced. I didn’t feel like any one  of the three I played were more powerful, more like each had its own set of abilities and strengths, some were good at AOE, some had a strong main attack weapon, and some were more balance. Each level will be generated in a  procedural manner, so you will be able to play the man levels of the open game world again and again and again while never really getting bored.

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The game is very colorfull

Squad choice is going to be important, but the developers also told us that each player will be able to play to their style, even if maybe it’s not the best strategy. What stood out the most about the demo was how much it felt like a game that was designed to be fun. Every little piece just seemed to be about having a good time. The Saints row style of dialog, the lack of respect for basically everything on the screen, it just feels good. The demo had a very arcadey carefree feel that took me back to the end of Saints Row 4 when you had max everything powers wise, or perhaps even Crackdown where you could just bounce around and destroy anything you wanted to.  It’s clear that story will be important, each of the Heroes has their own unique stories and they will all fight against the evil organization that is legion (no not the 4chan people that’s what the enemy organization is called). I am looking forward to seeing what sort of unique power-ups and upgrades each hero can get. Sadly during our short play-through there was not enough time to see the whole upgrade tree, but we did get to see a little bit and I can confirm that there are a lot of upgrades that can upgrade damage, health, shields, and other things.

Even though I only had about 20 minutes with the game, I feel like its going to be one of those games that I get lost in for days at a time just like the other games that take place in the same Saints Row universe.


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Nintendo’s Breath of the Wild Live Experience Proves Critics Were Wrong


Posted on June 18, 2016 by Rae Michelle Richards

Critics of Nintendo’s E3 2016 strategy wondered just how the company could have a strong showing with just one game, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild playable at their booth. Now that the dust has settled it is quite clear that the big N made the right call in putting all of the cucco eggs in one basket and trusting in the Hero of Time.

Not only did Nintendo bring one of the most refreshing and innovative Zelda titles to date to one of gaming’s biggest conventions (our impressions will be going live later this week) but they also brought a ‘live experience’ that existed opposite the traditional rows upon rows of demo stations that E3 is known for.

Nintendo's E3 Treehouse Livestream Was Just Outside the Live Experience Booth

Nintendo’s E3 Treehouse Livestream Was Just Outside the Live Experience Booth

This real world playground of Zelda: Breath of the Wild delights mimics several key elements new to the game.  Upon entering visitors are greeted by a large statue of Link aiming his arrow towards one of the game’s new tentacled enemies. This particular statue became a popular photo spot for media, fans, developers and other attendees. During my time inside the Breath of the Wild E3 experiencece it was hard to get a shot of the statue without someone beside the it posing for a selfie with Link.

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This Statue Was So Possible It Was Almost Impossible To Get A Shot Where Someone WASN’T Taking a Selfie With Link.

Opposite the large monster / Link statue was a replica of one of the game’s new feature – a goblin stronghold. In the game Link can take these over by completing challenges, thus unlocking new abilities or hidden treasures. Breath of the Wild‘s live experience was watched over by one of these goblin creatures atop the stronghold. Adjacent to the stronghold was a large cooking pot, which contained multiple items that bob-up and down thanks to mechanical motors. This simulates a similar animation that plays when Link uses the new cooking crafting system introduced in Breath of the Wild.

A Goblin Keeps A Loook Out In Nintendo's Live Experience

A Goblin Keeps A Loook Out In Nintendo’s Live Experience

One of the far corners of the live experience mimics the iconic look of Temple of Time but this particular version of the Temple of Time is different than any we’ve seen before. Giant columns rise up  from the ground with vines growing all around them. Large doors complete the new aesthetic, filling in the space between the pillars.

The Temple of Time

The Temple of Time

As a Nintendo PR Rep took me on a tour of this elaborate live experience for the new Legend of Zelda she informed me that all of the objects in the booth are too scale, exactly as Link would see them in his world. That not only means that visitors to the live experience would see recreations of objects & monsters that populate Hyrule in Breath of the Wild but more importantly see them exactly as Link will in the game, right down to the proportions. To top it all off Nintendo had fans blowing a gentle wind through the trees and carrying the smell of forest throughout the booth.

A Chest With Glowing Eyes!

A Chest With Glowing Eyes!

Nintendo promised to transport attendees to Hyrule with their presentation at this year’s E3 and they succeeded like never before. If you thought that ultra cool Twilight Princess booth from 2006 was amazing and immersive – you can’t possibly imagine the feeling of seeing objects through Link’s eyes, feeling the wind on your skin and smelling the faint scent of the trees with every breath.  You can bring a single game to E3 and impress the socks off of everyone and Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild live experience booth has set the standard for an immersive convention experience.

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A Wide Shot of Nintendo’s Breath of the Wild E3 2016 Experience

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will be released in 2017 for Nintendo Wii U and the unannounced Nintendo NX.


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E3 2016: Lucid Sound Heaphones Ears-On


Posted on June 16, 2016 by Rae Michelle Richards

Lucid is hoping to change the landscape of affordable gaming focused headsets that were the focus of the companies’ E3 2016 offerings. Consisting of the readily available LS30 headphones and the upcoming LS40 & LS50 headsets, LiquidSound is poised to offer a range of headsets whose features rival their competition. Don’t count out LiquidSound just yet because I’ve been using a pair of LS30s for all of the video editing that I’ve done during the convention. Read on to find out why you should give these up & coming headphones a listen before choosing your next gaming headset.

The LS40 is compatible with all of the major consoles including the PS4, Xbox One and Xbox 360 as well as any devices that is compatible with a standard 3.55MM jack, so if you’re like me and you can’t live with your iphone then the LS40 might be your new best-friend. In the box owners will find a standard 3.55MM cable, a 3.5MM to 2.5MM cable, a wireless dongle and a USB charging cable. That’s right, using their own proprietary 2.4GHZ wireless standard owners can plug-in the included USB dongle to their console for wire free quality sound. Just make sure to charge your headset before you use it because the hardware inside of the Liquid Sound LS40 requires power from an internal battery.

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I’ve used the LS30s for the entirety of my E3 experience as well as casual relaxing after the convention. While doing the hour long demo for Nintendo’s stunning The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild through the Wii-U Gamepad’s built in headphone jack. The LS30’s noise cancelling & cushioning pleather cover drowned out the sound of 100s of others also playing the game quite well and allowed me to become fully immersed in the land of Hyrule for the entire demonstration.

You can find out more information about these headphones at their official site. Please be on the lookout for our full review in the coming weeks once we’ve had a chance to try the headset in a full environment.


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E3: Hands-On With Sniper Elite 4


Posted on June 16, 2016 by Rae Michelle Richards

I had the chance to hook up with Rebellion and to try out their newest entry in to the long running Sniper Elite series. Sniper Elite 4 will be releasing  Feb 14th 2017, but Brokenjoysticks was part of a select few who were able to try the game in its alpha state today. The demo was about 30 minutes long and featured a wide open Italian country side setting, with a primary mission being to blow up a viaduct by placing a satchel charge and then shooting it to blow it up.

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see the beautiful Italian country side through the scope of your rifle.

Loading in to the game the first thing I noticed was we were not in Germany anymore. For anyone else that has played Sniper Elite game, the usual setting is a blown out western front city, with bomb craters and grey mats all over the place. Italy by contrast is vibrant and green. The developer who was assisting us on the demo mentioned that the was in Italy in 1943 and although it was not an “open world” but it is an open philosophy for the game. The maps are quite large described as being at least 100 square meters, with no real boundaries and plenty of secondary objectives to explore.

Since we only had 30 minutes I mostly concentrated on the main objective of the game which was to blow up that bridge. Players familiar with the series will be happy to hear that combat is still very sniper rifle centric, targets are marked with binoculars, and depending on the type of target an icon will appear over their heads and allow you track them as they move across the map.  Since I have already played the Sniper Elite line, the first thing I did was drop prone and use my binoculars to scan the area around me for enemies. I found quite a few and in particular one sniper. Just like pervious sniper elite games, these snipers have a rage that’s so long it actually goes out of your radar range (increased in this game to 70m) so its very important to mark and hit these guys as early as you can to avoid any problems that might come from them spotting you later on.

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Xray Kills now work with melee as well as longer shots

I was playing on a PS4 controller which is much different than my normal Xbox one controller so I took some time to get used to the controls, most of the things from the previous series are here, you have to carefully monitor heart rate, which allows you to use slow time and focus so that you can easily hit your targets. Equipment is still very important, with health packs, grenades, stones for distractions and a variety of traps making an appearance.

I was playing with the intention of being stealthy, but just like previous titles, occasionally I just had to whip out my Thompson and mow down a few enemies. The developers promised that there were over 100 enemies on the large map we were playing on, I only managed to kill 30, but in a 25 minute demo I think that’s pretty good. I also was the only one of our testing group (and only the 5th of E3!, to complete the level in the allowed 30 minute time slot.) Stealth is still very important, and its still very important to crouch and use cover.

From the moment I started the game, I painted my objective, and the enemies near it, and they stayed as icons on the screen guiding me over to my eventual victory. As with all of the other Sniper Elite games, bullet drop is in the game, and I assume that just like other games you will be able to select a mode with out the ever present in this demo red diamond that tells you where the bullet will hit. In Sniper Elite 3 you were able to play a mode with out the assist, and I am eager to see if this game also features it.  Also returning is searching bodies, I was surprised to find that one of the bodies had on it a duty roster. This roster highlighted several enemies I hadn’t spotted through the binoculars, making my journey a bit easier.

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There is an emphasis on being able to do a sort of parkour in this game, you can mantle, climb, and move about quite easily.

Many items are returning favorites, traps and the like are back in game. Flare gun, trip mines, S Mine, Stick Grenade, TNT, and the Silenced Pistol all make returns. Players of course can also strip off any items or weapons the find on bodies around the map.  

Though it was still subject to change there was also a progression system in place as I played that gave me ribbons and little appointments  when i did something that took more effort or work than a simple kill shot. Cover is classed in to separate systems, with wood being able to be penetrated and rock and other harder surfaces impermeable.

enemy AI seems to have been improved considerably, at one point I was forced to play a sort of ring around the rosie with an enemy who was dodging me around the back of a train, I ended up laying a mine down to kill him, and just running off to the next objective.

The standard alert system is back an arrow will appear when there is danger, yellow for when its getting close, and red for when you are noticed. I was noticed twice during the demo, and both times found it fairly easy to slip away from the people whom had noticed me with just a few minutes of clever hiding and shooting.

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Italy is a beautiful shooting gallery.

Fan favorite X-Ray shots return, with a serious vengeance, now everything from melee kills to the sickest sniper shots will trigger the signature mode which shows exploding bone, organs and flesh. I really enjoyed the feeling of nailing that one single shot that got me away from being noticed, or using a well placed burst from the Thompson to take down an enemy.

I Was able to finish the provided demo level, and according to the developer who was assisting with the demo that was better than most. My time was bout 25 minutes, but I did manage not to die at all. Though i did not do it, the game offers a variety of weapons to try, I stuck with the old reliable Springfield, knowing what it was capable of and how it could do damage. But, if you want to be experimental, you can always pick up weapons off of dead bodies and try then out instead of your trusty Springfield and Thompson.

Overall I really enjoyed the demo, I am by no means a skilled player of games such as this, but I found myself able to adapt fairly easily, I really liked the X-Ray feature, as well as what appeared to be very much  improved AI in the enemies. I can not wait for the arrival of this game on Valentines day of this year.

 


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Final Fantasy XV Gets A Pair of Demos @ E3


Posted on June 15, 2016 by Rae Michelle Richards

Square Enix brought not one but two demos for the upcoming Final Fantasy XV. Microsoft and Sony both secured exclusive demos for Squeenix’s next huge game but in different way – MS’ demo video showcased the world smashing battle with the soon-to-be summon Titan. Noctus can be seen warping, slashing and dodging his way past titan’s ginormous ground based attacks. Sony’s demo took things in a lighter direction with the series’ memorable chocobo music opens their demo with the later half consisting of the reveal of PlayStation VR support for the game.

Final Fantasy XV will be out in North America on September 30th 2015. A PC port is “possible” but not confirmed at this time.

Check out the trailers in the embedded players below.


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Several Star Ocean V: Integrity and Faithlessness Videos Land During E3


Posted on June 15, 2016 by Rae Michelle Richards

Square Enix has released several new trailers, b-roll footage and screenshots prior to the release of Star Ocean V: Integrity and Faithlessness on PS3 and PlayStation 4. With these new videos you can get to know Relia, one of the characters in the game as well as meet the actors behind the voice talent that bring the characters to life.

Star Ocean V: Integrity and Faithlessness is the fifth entry in the long running RPG franchise that has been around since the days of the original PlayStation back into the 90s. Utilizing a real time battle system players are able to take control of 1 of 7 characters in combat seamlessly with a new system that allows Square to have the game seamlessly transition between gameplay and cinematic cut-scenes. Story wise the main protagonist comes from an ‘under developed’ planet with another species that has highly advanced technology.

The game will be out on June 28th in North America and was released on March 31st in Japan.


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Astro annoucnes new flagship A-50 wireless headset


Posted on June 15, 2016 by Fionna Schweit

Today I had the chance to see the all new Astro A-50 wireless headset. Astro just announced this headset, which is compatible with the Xbox, PS4, and PC. Many Astro fans no doubt long for the days when the A40 was the top of the world of headsets. Astro hopes to return to these glory days with the new A50 wireless gaming headset.

I got a a chance to see the product which will be out in August of this year before it was available to the general public at Astros booth at E3. Some of the cooler features that I was told about were that the wireless base station will pair with the xbox or Play Station with out you doing anything, just plug and play. You can swap from PC to what ever console you want with the flip of a switch, so you’ll never end up re-pairing your new wireless headset.

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Astro has stuck with their classic look, with strong lines and those two metal tubes on each side. A lot of aircraft grade aluminum has been put in to this build to keep the strength of the metal, and not make the headset too heavy. Most of the pieces that are made of plastic are replaceable, and Astro will again be selling a “mod kit” that allows you change out the ear cups and a few other things, but for quite a premium cost.

Along with the new headset there is a new base station, with a lot more visual feedback than previous units. You can see when you have the Dolby sound on, you can see how much battery is left, and if you are using PC or Console inputs. Astro is claiming 15 hours of battery life, and says it will take about 5 hours to charge the on board battery. To save battery life the headset features an accelerometer which if you set the headset down will turn the headset off. The headset rests in the base station with gold contacts and magnetic attachment points while it charges. Astro says the expect the headset to last between 3 and 4 years of average work.

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Astro have move the vast majority of the controls for the headset to the the headset it self. The ear cups now have controls for volume, source, mute, and other things instead of using a mixamp like older style ones do. The downside of this is that you no longer get to remove the ear plates, so no more custom printed ear plates for the A-50 line.

Astro has moved all of the EQ settings and sound processing off of your machine and in to the base station, and they claim that their software does not use any CPU cycles to encode the 7.1 simulated audio. It is important to note that the 7.1 audio us simulated only, and not provided by 7 drivers, but instead by 2 much larger 40mm drivers. which they claim can handle up to 48khz 16bit audio streams wirelessly.

I hope to see a lot more on this headset as it gets closer to market, and to get the chance to review it, hopefully for 299$ it will live up to the legacy of Astros last generation of great Wireless headsets.


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Three of The Biggest Disappoints From Sony’s E3 Press Conference


Posted on June 14, 2016 by Rae Michelle Richards

Sitting in the massive crowd at Sony’s E3 press conference was surreal, when the event wrapped up my hands were shaking and my heart pounding but in the back of my mind it felt like there was something left unsaid. In the world of games journalism you have to take every leak, slip of the tongue and rumor with a dump truck of salt and even then that isn’t enough skepticism. Here is a quick run-down of three of things that the internet told me I should have expected to be announced.

#3 – More Details About The Final Fantasy VII Remake

Final Fantasy VII remake

Square Enix and Sony shocked the world with a remake that fans have been requesting for nearly two decades last year. This year? Everything was oddly silent, not a word was mentioned about Squeenix’s trilogy of titles that will spin the tale of Cloud, Aerith and Barret in a new direction. Instead we got a generic zombie shooter that used the same two enemy models over and over that could have passed for any of the countless Day-Z ripoffs on Steam.

#2 – An Update On Shenmue III

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After not one but two successful crowdfunding drives for Yu Suzuki’s next chapter in this long running franchise and we didn’t hear anything this evening,, not even a glimpse in a one of the brief sizzle reels. Sony answered the prayers of Dreamcast fans fourteen years after the console exited the market with a hail marry announcement no-one could have expected. As one of the announcements that “won” E3 for Sony last year it was odd that Sony’s executives were so silent on this one.

#1 – Read Dead Redemption 3

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A lot of people expected this one given the fact that the game’s “Map” leaked a weeks back. Hell, even some have joked that they’ve seen horses and cowboys walk out of Rockstar’s offices. Once again Rockstar has proven that they can still skip one of gaming’s biggest events simply because we will all be listening whenever they have something to say.

What do you think of my list of disappointments? Let me know in the comment and be sure to keep checking Broken Joysticks for more E3 coverage.


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E3 Hands-On: Titanfall 2 Multiplayer


Posted on June 14, 2016 by Rae Michelle Richards

At EA’s new publicly accessible EA Play Event two teams of paramilitary soldiers battle it out for supremacy in multiplayer matches of Titanfall 2. I got the chance alongside our own Fionna Fox to try out one ten minute match during our visit to EA Play this afternoon. Find out why Titanfall 2 looks to take everything good from the first game and some great new mechanics that change how the flow of battle unfurls.

I played one of the two available classes in the EA Access demo version of the game – this class came complete with an automatic sub machine gun and a grappling hook as my class’s special ability. It seems that each class in Titanfall 2 comes with a special ability mapped to the L1 button that is unique to them. Using my grappling hook allowed me to quickly scale up to the rooftop to take out enemy players or NPC grunts / specters with ease. My grappling hook wasn’t just good to get a good vantage point but was also useful as an enemy titan descended from the skies.

Speaking of the giant robots, of course the titans were going to return – their right in the name of the game. While the single-player focuses on the link between the titans and their pilot, the multiplayer’s version of these walking death machines function very similar to their Titanfall 1 counter-parts. The titan I chose for the single match that I played came equipped with a slower firing main weapon that did moderate amounts of damage, my titan also had a shoulder mounted laser that could be charged in a few seconds. The shoulder mounted laser was especially effective against enemy titans, there was at one point during a particularly close encounter that my laser saved my life – unleashing a blast at my enemy that destroyed their titan within seconds of them taking me out.

Titanfall 2 looks to include everything from the original game – Grunts, Mercs & other NPCs, awesome giant robots, fast paced movement – and new elements like the grappling hook and titan super abilities to spice things up. Firefights were fast paced and I could hear my chest pounding as the match ended.

This fountain was really, really, cool

This fountain was really, really, cool

Time to change the narrator!

Now your hearing from Fionna Fox, who also went to the live play event! EA play first of all was pretty amazing I really enjoyed the whole exclusive feel of the event, even if the lines were really short and the place felt a bit empty on the last day at like 2pm.

Titan Fall 2 itself really gave me the same feel as the first, but bit more refined. I really feel like the gameplay was a bit more refined feel than Titan Fall 2, since so many games now use a similar movement system for their game, I really felt at home with wall running, jumping, and grappling. This year it seems will be the year of the grappling hook, as both Titan Fall 2 and Modern Warfare have demonstrated grappling hook style movement. Movement still feels fast and fluid, with a lot of emphasis on verticality. You can easily get on top of what ever building you need to get to snipe, or shoot down.

I started off with a class with some kind of rifle that didn’t have ammo (extremely odd and didn’t feel very good) I quickly changed out for the other available class which was a sniper rifle that was not scoped.  This rifle was pretty dam cool, but hoenstly im not sniper and so I felt a bit like I was out of my element.

The game mode we were allowed to try is a new one where points appear on a map and you must go to that point and kill NPC’s on the point. Not just NPC grunts like the first Titan Fall game though. Grunts now get titans, stupid titans, but titans non-the-less. These NPC titans show up at those points and you have to kill them. Killing or dooming an enemy titan will get you a bunch of the points you get for killing NPC’s on the map. This game mode felt slower than Titan Fall one, something I honestly think isnt bad at all.

Overall I am interested in at least giving the game a whirl when it comes out in October. I think its going to tough market in October for shooters, with both Cod, and Battlefield on their way so shortly after, I hope they dont swallow up Titan Fall 2, which I feel like could be solid entry in to the franchise.

Titanfall 2 will be available on Xbox One, PS4 and Windows PC on October 28th


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EA play is it necessary?


Posted on June 14, 2016 by Fionna Schweit

So this year EA has decided that they need to have their own E3, right next to E3, but in the days leading up to E3. Well, Rae and myself managed to get media registered and get ourselves in to EA Play (which is what the event is called) where we were able to see and play the best upcoming EA titles. This is a major change from a closed show floor that’s normally seen. Anyone who was in LA could walk up to the desk and register for the chance to go in and play EA’s biggest suite of games for 2016

Ea used the venue to do some pretty awesome stuff, first showing off TitanFall 2 on the roof of the building with a fancy tent set up, then using another level to demo their EA sports offerings, and Battlefield one. It was a cool set up, small and intimate, the whole felt like an exclusive LA only only party (complete with a free sandwich and soda!)

One difference that was apparent was that EA play was open to the general public. Im not sure most of the general public would travel cross country to get the chance to lay hands on a single round of Titan Fall 2 and a single 20 minute Battle Field 1 game play demo. That being said both of the demos felt pretty unpolished (to be fair they are demos) but I think most of the general public was probably really excited to play games before they are released.

This fountain was really, really, cool

This fountain was really, really, cool

Titan Fall 2 was really fun to play, and honestly felt like a great addition to the series, I will look forward to hearing more as time goes on with this game. Madden and the other EA sports titles also made an appearance, and I overheard some pretty intense madden games going on in the arena that was there. Sadly as press we dont really have the time to attend such fun and awesome things as the Madden Championship, but we do get to wing by them occasionally.

Another neat feature was a massive store that was selling all sorts of EA branded stuff, from Mass Effect to Plants vs Zombies. The store had some really great merch in it, the time you usually only find at EA exclusive events being given out to VIPs. I really wanted one of the bags, but at 60USD it was a bit much for my wallet this trip. (EA if your reading this I would love an N7 bag!) most of the rest of what was at the EA play was mobile, or other EA properties that wernt as featured.

So now we get to the end, was it worth it? Well I feel like im probably not the only person who thinks this, but I think it was a bit excessive. I asked our EIC Rae about it and she said “I wouldnt say its excessive, but was is necessary nnnnooooo. Public booths outside would have done just as good of a job, with out all the dressing” I tend to agree with Rae, while I know everyone likes to be treated like a VIP (none more guilty than me) and EA has managed to create the exclusive club sort of feeling with EA play for sure, but I just feel like its excessive. There wasn’t enough content here to justify spending more than an hour or two, and I must say I really felt it would have done better on the show floor at E3. The only real advantage to this, was it really gets the games out to the fans, EA is trying to connect with the fans, more than the journalists. While I do applaud their efforts, I think they could have handled it better.


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Dead Rising 4 Hopes To Be a Christmas Surprise


Posted on June 13, 2016 by Rae Michelle Richards

At Microsoft’s E3 press conference the world got its first look at Capcom Vancouver’s next title in the zombie slaying franchise Dead Rising 4. Of course, this wasn’t the first look per se as several images from the game leaked days ago but it was the first time we saw the title in motion.

As expected protagonist Frank West returns in a seemingly open world version of Willamette Colorado during the christmas season. At the press conference digital snow fell from the sky as the overhead LCD screens showered the crowd with fake white fluff. Scraping together spare parts to customize vehicles, a beloved feature from Dead Rising 3 returns in this new title.

We currently do not know if Dead Rising 4 will be playable on the show-floor but we will find out tomorrow. Dead Rising 4 will hit Xbox One and Windows PC this christmas.

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Xbox One S Slated For August Release


Posted on June 13, 2016 by Rae Michelle Richards

Microsoft will release it’s brand new 40% smaller Xbox One S console and improved controller this August. The new console was announced in the pre-briefing video roll and will include enhancements such as 4K video streaming and playback support, an internal power supply, improved controller bluetooth range & more.

It has an MSRP of $299 and a sleek white design. Check out a few pictures of the new console below. We will have more from Mircrosoft’s E3 briefing as it continues.

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Titanfall 2’s DLC Will Be Free Dev Confirms


Posted on June 13, 2016 by Rae Michelle Richards

Respawn Entertainment has confirmed that DLC for the game’s multiplayer will be free according to a statement given to our fellow games journalists at Game’s Radar.

Details about the exact nature of the post-launch add-ons will be confirmed closer to the game’s October 28th launch date according to EA executive Dough Wightman. The previous Xbox Exclusive Titanfall had 4 DLC expansion packs that eventually shifted to a free model as the player base for the multiplayer only first game dwindled.

Titanfall 2 is playable at EA’s “EA Play” events in Los Angeles, CA and is separate from the E3 conference which is happening all this week.


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Quake Champions Will Hopefully Learn From DOOM’s Multiplayer Missteps


Posted on June 13, 2016 by Rae Michelle Richards

Today at their pre-E3 press conference Bethesda revealed the rumored Quake reboot to the world and this re-introduction to id Software’s 1990s darling is probably not what a lot of people expected – an arena shooter.

Foregoing the series roots as a open ended corridor shooter Quake Champions aims re-live the glory days (or is that gorey days?) of Quake III arena with a focus on arena style combat. Bethesda says that the game will be accessible for players of all skill levels but will also offer options that cater to the series’ hardcore fans such as an unlocked frame-rate and 120hz monitor support.

A Shot From 1999's Quake III Arena

A Shot From 1999’s Quake III Arena

After watching the debut trailer, which you can also enjoy in the embedded trailer below, I can’t help but wonder if Quake Champions can learn from last month’s DOOM. The single player of DOOM was absolutely excellent but the game’s multiplayer was not so well received. Featuring generic announcer voices, an odd lack of ambient music during key moments in firefights, a paltry selection of weapons and over powered demon summons – DOOM’s multiplayer pretty much has written the book on HOW NOT to make an arena shooter in 2016.

Bethesda’s pre-launch marketing for DOOM’s multiplayer hailed it as a return to the arena shooters of old and with the announcement of a season’s pass and a lukewarm reception to the game’s open beta it was a foregone conclusion that they would take another stab at building a lasting multiplayer shooter. They’re promising a focus on e-sports combined with character specific abilities abilities and certainly Blizzard’s Overwatch proves that there is a market for such a product, but with contenders like Paragon up and coming – is it took late for one of the FPS team arena champions to make a return?

We’ll find out more about Bethesda’s plans for Quake Champions at this August’s Quakecon. Until then we can just keep watching the debut trailer over and over….

Broken Joysticks’s staff are on location in Los Angeles for E3 2016. Follow us on Twitter for all of our latest articles & more, we will be attending both the Microsoft and Sony E3 press briefings later today.

 

 


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Titanfall 2 Ready For Launch On October 28th


Posted on June 12, 2016 by Rae Michelle Richards

It is official – Respawn Entertainment and Electronic Arts will unleash an assault upon both online & offline players in the form of Titanfall 2 on October 28th. Unlike the first title, which was released exclusively for Windows PC & Xbox One, Titanfall 2 will include both a single-player campaign and multiplayer component.

In the narrative driven portion players enter the shoes of Jack Cooper, a member of a paramilitary militia that links with a one of the titular Titans after its’ pilot is killed. It appears that this link between robot & pilot will be front & center in the single player portion of the game. In Titanfall 1 the link between the two wasn’t really emphasized save for the ability to have your titan defend you through an automated A.I if you ejected during combat.

On the multiplayer front things appeared to have evolved quite a bit since the last time pilot’s strapped on their uniforms. The parkour movement system that helped set the original apart from the pack of other sci-fi shooters has been upgraded with the ability to use a grappling hook and then slide into a safe space. EA will also launch a network test for the game’s multiplayer ahead of release but no solid information on that has been confirmed at this time.
Check out the two debut trailers below from EA’s E3 press conference.

[Source]


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