If there is one Nintendo property that people have grown tired of over the years, it is Mario. Mario releases may come at an accelerated rate these days, but you cannot blame Nintendo for sticking with what sells especially when they need it the most. I will admit that Mario's 2D platformers have not added much to the formula since New Super Mario Bros. for the DS. Mario's recent stagnation in two dimensions makes Mario Maker such a breath of fresh air. Giving the player full freedom to create whatever 2D Mario level their heart desires in such an official form is a dream come true. Mario Maker allows players to build levels using classic Mario assets such as blocks, warp pipes, goombas and koopas, two different styles of graphics (original NES graphics and the New Super Mario Bros. graphics) and the ability to instantly switch between editing and playing levels at any time. Mario Maker is the next logical step in taking 2D Mario games to a whole new level. There is an incredible amount of potential in placing the creation of new Mario levels in the hands of the players and this writer is excited to see what crazy contraptions come from it.
Coming from the minds that brought us classic cooperative shooter Left 4 Dead, Evolve looks to take competitive and cooperative shooters in a brand new direction. Evolve is a four vs. one multiplayer shooter where the team of four has to work together to beat the one. It might seem very unfair if the one was not a gigantic monster. With this unique dynamic, matches involve much more than straight-up firefights. Playing as the monster involves taking advantage of the moment-to-moment action to decide between striking the opposing team or avoiding combat in order to eat roaming creatures needed to evolve into more powerful stages. On the other hand, the hunters need to work effectively as a team in order to track down and kill the monster before it becomes too much for the team to handle. Matches in Evolve become hectic games of cat-and-mouse as both sides wrestle for control of territory and resources while contending with the unpredictable computer-controlled creatures that inhabit each map. Since Turtle Rock Studios announced the game this past January, Evolve has been nothing but impressive especially with its showings at this year's E3.
Not much has been seen of Dynamighty's PlayStation exclusive outside the trailer found on PS4 demo kiosks across North America. Considering CounterSpy is being published by Sony, one would have thought the gaming giant would make mention of it at their press conference. In fact, the only footage available of CounterSpy at E3 is from the demo on the show floor. It is a shame because of how great CounterSpy plays. CounterSpy is a side-scrolling stealth game that has players sneaking through enemy bases in order to prevent nuclear war between the United States and Russia. Trusted with a silenced pistol and stealth know-how, the player jumps between cover, shooting and taking out enemies on the fly. In particular, the cover mechanics for the game are very interesting as the camera changes from a side view of the stage to slightly tilted view of the player and their sight from cover. Overall, CounterSpy looks like a delightful downloadable that deserves a lot more attention than it is currently getting. Watch some gameplay for it, CounterSpy might just surprise you.
Mortal Kombat has seen its fair share of ups and downs over the years especially during the PS2, Xbox and Gamecube years. With the success of Mortal Kombat 9, things have gotten back on track for the franchise. Not to rest on their laurels, Ed Boon and NetherRealm Studios are making big changes to series while expanding on successful mechanics introduced in Mortal Kombat 9 and Injustice: Gods Among Us. Mortal Kombat X's biggest departure comes in its roster and story as the game takes place 25 years after the events of the previous game. Since 25 years have passed, the roster will consist of brand new characters such as Cassie Cage (daughter of Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade), Kotal Khan (a blood god) and D'Vorah (a human/insect hybrid) along with some returning favourites like Scorpion and Sub-Zero. Although gameplay remains very similar to past Mortal Kombats with the return of fatalities, special moves and x-ray moves, there are some interesting additions in the form of fully interactable environments and combat variations. Much like Injustice, combatants can use parts of the environment to launch themselves into the air, set traps for opponents or use as additional weapons. Speaking of combat variations, each fighter has three different variations to choose from which changes their move sets, strengths, weaknesses and weapons. With all the new additions and refinements to Mortal Kombat X, gamers all around should be excited to dive back into this fighting game franchise come 2015.
Far Cry 3 surprised everybody back in 2012 with its excellent gameplay and vibrant open world. Two years later, Ubisoft is at it once again with Far Cry 4. To sum up Far Cry 4's showing at E3 in one word, it would be jaw-dropping. Instead of having an entire island at your disposal, you now have an entire country in Kyrat. On foot, in car and through the air, Far Cry 4 gives the player an incredible amount of choice to explore Kyrat however they want. Gameplay gives the player the same amount of freedom as you can play solo or with a friend, use items and animals found in the environment to your advantage and freely move between modes of travel at any time. It is hard to describe everything that makes Far Cry 4 such a standout among the sea of shooters releasing this year. It is best to watch some gameplay footage of Far Cry 4 and see the awesomeness for yourself.
Well, this marks the end of part one. Hope you enjoyed the list up to this point and feel free to share your favourite games of E3 in the comments. If you want to continue reading, click this link to see the conclusion to Silver Bit's Top 10 Games of E3 2014
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