E3 2015: Bethesda Press Conference Impressions

Bethesda kicked off E3 2015 with their first ever press conference late Sunday night.  Anticipation for the press conference was building from the moment that Bethesda announced it to the world.  Everybody was hoping for the official reveal of Fallout 4 along with a few unannounced projects hidden deep in Bethesda's pockets.  Those expectations changed once Fallout 4 and Doom 4 were both confirmed for the showcase as some thought the respectable game publisher already revealed their entire hand.  Could Bethesda pull out a show-stealing performance for their freshmen showcase?  Or would early reveals and leaks pull the rug out from under them?

While leaks did sour the Dishonored 2 reveal, the rest of Bethesda's press conference went off without any real problems.  I have to give huge kudos to everybody from Bethesda for stepping back and letting the games do the talking for themselves.  Just seeing Doom and Fallout 4 in all their glory was outstanding.

Both titles look incredible in their own way.  Doom hopes to bring old school FPS gameplay from past entries with modern graphics and controls.  The fast-pace and visceral action of Doom completely sold me on it, but adding in a return to twitch-based multiplayer of the 90s and the mod-making app Doom Snapmap has certainly made it a standout in the crowded FPS genre.

With a nearly 40 minute presentation that included everything from concept art to companion apps to a collector's edition reveal, Fallout 4 looks to be the ultimate post-apocalyptic sandbox ever created.  Just the sheer amount of things to do in Fallout 4 is unbelievable.  In-depth character customization, weapon and armour crafting, building settlements that open up a tower-defense style meta-game and modding the game within the game are just the tip of Fallout 4's immense iceberg of content.  Plus Todd Howard's presentation was simply wonderful.  He brought a form of sincerity and enthusiasm that you rarely see from the typical suits that do the presenting at E3.

Doom and Fallout 4 were the centerpieces of Bethesda's showcase as they spent a good 80 per cent of their conference talking about them.  As for the remaining 20 per cent of the show, it was spent on trailers for Battlecry, The Elder Scrolls Online and Dishonored 2 and announcements for Dishonored Definitive Edition and The Elder Scrolls Legends, Bethesda's competitor to Hearthstone.  While it was well-paced and to the point, this part of the conference felt flat especially considering the mystique surround Dishonored 2's reveal was lost thanks to leaks.  Everything contained in this middle portion of Bethesda's showcase could have been saved for the pre or post-show for better effect.

All-in-all, Bethesda's freshman showing in the E3 press conference circuit was a home run.  They focused on impressing gamers instead of stockholders, kept the conference moving at an entertaining pace, threw in a few inside jokes and established their small lineup as one of the finest in the industry.  If you missed out on Bethesda's conference due to its late airing, make the time to watch it very soon.  The Fallout 4 demo is worth it alone.

Grade:  A