E3 2013 has been in the books for two weeks now. The fallout from this year's show has been big with the incredibly positive buzz surrounding the PS4 and the immense animosity towards the Xbox One- even following Microsoft's change of heart. E3 2013 saw the first real shots fired in the next round of the console wars. The frontrunner following E3 looks to be Sony with Nintendo in second and Microsoft in a distant third. E3 did garner some excitement for the next generation of consoles yet this writer does not see a game that provides a reason for gamers to drop their cash to pick up these new systems at launch. Those games may be a couple of years down the road, which makes waiting possibly the best choice for most unless you are among the most hardcore. Most of the games showed off for the next generation of consoles were a lot in line with the games that have dominated the last half of the current generation- shooters and sequels. It is a new generation; time for Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft to start taking more risks rather than solely resting on their laurels. Most of these companies are making moves to secure exclusives on their console and ramp up their support for independent developers, one of the few sources of originality in the industry nowadays, but those things alone will not secure victory this time around. The dawn of the last console generation saw the birth of franchises like Gears of War, Uncharted and Wii Sports to name of few. Creative risks of that ilk seem to coming from downloadable games or a select few games available for both current and next generation consoles. The console manufacturers need to start leading by example and move this industry out of the sequel-driven slump it has fallen into. Do not get this writer wrong, sequels are fine and healthy parts of this industry, but too many unnecessary sequels (Call of Duty, Assassin's Creed, Need for Speed) cause stagnation in creativity and disinterest from gamers. Once the initial wave of games for the next generation release, hopefully we will see some new ideas emerge from the triple A publishers.
No E3 is complete here at Silver Bit without the annual Top Games of E3 list. Throughout the hectic week that is E3, yours truly makes a tireless effort to watch as much gameplay footage shown at the show. Without physically being in LA to experience the event, it is hard to find footage for every single game at the show. Like last year, the only games that qualify for this list are those that had demos on the show floor. Now let us get on to the Top Games of E3 2013.
Honourable Mention
Batman: Arkham Origins- PS3, XB360, Wii U, PC
The reveal of Arkham Origins just about two months ago was not well received by this writer. Arkham City is easily one of the best games of this generation, but Origins seemed to be a quick cash-in by Warner Bros. After watching the demo showed off at E3, Arkham Origins looks to be more of the same Arkham City greatness with some improvements and that is totally fine. The combat and open world traversal looks the same as usual, but it is the new investigation mode that should get gamers excited to venture into Gotham City. Instead of the forced investigation segments from the previous entries in the Arkham series, Origins allows gamers to become the World's Greatest Detective by being able to reconstruct an entire crime scene using evidence collected throughout the investigation and exploration. Seeing the new investigation mode in motion has got this writer excited to lace up the Dark Knight's boots once again.
5. Murdered: Soul Suspect- PS3, XB360, PC
Last year, Airtight Games was gathering a lot of attention for Quantum Conundrum, a first-person puzzler similar to Valve's Portal. Now come E3 this year, Airtight has got gamers intrigued with their newest game Murdered: Soul Suspect. Murdered places you in the ghostly shoes of the recently deceased detective, Ronan O'Connor. Caught in limbo, Ronan is tasked in solving his own murder using his new found supernatural powers. Powers like possession let Ronan interact with the environment around him to find evidence unbeknownst to the other NPCs in the game. With the evidence collected, Ronan can piece together key information used to open up new areas to investigate. Ronan is not the only one stuck in limbo. From time to time, Ronan will run into demons that threaten the ghostly detective. To dispatch these enemies, Ronan must use stealth and possession powers. At E3, Murdered: Soul Suspect seemed to get swept up under all the hype produced by the next gen consoles and huge Triple A games. It is sad considering how unique and intriguing this game is. Murdered: Soul Suspect will definitely be one to watch come 2014.
4. Bayonetta 2- Wii U
Nintendo showed off some great games at E3, but none really blew this writer away much like Bayonetta 2. The Masters of the Insane, also known as Platinum Games, have brought some of the most unapologetically crazy games this last generation and they look to continue that drive into the future with Bayonetta 2. It is really hard to describe the demo showed off at E3, but did it ever make this writer's jaw drop on multiple occasions. Watch the demo and you will see what is trying to be conveyed in this paragraph. You play as a witch covered in clothes made of her own hair as you fight angels, demons or whatever enemy Platinum throws your way with magic produced by using your hair. It does not make much sense, but sure does it look fun. While Bayonetta 2 will not be a system seller for the Wii U, it could push some hardcore gamers to pick up Nintendo's newest console.
3. Transistor- PS4, PC
When Transistor was first announced at PAX East, many were comparing it to Supergiant Games' freshman effort, Bastion. Transistor does have a couple similarities to Bastion like the isometric perspective and the use of a narrator to describe the action, but that is where the similarities end. Transistor is primarily a turned-based strategy game, but it does allow you play it like any other action game if you choose. Choosing to play Transistor like any other action game will be a mistake as you are missing out at Transistor's greatest strength, its planning mode. In planning mode, time stops and you are able to plan out your moves and attacks on the action bar. You are given all the time in the world to plan out your battles as you can scrub up and down the action bar and edit it as you want. You cannot abuse the planning mode as it will need to recharge after every use. The interplay between fighting in real-time and using planning mode is very intriguing and will easily make one of the standout downloadable experiences on PS4 and PC next year.
2. Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare- XBOne, XB360, PC
Nobody thought turning Plants vs. Zombies from a tower defense game to a third-person shooter would be a good idea. Many thought this change in genre would destroy all the fun and charm that makes Plants vs. Zombies so endearing to gamers and non-gamers alike. Well PopCap proved us all wrong then because Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare looks flipping awesome! Easily one of this writer's biggest surprise from E3, Garden Warfare did not look like anything exceptional from the trailer showed off at the EA Press Conference, but the gameplay changed the entire story. Allowing gamers to jump into any one of the plants from the Plants vs. Zombies games, you fight off hordes upon hordes of zombies with your own weapons and other traps and defences you set up throughout the level. Garden Warfare looks like a team-based shooter that should be a lot of fun to play with others hopefully both on and offline.
1. Watch Dogs- PS4, PS3, XBOne, XB360, Wii U, PC
Watch Dogs shocked the world when it was revealed back at E3 2012. The more Ubisoft has shown of their newest IP, the more gamers have been impressed. Watch Dogs keeps on looking better and better to the point that it has easily become one of the most anticipated titles of 2013. For a brand new IP to have such huge amount of anticipation is very hard to come by in the sequel-driven environment that the video game industry currently is. Watch Dogs looks to blend a straight-forward action game with the freedom of a open world Chicago to explore, but this blend is not the reason people are excited for Ubisoft's newest venture. The reason people are excited to play Watch Dogs is due to the amount of freedom you have to manipulate the world around you. Playing as master hacker Aiden Pearce, Chicago is your playground and also your weapon. Hacking into the city to escape the pursuits of the police, cause chaos and listen in on phone conversations are just the tip of what you can do in Watch Dogs. Couple all that control with the ability to have a friend play co-operatively or competitvely using a tablet, which this writer hopes Ubisoft integrates natively in the Wii U version, Watch Dogs is the game to watch this holiday season. Ubisoft could have another hit on their hands with Watch Dogs. Just hopefully Ubisoft does not run this potential series into the ground like they did with Assassin's Creed.
