EA E3 Conference Highlights

It seems that Electronic Arts have fallen short once again at E3 this year, and it’s a shame really since they do have a couple of powerful IP’s at their back. Of course they came to the conference with all the faith they could muster with their array of sports franchises from UFC to FIFA, but we see them every year. Here are a few highlights from the EA Conference that AREN’T sports games.

Star Wars: Battlefront – It’s about time we got some Star Wars games back. Now that Lucasfilm have been bought by Disney and we have a sequel on the way, it’s nice to see that the crew at DICE have taken this much loved franchise and truly brought it to the next generation. The footage that we were shown was super early stuff, but it already looks fantastic. These people know how to build a game from the ground up, and I’m sure Star Wars: Battlefront will be a truly worthy sequel to the original games’ legacy.

Mass Effect 4 – I honestly think if EA didn’t even try to show what’s next for Bioware’s killer franchise, there would have been riots in the streets of Los Angeles. But luckily for them, we got a little featurette showcasing early concept design for what Bioware are saying is the basis of new characters, new stories and a whole new expansive part of space to explore. “How far can we go with these new games? Wait and see”. And wait we will.

Sims 4 – Yes, the Sims is back for it’s fourth major instalment for the PC. What’s changed, you ask? Well, not all that much really, it’s the Sims. But the game has undergone a bit of a facelift graphic-wise. It’s not the Frostbyte engine, but it’s something. Executive producer Rachel Franklin filled us in on what’s next for the Sims, including bespoke personality traits and aspirations that completely change the way that they interact with each other. That teamed with the new ability to share your Sims with players across the world and have them in your own single player experience. The Sims 4 is out on September 2nd.

Dawngate –  Yes, another MOBA, but it seems that this one is slightly different, but in all the right ways. With other MOBA’s like Smite, Blizzard’s upcoming Heroes of the Storm and of course League of Legends, where does Dawngate fit in? What’s different? It seems that at its core, Dawngate has a story to tell and uses the MOBA experience to do it. It certainly seems interesting, but can it stand up against the formidable LoL? We’ll have to wait and see.

Mirrors Edge 2 – DICE are certainly busy little bees this year when it comes to original IP’s. Not only have they got the gargantuan Star Wars: Battlefront to build from the ground up, but now fan favourite Mirrors Edge 2. The footage that was shown was very early, but even completely untextured and at it’s bare minimum this game is set to be breathtaking. With a new combat system and different ways to get around based on the original game’s skill sets, it looks like Mirrors Edge 2 will blow its predecessor out of the water.

Battlefield: Hardline – A fresh new take on the first person shooter. All I can say about Battlefield: Hardline is this: It’s like Grand Theft Auto IV’s ‘Cops n Crooks’ on steroids. After the 6 minute multiplayer video that was shown at the conference it’s safe to say that this is not a game to take lightly. And after wetting our appetites with the video, EA announced that the Beta for Battlefield: Hardline is open now on a first come, first served basis. We’re excited, are you?