Day two of the Electronic Entertainment Expo has come to a close, and once more, we found ourselves surrounded by a number of terrific games, including a pair of returning franchises that held our attention greatly.
Returning Favorites
First, we stopped by Midnight City’s suite to check out Costume Quest 2, which features more colorful visuals than the original trick-or-treating role-playing adventure, along with great turn-based battles that reminded us of the classic Paper Mario. In addition, the game’s easy-to-adapt-to control scheme make it something that kids can enjoy just as much as fans of the genre. For good measure, Midnight City gave us some candy on the way out. Not bad, although they don’t quite mix well with bagels.
Nintendo was also a key focus on day two, particularly with Super Smash Brothers. This game, with all of its multiplayer appeal, was a huge draw on the show floor, particularly with its giant display, which people got in line to interact with. As expected, the game is living up to its chaotic yet enjoyable potential, with multiplayer galore and plenty of great characters to choose from, including Mega Man and the recently announced Pac-Man. It’ll be nice to settle this mascot debate once and for all, eh? In addition, the 3DS version wasn’t bad at all, and a nice alternative when you aren’t playing on the Wii U. Both games are due later this year.
Finally, CD Projekt Red amazed with its long demo of The Witcher III: Wild Hunt. While the demo on the floor is terrific, the behind-closed-doors one is even better, with even larger quests to complete, utter detail that takes advantage of the Xbox One/PS4 hardware, and plenty of combat to engage in. This one’s bound to be a favorite once February 2015 rolls around.
Heroes and Harmonix
Disney Interactive also had a pretty good set-up at its booth, where players could earn Disney Infinity 2.0 figures by taking part in a “super hero selfie” program – and get a nice photo of themselves to boot. As you might guess, the line was ridiculously long for the promotion, but to some, certainly worth it.
Disney Infinity 2.0 was also vastly playable, with both the Avengers and Spider-Man universes set to go in playable kiosks. The game actually provides a much larger universe to play around in than the original Infinity, and better-looking visuals to boot. For good measure, the Toy Box mode is also back, and much easier to use this time around, with drop-and-use objects being much more accessible than before.
Harmonix was also on hand to get people waving their arms to Disney’s Fantasia: Music Evolved. Featuring a number of classic and current songs, including “Feel Good Inc.” and “Bohemian Rhapsody,” the game definitely takes interactivity to the next level with its simple gameplay and the ability to change song tempos at will, using segments that are intertwined into the game. Plus, from what we gather, Harmonix’s Eric Pope is a dancing master. Go see for yourself if you’re going on the show floor today.
Techland
This developer deserves special mention because it had one of the better booths off the show floor, stuck away in the upper reaches of West Hall. The company showcased a much better demo of Dying Light, and introduced the new grapple ability, which enables users to swing up onto roofs much easier than climbing up. For good measure, some new weapons were introduced, including an electrified axe that makes it much easier to cut someone in half. Really, you have to see this thing to believe it.
The developer also showed an early demo for Hellraid, its forthcoming first-person medieval adventure where you use everything from swords to spells to bring down dangerous, undead enemies. Although the game is still early yet, it appears to be coming along wonderfully, with non-stop action to keep fans entertained.
Outside the Show
Finally, we stopped by a couple of companies that actually set up shop outside of E3, across the street. The first, Nvidia, has a fun little party space set up where players can try out their new equipment and play a few rounds of Titanfall in the process. In addition, the company offered plenty of giveaways, including those awesome Titanfall burn cards. Yes, real ones.
Devolver Digital also had a fun little set-up, featuring trailers with a variety of its games, including Broforce and Hateful Girlfriend. It was a nice, convenient space, and one filled with great potential for future releases. The free BBQ certainly didn’t hurt, either.
That’s a Wrap
So now, we’re off to the show floor for the third and final day. Exhaustion has set in, but you can bet that with all these games to take in, we’re not even close to done yet. Be sure to check back next week for more in-depth previews of what was seen, right here at Prima.
