It’s been a while since I did a video review and here was one of my top E3 2014 picks (Check it out Here), Check out my Review of Ori & The Blind Forest. Please check out the video and please give it a like leave a comment and of course subscribe to my YouTube Channel!

-Keith

Well it has been an a riveting year for games this year, it has also been a tough year for the gaming community. 2014 is literally ending tomorrow evening and the new year of 2015 is starting. In this post I am just going to review some of the more interesting highlights to me for the year of 2014. I may not hit on exactly every single note because lets face it come November the market was so over run with new releases that we all felt the pain in our wallets, and it is what really stood out for the year was the title after title after title release. So without further ado lets review the year of 2014!

In the year 2014 we have seen 2 next gen consoles, a slew of games, and 2 next gen consoles just waiting to have some real next generation games to really be released for it. January was a really slow month for console games, however the PC market was flooded with titles that really made PC gamers (Who are the superior gamers) so excited. I really can’t say to much for the month of January.

Then February marched in and we had a good amount of releases, with Donkey Kong : Tropical Freeze, Bravely Default, and Final Fantasy XIII: Lightning Returns. Then we got the news that one of my favorite studios Irrational Games was closing. If you are unfamiliar with Irrational Games well shame on you! Irrational Games are the creators of System Shock and BioShock Franchises. I loved the BioShock series, the first BioShock was just so amazing and wondrous. The story was amazing where you felt actual emotions and you felt like you were the main character. You had ups and downs and lefts and rights. The graphics were beautiful and you felt in this under the sea city known as Rapture was just breathtaking seeing a once amazing city fall into decay. Then you had BioShock 2 which continued the story from 1 and didn’t meet to the same response as the original had did but still an amazing game. Then you had BioShock: Infinite which just I didn’t know how to feel at first because it didn’t take place in the fallen under water city of Rapture but rather in the sky city of Columbia. My opinion greatly changed with this after completing it and seeing the game evolve, it still blows your mind. I digress though but Irrational Games you shall be missed greatly.

March is where 2014 everything clicked and the trend began. We saw South Park : The Stick of Truth release on the Xbox 360 and pS4…Finally!! The game was fantastic funny and was worthy of the South Park name. I am so glad this game not only did not get cancelled but met to such brilliant reviews and even won awards!! Then you had the glorified demo of Metal Gear Solid V, Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeros. With this you were introduced to not only a older Big Boss who isn’t trying to kill Solid Snake but a new voice to the fabled character by none other the Jack Bauer himself Kiefer Sutherland. Along with fantastic graphics they added all new elements of Gameplay to the Metal Gear franchise that made combat smooth, but still keeping that classic Metal Gear charm. You still gotta be stealthy, you still rely on patience, and of course you always have your trusty Codec radio. I cannot wait to see the release of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain next year, because this game impressed me so much. We had Titanfall release for the Xbox One, this kept most new console adopters happy for the time, especially with the online Multiplayer. Then of course I cannot leave out the release of the highly anticipated online collectible card game from Blizzard. Hearth Stone : Heroes of Warcraft. This game is not only free to play but now is across multiple platforms including the iPad and Android Tablets, and highly addictive if you learn how to play it right and have money to buy the packs of cards.

Then in April another PC game month with Goat Simulator, a hilarious game that just sparked so many new simulator games that just are so silly and mindless that you can’t help but not play them. Granted you think they are stupid at first but as you play them you ask yourself, “Why am I still playing this.” I did not play Elder Scrolls Online another game that was released during this time because I just couldn’t deal with another MMO, but the game itself I heard very mixed opinions on. The one game that I absolutely loved in the month of April was Child of Light. Child of Light is a 2D side scroller RPG made by Ubisoft. This game not only was magical in its simplistic game play and fairy-tale plot driven story, but what really made this game shine was the artistic graphics. This game was in my opinion Art, plain and simple. The backgrounds were gorgeous the characters were beautifully drawn and all were designed in a water-color aesthetically pleasing.

May was the month that kicked off the huge spike in Nintendo! I am so proud of Nintendo, because they are climbing back to the top with this month. Nintendo not only had Mario Golf: World Tour for the Nintendo 3DS, but they had the amazingly successful and fun Mario Kart 8 that launched the Wii U to great heights. Mario Kart 8 was what Nintendo needed to get back in the game. The game was knocked out of the park! With new and classic levels new karts, new everything! Also it was the start of the whole Nintendo actually allowing you to post your videos of gameplay onto YouTube directly from the system. You see this was a bit of a hot button issues because Gamers who did lets plays with Nintendo games Nintendo was not to happy with them, because they were monetizing off there work. I can see the perspective from both sides, but I already went over that in a previous post (Read that Here). All this was gearing up to the month gamers drool for and wait for all year I am talking about June

June is not only the beginning of Summer but it is Gamers month as I like to call it. Simply because you guessed it… E3!!! (Read my E3 Review Here) Also thats the month that I started writing and reviewing games again here on my lovely blog thanks to you guys! Every year every company makes there way to Los Angeles to show off there games fro the coming months and next year and ohh this E3 was fantastic because it was all about the Games! We had games announcements left and right! It was exciting to be a gamer at E3 this year. Nintendo again I think stole the show, however Sony out of left field who usually does not have very good shows at E3 really put up a fight this year and made me glad I actually purchased a PlayStation 4. They showed titles like No Mans Sky, and Uncharted 4 and a slew of other titles. Microsoft however was a little lackluster in there performance.  There were a couple of gems that were release like Shovel Knight, but the main spotlight was E3 and the games that were coming up in the coming months and year.

Now in July and August it wasn’t to exciting so instead of rambling off titles that really didn’t make the cut because I honestly didn’t play them I am gonna take this time and talk about some of the trends that were happening in gaming along with some stuff that was happening in the industry over the year. 1st in August there was Gamescom in Cologne, Germany. It was a pretty awesome show, continuing off the success of E3 the game company’s really brought there A games to the table. However this year trends really started to grow. It was a year of HD remakes and remasters. You had Fable: Anniversary, The Last of US HD, GTA V for next gen, the Master Chief Collection, Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD Remix, I mean honestly the list goes on and on. Then the second thing I saw a trend in this year which I already went into great depths again in previous posts, but there are definitive console editions and exclusive content for consoles. I really don’t like this because I think Microsoft and Sony instead of fighting and spending money on exclusive stuff for 3rd party multi-console games they should I dunno make new games! Also it was a year of a lot and I do mean a lot of glitches with supposedly finished games. First was Watch Dogs, following suite with Assassins Creed Unity, Halo Master Chief Collection and many more. This in my opinion was unacceptable, I mean you can’t release something unfinished charge us full price and then say your fixing it, then in order for the fix to go through you gotta buy downloadable content and purchase that to get the fix along with content that’s already in the game. I know the industry is trying to get the most out of consumers, but when are we going to draw the line in the sand? I think there was enough outrage with this that I hope and pray that developers get the message. Then there was the purchase of Twitch by Amazon. Then what really rocked the gaming community was GamerGate, I rather not go into this but its sad that we as a community had to go through this because some people can’t play nice with others and we all can’t be grown ups, it was a sad time these months for both the community and gaming but don’t fret because September was just around the corner with its gaming goodness.

In September we saw the release of Destiny the claimed shooter from Bungie, this is what warmed up the month, then of course my favorite Hyrule Warriors was released along with the definitive Lord of the Rings games Middle Earth: Shadows of Mordor.  September was the warm up month for what would be the beginning of what some people called Gamergedon. Because then in October we had a load of games. We had a good amount of Horror games for the spooky time of the year with Betheseda’s Evil Within, and Sega who finally brought an Alien game worth calling an Alien game unlike that piece of crap Aliens : Colonial Marines. Alien: Isolation was scary and everything you would expect from an Alien game. It had its moments of frustration but this game really brought new life to the survival horror genre along with the Alien franchise name. Xbox One had the punk rock spectacular Sunset Overdrive, and Nintendo gave us more with Super Smash Bros. 3DS , and Bayonetta 2 for Wii U which was not only an amazing fun game but it was so well recieved by critics getting scores almost near perfect. May was the start of Nintendo’s climb and October made it even more hotter, but this was nothing what was in store for next month.

November was what was called Gamergedon because of the title after title major releases that came out that month. November had releases like Call of Duty : Advance Warfare, the first call of duty game I genuinely enjoyed in a long long time and I actually purchased it. World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor, Halo the Master Chief Collection, Little Big Planet 3, Dragon Age: Inquisition , Lego Batman 3, Far Cry 4. I mean the titles go on! However I keep on stating it and I do apologize but this year was Nintendo’s big comeback with not only the launch of Super Smash Bros. Wii U, The Collectible toy come to life Amiibo figures which are hotter the Skylanders at this juncture, and Pokemon Alpha Ruby and Omega Sapphire.  I still am playing all these titles so hopefully I can get some reviews out for you with in the next month but being so super busy with personal items and the Holidays it was just to overload for me!

Things wind down for the close of the year in December with Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD Remix , and more Nintendo goodness with Captain Toad Treasure Tracker and NES Remix Pack for Wii U. However in December the gaming community was able to put down there battle axes with each other and we were treated to probably the best Video Game Award Show. It was a celebration of games and the community. What really impressed me the most was that games that actually deserved the awards in the categorys actually were game I would choose! It was amazing. Along with all the announcements. My favorite being the gameplay of the New Zelda Wii U, and announcement of Star Fox coming out in 2015. Then we were treated to the PlayStation Experience where Sony had there day of showing off there 1st party titles.

All and All 2014 was slow to start but ended with a Big Bang! There weren’t really any show stoppers this year but it did open the door to a great start of 2015. I am excited not only for the continued success that Nintendo so richly deserves but also what to look forward to for all the next generation consoles! PlayStation 4 I think is going to be the big dog to beat with its amazing line up with games like No Mans Sky and the Order 1886, but Xbox One has yet to show off its muscle with its teaming up with a lot of Indy Developers. So with that being said I hope everyone had a great 2014, Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year to all! I will see you all in 2015!

Game On!

-Keith

What do you get when you mix the weapons of Ratchet and Clank, the open world of Grand Theft Auto, the graphical acid trip of Jet Set Radio, and the foul mouth of No More Heroes? You get Insomniacs first Xbox One exclusive Sunset Overdrive. Now I know what some of you are thinking. Isn’t Insomniac games exclusive to Playstation? The resounding answer is not anymore!

Sunset Overdrive is an open world game plagued by a catastrophic event where a not yet released energy drink known as overcharge has caused a massive outbreak turning everyone who drinks it into a destructive addicted mutant known simply as The OD. You are the main character and originally you’re nobody picking up trash and serving food, but after the break out you turn into an ass kicking arsenal traversing the city.

Sunset overdrive is an open world game play similar to the styles of GTA, you can pick up little missions, challenges, and of course main story driven events, along with multiplayer. The mechanics are setup that of a third person shooter. The overall setup is quite generic at times with get a mission, explore the city, complete a challenge you would think it would get somewhat boring, however where Sunset Overdrive shines is completely based on movement. You will be grinding on rails, bouncing off cars, swinging dashing, and wall-running. With this in mind you are graded on your movement with a combo system that builds up a gauge which enables you to use power ups known as Amps, the higher the gauge the more amps that can be used. Stand still for too long and the gauge drains. You are constantly on the move and its combat becomes quite entertaining and rewarding. All this being said it is easy to pick up at times but takes a while to master. The weapons in the game are exactly what Insomniac is known for, everything from Exploding Teddy Bears to Bowling ball guns, freeze bombs and so much more! It is also very personalized everything from how your character looks like to how your weapons and abilities operate. As you progress the weapons and abilities you learn help progress your play style, for example if you kill a horde of OD while grinding you upgrade both your weapon and skills against killing OD, but that’s not the only enemies out there you have humans known as SCABS, and Robots from the evil corporation known as Fizco to stop you. So your constantly trying different tactics. If all this was not enough throw in a multiplayer that is co-op known as Chaos Squad that can handle up to eight people, to get unique upgrades and weapons.

Sunset Overdrive is an amazingly beautiful game, it is like Jet Set Radio but with more acid. With orange explosions to even when freezing enemies it is all aesthetically pleasing. The voice overs and references in this game are hilarious. It has everything from references to Breaking Bad, to even the most awesome of video games, luckily the game does not take it’s self seriously enough so you will get a good laugh out of the overall experience. Paired up with a great soundtrack of Punk Rock tracks makes you have that feeling of that take on the world against authority feel. Its bright colors, punk-rock influence is a never-ending barrage of awesomeness to your senses.

 Sunset Overdrive is an amazing game from an amazing studio really taking the Xbox One to new heights and genres. It is a lot of fun and it is very easy to get lost in for hours just doing random stuff. The game is visually beautiful and the references even when dying are hilarious. I give this game a 4.5 out of 5. 

Its the beginning of September and after one month of nothing really to eye grabbing being released. Then the clouds parted and on the fabled 9.9 date (To all you History Buff out there, same date the Sega Dreamcast was released back in 1999) and we were treated with one of the more anticipated titles and franchises of the year, I am talking about non other then Destiny . Crossing multiple platforms, this particular review covers the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions. The definitive version is supposedly on the PlayStation 4, I have yet to really be able to get the differential between the two yet. However, I play it mostly on the Xbox One.

Destiny is Bungie’s first multiple platform game after splitting away from the firm grip of Microsoft Studios, now parterning with the original 3rd part developer Activision to bring us an amazing game. Destiny a mix of multiple genres, it main influence is the first person shooter (This being a Bungie this comes to no surprise.) However it mixes in various RPG elements and MMO elements. You take on one of 3 different classes The Hunter, Warlock, and Titan with all different skills and abilities such can sprint, such as Double Jump for Hunters, and short Range Teleportation for Warlocks.  You are awaken on Earth by a AI known as a Ghost (Played by non other then Tyrion Lannister himself Peter Dinklage), and you become what’s called a Guardian a being who keep order for Humanity, defend from alien threats and guide humanity towards rebuilding itself into the great power that it once was.

The enemies will try to out flank you and even just come right out and ambush you at times

The first person shooter element is well defined and has evolved since Halo. The feel is fluid but with some tweaks that make is faster and more dynamic. With each class having not only it own mobility skills combine that with use of powerful melee attack and different modifications that you can acquire throughout the game allows you to engage enemies in more ways then one. However it still keeps it tactical feel and you can approach in these scenarios however you seeks fit. The enemies you encounter have different patterns some that make use of cover and some that just flat out ambush you or try to just out flank you. The AI in this game are diverse, interesting, and overall impressive. The boss fights are usually just overpowered versions of the same enemies just more HP. One thing though which I will get into later is that some enemies do require that you have multiple friends able to take them down, needles to say combat is always exciting. Then you round out a bit with various RPG elements to its already robust combat system. You can upgrade skills, weapons, and even armor. Then you have a leveling system which in the first few level up to about 14 are quite easy to get through. After that it is just a non stop grind. Further delve into the RPG system you can acquire loot that can range from Weapons to Armor and even materials to further customize your weapons.

The main attraction of this game is the constant state of “online” feature which means that its constantly running on servers and you will always see players online whether your completing missions or just doing what called “Patrol” missions where you can revisit most areas throughout the game with absolutely no objective in mind. You can join whats called a “Fireteam” and take on various missions, raids, and even as of while I write this review farming for weapons, armor, and loot. Couple all of this along with a multiplayer aspect called Crucible that is pretty standard yet unforgiving. You have the basic free for all kill, team kills, capture the bases, etc. When I say it is unforgiving that if you are new to this game you will get your ass handed to you…constantly. If you are not a higher level prepare to get frustrated and fast.

Your Loot is in another Cave…

Destiny is a beautiful game. The attention to detail is astonishing. The Landscapes, Outpost, characters are all beautifully designed crafted in masterful detail. Even the load screens are eye catching and beautiful and you will see quite a few of them. Paired with magnificent musical score that only enhances the game driving the action and excitement. All and all the main systems of the game are rendered beautifully and are top notched to be envied over.

The RPG aspects allow you to customize your character and pick your skills, classes, and as you progress in level weapons and armor stats

The only downside to Destiny at this time is its lack of story that is quite short, however this is apparently going rectified with upcoming DLC to keep the game relevant throughout the season. Congratulations Bungie you have another amazing franchise on your hands and I am excited to see what content you will be coming throughout the upcoming months.

I give Destiny my highest review yet, with an amazing 4 out of 5 for its amazing combat system, content that is just so vast and is going to be expanding, and beautifully stunning graphics and AI.

Now that we got that out of the way let me start by saying that this years E3 was fantastic! I would probably even go so far as to say it was one of the best in years because not to toot my own horn as predicted it was ALL about the games! Now I wrote the blog about not even being day 1 and how amazing of a start it was. So not gonna regurgitate the same stuff I have already stated.  Let me get to the meat of the show and dive full in by listing the E3 games that took us by storm this year and my games of the show. While not all games I will sit and mention in great length and detail I will again reitirate that this was all about the games this year! So much so that I had reserved literally about $200 dollars worth of reserves at GameStop, which as I list the the games I will provide links so that you too can also reserve these titles if available before time runs out so without further stalling here are the top games I seen at E3 :

Best Xbox Exclusive Game :

Sunset Overdrive
(Insomniac Games) Release: 10/28/2014

Runner Up:

Ori and the Blind Forest
(Moon Studios) Release: TBA

This one was really really really tough. Microsoft’s show while enjoyable I could not really shake the feeling that it could have done better. I digress though. Sunset Overdrive third person shooter from the legendary studio that brought us Ratchet & Clank. The game looks first of absolutely gorgeous. When I first saw the trailer at last years E3 I thought this game would be something to look out for but actually seeing the game-play footage and the slew of weapons that you will be able to use. The game play looks like the GTA style sandbox game but its really has emphasis on speed and jump and grinding on power lines and rails. Cover does not seem to be an option in this game, along with a huge 8 player multi-player seems like one of the games that is going to define the Xbox One. The runner up was this beautiful Xbox exclusive game Ori and the Blind Forest. As soon as I watched the trailer for this game I was absolutely mesmerized by the beautiful graphics. The game play is a puzzle platform type with what seems to have a beautiful story to match its graphical style. I had a hard time deciding between Sunset Overdrive and Ori and the Blind Forest. Reason I went for Sunset Overdrive because it will definitely be released this year will Ori is still to be announced, so thats why I gave it the runner up title.

Best PlayStation Exclusive Game:

No Mans Sky

(Hello Games) Release: TBA

Hands down Sony blew me away this year as much if not more then Nintendo, now while No Mans Sky is yet to have a release date it did have a playable demo at the show. And I am sorry this game looks absolutely Amazing! The game is about adventure, survival, exploration, and did I mention that it is literally endless. The developers promise that every game is going to be different for every player that no 2 worlds where you start will be alike. This is a huge promise and I do hope that Hello Games can produce on this one. The exploration aspect seems astonishing. The fact that you can truly explore a world find resources for trade and barter. I forgot to mention that your a space explorer and you have a ship. The part of the game I am looking forward to is the Dog fighting space travel Star Wars feel that you hop into your ship and fly to any system to explore. Its in the first person also to really give you the depth that you are this character and doing the exploration. This is why I had no problems picking this game as the perfect PlayStation Exclusive. I know some people would say pick Destiny or The Order 1886 or even Bloodborne, but this game I feel is whats gonna really just blow everyone away at its release.

Best Nintendo Exclusive Game:

Hyrule Warriors
(Omega Force, Team Ninja) Release: September 26, 2014

Super Smash Bros. Wii U & 3DS
(Bandai Namco Games) Release: Wii U: Q4 2014 3DS: October 3, 2014

What can I say Nintendo I would give them all game of show, and all the awards on the face of the planet, but I gotta be fair here. This one I could not just choose one so it had to be a tie between what the new Legend of Zelda IP Hyrule Warriors and Super Smash Bros. for both the Wii U & 3DS. Super Smash Bros. was the star of Nintendo’s lineup. They had a huge tournament for the game and from what I have seen from the Showroom floor it was marketed everywhere. I dunno what I can really say about Smash Bros. other than…Its freaking Smash Bros! The core mechanics of the game haven’t really changed too too much from platform to platform starting from the N64 to the Wii. Granted the character roster, the trophies, stages, and graphic have always been tweaked from platform to platform. What I love most is that they are actually bringing back the Nintendo GameCube controller! Just goes to show you GameCube was the superior system! The thing that definetely blew me away though was the introduction of Pac-Man! I honestly did not see that coming, so now you can have an old school showdown of Pac-Man vs. Mario vs. Sonic vs. Mega Man. It is just bad ass. Where I am really going to focus on is at no surprise to anyone is Hyrule Warriors. I am very very excited for this title. I kind of went over my excitement in my previous entry so not gonna beat a dead horse to death. The game has just this certain appeal, its mostly because its a new Legend of Zelda title but because its bringing a new spin to a classic franchise. I can’t wait to bring the massive scale of Hyrule to my Wii U, hack and slash Moblins and other forces of evil in a grand scale and not only play as the main Hero Link but as Zelda, Impa, and a slew of other recently announced characters.

Best Multiplatform Game :

Alien:Isolation
(SEGA) Release: October 7, 2014   Consoles : PS3 , PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, & PC

Lots of games to really choose from in this category, it was a real twister because what I really saw this year was a lot of Multiplatform games however it was mostly a peeing competition with Sony and Microsoft because there was going to be exclusive content to each system so I really didn’t want to pick one console over the other when it came to games like Batman: Arkham Knight which has supposedly more exclusive items to PS4, Destiny where each console was getting different content, and even Dragon Age: Inquisition which is getting exclusive Xbox One content. So I decided to go with Alien: Isolation. I know what most people are thinking, the Alien franchise as far as video games are concerned have a very long track history of being absolute god awful pieces of crap. However this looks like the Alien game we have been so desperately waiting for. The game takes place before the events of Aliens and you play as Ripleys daughter trying to solve the mystery of her mothers disappearance.  This game looks absolutely horrifyingly scary. This looks like its really bring back the suspense of the survival Horror genre. The Xenomorph (The Alien) can literally be very unpredictable, your going to be spending most of your time trying to hide and at all cost avoid the Xenomorph who can crawl through vents the ceiling and is just a hunting killing machine. If the Xenomorph wasn’t enough there are more then just Aliens to fear aboard. My only fear with this game is that what they are showing is always as “A Work in Progress” and that it will not live up to what we have been expecting. mostly because of the horrible lawsuit that followed Colonial Marines. If they can produce what they have shown so far it should be an amazing game for not only the franchise but for the survival horror genre.

With so many games to choose from this year was a real nail bitter and while I wish I could give awards in every category and say how great everything is that would take WAY TO LONG… This year was all about the games. This is all leading up to and with out further ado I bring you my E3 :

Game of Show :

Evolve
(Turtle Rock) Release: October 21, 2014   Consoles : PS4, Xbox One, & PC

Now I know what some people are thinking, that why didn’t I choose a Nintendo Game? Why didn’t I choose maybe an RPG or an Adventure Game? Why is it that FPS always seem to win game of show? Did you sell out Keith?

Well let me say that this game looks absolutely sick! I picked this game because of it originality and because this is what Next Generation is!  It is like Monster Hunter Ultimate on Steroids, Crack, and Viagra all at the same time. Made by the Legendary Team who brought us Left 4 Dead comes Evolve. Evolve is a first person shooter but there is a twist to it. It is a 4 player vs. 1 Player game. You can play as either the one of 4 classes of Hunter either a Trapper, Medic, Assault, or Support or even play as the Monster that is being hunted. I think this game not only looks beautiful but plays insanely. The goal is if your the hunters to take out the monster and if your the monster take out the Hunters. If that wasn’t enough though you got a giant rampaging ever upgradeable monster to deal with but you gotta deal with different elements of the game such as just the surrounding where a rock isn’t really a rock but some monster ready to tear you to shreds! It is really help defining the new age of multiplayer that you see in games like Monster Hunter. You can upgrade your character or monster as playing through as the game progresses. The game seems fast pace strategic and over all just a leap forward for the next generation consoles. This is the game to watch out for!!

In conclusion, I know I left out a lot of games that either flew to under the radar like Tales of Xillia 2 or Kingdom Hearsts HD 2.5 ReMix  or games that are so in your face like Rainbow Six Siege or Mortal Kombat X. I think this years E3 was one of the best by far. Two things I seen shine at this years E3 was that independent studios are finally getting the recognition and time of day they so richly deserve because a lot of these games aren’t made with Millions dollar budgets but can contest with the best and biggest Studios out there.  Secondly the war has really begun with the exclusive content to different systems. I dunno how I feel about this, because its really forcing me to buy multiple copies of the same goddamn game. Which is what companies want for you to spend money!  I digress…I wish I really had more to really write about all the games I didn’t get to talk about but then again I am just one man and these are the games that stood out to me the most. These are my opinions. And while I reserved more then just the games listed above this is really only the tip of the iceberg. I look forward to the next few months as these amazing titles are released!

-Keith

Now I am not gonna go through every single game or every game aspect of the show, so I am just really gonna go for the major 3 players Nintendo , Microsoft , and then dabble a little on some major games I would like to be seen and from what I hear will be at the show this year or at least announced. So let’s get started!

This year I don’t think we really have much to worry about as far as new hardware its gonna be ALL about the games this year.

Nintendo:

If you have read my previous post you have probably gathered I am somewhat of a Nintendo Fan boy. Its true I am the biased when it comes to Nintendo because shit I grew up with it, it’s always been there. But enough reminiscing. At Nintendo this year I think they are gonna really have an All-Star Line Up and are going to knock it out of the park again this year. Nintendo has been taking a different approach as of lately. They believe of doing a lot Press Releases every so often. This year is no different and they will be doing the Nintendo Directs for everyone to see. They are doing not only will they be at the show, but they are doing 3 directs. 1 one of which will be a Super Smash Bros. Tournament. Now I gotta be honest with you I don’t think we are gonna see a whole lot of things that will be released probably this year. I think its gonna be a majority of what Nintendo has in store. I believe we are gonna see some renews of some old Franchises and a couple of new IPs. The first of which I am very excited about Hyrule Warriors. A new take on The Legend of Zelda Franchise, a hack and slash action made by the same people who made Dynasty Warriors. This I hope makes some big waves and I am very excited to see an US release date and more gameplay footage. If this wasn’t enough Legend of Zelda goodness rumor mill is a buzz that there will be some sort of trailer and or reveal of the Legend of Zelda Wii U (Title Pending).  My real reasoning I believe this to be true because Zelda Williams will be at this Nintendo Direct as stated on her Twitter page.  Along with that we will probably see some announcement for Wii U Virtual Console Titles. The second Major hitter will be Super Smash Bros. Yes I believe at E3 we will definitely get not only more final words on a release date but more gameplay footage and possible more character reveals. But what is Nintendo without Mario! Supposedly there are strong rumors that there is gonna be some sort of  “Mario Maker“. What it is supposedly a Little Big Planet style game featuring everyone’s favorite plumber. If  that wasn’t enough we will see more on the 3Ds Pokemon Ruby Omega and Sapphire Alpha. Then if I did not mention it my friend Reggie and all the Hunters in n00b Adventures in Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate would kill me for not mentoning it Monster Hunter 4! I know it’s a little presumptuous but I think they will win the Conference set.

Microsoft:

Now Microsoft last year was all about the Xbox One hardware, this year its gonna be game focus central. With a title of the conference being Xbox: Game On I can only imagine what will be shown.  So far Halo 5: Guardians has been announced, so we shall definitely see some sort of reveal with either gameplay or new trailer, with a possible time frame window of release. Then of course we have the Halo: The Master Chief Collection the HD Xbox One collection. One game that I was actually pretty amazed to see a “game play trailer” on the Xbox Events App that I am intrigued to see more of is Sunset Overdrive a third person shooter by the legendary Insomniac Game Studio who brought us Ratchet and Clank. Of course also there will be something for Call of  Duty: Advanced Warfare. Then something for Destiny . Then of course there is Killer Instinct Season 2 and Microsoft has always had a great relationship with EA because of Peter Moore, so we will see something with the Sport compilation and Battlefield also. Other than that it has been very hush-hush, all leading up to the conference. One thing that has been circulating around is that something “unexpected” will be announced. This will be very interesting show this year and Microsoft is gonna also have an excellent excellent show.

Sony: 

Ok one thing that happened so far is the whole Last Guardian dilemma. Turns out that is indeed not cancelled. Now Sony I am gonna really kinda keep short. I mean PlayStation is just so recycled and there conferences are so boring. I think they will have some great games on the consoles from 3rd parties but I don’t really expect much from them right out of the conference gate. There will be and it has been somewhat confirmed that there will be a lot of games for the PS4 this year. One thing that seems to be on the tip of every Sony lovers lips is Uncharted 4 and a supposed Last of Us PS4 edition. While it is not for the PS4 one item I am quite happy about is Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD Remix for the PS3 that Square-Enix has already announced late last week. The second item I am extremely excited for and I can only really imagine it on the PS4 even though it will be multi platform is Metal Gear Solid 5: Phantom Pain. Ooh this game. I played Ground Zero and I was so impressed with it I really can’t wait to see more of this game. I just hope my prediction is correct and it will be really shown on the PS4 more so then then XBox One. So I will really see how this develops. I think Sony like all years will be very mediocre at best.

Now for some titles that have been busing around , some rumor some confirmed titles.

Mortal Kombat X : 

WOW! A new Mortal Kombat and it looks so bad ass! Those who have not seen the trailer is a link http://www.ign.com/videos/2014/06/02/whos-next-official-mortal-kombat-x-announce-trailer. With new consoles comes a new Mortal Kombat one of the fighting games that defined almost a generation. While some details are scarce and only a release of 2015 I can’t wait to see what is showcased for this game.

STAR WARS: BATTLEFRONT :

While it made technically made a debut at last year Microsoft Conference, I would love to see a new Star Wars Battlefront game because I thought the originals were awesome. With so much Star Wars fodder going around I think it would be an excellent time to release some sort of new star wars game.

FALLOUT 4: 

This is rumored. I love FallOut. If they announce an actual title or even just a trailer, I think that will make my E3. I mean who knows where it can take place… It can be California, Maybe still in DC. You know what would be awesome location New Jersey! In my personal opinion though people would just think it business as usual in Jersey. (Insert Witty Comment)

Alien: Isolation : 

With the horrible horrible game Alien: Colonial Marines failure. This game actually looks like the Alien game we have been wanting since god knows when. It seem scary, survival horror. It also has all those nifty gizmos from the Aliens movie like the Radar. This is a title to be on the lookout for.

This is all I have for the moment. Not to beat a dead horse to death but this year is all about the games! We have the consoles so know its time for those developers to start putting out these games we have all been craving. As for game of show I have no real clear idea what is going to be game of show. It’s all what is announce in conference of the next couple of days. Then we actually have 3 days of the actual show to see these games actually being showcased. All and all I can not wait!

Check back later this week where I will definitely be doing my recap of E3 because I have the week off from work just for the occasion!! Until then Game On!!!