Easily the lesser of the main conferences to be featured at this year’s E3, EA and Ubisoft still managed to debut a number of impressive trailers and gameplay demos. With the return of franchises like Mass Effect and the reveal of a very ambitious Ghost Recon reboot, there are at least a handful of reasons to be excited for what the two publishers have in store for gamers over the next several years.
Mass Effect: Andromeda
Starting off their conference, EA revealed Mass Effect: Andromeda, the fourth entry in the popular science-fiction RPG series. Taking place in a new galaxy, players will take on the role of a human male or female character. The N7 operative in the trailer, though not the main character in the game, can be seen scrolling through a series of planets, building further speculation that the game will revolve heavily around planetary exploration and colonization.
Star Wars: The Old Republic-Knights of the Fallen Empire
Developed by EA’s Bioware Austin, Knights of the Fallen Empire is an upcoming expansion for the popular MMO, Star Wars: The Old Republic. Though no gameplay was shown, Knights of the Fallen Empire’s trailer revolves around two Force-sensitive twin brothers. Though becoming exceptional warriors, they go down diverging paths and begin a violent family feud. Knights of the Fallen Empire will be free for all Old Republic subscribers.
Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2
Initially premiering at Microsoft’s conference, EA finally revealed actual gameplay for Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2. In addition to announcing a single player campaign, EA showed off several new zombie fighters, including the Imp, Superbrainz and Captain Deadbeard classes.
Unravel
Though EA is typically best known for developing AAA games, the reveal of Unravel was a welcomed surprise. Unravel is a puzzle-based side-scroller starring Yarny, a little creature made entirely out of yarn. The trailer shows Yarny using different parts of his body to overcome obstacles while exploring the beautiful looking world that he calls home.
Star Wars: Battlefront
Star Wars: Battlefront is perhaps the most anticipated shooter of 2015, and EA’s demo thankfully delivered on people’s lofty expectations. Taking place on Hoth, the demo showcased the game’s first-person and third person modes, showing that players will have the option of choosing between the two viewpoints while fighting on the ground and in the air. Player-controlled hero characters, like Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker, can also be unlocked for play during multiplayer matches.
South Park: The Fractured But Whole
South Park: The Stick of Truth was a runaway success last year, earning countless accolades for its humor and writing. Ubisoft is hoping for lighting to strike twice with The Stick of Truth’s sequel, South Park: The Fractured But Whole. Like the previous title, it will be an RPG in which players will have the option to create their own child-inhabitant of South Park.
Rainbow Six: Siege
Though premiering a CGI trailer starring and narrated by Angala Basset, it was Rainbow Six: Siege’s multiplayer gameplay trailer that really showed just how impressive looking Ubisoft’s reboot of the series truly is by further showing off the game’s unique asymmetrical multiplayer maps.
For Honor
Definitely the most unique game to be revealed at Ubisoft’s conference, For Honor is a medieval sword combat game that places players in the role of Knights, Samurai or Vikings. For Honor is a multiplayer-centric title, and allows customization of player-controlled characters.
The Division
Revealing a new co-op centric-trailer, The Division takes place in the not-to-distant future in which a lethal epidemic throws New York City into chaos. Taking on the role of an agent for the Division, players try to save New York from itself, while backstabbing each other in the process. As shown in past trailers, The Division looks brutally violent.
Ghost Recon: Wildlands
The final gameplay trailer of the conference was for Ghost Recon: Wildlands, Ubisoft’s latest attempt to resurrect the Ghost Recon franchise. The game is set in a dynamic open world and allows players to approach missions in various ways. Most of those ways include shooting people in the head.
