News by Lindsay M.
It’s that time of year again, the time when we at DDnet cover E3 while silently wishing it were time for TGS. That being said, EA often offers some stellar indie titles and it is promising two announcements in this event alone.
Related reading: Catch up with EA’s E3 event from last year.
Also expect a look at Battlefield V, FIFA ‘19, a new premium game streaming subscription, some stupid stuff, and Bioware’s next big title, Anthem.
Battlefield V
With every new Battlefield announcement we get a promise of the deepest, most immersive Battlefield yet. In this case, that means windows can break and fences can move. Wow. I’m exhilarated. As previously announced, Battlefield will contain no loot boxes, and any premium purchased won’t impact gameplay, just visuals. Royale mode has been reimagined for Battlefield and promises an experience “you haven’t played before.” That’s a likely story. There’s now a long cinematic look at the gameplay, locations, etc. If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it must be Battlefield.
FIFA ‘19
The FIFA ‘19 segment begins with a long trailer featuring the tag line “Champions Rise” and then an extended look at… a real trophy. It ain’t no Stanley Cup. (Go Sens!) UEFA Champions League is coming to the game with an exclusive modes, including new story and career modes. Each year it seems as though the player is able to control a little bit more on the pitch, from tactics to movements. FIFA ‘19 launches on September 28.
In the meantime, FIFA ‘18 is currently available as a free, whole-game demo to celebrate the World Cup, happening in Russia this month.
Skate 4
Just kidding.
Origin Access Premier
A team from Israel has joined EA to pioneer its cloud gaming experience — it seems to be bringing EA games to a subscription game streaming service. Yes, it is! Origin Access Premier gives PC players access to new new games as well as “the vault.”
Origin Access Premier launches in the next few months.
A New Star Wars Game
Respawn has been working with LucasArts on the name and setting of a Star Wars game. Jedi: Fallen Order takes place during the dark times when Jedis were hunted. It is currently set to be released in December 2019.
Star Wars: Battlefront II
Battlefront II launched last year to absolutely no fanfare, but the devs are still trying by adding new features. The progression system has been upgraded, there’s a new Hunt mode, Han Solo season coming next week with movie content and Extraction mode returns. Looking even further ahead, there will be a new star fighter mode and new large-scale multiplayer sandbox experience focused on capturing command posts and taking out ships. New heroes, villains, and planets from Clone Wars are coming this year.
An indie title! Unravel Two
Unravel Two which was unfortunately leaked. I ignored it for this moment, and it was worth it.
It appears as though our favourite yarn-based hero becomes lost at sea. Unravel uses yarn to show connection, but at the beginning of Unravel Two, Yarny’s bond has been lost… until he connects with another. Unravel Two. “A game about fresh starts and second chances.” You can play it alone or in co-op, but there are always two characters sharing one yarn. It promises to be different than the first, friendlier yet more challenging.
Watching the characters move through the quicker areas, they are merged as one beautifully. Come to a puzzle, they separate and work together. Unravel is one of those titles that immediately brings a smile to my face, and Unravel Two has instantly achieved that same success. Watching the two Yarnies work together to escape the danger of a giant bird is downright heartwarming.
Presenter Martin Sahlin, creative director, got downright tears-eyed when on stage thanking everyone on the team, which shows why Unravel has so much heart: it reflects its developers.
Oh, and in other news, Unravel Two is available NOW. Now. Now! Did I mention you can get it now?
Another amazing indie! Sea of Solitude
Over 2 million players were on A Way Out during the first week, which is why EA continues to work with indie developers. This one is from a studio in Berlin, Jo-Mei, with a personal story and important message. Cornelia Geppert is on-stage for the developer and clearly buzzing with anxiety and excitement, which makes my anticipation peak as well.
In Sea of Solitude, lonely humans turn into monsters. Everyone can relate to the feeling of being lonely. Geppert references the game as art often, which is a wonderful way for a dev to view their own work. SOS is about a young woman who suffers from such loneliness that she becomes a monster; we want to find out why this happened and how to return her to her human form. It’s about embracing your negative emotions as much as you do your positive ones, to listen to them instead of ignoring them.
Sea of Solitude will be released early next year.
NBA ‘19, I think?
But this looks street-y. And squad-y. Nope, I was right. NBA Live ‘19, this September. Swoosh.
Madden ‘19
This bit of the show opens with a video of some kid trying to win something clearly super important. I still don’t get e-sports. After the focus on the kid, we get our first look at the Madden ‘19 trailer, created game engine footage. I wonder if they let you choose how much air is in the ball.
Command & Conquer Rivals
I’m going to warn you, dearest reader, right off the bat. Command & Conquer Rivals is the dumbest thing I’ve seen come out of an EA E3 presentation in a very long time. It’s a game that copies every other stupid futuristic tactical F2P games on mobile. Why? WHY?! Also, how is being a competitive mobile game phenomenon a thing? At this point in the event, they haven’t even said what we’re watching, we’re just watching two people play this mobile game. If you thought they were boring to play yourself, just wait until you’re watching someone else to do it. I’m seriously considering just stopping coverage now. The world sucks.
If I didn’t already have a massive headache, I’d have one now. But seriously. This is E3 and you’re launch a stupid F2P title that looks like a thousand others? That’s the BEST you’ve got, EA?
Anthem
The rest of the show promises a deep dive of Anthem, so here’s a slightly shallower dive for your reading pleasure:
The Gods vanished and left the world in chaos. The Anthem is all that remains. The suits look like they belong in Halo and they land like Avengers, I like them. But there’s an awful lot of shooting.
There are four “javelins,” the suits you pilot. It’s like changing your character’s class with an outfit, which is super cool. Each one looks like its been made from a different environment.
Anthem is made by Bioware. The game tries to combine solo story and a shared world. Exosuits required to survive the environment. No loot boxes, no purchase required unless you’re looking for something specific that won’t actually enhance the game. And yes, you can make your suits pink.
The game launches on February 22 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
Looking for the full event?
View it on EA’s YouTube page.
– Lindsay M.
News Editor
