Current Opinions and Status of FFVII Remake

First off, this year's E3 has been on the boring side, focusing more on early teaser announcements as opposed to actual gameplay. With Sony not in the venue, this could be the decline of E3 for the future. However the one game that stood out for me was Final Fantasy VII Remake.

After 4 years, we final got some actual gameplay of the upcoming FFVII. The fighting mechanics are more action-based, compared to the original time-based RPG style. In ways, this is similar to the latest Final Fantasy games in the series. This is a complete change, but fits the style of the game perfectly. There seems to be more of a focus with switching from offense and defense; Knowing the right moments to attack the enemy, and to avoid oncoming attacks. The added ATP gauge seems to help build combos, and may be necessary to take down bigger enemies and bosses.

The environment is no doubt, outstanding. The updated look to Midgar makes the city so lively and in a way closer to modern times. Judging by videos, there might be some interactivity / side quests that players could partake. Seeing the Shinra building, it shows even more of a cold industrial place, heavy on technology and scientific designs.

At the end of the long trailer, we finally get a release date, March 3, 2020. Along with that, we also get a glimpse of all of the editions available to preorder. The First Class edition being the most pricey, that also includes a scale model of Cloud on a motorcycle.

With all that is shown, it still leaves a couple of questions. Since only Midgar gameplay was all that was shown, it is safe to assume that the release of next year is for only episode 1 of the game, as it was stated that this remake was going to be broken down into multiple episodes. If that is the case, how long would this episode be, as well as when will the subsequent episodes come out? Along with those lines, since Sony is nearing the announcement / release of the next console (PS5 mostly), How is the game going to be distributed over multiple consoles? Would save date be transferable across the consoles, or would you need to start from scratch?

We got some idea of what to expect with FFVII, and I am extremely pumped up for the game, but it still leaves players wanting more information of the future goals for this game.

E3 2018 Conference Recap

Once again E3 has returned to see the latest in games, hardware, technology, etc. This year there were more conferences, as not only we have Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony, and the other independent studios, Bethesda and EA, but we also for the first time had a conference for Square Enix. This is a small overview of some of the highlights of the conferences.

EA

• Battlefield V is going to have battle-royale mode.
• More sport games, including FIFA 19, NBA Live 19, and Madden NFL 19.
• Star Wars Battlefront II DLC, adding in elements from the Clone Wars.
• Very slight news on Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order.
• Command & Conquer Rivals, the real-time strategy game returns as a mobile game. 

Overall EA's conference was on the dull side. Hardly any information on the important console games, and instead focusing on a mobile game.

Microsoft

• Halo Infinite, the new game in the Halo franchise. 
• Fallout 76 is going to be 4x bigger than Fallout 4.
• A glimpse of Kingdom Hearts 3.
• The Division 2 is going to graphically better than the previous title.
• A further look in the dark story of Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
• An expansion of the Xbox exclusive, Cuphead.
• The long awaited sequel of the hack-n-slash game is revealed, Devil May Cry 5.
• 3 Gears of War games, including Gears 5.
• Cyberpunk 2077.

Microsoft was no doubt the star of the show. So many Xbox exclusive games, fan favorites and all. Most of the reveals were spectacular, and gave gamers a taste of what's to come in the future.

Bethesda

• Doom Eternal, the sequel to the Doom reboot.
• Quake Champions, including a free-to-play session.
• Wolfenstein: Youngblood is going to be a co-op game.
• Elder Scrolls VI returns to its RPG roots. 

Bethesda didn't do to bad in the conference, but the reveals where nowhere near as massive as Microsoft. However there were still games to be excited.

Square Enix

• More info on some Square Enix games, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and Kingdom Hearts 3.
• A crossover event with Final Fantasy XIV and Monster Hunter World. 
• Showing the gadgets, weather, and other elements for Just Cause 4.
• A glimpse of Dragon Quest XI.  

For Square Enix's first E3 conference, I say it was okay. However there were not many new games. Mostly expansions to previous games is what the conference was about. And still no word on FFVII Remake. 

Ubisoft

• Just Dance 2019.
• A deeper look in The Division 2.
• Starlink: Battle for Atlas, a Star Fox tie-in with the game.
• The Crew 2, with Open beta details. 
• Beyond Good and Evil 2.
• Assassin's Creed Odyssey, now set in ancient Greece, have gender choices, and branching dialogue.

Ubisoft's conference was pretty good. Seeing more sequels to popular Ubisoft games always brings a smile to gamers faces.

Sony

• A glimpse of The Last of Us Part 2.
• A bigger look of the samurai game Ghost of Tsushima. 
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 has a Black Ops Pass, to give players more content sooner at a steady pace.
• Kojima's game Death Stranding gives more detail about the characters and settings, also more celebrity appearances.
• A lengthy demo of Marvel's Spiderman, showing off the fighting mechanics. 
• The long awaited Resident Evil 2 Remake announced for a Early 2019 release. 

Sony did pretty well at some of the reveals, including Spiderman and Resident Evil 2 Remake. However some games were somewhat hinted or leaked ahead of time, and were inevitable. 

Nintendo

• Daemon X Machina, a mech-battling game.
• Fire Emblem: Three Houses.
• Fortnite: Battle Royale is going to be on the Switch. 
• Super Mario Party, another installment of the Mario Party games, now coming on the Switch.
• Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, possibly a new game, will feature over 64 characters with some changes to the fighting, for the switch.

Nintendo's Treehouse had the usual trope of supporting their current console with many popular games being ported. So it was okay. 

Overall the conferences were pretty good. All the studios had a number of announcements. Some good, some average. While we got a lot of information on some games, there were others that were just teasing. But this year seems like another good year for games.

E3 2017 Top Announcements

E3 is back once again, and we get the usual press conferences from the big developers: EA, Bethesda, Microsoft, Ubisoft, Sony, and Nintendo. One key difference this year, was the opportunity for the public to enter the convention. Tickets were pricy, but the chance to see the new titles, tech, and upcoming news live was a treat. In the past E3 had been restricted to the media, and those involved in the gaming industry. Hopefully, E3 can stay public for next year.

EA

• Star Wars Battlefront II. Bigger and better than the first game, with more focus to the multiplayer elements, and with free DLC.

• Need For Speed: Payback. Looking similar to a Burnout game with really impressive visuals.

• map expansions to Battlefield 1.

• New Fifa and Madden games, both having story modes with good narratives.

Bethesda

• Doom and Fallout 4 has VR. Doom is going to be for PSVR and HTC Vive, while as of now Fallout will be for Vive and can be played through its entirety. 

• Dishonored gets a new chapter added to the game.

• The Evil Within 2 is finally announced, with Sebastian Castellanos in search of his daughter a surreal nightmare.

Microsoft

• Forza 7 has 700 cars, and runs at 60fps in 4K resolution. The racing game looks and plays impressively.

• Assassin's Creed Origins focuses in Egypt and includes RPG elements, along with the traditional combat of past games.

• Original Xbox games are coming to Xbox One through backwards compatibility. 

• Project Scorpio is now Xbox One X, offering more graphical power than PS4 Pro with native 4K. However the price is set for $499.

Ubisoft

• Beyond Good and Evil 2 is announced as a prequel to the classic game from 2003.

• The Crew 2 lets you race more than cars. From the trailer, you could race on bikes, planes, and even boats. While boasting in lifelike physics, the game's focus is racing as anything. 

• Far Cry 5, the popular open-world shooter from Ubisoft becomes more enticing with the story of the Resistance facing a murderous religious group. It also includes co-op and map editor.

• Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle combines the characters of Mario and the Rabbids in a tactical RPG game. Very strange, but interesting to both fans of the series.

Sony

• Detroit: Become Human, the interactive story game, shows more of riots between Androids and Human.

• The original Shadow of the Colossus is getting a PS4 remake. The gameplay and visuals look ever so amazing.

• Insomniac's new Spider-Man game shows more of the web-slinger and features an original story and possibly have Miles Morales as the new Spider-Man.

• God of War Reboot which shows more of Kratos with his son, Atreus, in more of a Norse mythology setting.

Nintendo

• Super Mario Odyssey features a sandbox style gameplay that has Mario in many different locations. Gameplay has a lot of variety and even his hat is its own character. 

• Metroid Prime 4 is announced and in development.

• Game Freak is making a proper Pokémon game, going back to the familiar RPG style.

• Rocket League is coming to the Switch, with some Nintendo-themed content, and is going to feature cross network play.

Like last year, E3's reveals were good, but not amazing. While there were some quirky moments for the press conferences, it felt about the same as before. Nonetheless, there are some good games, coming along the way this year and early 2018. Also, the introduction of having public access to E3 may open the door to more opportunities. There could be changes for future E3.

PlayStation VR

I had gotten my PlayStation VR headset over the holiday break and I must say, I'm surprised. Sony's new attempt to cater gamers to an immersive experience is unique.

The first thing to note, the headset is $400 by itself. The price is pretty steep however, that's only the headset. You'll also need to get a PS camera, which could be another $50. Plus any additional games. There is a bundle that comes with the headset, along with the camera and two Move controllers, as well as a copy of PS VR Worlds all for $500. Either way, you'll be spending a lot of money.

Design wise, the headset is simplistic and looks durable. However, the same can't be said with all the wires needed to connect the device to the PS4. There're at least 4 different wires all needed to connect to either the PS4, the TV, or a separate processing unit, which means you need to have a good amount of space to fit all of the hardware.

After spending roughly an hour messing with wires and setting everything up, I finally got to try the headset. From first impression it felt nice. The padding on the head strap helped support my head, and didn't cause any pain or headaches. There are side panels to block  out outside view and light. Also the area for your nose has a thin layer of padding. Overall the headset was comfortable and was not heavy what-so-ever.

I tired a few demos from the demo disc that came with my headset, and some worked pretty well and impressive. Although, slightly bummed from the short length of each demo only lasting a few minutes. Out of the demos I tried the ones that really stood out for me were: Kitchen, Drive Club VR, and Until Dawn: Rush of Blood.

I also took the time to download Job Simulator, a VR experience of having to work at different types of jobs. The game was funny and pretty immersive, however what threw me off at times were the Move controllers not responding to the action I'm trying to perform.

The latest game I playing with the VR is Resident Evil 7 Biohazard. This, unlike all other games I've tried, is a full game experience that lasts for hours. Being in first-person really adds more to the immersion as this game relies on survival horror. The atmosphere makes this game on the VR kind of terrifying to play. So far this game is one of my favorites.

Overall, my experience with PS VR is mostly positive. I like the way how to PS VR headset feels and responds. I also love the immersive experience you get with different games. There are a few things however, that do hinder my enjoyment at times. Using the PS Move controllers in some games is a hit-or-miss. sometimes the controllers along with the headset, and sometimes you're going to be fighting with the controls. If Sony could release an updated version of the Move controllers that improves on the tracking, that could easily solve this issue. The other issue is that most games now are somewhat expensive and offer so little. most games I've seen go anywhere from $20-$60, and may only have 2-4 hours worth of content. RE7 was one of the few exceptions as I spent about 8-10 hours with VR on the game.

For PS VR I would give this a score of a 7 / 10. While the PS VR gives a new experience to gamers, you'll have to be cautious on the price for these headsets and any additional accessories, as well as the fact that most games feel more like glorified demos that are high of price, but low on content. I would say wait for a price drop on the headset. By the time the prices go down, there should be more games that can offer a lot more than what we have now. The PS VR headset is not bad by any means, but you should also consider the expenses.

E3 2016 Conferences

E3 has come back once again, and delivered us some interesting info on gaming. From current games, to future releases, to new hardware, this has to be one of the better E3's. As a quick overview, I'm going to go through some of the best reveals for each of the conferences.

EA
EA has usually had a bad reputation, especially when it comes to overpriced / overhyped games. Even though that's the case, their reveals seem to make up for it...usually.

• There was a quick look on Titanfall 2, also confirming a single player mode in the game.
• New sports game with, Madden NFL 2017 and FIFA 17.
• There was some impressive gameplay on Battlefield 1, and how the change to WWI still doesn't hold the game back.
• A quick trailer for the new Mass Effect: Andromeda.

For the most part, the reveals were not too bad, although it would have been nice to see more of Mass Effect, since the series has been long time supported by fans.

Bethesda

This is the second year that Bethesda had it's own conference, and they did had a lot of reveals. However, most of the best reveals, seem to be add-ons to current games.

• Quake Champions was one of the new game reveals, mostly a head-to-head arena shooter.
• Dishonored 2 was revealed at the end of the conference, that gave us a good trailer and demo.
• DLC for Fallout 4 and Doom.
• A special Edition for Skyrim.

Bethesda overall, seemed to focus more on adding content to current games, as opposed to revealing new games. Considering this is their second time to do an independent conference, I knew it was going to be something like this.

Microsoft

Here we get to the meat of E3. Microsoft went all out this year to give gamers a lot of good reveals.

• A look on the new Xbox One S. A slimmer version of the current XBOne, but also talking about cross-play between the consoles and Windows 10.
• We got a look at Gears of War 4 and their co-op mode.
• Another trailer with some gameplay of Tekken 7, which shows off Akuma and Heihachi.
• A trailer for the zombie killing action, Dead Rising 4.
• Finally a mention to the new Project Scorpio and how it will be the new way to game, with 4K graphics and the support for VR.

Microsoft, did a good job like always and I'm pretty sure fans will be waiting for the new Gears of War 4 and the new XBOne.

Ubisoft

Ubisoft, to me, seems to be a hit-or-miss. Sometimes their reveals are good, and other times, not. Whether you see it the same, they did had some interesting reveals.

• Just Dance 2017 was revealed at the very start, and also confirming it will be on the Nintendo NX.
• Ghost Recon Wildlands was shown with co-op and completing of various objectives in the demo.
• Watch Dogs 2 finally gots revealed. The game seems to expand more on the exploration and hacking abilities.
• Steep, an open-world extreme sports game, got announced. It seems to put realism in sports, and at the same time be competitive.

For the most part, Ubisoft had a decent conference. Nothing was jaw-dropping, but since this was their 30 anniversary, I still surprised to see it running this long.

Sony

Sony, like Microsoft, has always blew us away with great reveals. This year is no different. In fact, probably they were better than last year. There were so many great reveals, it was hard to choose the best ones.

• Of course, the conference opened up with the reveal of God of War 4 (unofficial name). We get a look at Kratos back in action, with his son?!
• We finally got a trailer for The Last Guardian. I know a lot of fans have been waiting years for this one.
• Everyone got a big surprise when we were shown a trailer for Resident Evil 7. In fact a demo is available for PS Plus subscribers.
• We got another trailer for Final Fantasy XV. And not only that, it was announced, it would be VR supported.
• For blast for the past, Sony announced the remastering of Crash Bandicoot 1-3 for the PS4.

I have to say, Sony had the best conference this year, no doubt about it. It seemed to show great game after great game. Good job Sony.

Nintendo

Nintendo again, did not have a traditional press conference, but instead went with a live Treehouse event to showcase some new games.

• We got a preview of the new Pokémon: Sun and Moon.
• There was a lengthy demo of the new Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

There wasn't a lot of reveals, but since this was not a conference, it's understandable. And as of now, there is still at least another day of the Treehouse event that has yet to be revealed. But the main stars have already been shown. And in case you're wondering, no news on Nintendo NX.

Besides these press conferences, there were a few more that weren't shown live. Square Enix was technically first, but we didn't see them. But I'm assuming there were talking about FF XV and possibly the World of Final Fantasy. Also Kadokawa Games had a conference. Although the only game that caught my interest was Demon Gaze 2. I liked the first game and was waiting for the sequel for some time.

Overall, this year's E3 was one of the better ones. Over the past couple of years, E3 was becoming average, and didn't seem to be extremely exciting. However, I say everyone seemed to step-up and gave fans a lot to be excited for the near future. Let's hope this trend can continue.

PlayStation Experience 2015 & FF7 Remake

The PlayStation Experience this year offered a lot of new surprises for next year's gaming industry. There were surprises for classics returning to new games set to release. And while there was a lot to showcase, some of these upcoming releases have made an impact on the public.

Some games that had been detailed during the event include:

• More details about Street Fighter V
• More details about Uncharted 4
• Rez infinite
• Ratchet & Clank
• A new Psychonauts
• Updates to Destiny

As well as the games, they also previewed the PlayStation VR in action. Unfortunately the demo didn't proved that useful to showoff the capabilities of the peripheral. Even still baffling, there still was no mention of price or release date.

What I believed to be the biggest news for the event was the talk about FF7 and the remake. First off the FF7 HD PC port is now available for PS4. The game plays the same as the PC, along with all of the benefits, including cheats and trophies.

FF7 Remake on the other hand was incredible. The trailer showed scenes from the Bombing Mission as well as roaming through the streets of Midgar. The graphics were amazing and look the same as those for the upcoming FF15. The battle system is similar to also FF15 but still have the classic Active Time Battle feel as well as the traditional Limit Breaks. The voice acting, although strange, feels natural and not forced. I believe this game is going to be a massive hit when it comes out.

E3 2015 Press Conferences

E3 is back this year and as usual there were a lot of great announcements relating to upcoming games, devices, and updates. E3 this year had some great surprises including Bethesda's first conference in history. However the main focus was of course the Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo press conferences.

For Microsoft, their major franchises made appearances and there were also updates for the Xbox One. Some things announced include:

• Halo 5
• Fallout 4
• Gears of War 4
• Introducing the Xbox One Elite controller with a price of $150
• Xbox One will eventually have backwards compatibility for 360 games

The big news of Halo 5 was epic, but I believe a lot of gamers were extremely happy to know that their was backwards compatibility for Xbox One, which is one of the main concerns for the console. With this new door opening up, their might be an opportunity for Microsoft catching up with Sony in sales.

Sony on the other hand had their exclusive games as well as a way to enhance TV services, similar to the Xbox One's introduction to their take on TV. During Sony's conference, some things include:

• Call of Duty: Black Ops III and their exclusive DLC
• Uncharted 4
• The Last Guardian (Been in development since 2007)
• PlayStation Vue and subscriptions to individual channels
• Final Fantasy 7 HD remake (After a decade of ongoing rumors the wish is coming true)

PlayStation 4 managed to be the top competitive console for gaming, and it looks like it will still continue especially with COD BO3 being exclusive for a Sony console for the first time, as well as bringing FF7 back.

Nintendo was interesting as their press conference was digital and not live like the others, however there were still some great news. They include:

• Legend of Zelda: Triforce Heroes
• Metroid Prime Federation
• Starfox Zero
• Super Mario Maker

Nintendo is still trying to make a comeback with their traditional characters in new games. Some of their games are impressive, especially Super Mario Maker, which made a debut during Nintendo World Championships 2015. Nintendo is hoping to gather more gamers for their consoles and handhelds; how well it does only time will tell.

E3 2015 is still going on and there will be a lot of questions and answers with for upcoming titles, but as of now, E3 is turning up to be a better year for all of the competing gaming franchises. We will have to wait and see what the future holds.