Jun 15, 2021
My Highlights from E3 2021
With this year’s E3 coming to an end, I wanted to share the announcements that got me most excited in the world of gaming.
This will be to date the first E3 event I have ever watched live, with it being an all-digital event, it has made it easier than ever to open up YouTube and start watching. Previously I got my information from a wide range of media websites like IGN and highlights from YouTube channels.
With the ups and downs of this year, I was glad I tuned in, and here is why…
Master Chief returns
I had never been a massive Halo fan until over the past few years, with my first time playing Halo being back in school when I was around 13 years old. Back then a few times a year a handful of our friends across multiply year groups would organise and go to a gaming café of sorts, and for the life of me, I can not remember what they were called, all I know is sadly they have all closed down a long time ago.
The first time this was organised, we had all heard about a new ‘shop’ that had opened up, which was set up with a large number of gaming PCs, all we had to do was book it, turn up and we could all play video games through the night, with a lot of takeaway pizza!
To date, these are some of the fondest memories I have from my childhood, at times for me when I was younger it felt difficult to fit in, being bullied for several years made going to school a nightmare, but times like these brought a lot of us together, and most importantly of all, it was a lot of fun.
I remember hearing about Halo around the time, but as I didn’t have an Xbox, I had never played it before. In-between breaks from playing Counter Strike Source and Call of Duty 2, we jumped on to play a multiplayer game of Halo, and I loved it! roaming around in a Warthog, not having a clue what was going on, certainly made a good first impression on me.
Fast forward a little under a decade, and partway through university at the time, my housemate was talking about Halo Combat Evolved, I ended up starting to play the single-player campaign that night and struggled to stop playing. To this date, it is my favourite single-player Halo game of all time, with some of my favourite storytelling and music in a game so far.
Halo Infinite
Getting back on track to Sunday’s Xbox E3 showcase, I have been following Infinite, so was not surprised to get an update at E3, but what I didn’t expect was to go from being underwhelmed from the first trailer to wanting to get back into the Halo universe right away.
What stood out and excited me, most of all, was the fast-paced multiplayer teaser, with the all too familiar and nostalgic sound of “Double Kill”. I am hoping at least from what I have seen to see a mix of old and new styles, staying true to the franchise as well as adding something fresh and new.
Stalker 2
I have never played the original Stalker, but had heard a lot about it back in school from one of my friends, the same friend that introduced me to Half-Life, so not sure why I didn’t take his advice, my guess would be lack of pocket money.
The trailer for Stalker 2, got me excited to jump into a first-person shooter again, for what use to be one of my favourite genres, it is not something I play much of these days, besides the likes of Halo.
The Gritty and dark style of the game drew me in and at this stage, I am considering getting the original Stalker game on Steam in the meantime while we wait for this to launch sometime in April 2022.
Starfield
Now where can I start with Starfield, this honestly was not something I was expecting. An RPG set in space by Bethesda, I mean what more could you want? If like me you are fans of the original Mass Effect Trilogy, this is a game to keep on your radar.
Other games that got my attention
- Redfall
- Psychonauts 2
- Age of Empires IV
To summarise the Xbox showcase did not fail to disappoint and we certainly have a lot of fantastic games to look forward to, now all I need to do is get my hands on a new Xbox Series X or S.
Nintendo Direct Showcase
Over the past few years, since the Switch was introduced, it has rekindled my love for Nintendo. It has taken me back to all the great memories of playing on my first handheld as a kid, the Gameboy Colour.
The Nintendo Direct event at E3, was one I was the most excited for, and could not wait to see what future games were instore and if the rumours around the ‘Switch Pro’ were true. Although we did not get any news of new Nintendo hardware, we did get a lot of great game announcements.
A return of 2D Metroid
It has been almost two decades since the last 2D Metroid game and I am so glad to see it return to the Switch soon. Both the art style and gameplay from the video had me hooked from the start.
I have been enjoying the wide range of retro-style games on the switch from the likes of Curse of the Moon to Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. I am looking forward to seeing future updates around Metroid Dread.
Worms Rumble
I have been a massive fan of the Worms games from back in my school days I remember in secondary school, in the morning on the school computer we would take turns playing worms every day.
Worms Rumble is a battle royal style game already out on both PC and PS4, so to be able to play this in handheld mode on my Switch is a match made in heaven. Even better is we do not need to wait much longer with the release date on the Switch set for later this month!
Breath of the Wild 2
Breath of the Wild was the game that led me to buy the Nintendo Switch after a colleague at work showed me the game, and after seeing countless reviews and gameplay footage, I knew I had to play it for myself. It not only got me back into the world of Nintendo but into the Zelda franchise as a whole, since playing I have started to go back and play some of the original Zelda games, that I was never interested in as a kid, games which I wish I played sooner.
Breath of the Wild 2 was another title that we were all expecting to see, and it was great to get another update on a hugely anticipated game for the platform.
Other games that got my attention
- Dragon Ball Z Kakarot
- Mario Golf: Super Rush
- WarioWare: Get It Together
- Fatal Frame
- Advance Wars 1+2 Remastered (Finally!)
Intellivision Amico Showcase
I have been following the Intellivision Amico, with interest over the past few months, ever since they had announced games coming to the Evercade. From here I have been watching hours of content around the Amico and I am excited to see what Tommy Tallarico and the experienced team at Amico will achieve with this system.
In the age of the ‘Big Three,’ it is always good to see something unique and different come into the world of gaming, whether or not this system will be for you, it is good to see a team passionate about gaming, start to bring their idea to life and will be something I will be closely following.
Retro Classics reborn
Alongside the couch co-op and family-friendly nature of the Amico, what has got me personally excited both from their E3 and previous announcements, is the re-imaging of some great classic games from the likes of Asteroids to Breakout.
This for me could end up being a great way to share my passion for gaming with my family and hopefully over time turn my daughter into a gamer.
A few games that got my attention
- Astrosmash
- Missile Command
- Asteroids
- Breakout
- Earthworm Jim
Rounding it up
With this being the first E3 event I have watched live, aside from a few of the other updates, it has got me very excited about a lot of great upcoming titles and hardware. The only downside will be the impact on my bank account over the next year.
