E3 2011: What Filly Thinks

If anyone out there still reads my little blog--thank you!  Apologies for the lack of updates.  Ironically, I've been busier than ever at the beginning of this Summer.  I wrote a Gears 3 Beta Impressions article and a review for one of the worst games I've ever played, tried to make heads or tails with the menu on my new Japanese Xbox Live account, and went to the Pokémon Southeast Regional VGCs in Duluth, GA.  I got home from my weekend trip just in time to watch the coveted E3 2011 conferences.  And now for my response to one of the most anticipated gaming events of this year.

2011 is up to its ear lobes in super-hyped titles, with a myriad of blockbuster "threequels" (Battlefield, Modern Warfare, Resistance, Uncharted, and in my humble opinion the only one that won't suck, Gears of War), The Legend of Zelda:  Skyward Sword, Batman: Arkham City, The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, and far too many others to reasonably list off in a single sentence.  That said, this year's conferences had some very hefty expectations to live up to.  To me, it seemed that most people were merely looking forward to more information about their most anticipated games, but like every year, I hoped and fully expected many surprises.  In that respect, I set myself up for disappointment; there was very little that surprised me, and even fewer surprises that left a good taste in my mouth.

At this point, you've probably heard all about the conference highlights and lowlights, so I'll spare you the boring details.  Who won?  And don't give me that "there is no winner; E3 isn't a competition" bull crap.  These companies do compete for gamers' meager attention and earnings.  Besides, these arbitrary rankings really are just for fun at the end of the day.  Here are my subjective placings for E3 2011:

5th Place:  Ubisoft
+ Assassin's Creed: Revelations footage could've been mildly interesting to AC fanboys, I guess

- No Beyond Good & Evil 2, for the second year in a row
- No Beyond Good & Evil 2
- Mr. Caffeine was the cherry on top for an awfully boring conference
- No Beyond Good & Evil 2

To add insult to injury, Ubi said it won't be out this console gen.

4th Place:  Microsoft

+ Cool Gears of War 3 campaign footage
+ Mass Effect 3 Kinect demonstration actually makes me consider getting Kinect
+ Tomb Raider demo was nice enough (cinematic trailer here)
- As expected, Modern Warfare 3 looked terribad with a dated engine and horrible animations
- Halo Anniversary and Halo 4 were supposed to be their "surprise" announcements
- No other core exclusives shown
- No tease for a new console (which, unlike Sony, they desperately needed)
- Kinect shovelware, Kinect shovelware everywhere
- Fable:  The Journey.  Enough said

3rd Place:  Sony

+ Dust 514's appearance was a welcome surprise
+ Surprisingly good price points for models of the Vita
+ Cool 3D TV model that allows "couch multiplayer" without a split screen
+ Not as abysmal as Microsoft's conference
+- BioShock Infinite will have Move support (not sure if want)
- PS Move titles, Uncharted, and the Vita = overall quite boring
- As expected, Resistance 3 looked like poo
- Vita's 3G network will be supplied by AT&T?... lol

Probably the coolest new IP announced at this year's expo.

2nd Place:  EA

+ I'm in lust with OverStrike
+ Mass Effect 3 demo was kind of interesting
- This Sims fan needed a shower and a hazmat suit after watching the Sims 3 Social trailer
- Their most hyped release of this year, Battlefield 3, looked garbage
- Not that I really expected them, but no Alice: Madness Returns or Shadows of the Damned

1st Place:  Nintendo
+ Fully orchestrated Zelda demonstration
+ Cool new Skyward Sword trailer
+ Out-of-left-field announcement for Luigi's Mansion 2
+ Debut of the enticing and controversial new Nintendo console, the WiiU
- Only one Wii game discussed
- No mention of NA release dates for Pandora's Tower, Xenoblade, and The Last Story
- List of confirmed third-party WiiU titles almost entirely consisted of "PS360" games

F*ck skepticism; I want this system, and I want it yesterday.

I also compiled a playlist of E3 2011 Favorites on Youtube.  It mostly consists of third party trailers for games like DmC, Asura's Wrath, El Shaddai, Silent Hill 8, and more.

In other news, for the past week I've been playing Chrono Trigger (DS), which has easily jumped up to my fifth favorite game of all time.  I'm right at the end of the game, and doing some side quests before I plunge head-first into the final battle.  Choosing only three of my seven characters is like choosing my favorite children--there isn't one whom I don't love fiercely.  I might just have a humongous girl-crush on Ayla, though.  Anyway, I must make a decision and beat the game tonight, so I will be fully geared up to play Alice:  Madness Returns allllll day long tomorrow.  The 20 more hours of waiting might kill me...