{"id":52397,"date":"2021-06-17T06:00:41","date_gmt":"2021-06-17T10:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shamusyoung.com\/twentysidedtale\/?p=52397"},"modified":"2021-06-17T04:21:58","modified_gmt":"2021-06-17T08:21:58","slug":"e3-2021-part-3-still-more-xbox","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shamusyoung.com\/twentysidedtale\/?p=52397","title":{"rendered":"E3 2021 Part 3: Still More Xbox"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Like I said in the previous post, the Xbox show is not a double act featuring both Xbox and Bethesda. Here is the second half of the Xbox presentation&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<h3>Shredders<\/h3>\n<p><table class='nomargin' cellspacing='0' width='100%' cellpadding='0' align='center' border='0'><tr><td><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/6sc9tFOpnUc\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen class=\"embed\"><\/iframe><br\/><small><a href='http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=6sc9tFOpnUc'>Link (YouTube)<\/a><\/small><\/td><\/tr><\/table><br \/>\nI&#8217;d wanted to play <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Steep_(video_game)\">Steep<\/a> back in 2016, but then decided against it when I realized I&#8217;d need to deal with UPlay. So I gave the game a hard pass.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>And now we have Shredders, which offers a similar snowboarding experience without Ubisoft&#8217;s tumorous quasi-platform DRM nonsense. I&#8217;ll probably be too busy to check it out when the game launches in the overstuffed holiday season this year, but maybe I&#8217;ll find time for it next spring?\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>I love the aesthetic of continuous downhill movement + electronic music. Even if I don&#8217;t dig the trick-based gameplay or the time trials, I could see putting the game on easy and just zoning out while I slide down the mountain. There is something deeply satisfying about converting potential energy into forward momentum in a low-friction environment.<\/p>\n<h3>Replaced<\/h3>\n<p><table class='nomargin' cellspacing='0' width='100%' cellpadding='0' align='center' border='0'><tr><td><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Ti1DtNuXFoE\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen class=\"embed\"><\/iframe><br\/><small><a href='http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Ti1DtNuXFoE'>Link (YouTube)<\/a><\/small><\/td><\/tr><\/table><br \/>\nI am reminded of <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Last_Night_(video_game)\"><i>The Last Night<\/i><\/a>, which was previewed in 2017 and knocked my socks off with its stylish pixel art. <i>The Last Night<\/i> has since vanished into developmental delays. I honestly thought this trailer was for <i>The Last Night<\/i> until the title screen at the end.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>I can&#8217;t really tell what the gameplay is like, but I&#8217;m reasonably sure this isn&#8217;t a platformer, so I&#8217;ll probably dig it.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><i>Date: 2022<\/i><\/p>\n<h3>Outer Worlds 2<\/h3>\n<p><table class='nomargin' cellspacing='0' width='100%' cellpadding='0' align='center' border='0'><tr><td><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/VDYtI7kUU4k\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen class=\"embed\"><\/iframe><br\/><small><a href='http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=VDYtI7kUU4k'>Link (YouTube)<\/a><\/small><\/td><\/tr><\/table><br \/>\nI liked the first game, but then I stopped playing it for <a href=\"?p=48771\">personal reasons<\/a> and I couldn&#8217;t get back into it. But I plan to get the sequel, and this is a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=VDYtI7kUU4k\">really funny announcement trailer<\/a>. Like <i>Contraband<\/i>, it has nothing to show us, but unlike <i>Contraband<\/i> it at least has the sense to be entertaining. (And also unlike Contraband, this is a sequel, so we know what to expect in terms of gameplay \/ tone.)<\/p>\n<p><i>Date: TBA<\/i><\/p>\n<h3>Microsoft Flight Simulator\u00a0<\/h3>\n<p><table class='nomargin' cellspacing='0' width='100%' cellpadding='0' align='center' border='0'><tr><td><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QZ6XpfaWbko\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen class=\"embed\"><\/iframe><br\/><small><a href='http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=QZ6XpfaWbko'>Link (YouTube)<\/a><\/small><\/td><\/tr><\/table><br \/>\nThis game is already out on PC and last-gen consoles. This trailer is just here to flex a bit and show off some next-gen graphics.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>I really enjoyed this game, but was ultimately driven away by the ludicrous loading screens. Even on my high-end PC, this game took forever to launch, and even longer to get from the menus to the gameplay.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Also, the game never let me do anything cool like they showed off in the trailer. I tried buzzing buildings and flying under bridges, but when I got too close to those real-world assets the game would cut to a black screen and act like I&#8217;d crashed. Also, this would cause a position reset that included <i>another<\/i> loading screen.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>I assumed this black screen reset was Microsoft&#8217;s way of saying, &#8220;All of those cities are just to look at, please don&#8217;t try to interact with them. Also please don&#8217;t use our game to simulate or recreate 9\/11. This is a serious flight simulator for grownups. Stop stunt flying around landmarks. Just fly between airports like a real pilot.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>I shrugged and gave up on the game. It was pretty, but those loading screens weren&#8217;t worth it for such a no-fun flight sim.<\/p>\n<p>But now I see this trailer and they&#8217;ve got stunt planes doing loops around major landmarks, flying low, swooping under bridges, and otherwise having a good time. Did someone take the training wheels off just for this sizzle reel, or are we allowed to have fun now? Did someone add stunt planes to the game, or is that DLC?<\/p>\n<h3>Forza 5<\/h3>\n<p><table class='nomargin' cellspacing='0' width='100%' cellpadding='0' align='center' border='0'><tr><td><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/d_20X1YM28U\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen class=\"embed\"><\/iframe><br\/><small><a href='http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=d_20X1YM28U'>Link (YouTube)<\/a><\/small><\/td><\/tr><\/table><br \/>\nI tried Forza 4. It&#8217;s really pretty. But the gameplay was&#8230; ugh. It was based around a story mode where you pick a character and enter some street racing malarkey. I would describe it as &#8220;plastic cringe&#8221;. It was weird, fake, and off-putting. It felt like someone my age pretending to be someone half my age. After a few minutes of cutscenes I hit Alt-F4. I just want to drive a car around, and I&#8217;m not into whatever these characters are doing.<\/p>\n<p>Is <i>Forza 5<\/i> the same? I have no idea. Once again, it looks gorgeous. I love all the different vehicles, and someone put a lot of love into designing these environments. I would love to drive around this world simulation-style, like in <i>Grand Theft Auto V<\/i>. But I don&#8217;t know if the game will let you do that.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>(All of this criticism also applies to The <i>Crew 2<\/i>, which came out in 2018. I just want to drive through this huge world, but the designer thinks I&#8217;m here to play as a social-media obsessed zoomer. Come on guys. Did any of you play <i>Burnout Paradise<\/i>? It was all racing and no cringe, and it was probably way cheaper to produce since it didn&#8217;t need hours of motion-capped photoreal characters. Stop wasting your money. More importantly, stop wasting my time.)<\/p>\n<p>Anyway, I&#8217;ll probably check this out if I find it on sale in 2023.<\/p>\n<p><i>Date: This November<\/i><\/p>\n<h3>Redfall<\/h3>\n<p><table class='nomargin' cellspacing='0' width='100%' cellpadding='0' align='center' border='0'><tr><td><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9T_nBy78Ofw\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen class=\"embed\"><\/iframe><br\/><small><a href='http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=9T_nBy78Ofw'>Link (YouTube)<\/a><\/small><\/td><\/tr><\/table><br \/>\nBetween this, Anacrusis, and Back 4 Blood, it looks like this is the year for the next-gen <i>Left 4 Dead<\/i> wannabes. The hook with this one is that you&#8217;re fighting vampires instead of zombies.<\/p>\n<p>This is a five minute cinematic trailer. I sat there thinking, &#8220;This is much too long.&#8221; For comparison, I brought up the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Z5g3mrK82VA\">The original Left 4 Dead trailer<\/a> from 12 years ago. I was going to use it an an example of a trailer done right and show how L4D told a little story in much less time. But when I looked it up I discovered that the old L4D trailer is only ~15 seconds shorter. So this isn&#8217;t a problem with length.<\/p>\n<p>For me the L4D trailer feels like a masterwork. It sets the tone, teaches you about the gameplay, and introduces the characters. <\/p>\n<p>The Redfall is trying to do the same thing, but it doesn&#8217;t work nearly as well for me. I can&#8217;t tell if this is because the Redfall trailer is using its time poorly, or if I&#8217;m just burned out after so many back-to-back trailers. I think one problem with the Redfall Trailer is the weird <em>flashback-within-a-flashback<\/em> structure. That&#8217;s a really odd thing to do in the context of a 5 minute movie. <\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;m not saying Redfall is going to be horrible. It actually looks really impressive. I like how colorful it is, and I like how much personality the characters have. I&#8217;m just nitpicking the trailer because I thought it could have used its 5 minutes a little better. <\/p>\n<h3>Hey! Where is Death Loop?<\/h3>\n<p>If I had my wish, then Arkane would be making a sequel to <em>Prey 2017<\/em>. Not a <em>story<\/em> sequel, mind you. I&#8217;d want a new world and a new setting with new characters, but the same basic premise of being trapped in space with a cosmic spook. That&#8217;s my jam. <\/p>\n<p>But instead they&#8217;re making Death Loop.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s bad enough that Arkane isn&#8217;t making the game I need them to make, but it&#8217;s even worse that this other game seems to have been forgotten. The game is supposedly coming out this September, but they didn&#8217;t even give the game a little 5 second nod in their big montage at the end.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Weird.<\/p>\n<p><i>Date: September, supposedly.<\/i><\/p>\n<h3>But Shamus, What About X?<\/h3>\n<p>Here are a few smaller \/ less interesting<span class='snote' title='1'>To me.<\/span> games I skipped over. Some of these don&#8217;t have proper websites yet, so all of these links just go to the trailer on YouTube&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Vo12hpQ9zCk\"><b>A Plague Tale<\/b>: Requiem<\/a>: Eh. I wasn&#8217;t really interested in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=_j_pdKwTuWc\">the original<\/a>, so I&#8217;m not excited about this follow-up.<\/p>\n<p><b>Far Cry 6<\/b>: Already discussed this in the Ubisoft post.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=xbOkUWJeVfI\"><b>Slime Rancher 2<\/b><\/a>: I had the original in my Steam wishlist for two years before I realized I was never going to buy it. It looks cute, but I guess I&#8217;m just not a rancher at heart.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ixcnY0fm80c\"><b>Atomic Heart<\/b><\/a>: This thing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Ne3qBSUQqdM\">looks bonkers<\/a>. No release date yet, so it&#8217;s probably a long way off. We probably don&#8217;t need to think about this one until next year. Still. I want to know more about this weird first-person robot-hacking shooter game.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=uzPeE1W_JzM\"><b>Grounded<\/b> Shroom &#038; Doom Update<\/a>: It&#8217;s cute, and it&#8217;s from Obsidian. But I&#8217;m just not into it. Is anyone playing this thing? I never hear anyone discuss it, not even the die-hard Obsidian fans I know.<\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=enbZCXcztYg\">Eiyuuden Chronicle<\/b> <i>Whatever<\/i><\/a>: Not my thing at all, but this is a really interesting art style, with the 2D sprites in 3D environments. It looked a bit weird and bad at first, but then I sort of remembered when this rendering style was A Thing in the 90s. By the end of the trailer I was sorta into it. I have no interest in the game itself, but I wouldn&#8217;t mind seeing this hybrid 2D \/ 3D art style crop up again.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=LKicBN0ZY20\"><b>The Ascent<\/b><\/a>: Okay, I dig the cyberpunk aesthetic and all, but you need to tell me more about your game. It&#8217;s coming out next month, so it&#8217;s not like we&#8217;re waiting for the game to take shape. It looks like a team game. Do I need a team like in <i>Left 4 Dead<\/i>, or is the team optional? Is this a bullet hell game? A Diablo-style looter? A button-smashy actioner? Your trailer got my attention, but then you didn&#8217;t tell me what I need to know to make the sale.\u00a0(I did a search. It&#8217;s apparently a Diablo-style looter with twin-stick gameplay. That sounds pretty cool.)<\/p>\n<p>That&#8217;s it for the Xbox show. We&#8217;ll wrap up the rest of E3 tomorrow.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Like I said in the previous post, the Xbox show is not a double act featuring both Xbox and Bethesda. Here is the second half of the Xbox presentation&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[613],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-52397","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-industry-events"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shamusyoung.com\/twentysidedtale\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52397","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shamusyoung.com\/twentysidedtale\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shamusyoung.com\/twentysidedtale\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shamusyoung.com\/twentysidedtale\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shamusyoung.com\/twentysidedtale\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=52397"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.shamusyoung.com\/twentysidedtale\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52397\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":52412,"href":"https:\/\/www.shamusyoung.com\/twentysidedtale\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52397\/revisions\/52412"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shamusyoung.com\/twentysidedtale\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=52397"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shamusyoung.com\/twentysidedtale\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=52397"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shamusyoung.com\/twentysidedtale\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=52397"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}