e3 impressions
e3 impressions
It seems some people feel AAA studios are resisting indie concepts. COD and Battlefield now feature battleroyale mechanics similar to PUBG. Battlefield 5 includes building fortifications like in Rust or Fallout 76. Survival games such as Rust, Squad/Post Scriptum Fallout 76, and DayZ offer escape options. Gears of War is expected to shift toward turn-based strategy for PC. What do you think? Are you correct?
Feels let down by Fallout 76. The lack of server choices and full online mode suggests no mod support. It seems more like a single-player experience of Fallout 4 with multiplayer features.
I believe the Bethesda live stream ended all chances I had left for them. My excitement was mainly for Skyrim Mobile rather than Rust: Fallout Edition. To give more background, I really hate mobile games. As @Frankenburger mentioned, there are no more mods allowed. This means no more options to improve the game’s visual quality as a big studio title when it launches. Or to address engine issues that have been present since the days of Morrowind.
Well, I'm really excited about Fallout 76. The multiplayer feels a lot like Warframe’s, letting you play solo too, but it’s going to be tougher. We’re not sure if you can even run your own instance (though I’m pretty sure that won’t work). I enjoy games that expand in this way, as long as they’re well done. You shouldn’t expect it to match every aspect of the original Fallout series. This title isn’t built for typical Bethesda SP experiences, so it shouldn’t be judged by that lens. Hold off on judging it until Fallout 5 releases. If it’s a scaled-down ESO with more players and better building from Fallout 4, it could really shine as a top multiplayer title. Only time will tell. It’s odd people are upset about no mod support—this is meant to be a multiplayer experience. ESO is amazing without mods, and none of these games feel quite like them. ES Blades, ES6, Doom 2, Rage 2, and Starfield all keep me excited too. This event is the only one that’s genuinely sparked my interest in new games in a while.
The player base for Fallout 76 tends to be smaller but more engaged. I also play Escape From Tarkov, a loot and scooter-based survival game where each match usually involves 8-10 to 12 participants. There are AI scavengers to keep an eye on. Survival in these games hinges on the pressure of losing equipment—without gear, winning feels meaningless. I’m curious about why co-op with strangers online or aggressive tactics like destroying camps are so appealing.
Not so fast—starfield and cyberpunk 2077 are definitely on my radar. TES might take a while to launch, but starfield arriving first sounds thrilling. I’m already excited about a brand-new experience. Cyberpunk 2077... I’m really pumped for it, even if it’s only 50% the quality of the original. And honestly, I’ve never been interested in Kingdom Hearts again.
Stealing deathmatch from Doom 1993 was inspired by indie creators. EA is struggling to keep players engaged with their titles right now. Fallout Online had been in development since around 2008. Elder Scrolls Online launched shortly after Skyrim. Doom 2016 seems unrelated—Bethesda has a mobile version of Fallout. Putting as much content as possible into the game appears essential today. Rainbow Six debuted in 2015 and continues to gain traction. Offering numerous game modes and services is now the most profitable strategy. Not everyone will spend $60 annually on a game, let alone your own. Especially when alternatives are free or cheaper. I understand your point, but it seems like the industry is simply adapting to what players want. Around 2009, everyone was fixated on arcade FPS titles like Call of Duty. Later, there was a push for expansive open worlds such as Horizon Zero Dawn and Far Cry. Now, many seek massive player bases in those environments. Numerous companies have competed with similar ideas since the early 2000s. Back then, the NES had countless 2D side-scrollers. After Doom launched, FPS titles exploded. With Quake, fast-paced 3D landscapes became common. In the early 2010s, platformers like Banjo Kazooi, Jack & Daxter, and Conker dominated. Many AAA studios have stayed true to their previous projects rather than chasing trends. Moving back to Ubisoft, they’re focusing on Rainbow Six and a new Division RPG. Kojima is reviving the classic standing game concept. Companies are generally building on existing ideas instead of copying them. Trying to replicate Rust would be a mistake—its difficulty is too steep for most players. Simply launching a Battle Royale mode without proper mechanics or safeguards is easy to do. Just spawn everyone in one area, disable physics, set the parent to an airplane, and trigger a countdown with collision detection. The “Battle Royal” style has been around since at least 2001—playing it in Halo: Combat Evolved was common back then.