by Graham Taylor
EA has again this year started off the gauntlet of E3 press conferences with their EA Play event. Rife with YouTubers and other community members, they spent a majority of their time talking about games already announced, but they still managed to have a few surprises up their sleeves.
They kicked things off with a live drum line and a look at Madden NFL 18. Launching August 28, the game is being developed with EA's Frostbite engine, and will feature an all new story-driven mode called Longshot, which will feature dialog choices, branching story lines, and multiple endings. This will also be the first game since 2013 in the Madden franchise to include any reference to college football.
Battlefield 1, which released late last year, also had some time in the spotlight, with the new "In the Name of the Tsar" expansion detailed, and the addition of night maps. It will include 8 new maps, and introduce the Russian Army and Women's Battalion, and will be releasing later this year in September.
Fifa 18 was briefly shown off and is also being developed with Frostbite in order to bring the game to life like never before.
Need For Speed Payback then took the stage, looking to bring more action and customization to the series then ever before. Set in a Las Vegas inspired desert city, the gameplay showed off multiple explosions, stylish cars, and stunts that could easily be take from a Fast and Furious movie.
The first of two new IPs announced was A Way Out, a co-op action game from the creator of Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. The game will only be able to played co-op, with each player taking the role of one of two brothers who are attempting to break out of prison. The second new IP teased was Anthem. Almost nothing was revealed other than the title, but the game seems to feature monsters, mechs, and a giant wall.
The final game shown off of their sports lineup was NBA Live 18. The main mode will focus on "The One" and player's individual choices, as well as feature street and professional settings.
EA ender their conference with a bang as the premiered Star Wars Battlefront II multiplayer gameplay. Set to feature more than three times the content of the reboot, Battlefront II will feature more heroes, maps, and weapons, spanning across all three eras of the Star Wars universe. On top of that, they revealed that Finn and Captain Phasma would be two of the new heroes, and would be released later in the fall in the first of many free season expansions. They stated that all future maps, heroes, and weapons would be released free to everyone who owns the game.
During today's conference, EA also announced that its EA/Origin Access services would be free for this upcoming week, allowing players to play through select games through their entirety as long as they are subscribed to the service.
For live E3 coverage, check out @ByteBSU for all the newest details.
