Perhaps no other game at E3 2015 made quite the big splash that EA’s Star Wars Battlefront did, appearing at both Sony’s and EA’s press conferences, and the game was playable in both of their booths (in massive displays I might add). The lines were huge at the EA booth, but I managed to get in and try out the game’s epic 40-person battle mode. While in the EA area, I hopped on over to the Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 VIP section to get hands-on time with the next entry of this hilarious, yet deep first-person shooter franchise!
Star Wars Battlefront
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: EA DICE
Genre: Action shooter
Release Date: November 17, 2015
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Before getting into the gaming action, at the Star Wars Battlefront area you’re first invited into a windy, snowy base to get briefed on your mission. In there I saw lifesize versions of R2D2 and C-3PO, as well as Star Wars rebel pilot there for photo opps.
Once inside the briefing room, I was told we’re playing a game of 20 vs 20 “Walker Assault”, where the mission is to stop three advancing AT-ATs (the large, four-legged armoured walkers used by the Empire) by activating Uplink stations that call in Y-Wing Bombers. As it turns out, when I got to my game station, I was part of the Empire team, and so my real mission was to escort and protect the AT-ATs, enabling them to destroy the rebel base.
I played as a common Stormtrooper (well, really a Snowtrooper), but I didn’t feel quite so ordinary given that I could perform a fast aerial leap with my Jump Pack, or switch my primary gun to destructive Barrage gun that fires destructive grenades. I must have spent as much time admiring the game as I did playing–wow is this game gorgeous!
I’ve always dreamed about taking part in a large-scale Star Wars battle (big time geek here!), and this as about close to real as you can get. With 39 other players all participating in the same war, you get a real sense of size and scope while playing Star Wars Battlefront. The battle was nothing short of epic–filled with climatic moments, jaw-dropping graphics, in true to life Star Wars form. I can’t wait to play more when the game releases this fall!
Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: PopCap Games
Genre: Action shooter
Release Date: 2016
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Next up I tried Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 for Xbox One. I loved the original game, as it perfectly blends over the top humour with deep and rewarding first-person shooter gameplay. In this sequel, there are three new plants to play as, Citron, Rose, and Kernel Corn, as well as three new zombies, Super Brainz, Captain Deadbeard, and Imp (who can ride in the mech you see to the right.
By luck of the draw, I was given Super Brainz to play as, which turned out fine by me since he’s massively powerful! Super Brainz is the first melee class character for the Zombies, and his arsenal consists of powerful punches and kicks that can destroy the Plants real quick.
We played a 4-player co-op mode called “Graveyard Ops” where the objective was to defend against waves of increasingly more powerful Plants. Mid-way through, a slot machine appeared on-screen and spun until it stopped on “Giga Torchwood”, and then this powerful boss appeared before us! It was an intense boss battle, but ultimately the Giga Torchwood was no match for my Super Brainz whirlwind super kick. After taking down the boss, our team had to scramble to an extraction point, all the while being pummeled by pursuing Plants!
As someone who enjoyed the first Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare, I was so excited to play the sequel and it didn’t disappoint. With six new characters, an all-new Solo Player mode, a new 24-player Herbal Assault mode, lots of new multiplayer maps, and the ability to bring over your characters from the first game, I’m getting extremely stroked for Garden Warfare 2!
Are you fan of Plants vs. Zombies series? Be sure to share your thoughts on in the comments section below!
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