Capcom and Konami come to E3
On our final day of E3 2017, Melanie and I had the opportunity to meet with Capcom and Konami. Being able to meet the greatest developers from around the world all in one week is one of the biggest reasons why I love E3 so much. Even though we only had an hour with each publisher, we had a chance to play/see several games. Here are my impressions:
Monster Hunter World
Monster Hunter has long been a huge franchise (especially in Japan) but has mainly stuck to portable systems, like 3DS and PSP. A huge reveal at E3 was that this beloved franchise is coming back to home console in a big way with Monster Hunter World. I was treated to a 30-minute live theatre demo showcasing the gameplay and impressive monster “hierarchy” system.
We were told our monster hunting hero’s objective was to take down a dinosaur-like creature resembling a T-Rex. Before that though, we got to see a huge lizard tackle another big creature and eat the entire thing whole. That was very impressive! Next, our hero woke the T-Rex from its sleep and the battle was on.
Instead of outright attacking the beast, the player decided to drop meat as a lure to attack that lizard creature we saw earlier. All of sudden it appeared and went straight after the meat. What came next was so cool: apparently the lizard is seen as food by T-Rex, and so the dinosaur ran for the attack. While the larger beast was distracted, our hero attacked!
Later, the player lured the injured T-Rex to a nest that we soon found out belonged to a family of pterodactyls. It just so happens in this world that the pterodactyl is higher on the food chain than the T-Rex, and within seconds another huge battle was on. Again, our hero used the distraction to deliver crushing blows.
Monster Hunter World is coming on excellently, and I can’t wait to explore the hierarchy system!
Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite
Next up, we had a chance to try out Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite. Melanie and I got a few competitive rounds in using characters from both universes. On the Capcom side, I played as Arthur (Ghouls ‘n Goblins), Dante (Devil May Cry), Mega Man, and Ryu. As for Marvel, I tried Captain America, Rocket Raccoon, Ultron, and Thor.
The combat, as you might expect from this series, was fast and flashy. Special moves can easily fill the entire screen, and all characters have devastating and cinematic ultra moves. One of the more interesting aspects of the game is before each match you can select Infinity Stones that imbue your character with special abilities. Some infinity stones give you powerful new attacks, while another one placed our enemy inside a “box” for a few seconds, limiting their movement.
As well, Capcom is offering a free Story Mode demo available for download on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The full story mode should last about 3-4 hours according to the Capcom representative we spoke to. As soon as I’m home from E3, I’ll be downloading!
Pro Evolution Soccer 2018
Over at the Konami area, the first game we got to try was PES 2018. This popular soccer franchise is once again pushing the limits by offering an impressive, realistic experience. As well, Konami has completely redid how you handle the ball and it felt extremely responsive on the pitch. The ball physics were more refined, and passing was easier to perform.
To add even more excitement, Konami has started to sign more Legends deals, and going forward these will be exclusive to PES. Two that were announced at E3 include former Argentine player Diego A. Maradona and Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt. The latter is also offered as a bonus character to those who pre-order Pro Evolution Soccer 2018.
Metal Gear Survive
We also had some time with Konami’s new Metal Gear spinoff title, Metal Gear Survive. It’s a tower defense multiplayer game where four of us had to defend a fortified camp from three waves of zombies. Before each wave you need to scavenge the area to collect resources, be it pots, chairs, or another other objects used to craft weapons or traps.
On the third wave we discovered Metal Gear’s signature bi-pedal D-Walker mechs, which you could mount and use. That was pretty cool. After completing the three waves, we were awarded bonus equipment based on our performance, and was told these items could be brought over into the game’s campaign.
While our time with Metal Gear Survive was short, it’s already looking promising. I can’t wait to see more before it’s early 2018 release!
Stay tuned for non-stop E3 news!
Check out Best Buy’s coverage of E3 2017 for more great articles, links to preorder games and more
