The Average Gamer

E3 2015: Bethesda Press Conference Summary

E3 2015 - Bethesda Conference
It was Bethesda’s first E3 conference this year. Pete Hines opened the conference itself. Here’s what you need to know:

DOOM

Marty Stratton, Executive Producer for Id Software, talked about Doom (4).

  • It’s centred around “badass demons, Big Fucking Guns and moving really, really fast.”
  • Research facility on Mars. Kill demons.
  • Demo showed a shotgun, melee kill on a knocked-out demon, the Super Shotgun, enemies blown to giblets, plasma rifle.
  • Clicking “Scan echo device” on a wall console showed a grisly reconstruction of the carnage that happened in the control room, which the player followed to open a locked door.
  • A chainsaw happened. It was nasty.
  • There was some kind of demon with a jetpack.
  • Multiplayer: domination, freeze tag, clan arena. Fight in the bases or in the depths of hell.

Stratton also announced a new feature for players who like to design: DOOM Snapmap. This will allow players to create their own game modes and share them with others. You can create things like co-op wave mode, kill demons to earn credits and spend on ammo, health or bigger guns or set up a classic 4-player death match. Designed for anyone to pick up and use, editing maps, game logic and other features.

This section of the conference closed off with another single-player campaign video of a section called “Welcome to Hell”. Large, open environments, flying demons, running demons and big, bulging demons. You can shoot the jetpack and send the demon flying out of control into the environment.

Looks like a gorey run-and-gun. Fun, if you like that sort of thing.

BattleCry

Online action game with team-based combat and tactical warfare. Third person melee combat. Sign up for the worldwide beta at Battlecrythegame.com before June 13th and get in-game bonuses for the game.

They revealed a new faction, The Han Republic. Looks inspired by feudal Japan?

Dishonored 2

Accidentally leaked on the official Bethesda Twitch stream yesterday, Dishonored 2 was formally introduced by Harvey Smith and Raphael Colantonio, Co-Creative Directors of Arkane Studios.

  • It’s set 15 years after Dishonored.
  • You can play as Corven Attano or Emily Kaldwin, who was a big feature of the first game.
  • She now wields powers, – like the original game’s protagonist, Corvo – but her power set is completely different
  • For example, she has a power called Far Reach instead of Blink.
  • They’re aiming for Spring 2016.

Seems like the story would get a little confusing if you switch between Corvo and Emily at will. Maybe they venture together throughout the game? Maybe you’re expected to play the game twice to see it from two different slightly perspectives?

Updates from the post-conference interview:

  • You play through the same missions and levels but characters react to Corvo and Emily differently.
  • There is no co-op. It is a single-player game.
  • You can’t switch between Corvo and Emily per game. Pick one at the start and stick with it. Hopefully you can have more than one game on the go at once.

Also, the original Dishonored is coming in Definitive Edition with its DLC this autumn, on Xbox One and PS4.

Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited

There was a trailer for the recently-launched no-subscription version of Elder Scrolls Online. Just a bunch of locations really. It’ll probably turn up on the Bethesda YouTube channel eventually.

Update:

The Elder Scrolls Legends

There’s now a strategy card game based on Elder Scrolls.
It will be free-to-play on PC and iPad.

Fallout 4

Todd Howard, Game Director from Bethesda Game Studios talked about Fallout 4, revealed last week. It’s coming out on 10th November 2015. It looks fricking amazing.

  1. They started designing this one in 2009.
  2. There was a montage video of concept art.
  3. Game starts in the world before the bombs fell, on a beautiful Saturday morning.
  4. Character creation is dragging areas of the face to shape different features.
  5. E3 2015 - Bethesda Fallout 4 Character Creation Male

  6. You can definitely play as a woman, as well as some decent-looking black skin tones and hair styles. White people are obviously in. Not sure about Asian and other ethnicities.
  7. Vault Boy pictures are animated!
  8. You are the sole survivor of Vault 111 and look remarkably like your ancestor who went in 200 years prior. Cryogenics or something.
  9. It’s a next-gen version of their game engine.
  10. Dialogue is now dynamic. You can play in first or third-person, walk away or even shoot while someone is talking.
  11. You can command the dog by selecting things and pressing the “command” button.
  12. VATS is in. Yaaaay VATS.
  13. The armored system is layered.
  14. Sometimes you’ll find game tapes for your PIP-Boy.
  15. The Collector’s Edition comes with a PIP-Boy that you can put your phone in and wear. It looks so totally unnecessary, yet functional, so I want one.
  16. You can build your own house in Fallout 4. It’s amazing. Total freedom of placement with objects. I’ll wait for the video to go live so you can see it for yourself.
  17. Your home will get attacked by raiders.
  18. There are multiple places where you can build settlements.
  19. You can run brahmin caravans between settlements.
  20. You build items/weapons/power armour by scavenging all the familiar crap lying around the world. Toy cars now have a purpose!

Fallout Shelter

Bethesda has also created a game called Fallout Shelter, inspired by Progress Quest.

  • You get to be The Overseer.
  • Arm your vault dwellers with weapons.
  • It’s free.
  • You can play it offline.
  • It’s out now for iOS.
  • They said they’ve worked closely with Apple on it, so I suspect it’s not coming to Android.

Update on Android version:

E3 2015 - Bethesda Fallout Shelter

Get more news on our E3 2015 tag.