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E3 Coverage: The View From The Floor, Part 3

Another day down, and another set of spotlights to hand out. Today was all about the gameplay. There are some seriously cool games on display here and while the lines are long, the experience is worth it. Through careful planning (and a health dose of sheer luck), I managed to get my hands on a game from each major console AND a preview of an upcoming VR game. Read on for all the details.

 

Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo Switch)

This game definitely has the longest lines of any at E3 this year, but it’s worth it for the 10-minute playtime. Fans play on the Nintendo Switch console and get their choice of several different levels to try out. The object of the game is to collect moons to power the Odyssey, a rocketship shaped like Mario’s iconic hat. As the Odyssey grows in power, Mario is able to travel to new kingdoms. The gameplay in each kingdom is largely open-world. Players will receive a main objective to complete, but can also opt to complete various side quests along the way. Either way, fans can expect tons of fun and hours of play from this game when it launches on October 27.

Knack II (Playstation 4)

One of the biggest complaints that players had with Knack was that the story line stopped making sense halfway through the game. And they weren’t wrong. Sony vowed to fix that with Knack II, and so far it looks like they’ll deliver on that. The gameplay mechanics are pretty similar in the sequel, but even the small snippet of story that the demo shows seems much improved. The main cast of characters is back, along with a few new faces. This was one of the shorter demos that I played, but it was long enough to get me excited for this game when it releases on September 5.

Minecraft (Microsoft Xbox One X/ Windows 10)

There were at least a dozen game demos available at the giant Xbox booth in the South Hall, but Minecraft was the most overlooked one of them. The line for this demo was super short, which was the basis of its appeal. I’d never played Minecraft before (I know, I know, shame), but I was eager to check out the Xbox One X’s claims to graphics fame. The demo was set up as a 4 v 4 battle, with players on the One X facing off against players on PCs running Windows 10. My PC team got our pride handed to us on a silver platter by the console team, but that was the only bad spot of the demo. The graphics and frame rate on each system were impeccable, and controls were fully responsive. Regardless of which version gamers choose to bring home, Minecraft looks ready to remain a fan favorite. The game is available now, but the One X itself won’t be hitting shelves until November 7.

Vindicta (Steam/ HTC Vive VR)

If you watched our Facebook Live video from the floor of E3 today, you heard about half a dozen VR companies. The one that you should really be watching is Game Cooks. Vindicta is their first-person action/adventure game that is fully VR-compatible. You play as a human known as Agent V, who has been tasked with a mission to infiltrate a robotics lab. You’ll walk, run, climb, crouch, and fight your way past 14 different types of enemies with 13 different types of weapons. If you like the 007 games, and you have an HTC Vive headset, then you’re going to want to check this game out. It’s available in Early Access on Steam right now, and the full version will unlock in just 5 days on June 20.

That completes today’s View From The Floor. We’ve got one more day of coverage tomorrow. On the agenda are Bandai-Namco’s Ni No Kuni II and Project Cars 2, Natsume’s variety of upcoming releases, and a good look at some very cool new gaming accessories. Check out all the photos from today on our Facebook page, and we’ll see you tomorrow!

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