Well, the first day of press conferences has come to a close, and while some have been better than others, we’ve gotten a slew of announcements that have been entertaining.
Here we rank the different announcements coming out of the Ubisoft presser. Looks like it’s going to be a busy year!
Electronic Arts
Dead Space 3 gameplay footage – thumbs up
Visceral has proven that it’s no slouch with its space action, as you go head to head with an enormous drill and some nasty creatures, with the help of a co-op friend. Count us in on this mission when it launches in February.
Madden NFL 13 details and Michael Irvin – thumbs up
Irvin didn’t try to pretend to be someone he wasn’t, and the gameplay footage looks mighty good, so we’ll give Madden the benefit of the doubt when it arrives this August…
Maxis and Sim City – thumbs in the middle
The new Sim City looks fantasic…but why no console release? Hmmmm…
Battlefield 3 Premium – thumbs down
Though it’s great to see a DLC program that will stretch into 2013, this program just feels like an inflated way to really get some premium DLC. Something else could’ve been easily introduced.
Star Wars: The Old Republic news – thumbs in the middle
The free-to-play option is nice, but nothing startlingly new was announced.
Medal of Honor Warfighter gameplay footage – thumbs up
This game is looking more and more intense each time we see it, and this time was no exception, complete with footage from a roving bot that can take a lot of damage. Bring on the battle!
FIFA 13 and Facebook social features – thumbs in the middle
Quite technical, but soccer fans no doubt have their favorite features worked out.
EA Sports and UFC announcement – thumbs way up
Nice to see a new partnership come out for this, and having Dana White come out and make amends with EA Sports was pure bliss. Finally, let bygones be bygones and let’s get to real fighting. (Sorry, THQ.)
Need For Speed: Most Wanted – thumbs up
Seriously, I want Burnout Paradise 2 already…but this is the next best thing. Most Wanted looks like a hot of Hot Pursuit-style fun, but with a much more detailed city and integrated online play. Cool!
Crysis 3 gameplay – thumbs mostly up
Some of the footage looks a bit ancient, but the pure thrill of playing through Crytek’s latest still has us intrigued.
And that’s it. EA didn’t exactly have gangbusters announcements, but overall they still put on a great event.
Ubisoft
Just Dance 4 segment with Flo Rida – thumbs in the middle
The segment was fun, but, honestly, the game wasn’t that fundamental a surprise. Plus, what was up with Flo’s mic? Looked like a deformed bowtie.
Far Cry 3 trailer – thumbs up
Each time we get to see Far Cry 3, it looks even more and more intense than before. This time around was no exception, with plenty of gun battles and a screwed up dream sequence.
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Blacklist trailer – thumbs up
We’re not entirely sold on the lack of Michael Ironside, but the latest Splinter Cell has plenty of futuristic action, as well as tons of detail. We’ll check it out anyway.
Avengers: Battle For Earth trailer – thumbs down
Where was the gameplay footage? And why are Venom and Wolverine here?
Rayman Legend reveal – thumbs way up
We’ve only seen bits and pieces of the stage that was shown at the event and it’s enough to convince us we should pick one of these babes up. On the company’s dime, obviously.
Zombi U trailer – thumbs mostly up
No gameplay footage, but plenty of slo-mo dramatics that fans are sure to enjoy. Check it out when you can.
New Wii U announcements – thumbs down
Some of the Wi U games will be innovative, but stuff like Rabbits :Land and Sports Connection isn’t quite selling us like it should. At least Assassins Creed 3 is coming for it.
Assassins Creed 3 trailer – thumbs way up
This is looking like one of the best games in the series to date, and we really can’t wait to get our hands on it.
Esports Shootmania session – thumbs down
So not only do we have to put up with Tabascos, but also teams of MLG-style players competing in an online PC shooter? We just wanted this portion of the game to end. Seriously.
Watch Dogs trailer – thumbs up
A thrilling new demo to a new franchise featuring a tech head who can “snuff’ people while evading enemies. Looks amazing, and involving secondary characters is a great touch. Now if we can just get a 2012 release.
Overall, Ubisoft’s show wasn’t bad, but every year they seem to involve some joker in the deck threatening to throw it off course. In this case, it was the oddly placed Tabascos, who wouldn’t stop talking during the times he was on at all. Still, with Assassin’s Creed and the Rayman reveal, we left the event lookig forward to hitting the show floor later today!
