So for those that don’t know, Gamescom 2018 has come and gone and we have learnt a lot.
Having showcased some of this year’s biggest titles and technology, MM investigated exactly what you could be getting for your money from this year’s market.
Here’s our lowdown of some of Gamescom’s notable showcases.
FIFA 19
Always a big hitter in the market due to the popularity of football across the world, FIFA 19 made an impressive contribution to Gamescom’s showcases.
Seemingly making a significant step in its graphics with one of the most aesthetically pleasing titles to date, the game appeared particularly refreshing from the minute you sat down.
The ever talked about Frostbite engine, integrated into the game a few years ago, finally looks to have made a real difference in the quality of gameplay with cut scenes and passages of play noticeably fluid.
Clearly this revamp was in tandem with the new Champions League rights that have brought such a fresh impetus to the dynamic of FIFA 19 and made kick off more of a spectacle than before.
Including a whole new set of overlays and commentary to complement and reflect the real look of a Champions League night, the game looks cleaner than ever.
The developers were keen to showcase the new active touch system and timed shooting mechanics – two notably hard features to master even for long time players of the franchise.
With the need to comprehend every touch of the ball, pass deployed and shot taken, EA have made a real effort to add realism to a game that some critics had previously described as ‘systematic.’
Consequentially, the new title aims to resemble unpredictability and chaotic nature of the beautiful game we all know and love.
Although the changes pose challenging at first, scoring that first goal with your favourite player now feels a hell of a lot sweeter.
NOTICEABLE IMPROVEMENT: MM’s Jake tries his hand at FIFA 19 – and gives a thumbs up
Concurrently, in a bid to counterbalance new attacking functions, the developers have introduced smarter defending controls to allow players to intercept passing channels more effectively and decisively than ever before. The likes of Sergio Ramos should now appear imperious.
Verdict: A noticeable improvement on previous editions and a must for any avid football fan.
Battlefield V
The Battlefield franchise never deals by halves when it comes to a showcase and their climatic display at Gamescom was no exception.
Taking up the majority of the EA section and providing an introductory session in a surround sound cinema room, the Battlefield developers were eager to say that their experience was both the biggest and the best.
After receiving a tutorial via a show-reel, spectators were immersed in the cut and thrust of all-out war in a bid to encapsulate everything that the title aims to achieve.
Eventgoers were subsequently invited to try the popular capture the flag inspired conquest mode for a twenty minute spell that is designed to test the particpant’s team work. All players were affored no time to settle, as they were dropped straight into the field of combat.
Speaking to fans after their experience at the showcase, many suggested that the title’s ‘gunplay’ had been completely overhauled from previous additions with notable emphasis on realism in the gameplay.
English eventgoer Dominic Bortlik, 19, explained his thoughts after trying the demo.
“Instead of random deviation of bullets seen in Battlefield 1 (the franchises’ previous title), the developers have changed it so that the bullets go exactly where they are aimed which makes for cleaner gameplay,” he told MM.
“The time to kill an opponent has been tweaked from the alpha version so it is now more similar to that of a Call of Duty game which makes the transition easier to players of both.
“Although some crtics might see some negatives in the new changes, I would still say it is definitely worth buying because it is such an intense and exciting experience and a must for fans of shooter games.”
Assassins Creed Odyssey
Assassins Creed Odyssey brings us into a new era with Ancient Greece the new playground for the infamous stealthy order.
The Gamescom showcase immersed eventgoers in a conquest battle set in the Peloponnesian war. Bringing into play both playable characters from the title, the demonstration gave an indication of the aims of developers Ubisoft with this year’s instalment.
The Creed title has taken a significant makeover this year with stunning graphics that give the most realistic facial details to date, accompanied by fine texture detail to match.
A subtle but equally impressive feature was the game’s ability to tell a compelling story, with the demo focusing heavily on constructed cut scenes whilst emphasising the importance of in-game decision making.
The various camera angles, as well as the diverse dialogue, provided eventgoers with an insight into the title’s narrative arc.
With many players fond of the title’s early instalments of Ezio in the late 2000s, it was pertinent to eventgoers on just how far the fighting mechanics have come since then.
More than ever before, your character now interacts with his/her environment smoothly and efficently.
Putting more focus on the world’s inevitable need to contain elements of war, Creed Odyssey puts the user at the forefront of a large-scale battle scenes with one to one combat visibly updated having been left unreshred in previous additions.
Vedict: It remains hard to flaw the new title on its first viewing with good signs that Ubisoft are consciously monitoring both their gameplay features and storytelling techniques.
Only time will tell whether this really sets itself out from its predecessors, but signs suggest Odyssey will make a splash in the market.
What a great #gamescom2018! We thank all visitors and exhibitors for joining us and making #TheHeartOfGaming beat! We hope to see you again next year! #gamescom2019 will take place on 20.08. – 24.08.2019! pic.twitter.com/3P4cX5tMc3
— gamescom (@gamescom) August 25, 2018
Mario Aces
Nintendo are usually a safe pair of hands when it comes to the gaming world, and Mario Aces certainly provides a fun and easy to play title which proves that simplicity can be very effective.
The new showcase enabled participants to play in a familar four player split screen with favourite characters such as Mario and Luigi once again present on our screens.
For a certain generation of young gamers, who have always had the Japanese tech in their gaming armoury, this title does what it says on the tin but does not deliver the required depth to be a standalone game.
On the contray, tennis games and variations of sports in the virtual world have been ever present for Nintendo with the classic Wii Sports remainin a cornerstone of gaming heritage.
If anything, the game would benefit from becoming part of a bigger package akin to the previous Olympic and Winter Olympics titles that have proved so popular in the past.
Vedict: Although the game lacks depth, it’s hard to fault the variation of the Switch technology that is now at your disposal with more impressive ways to play than ever.
One expects Nintendo will continue to flourish in the current market.
Image courtesy of Gamescom via Twitter, with thanks.
