Los Angeles, US, June 12 — Ubisoft held its E3 press conference, during of which we came to meet more updates of their already announced games, such as Assassin’s Creed Origins and Far Cry 5. However, the real stars in this panel were some new – and old – faces, which might bring you some memories long forgotten. What happened on this panel? Keep reading and find out the highlights of Ubisoft’s panel in this year’s E3!
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
The conference opened with Ubisoft’s Vice President, Yves Guillemot, and Shigeru Miyamoto discussing the unexpectedly expected backstory of Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle. Xavier Manzanares, Producer at Ubisoft Paris, later showcased some footage of the upcoming gameplay, which certainly has the “unique flavor” that Miyamoto spoke of. Instead of a platform-based gameplay, or even the common Nintendo trademarked open-world styled gameplay, this is more of a tactical turn-based game; the battle system takes place in a strategic battlefield in where you must take advantage of your environment to defeat your enemies.
What started as a simple, goofy, yet fun game, turned out to be a tactical game in where you use your brain and skills to advance. Will it be as delightful as it promises? We’ll have to wait for its release and find out for ourselves.
The game is scheduled for August 29, 2017.
Assassin’s Creed Origins
Next, it was the turn of Ashraf Ismail, game director of Ubisoft Montreal, to introduce the latest installment of the Assassin’s Creed Origins, chronologically set in Ancient Egypt where, according to him, was where “everything began”. No more details – or any proper gameplay footage – of what he meant were given, but one can be sure that this will be a prequel to the original games.
The Watch Dogs 2 hints about this title’s setting were correct after all. They got the title wrong but still a good “leak”. Release of this title is planned to be October 27, 2017.
The Crew 2
The trailer of The Crew 2 mesmerized the unprepared eye with its impeccable graphics and impressive footage. Stephane Beley, Director of Ivory Tower Ubisoft, spoke of the sequel of The Crew and showed some of the in-game footage, in where you will be able to partake motorsports races and adventures not only in the city but also in the wilderness, the sea, and the air.
Unlike the other presenters so far, Beley kept it simple and just showcased some of the vehicles and worlds this sequel will be diving in. Not much of the actual gameplay was actually shown, but so far, undoubtedly its graphics and open-world are its most attractive feature.
It is scheduled to be released in the beginning of the next year.
Skull and Bones
When you thought that Ubisoft had had enough pirates in Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag, E3 proves how wrong we all were in our assumptions with the trailer of Skull and Bones, Ubisoft newest pirate-themed game. Justin Farren, Creative Director of Ubisoft Singapore, explained that they decided to take the Assassin’s Creed naval gameplay to “a new level” in this game, which is to be set in the Indian seas during what seems to be the 18th century.
The pre-alpha gameplay presented the footage of a 5 team PvP battle. To all those who had previously played Assassin’s Creed III and Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag, this game will be familiar, albeit with some obvious differences and features. Certainly, the battles are far more sophisticated and polished (special mention go to a more detailed participation of your crew and a wider arrange of weapons), but you can sense the obvious Assassin’s Creed influence on its atmosphere.
It is scheduled to be released during fall of 2018.
Far Cry 5
After the success of Far Cry Primal it’s now finally time to talk about Far Cry 5 with Dan Hay, Executive Producer of Ubisoft Montreal, who finally presented some actual in-game footage of one of the most anticipated, if not controversial, games of this year. We came to know the protagonists and some of its features, but as with Assassin’s Creed Origins case, only a real gameplay experience will be available in Ubisoft’s booth during the E3. Don’t worry, with some patience and sheer will, February 28th, 2018 – its release date – will come sooner than expected!
Beyond Good and Evil 2
I believe the most interesting announcement of this year came with the trailer of Beyond Good and Evil 2, the final game showcased at Ubisoft’s conference. Michel Ancel, creative director of Ubisoft Montpellier, introduced this prequel (don’t let the number fool you!), in which you’ll follow the original protagonist’s, Jade, initial footsteps. Again, no actual gameplay footage was shown, but if the graphics say something, this game is meant to take the story to a whole new level, as to not repeat the commercial failure of the first installment.
YouTube: Ubisoft E3 2017 Conference
Photo Credit: Ubisoft
Source: Chris Mawson (Power Up Gaming) / embedded conference video
