EA GAMESCOM

Today, EA had their press conference at Gamescom 2012. The press conference revealed more details about their lineup through next year and was definetly a lot more revealing about their games than their E3 conference let on.

Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel

Army of Two: The Devil’s Cartel was the first game discussed during the conference and it seemed to keep the pace of its predecessors with its action-packed set pieces. The game is still co-op focused and the demonstrated level, which took place on the rooftops of a Mexican city, had one player flying around in a helicopter firing a gatling gun while the other player worked on clearing the rooftops of enemies. Also present was a new Overkill feature which was allowed players to go on a killing spree and rack up a huge score after a gauge was filled up from killing enemies. The game definitely seems like fans of the past two games will love it. Army of Two: The Devil’s Cartel will be released March 12, 2013 for the PS3 and Xbox 360.

Dean Richards chews some scenery and talks NHL 13

Of course, EA is also known for their sports games and NHL and FIFA 13 both made an appearance. Dean Richards did the demonstration on NHL 13 and it seems like the game is receiving only a small upgrade. That’s not to spit on the franchise mind you, Richards touted how the game had the largest dynasty mode in any sports game, having 750 players able to compete. The game also features a new physics engine that allows players to get bursts of speed while also running the risk of falling straight on their asses if they don’t control their momentum. A demo of the game will come out Augustt 21st for the Xbox 360 and August 22nd for the PS3.

There was a brief discussion of Origin and improvements that would be made. While expected news of more F2P games being added, as well as a system for players to share gameplay and achievements were talked about, the biggest news was that that Origin would start selling games for the Mac.

Need-For-Speed: Most Wanted

The game that excited me the most was Need for Speed: Most Wanted. The game, which was developed by Criterion, is an open world racing game that actually lets you play from the beginning with almost every car unlocked (though you’ll need to jack a car on the open world map to use it). The racing seemed especially fun, with all the take downs and high-speed pursuits with cop cars that the franchise has become known for. The rpg aspects that have been added, along with all the ways to level up your ride seem like they’ll add some serious gameplay time. Another fun feature that was shown off was the ability to trash your friends’ wanted posters by smashing through billboards of their faces. The game looks really fun and, if you have an IOS device or a PS Vita, you can gain additional Speed points on the go for your account and build up your most wanted rank while you wait to catch a bus. The game will be out November 1st, this year.

BAttlefield 3 Armored Kill

Battlefield 3 and Medal of Honor: War Fighter both made appearances but War Fighter can thusly be summed up as “COD with the Frostbite” so it would seem more prudent to discuss Battlefield 3. While there was more than a few gamers who hated the idea of the Premium pass for the game, over 1.4 million players purchased it and a premium bundle will hit store shelves later this year. The expansions that still need to come out are Armored Kill, an expansion that adds more tanks and the largest map in Battlefield history, Aftermath an expansion that adds missions and maps in a post-earthquake environment that adds new vehicles both military and civilian, and The End an expansion that adds motorcycles. The game has had 15 million players since it was released last year though it remains to be seen if time will still be favorable to the popular game.

CRYSIS 3 HUNTER MODE

Crysis 3 made a brief appearance, only long enough to show off one of its multiplayer modes: Hunter Mode. This mode is very similar to infection mode from Halo 3 in this mode, two players start as Hunters (Nano-suit wearers who have all the abilities of the main character) while all the other players, up to 14, are heavily armed CELL agents who need to survive until their transport arrives. The twist is that every time a CELL agent dies, they respawn as a Hunter and try to kill their former teammates. The match that was shown with nine players was surprisingly intense though it seemed like the Hunters had too big of an advantage. Still, it looks pretty fun and it won’t be long for players to be able to play since the game will be out for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC sometime in February 2013.