E3 2012: Ubisoft Press Conference Reaction

Ubisoft had the 3rd press conference of the day and blew Microsoft and EA out of the water. After this showcase, I'm not only excited for some stuff to come out, but I've also been convinced to go back and play some titles that I missed in the past.

I was worried at the outset, as they began with a showcase of Just Dance 4. It consisted of a live demo with hot chicks in skimpy outfits dancing with the game they were dancing to behind them and FloRida performing with a ridiculous microphone. I was not expecting much if this is what they were opening with.

But things got better with Far Cry 3, whose predecessors I've never played, but would if I had a decent PC. Looks like a solid and exciting game.

Then they moved to what I was itching to see more of, Splinter Cell: Blacklist. Disappointingly there wasn't much except a premiere trailer, which is different from the gameplay that Microsoft's conference showcased earlier today. At least the trailer was very bad ass. From what I gathered, Sam is now the head of "4th Echelon", and it looks like Anna Grimmsdottir is back too. It looks like it focuses on more of what Conviction began, with the fast paced takedowns and "think on your feet" pace. Thankfully it doesn't seem to do away with the emphasis on stealth. I was pretty disheartened when Sam spoke and I didn't hear Mike Ironside. It doesn't appear to be a younger Sam Fisher, but it does seem like the iconic voice I love so much. While it's a let down to be sure, it won't stop me from buying it. I'm really anxious to see what more comes out of E3 in the next couple days, because it's gonna be agonizing waiting a whole year to play it. It's slated for Spring of 2013.

Next up was some showcasing of a new Rayman title utilizing the Wii U, which actually looked really fun and then some junk about E sports and a cheesy demo of a game called Shootmania with some world champion Counter Strike players.

Then the big one...Assassin's Creed 3. Now while I've never played these games, I am most definitely going back and playing them because both the trailer and gameplay demo looked incredible. Being such a fan of Splinter Cell and Metal Gear Solid and Batman Arkham City/Asylum...just about any stealth based game, I'm not sure why I never picked them up, but that's gonna change.

The last presentation began very odd, with a trailer that seemed more like a lecture about how the world has become so connected and how personal information collection is being used against the average Joe. I was thinking, where are they going with this. And then a gameplay demo ensued for a game called Watch Dogs, which is by far the best game announced/demoed thus far, and I don't see it being dethroned either. Basic premise is that you are a kind of vigilante who uses the city's infrastructure to spy and cause mayhem to things to accomplish your objective. The pace seems varied and there seems to be a good mix of intelligently thinking about the situation, and violent action.