E3 2015: Bethesda starts the show with a bang- Doom, Fallout 4 and more

Seriously, Bethesda’s first ever E3 press conference was also one of the best showcases I’ve ever seen. Doom, Dishonored 2, Battlecry, The Elder Scrolls, and yes Fallout 4, were all looking amazing and the show was loaded with surprises.

No hype, no overstatements, I really think this was pretty easily one of the best shows I’ve ever seen put on at E3, and I’ve been watching these things since they started airing them on G4 (remember them?). Bethesda knocked repeated homers out of the park in this presentation. Here’s Why:

Doom

The greatest FPS (arguably) of all time returns to form, but with much of the look and feel of Doom 3. Now don’t get excited if you didn’t dig D3, because it looks like iD and Bethesda have kept all the best parts of that last reboot and added in, well, added in some of the best-looking, and most fast-paced and gruesome action yet in a first-person shooter.

And if a kick ass single player campaign wasn’t enough, iD is also crafting an almost equally amazing looking multiplayer mode. The same gameplay holds true for that, with lighting fast pacing being the focus, and plenty of blood and gore highlighting the action.

Also, and this was the best part of the night for me, Doom’s getting a level editor. Not contained to just the PC, the Doom SnapMap is a super-easy to use map maker that gives players the power to do some pretty amazing things.

Not only can you make single-player maps, but you can create brand new modes if you like, and even dictate enemy behavior and stage conditions. So, for example, if you’d like a Baron of Hell to materialize after the player picks up that shotgun, you can. As someone who used to while away the hours building Doom (the first one) maps on my PC back in the mid-90s, I’m over the moon to try this one out.

As to when I’ll (and you’ll) be doing that, Doom will launch for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC in Spring 2016.

The Elder Scrolls: Legends

Yes, this is a mobile title. Actually, it’s a strategy card game, and a free one to boot. I know, red flags just shot off, but give it a chance, you might be pleasantly surprised. If it’s business model is anything like the also announced Fallout Shelter (more on that in a bit) then I think you’ll find it fairly palatable.

Then there’s also The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited, which just hit consoles and took over on the PC for the regular version of the game, which was phased out. The TU edition of the MMO is, of course, subscription fee-free, so you buy it once, and you can play to your heart’s content.

It’s out now, as I mentioned, but you can have a look at it here.

Dishonored 2

With two playable characters (Corvo Attano and Emily Kaldwin) and a whole new Dishonored adventure coming with Dishonored 2, there’s plenty for fans of the stealth action title to get excited about. Taking place in the coast city of Karnaca, you’ll have to devise all new ways of taking down foes, using two heroes who have different “powers, weapons, and tools”. As you might imagine too, you’ll be able to play the whole game guns out… or without killing a single opponent.

Expect to see Dishonored 2 arriving on consoles and the PC next Spring, and an HD Definitive Edition of the original title landing for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC this Fall.

Battlecry

Part Team Fortress, part Hunger Games, Battlecry is looking like it might be a whole lot of fun. And with its interesting mix of cartoony visuals and gory action, its definitely  got a unique vibe happening that multiplayer fans will want to keep an eye on.

Personally, I’m not much for these types of games, but if you are then Battlecry actually seems like it might offer something relatively fresh, which is always cool. The game arrives later on this year, and you can sign up for the beta by clicking here.

And then there’s this:

Fallout 4

Yes, that’s an old trailer (it was uploaded on the 3rd), but there was more, so much more, shown off at the E3 showcase. This was, far and away, the biggest moment of the night, and Bethesda pulled out all the stops. In a segment hosted by Todd Howard, the publisher showed a ton on what will be one of the biggest games to hit this year… yes, this year.

Fallout 4 has so many options that it could have taken up a whole press conference all by its lonesome. Starting out in the past, before the bombs dropped on Fallout’s version of Earth, F4 gives you a ridiculous amount of control over character creation. You can play as a male or female character, and assign pretty much any facial structure and racial makeup you’d like.

After armageddon, you’re the sole survivor of vault #111 and you and your dog must find a way to carve out a nice for yourselves in a now unforgiving world, that’s just starting to rebuild. Speaking of, you can build that world up on the fly, and anyway you like.

By recycling refuse that you’ll find laying around, you can build new structures, furnish them, power them- and by running cable, planting crops, and adding defenses, you can actually start to build fledgling cities in the ruin of Boston. You can even build multiple settlements and run caravans between them if you so desire. Oh yeah, I should mention that this isn’t the goal of the game, just one of the things that you can do in it.

You can also mod your weapon at stations to an astounding degree, fight in several modes (and use VATS), and engage in dialog in a very fluid way (including simply walking away if you like). I guess I should mention that you can even mod your power armor. Two words- jet pack. And chignon… so one more word there.

Another new addition to the game is a PIP boy that you can download for your smartphone and use as a second screen. It basically looks like the one in the game, with the same UI, and assists you in the real world, so you don’t have to keep tracking your stats in the game’s world. You can also wear it on your wrist if you get the Collector’s Edition of Fallout 4 as it includes a housing for you phone.

I’ll give you a second to go pre-order… Sold out yet? Hope you got one! Fallout 4 some out for the Xbox One, PS4, and PC this November the 10th by the way. So set some time aside this Holiday Season.

Anyway, the; also a mobile game for Fallout called Fallout Shelter. In this game you play as the overlord of a Vault. You have to manage people, build facilities and more. Actually it’s really in-depth, just like Fallout 4, and it looks awesome. It’s also free.

Yes, you can buy little packs to get goodies faster if you like, but from what Howard said, you certainly don’t have to to get a ton of enjoyment out of it. And to make things a little sweeter, it’s available right now on the App Store.

So there you have it, a little summary of what was the showcase to kick off E3 2015, and again, one of the very best press conferences I’ve seen. Sure there were some lulls, but almost everything was incredible and held the crowd’s attention like nobody’s business. So of these franchises aren’t even favorites of mine, but after seeing these new volumes, I’m dying to play almost everything shown.

Especially Doom. Man, Spring 2016 can’t get here fast enough. As for all of the above, we’ll have plenty more on all of them as soon as we get it in- so sit tight.