GamesCom 2013 is over. For us here at Strategy Informer, we had a more ‘PC’ focused year this time round… well, at least I did. You may have seen some reports on the new consoles from some of our other freelancers, but for me, it was PC all the way. From Turn-Based Strategy to the new revolutions in MMORPG’s, I saw a fair few games. Some were impressive, others not so much. Here are some of my favourite picks of this year’s show:
Endless Legend (Iceberg Interactive) / Age of Wonders III (Triumph Studios)
I’m probably doing both these games a massive disservice by lumping them together, but they were the first two games I saw at GamesCom, and they’re both Turn-Based 4X strategy games with a fantasy twist. They’re both looking pretty good as well.
Age of Wonders III has a lot to live up to, given how long it’s been since the original games, but Triumph Studios have thrown all they can at it and from what I’ve seen so far, it could be something special. I’ll do a proper write up on it later, but it reminds me a lot of Warlock: Master of the Arcane. Which is a good thing.
Endless Legend is Amplitude’s next game. Following from the success of Endless Space, the studio have started working on a new Turn-based strategy game. Set in the Endless Space universe, this takes place on a singular planet, set during a fantasy-like era. Everything looks and feels 100% Endless though - even down to the UI and the the gameplay demo they showed. Again, another one I’ll be writing a separate piece on, but definitely one to be excited about.
Oculus Rift, EVE Valkyrie & IL-2 Sturmovik
The Oculus Rift gets a mention because, prior to the show, I’d not had much experience with the tech. Having played/seen two solid tech demos at GamesCom this year however, I’m now quite excited at the possibilities. It’s not so much the tech itself than the demo’s I saw that earns it its place here.
First off, I managed to try out the EVE VR tech demo - now known as EVE Valkyrie. Essentially an arcade flight combat game set in space, CCP have used the Oculus to really bring the cockpit experience to light. The basic controls are a bit sluggish and basic at the moment, but they’ve also got some cool features, like following a target with your eyes to lock-on with missiles. It was a short and sweet demo, and I can’t wait to see how they flesh this project out. Also: Imagining this as a Star Wars arcade flight sim… well.
The second game I saw, which was more of a genuine surprise than EVE VR, was the new IL-2 Sturmovik game coming from Russian publisher/developer 1CSoftClub. This is a combat flight sim, through and through, and it’s not the kind of game I’m personally interested in. Still, I was impressed with how the simulation experience is enhanced with an Oculus, and I hope this leads to a mini-revival of the genre. When the Oculus HD kits come in fully, Il-2 Oculus is going to be one stunning game. It’s as important to the spirit of those games as having an actual flight stick peripheral is.
The Witcher 3 (CDProjekt RED)
No surprises here, but The Witcher 3 is living up to its reputation. While the demo I was given was the same as the E3 presentation, it was still great to see it with my own eyes. The world of The Witcher 3 looks beautiful, and begs to be explored… it’s also much, much bigger than The Witcher 2’s world was. This game has deliberately been designed to be Open World, and the effort CDP have put into the tech is evident.
Some minor things stopped me from being blown away by the presentation – but it was early Alpha footage after all. Combat, for example, needs to be fleshed out a bit, but the team have said they’ve changed things up again so it’s more fluid. There’s also a bigger focus on Monster Hunting, as funnily enough that’s what a Witcher is supposed to be doing, not running around courting Kings and bedding sorceress. You can find clues in the forest that can help you track down monsters, and many of these will be tied to side quests.
There’s a while yet before this game is due to be released (we may yet see it at GamesCom 2014), so we’ll be keeping a close eye on this game as it develops.
XCOM: Enemy Within (Firaxis & 2K)
XCOM: Enemy Unknown was a great game, and it’s great to see Firaxis haven’t abandoned it. It’s not that there was a danger of this happening, but not much in the way of DLC has really appeared since the Slingshot missions, so it was a question of “Is more coming? And if so, what?” Enemy Within could have just as easily been a sequel.
Enemy Within is a Civilization style expansion that adds a host of new content and improvements, but slots it into the game’s existing framework. You’ll essentially be playing the same game as before, with the same start and the same ending, but the new content will be distributed through-out the game so you have new toys to play with. Mech suits, genetically modified soldiers and over 40 new maps are just some of what’s in store. We’re also told the final mission is getting a Mass Effect-style ‘Director’s Cut’ treatment, so hopefully that’ll improve things as well.
EverQuest Next + Landmark (Sony Online Entertainment)
Whilst there wasn’t much new to show on the main game itself (the debut only being a few weeks ago), it was good to see it finally with my own eyes. EverQuest Next is definitely something to be excited about, and to be honest it may have even nabbed the top spot on this list if everything hadn’t been so early days. I’ve seen so many fantastic visions that I couldn’t help view the presentation with a smidgeon of caution, but still it’s all rather exciting.
I don’t know what’s gotten into Sony Online Entertainment recently, but they’ve definitely found a grove that’s working for them. Planetside 2, even though it’s still working some bits out, is a fantastic experience. EverQuest Next as well has got the right thinking going into it, and the company has put a lot of resources into the technology, which is nothing short of magic. Whether the ‘game’ itself ends up being as good as the tech remains to be seen, but I doubt anyone could accuse SOE of not having their hearts in the right place.
A mention must also be made for EverQuest Next: Landmark, which is their bizarre companion ‘game’ that will be releasing ahead of EQN. Essentially a sandbox creation engine (with some MMO/Game elements to give the whole thing purpose), Landmark is essentially just going to give players most, if not all, of the creation tools Sony are using to build EQN, and is just going to let them go nuts. More on this later.
Tropico 5 (Kalypso Media, Haemimont Games)
El Presidente makes his triumphant return in Tropico 5. While Tropico 4 was a good game, it was little more than a slight improvement on Tropico 3. Tropico 5 is going to rock the Caribbean to its core. Everything from the core mechanics, to the pacing, to even the art style has been changed for this game. It’s truly going to be a revolution, and you best make sure you’re on the right side when it happens.
New features are set to include a game that spans multiple eras, from Colonial times right the way through to the modern age. Each ‘era’ brings with it its own challenges and unique way to play. El Presidente will be able to marry, have children and start a dynasty, and family members can be placed in key positions. There’s a new research tree, and many more sweeping changes, like the fact that you’ll have more direct control over your military. Stay tuned for my full write-up later this week.
There you have it, a pick of my favourite games from this year. There’s no ‘top’ game this year, as all of them are equally deserving of the award. We’ll be eagerly awaiting more news of these games, and we look forward to next year. Here are also some ‘Honourable Mentions’ that didn’t make the final cut: WarGame: Red Dragon, The Elder Scrolls Online, Planetside 2, Stronghold Crusaders II, and Hegemony: Rome.
