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Turtle Beach's glass speaker fires a focused 'beam' of audio
Turtle Beach's HyperSound Glass is one of the most impressive tech demos I've seen in years. The broad pitch used to sell the concept is pretty easy to grasp. With traditional speakers, sound travels out like light from a lamp: It's directed, for sure, but not focused. HyperSound is more like a flashlight: a concentrated "beam" of sound, which is only fully audible in front of the "speaker," a piece of glass.
Kratos finds his humanity in the new 'God of War'
It was never in question whether God of War would return. The franchise is one of Sony's most successful exclusives of the past decade, and the main trilogy of games were both critically acclaimed and hugely popular. But the conclusion of God of War III seemed to put a pretty definitive end on the series while the relatively lackluster prequel God of War: Ascension that came a few years later showed that Sony had pretty much run out of ways to continue telling the story of its antihero, Kratos. That is, unless developer Santa Monica Studios made a break from the series' past, changed the gameplay, left Greek mythology behind and, most important, showed us a more human side of Kratos than we'd ever seen before. Judging from the preview of the forthcoming God of War that kicked off Sony's E3 event, that's exactly what's happened, and it completely reinvigorated my interest in a series that felt like it had nothing left to say.
'Breach' adds a smart, stylish mode to the new 'Deus Ex'
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided lands in mere months, and while we got to tackle a relatively fully-finished Dubai level (it's definitely a glossier, bigger sequel to Human Revolution), instead I'm going to talk about Breach, an additional arcade(ish) mode that will launch for free within the main game. You're a hacker who's using VR technology -- of course -- to hack security nodes and get information. Security includes humanoid robots that'll shoot you and kick you out, and it cam also change the rules of the game as you play. Fortunately, you can break some of those rules.
Zombie thriller 'Days Gone' will need to find its humanity to survive
Lots of people are burnt out on the post-apocalyptic zombie trope, but I'm not one of them. I was fairly insulated from the genre until I played The Last of Us, which quickly became my favorite game of the last five years or so. So the trailer for Days Gone, a new title set in a post-pandemic corner of the northwestern US that was unveiled at Sony's E3 event, piqued my interest. The attention to detail in the ruined world was excellent, the narration intriguing enough to make me wonder what went down, and the idea of a former motorcycle gang biking around an open-world felt like a concept worth exploring.
Nintendo's E3 'Zelda' booth is almost as good as the game itself
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is easily one of the best games we've gotten to try at E3 this year. And in true Nintendo fashion, the company's booth is nearly as impressive as the game itself. The company pulled out all the stops this year, building a huge Hyrule environment in its booth for attendees to stroll through. You could take photos with a wonderfully detailed Link statue, cover in fear from various goblins and stroll through the Temple of Time. There was even real grass all around the booth to help simulate the wonderfully alive world that you get to explore in the game. Words don't quite do it justice, though -- check out this gallery of one of Nintendo's most lavish E3 booths yet. Follow all the news from E3 2016 here!
'Resident Evil 7' in VR is a sweaty, puke-inducing masterpiece
I nearly tossed my cookies in the middle of Sony's media lounge at E3, while hosting a Facebook Live stream and playing Resident Evil 7: Biohazard on PlayStation VR. This wasn't a case of Nerd Flu or a bout of food poisoning -- I finally experienced the notorious curse known as VR sickness. For years I've been drifting from headset to headset without a care in the world, content in the knowledge that I didn't get nauseated while playing games in virtual reality. I'd read about people feeling queasy after playing Elite: Dangerous or Project Cars, but I never fully understood why it was such a big deal. Couldn't these people just chug some Pepto Bismol and get on with their immersive gaming experiences? Where did all these weak-stomached crybabies come from anyway? Crybabies, consider this my formal apology, courtesy of PS VR and Resident Evil 7.
'Breath of the Wild' is the boldest 'Zelda' game in years
Nintendo wasn't lying, or even exaggerating. There really has never been a Legend of Zelda game quite like Breath of the Wild, and the series should be all the better for it. I've extensively played (if not quite finished) every major Zelda game, but that familiarity with the series rarely came in handy throughout the 45-minute demo I played at E3 today. I was confused and disoriented, not quite familiar with how I should be interacting with my surroundings -- much like Link himself after being awakened in a shrine with no clear direction on where to go.
'Mario Party: Star Rush' doesn't make you wait your turn
The mini-game mayhem of Mario Party can be a lot of fun, but the franchise has always suffered from its board game origins: when it's not your turn, there's nothing to do but wait. With Mario Party: Star Rush, that changes -- Nintendo's next entry in the series does away with individual player turns in favor of a more hectic group "scramble" turn. In other words, Mario Party is getting a fast-paced upgrade, and that's a good thing.
Nintendo's 'Ever Oasis' is a dungeon crawler in the desert
Okay, Nintendo may have said it was only bringing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Pokémon Sun and Moon to E3, but we all knew something else would show up during the show. Well, here it is -- Ever Oasis, a brand-new action RPG for the Nintendo 3DS.
The 'Pokémon Go' wearable costs $35
Next month, Nintendo is going to fulfill the childhood dreams of thousands of people who grew up in the 1990s: it's releasing Pokémon Go, an app that lets you catch pocket monsters in the real world using your smartphone. That alone is pretty exciting for fans, but if you've been following the game you also know that the app is getting a companion wearable that lets you play it without looking at your phone. Today at E3, Nintendo gave us a price for the wearable: $34.99.
PlayStation didn't need a new console at E3
Sony didn't show a new, more powerful PlayStation because it didn't have to. But it still had the best show at E3. PlayStation repeated its strategy from last year by focusing on the games. The event was filled with exciting trailers, relaunched classics, release dates for highly anticipated titles and a better look at what's going to come to its VR headset, which arrives in mere months. (And it was refreshingly short on small talk.) Sony played a smarter game than Microsoft.
Look at Xbox One's colorful custom-made controllers
Peppy, colorful customizable Xbox One controllers are coming. Well, in September, anyway. That said, you can still design and order the controller of your multi-colored dreams right now, online at the Xbox Design Lab. Until then, here are some design suggestions, direct from Xbox's booth at E3. With the choice of colors on the face and shoulder buttons, joysticks, the controller's faceplate and more, there are apparently eight million color combinations out there, so some guidance on your $80 custom 'pad may be appreciated. Blue thumbsticks sound like a good start. Follow all the news from E3 2016 here!
'Titanfall 2' doesn't ditch Microsoft's cloud; it builds on it
When the original Titanfall launched exclusively on the Xbox One, Windows and Xbox 360 in 2014, it took advantage of Microsoft's Azure cloud system, which allowed developers at Respawn to add AI teammates and enemies in a low-lag gaming environment. It also meant that some regions, such as South Africa, never saw the game, because Microsoft's dedicated servers simply didn't exist in the country. This all changes with Titanfall 2.
Celebrate E3 and new 'Zelda' with this lavish Nintendo sale
E3 2016 is in full swing, and there's already a bevy of titles being shown off that we can't wait to get our hands on, particularly The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and the upcoming Pokémon Sun and Moon. Nintendo know this very well, and thus is running a special E3 sale from now through June 21 with up to 40% select digital games.
What you're playing next: The best of E3's opening day
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){} The biggest show in video games starts off the same every year: with a seemingly endless torrent of announcements, teasers and surprises a full day before the show floor even opens. It's nerve wracking, but wonderful; Never change, E3. On Day zero, EA, Bethesda, Ubisoft, Microsoft and Sony showed us the bulk of what's in store for the next year in gaming: virtual reality, epic sequels and, of course, new hardware. Don't worry if it sounds overwhelming though, our very own Jess Conditt and Tim Seppala are here to tell you everything that's happening at E3.
Watch Sony's E3 2016 press event in 7 minutes
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}On the heels of Microsoft's big press event yesterday, Sony followed with a showcase of its own at E3. While the company didn't discuss that new console we know is coming, it did reveal that the PS VR would launch this fall. Staying true to form, there was a truckload of game news, ranging from the return of God of War, a new take on Spider-Man and Hideo Kojima's new title that features Norman Reedus in his birthday suit. There was a ton of virtual reality news as well, including upcoming Resident Evil and Batman entries. You don't have to take our word for it though, as we've condensed the full even down to just 7 minutes. Follow all the news from E3 2016 here!
The new Zelda game will give us the first 'flexible' Amiibo
The next Legend of Zelda game is introducing big changes to the series. It features a big, open world. Our hero can jump, climb and cook. For the first time in 30 years, Link actually changed his shirt -- but it's changing more than the gameplay of one franchise. It's also changing Nintendo's toys-to-life figures: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild's toy series will feature the first Amiibo with moving parts.
We're live from E3 2016 in LA!
It's that time of year again...time to play all the video games! We're back in sunny Los Angeles to attend the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2016, or as some (mistakenly) like to call it, the games industry's Fashion Week. Last year's focus was on big games, but so far E3 2016 sees virtual reality come into view, not to mention Microsoft unveiling two consoles, Sony finally giving us a launch date for PSVR, oh, and Resident Evil VII! All the show floor action kicks off today at 12PM PT, and we'll bring you the latest news as it happens. We'll also be documenting our experiences (from every literal angle) across our many social media channels, so make sure you're following us there too! You can find all the important stuff right here.
It's never been harder to buy an Xbox One
Yesterday should've been a triumphant day for Microsoft. The Xbox One S is, on paper, a fantastic iteration on what was already a solid console. It's a thin, striking machine with 4K and HDR support and a seriously attractive proposition for those who don't have an Xbox One already. (By all accounts, that's the vast majority of gamers.) But then Microsoft did something crazy: It announced the next next Xbox, code-named Project Scorpio. And now ... why would anyone buy an Xbox One S?
'Pokémon Sun and Moon' will offer four-player battle royales
There's more to Pokémon Sun and Moon than a new region and monsters. Nintendo has revealed during its E3 live stream that the game will also introduce a four-player battle mode called 'Battle Royal.' Each trainer selects their preferred Pokémon and then enters the ring at the same time. On your turn, you can choose to target any of the three creatures in front of you -- this opens up new strategies as you focus on particular opponents and form uneasy alliances. Our only concern is the wait times -- four trainers mean it could be a while before you can select another attack.
