It’s been nearly a month since I’ve written article here at IrrationalPassions, and I figure that’s too damn long. Plenty of excitement has been stirred in the mix since last time we talked. With events like E3 and San Diego Comic Con behind us, I figure there’s a bit to catch up on. Rest assured that the fanboy in me is swelling with enthusiasm as we enter a promising third quarter. Small talk aside, Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony all seem to be picking up momentum as they clash classic characters with new releases while also introducing new potential franchises. So, forgive my complacency to pump a piece out as I spew what’s been brewing in my cauldron for the past couple of months.
To start it off, I want to mention the E3 prediction piece that the IP team wrote, specifically the point in which Alex assumed Nintendo’s presentation wouldn’t be enough to push them forward. Thank the gods that his prediction came up short amongst all the titles announced this year. Ever since I started writing here at IrrationalPassion, I’ve bitched up a storm about how it was criminal to not give Fox McCloud a new title, but fortunately, someone at Nintendo got sick of hearing it (or at least I like to think so). Along for the ride was the announcement of a new Zelda installment, as well as a September 26th release for Hyrule Warriors. Yoshi’s Yarn created some chatter with the increase in difficulty as the adorable features from Kirby’s Epic Yarn remain tried and true. The final title to catch my attention was the mini-game that swept me off my feet during Super Mario 3D World. Captain Toad’s Treasure Tracker is now confirmed as a stand alone title. To see the company that introduced me to a life of gaming have an opportunity of resurgence is enough to make me hop on the bandwagon.
Microsoft has begun to gain some traction of their own. The price cut levels the playing field to a dead stare between the PS4 and Xbox One at $399, although this bundle does lack a Kinect. A recognizable name known as Sunset Overdrive announced an October release date as well as a more in depth explanation of the pandemonium that is sure to radiate from this title. Ori and the Blind Forest had a major impact on the excitement swirling around Xbox One and their reformed policy on indie titles. This platformer looks to sample from the artistic selections of titles like Journey to develop an abstract environment. It also seems to have a gripping storyline that will leave you quivering from the feels you just encountered. Patience is a virtue, and for those of you who have been nail biting for a P90X announcement coming to the Xbox, you can stop holding your breathe. All jokes aside though, it’s a little bit of lackluster news compared to the rest, but it still makes me laugh at the memories of neglecting that program when I was punk high schooler in gym. Microsoft gave me quite the scare when they went on a tangent about releasing strictly online games, but the revival of story plot within these two exclusives alone gives me all the hope I need, at least for now.
Since the beginning of the console wars, the tides have shifted in Sony’s favor, and it showed when they announced the three-to-one edge the PS4 had over the Xbox One during quarter one. Sony seems to have the “why fix what’s not even broken?” mentality as they present a heap of information for classic franchises. Towards the beginning of the summer, Sony released inFamous: Second Son. It is soon to be followed by the August 26th release of inFamous: First Light, which can be played without having Second Son. inFamous isn’t alone in the sequel category as Uncharted 4 and Little Big Planet 3 were both announced during Sony’s E3 conference. Honestly, these announcements aren’t overwhelming me due to my lack of a PS4, but I can appreciate the competition brewing between the companies as each one is pulling out the tricks to get a leg up on one another.
As for third party releases, each title has an element that could potentially revolutionize gaming as a whole. Destiny has been the talk of the town as beta codes were handed out to later be open to the public for sampling. Bungie seems to have extracted the raw energy that was short lived in Titanfall and stretch it out across an open world to keep the veins pumping. Before I begin on this next title, I want all of you to know I adore The Lord of the Rings trilogy, but I have always been weary when it comes to video games. Although, something about Shadow of Mordor has sucked me in, or it could be the tactical approach of exploiting your enemies weaknesses to rid Middle Earth of them filthy orcs. Yeah, I’ll stick with that. Finally, the game that I didn’t expect to receive much praise during E3 was The Witcher 3 since it’s already had quite a bit of information released, but in a massive open world title, we’re merely scraping the surface. Each one of these games wields different features and charisma that will help influence games later to come based off the innovations made within these three, if they are successful that is.
All of these titles, aside from P90X of course, are revitalizing elements of storytelling or designing new alternatives that make this an exhilarating time for the video game industry. With that being said, it would be neglectful of me not to write about these titles just as the competition begins to get a little heated. With the newfound excitement swirling around new releases and Chicago’s DRose’s comeback, I figured I should sample some of this inspiration and make a comeback of my own. So, keep it locked here at IrrationalPassions for more to come.
