EA gamescom 2013: Battlefield 4, FIFA 14, Titanfall, more on display
EA hosted its annual gamescom press event today, showing off The Sims 4, Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare, and live gameplay demos of Titanfall and Command & Conquer. Battlefield 4, Need for Speed: Rivals and FIFA 14 made an appearance as well. Get all the news below.
Peter Moore took the stage to warm up the crowd by discussing beer - because beer is awesome and flows like amber rivers of inebriation in Germany, apparently.
After his chat, Moore called gamescom "the world's biggest consumer games show," and stated that EA's showcase would feature 10 games in development - the offerings started off with a video for The Sims 4.
The Sims 4
The Sims 4 was unveiled with a live action trailer. It showed CG Sims characters walking around with crowds of regular people. It's due in 2014.
The Sims 4 will have "emotion-based" gameplay for a new experience. "You can now explore the gamut of human emotions." Players can affect the mind, body, and heart of these new Sims. It'll be "more meaningful and personal."
The game has brand new creative tools, shown off onstage. Fully decorated rooms can be moved and pulled about into new positions. It's intended to be easier and fun. Decor has an impact on how Sims behave. Romantic decor equals... well, romance. How things play out can be different every time depending on decor, emotions, and other factors.
The Sims can be completely customised, right down to how they walk to reflect their personality.
An on stage demonstration shows a love triangle situation. A Sim gets a rival to leave by playing the violin to make him depressed. But the jilted Sim gets revenge using a voodoo doll.
Command & Conquer
Victory Games reps came on stage to show Command & Conquer via a live stage match.
Opponents can be blinded using smoke, and then you can use nitro boosts to close distances quickly. There are Railgun Tanks and helicopters and explosions. It looks incredibly fast-paced.
Victory Games is committed to adding new content on a regular basis, including new generals, maps, and more. Fan feedback will be incorporated into the game.
Episodic missions from the Generals universe will be released that can be played alone or cooperatively.
Dragon Age Inquisition
It has "epic storytelling and characters, while giving players real choice and consequences."
A dev diary has BioWare striving after a "new level of immersion." They want to "take RPGs to the next level." They're aiming to give the player control. The world can be explored with "a surprise around every corner."
The world has undergone an event, where the veil, which keeps the demons out, has been torn. Demons are terrorising the world. You play as the Inquisitor, a role which gives you power that other citizens don't have. You can save a village from being burned down or destroy it.
Agents work for you, and can be sent out on missions at your bidding.
Plants vs. Zombies 2
PvZ2 development team is hard at work on 'Far Future', the first major content update for the game.
Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare
You will be able to play as a zombie. An in-engine trailer shows zombie classes, including Soldier, All-Star (who has a football cannon), Engineer (who has a concrete launcher and builders bum), and Scientist (laser pistol).
Boss Mode announced is exclusive to Xbox One Kinect and SmartGlass. You play as Dr ZomBoss or Crazy Dave. Boss Mode lets you overlook the battle via a top down map view and issue commands such as airstrikes.
It'll be available first for Xbox One in Spring 2014.
Peggle 2
As announced earlier, it'll be on Xbox One before anywhere else.
A new trailer is shown.
EA UFC
A live-action trailer shows how the UFC is growing in popularity across the globe. It shows some UFC fight highlights. Ring announcer Bruce Buffer is on stage to introduce Head of EA sports Andrew Wilson and Head of UFC Europe Gary Cook.
EA UFC will be out in Spring 2014.
Creative Director Brian Hayes comes on stage. The game will use the Ignite engine to "make you feel the fight like never before."
Pre-alpha gameplay is being shown in a fight between Light-heavyweight champ Jon Jones and contender Alexander Gustaffson. The focus is on making them seem real and human. Full Body Deformation and Real-time Exertion systems are shown to display fighter reactions and damage. It's early days, but it looks impressive.
Need for Speed: Rivals
The game will have an open world powered by the All Drive system. It "destroys the line between single, co-op and multiplayer."
You can pursue 3 distinct careers as a cop. Patrol, Enforcer, or Undercover. Cars can be personalised with "millions of options." Speedlists show objectives, and once they're finished you level up and get new options.
A gameplay video shows a race from a racer perspective. Even when you win the race, you still need to lose the police. You can earn more Speed Points by keeping the chase going. Speed Points can be spent on tech, personalisations, and new cars. Ferrari is officially back in the game.
Need for Speed: Rivals will launch on current-gen consoles on November 21. No dates shown for next-gen.
Titanfall
Respawn is "redefining the future of action games on next-generation consoles."
Live gameplay is shown on of a game mode called Attrition on a map called Angel City. It's a high-tech city with lots of verticality and buildings to move through. It shows the quick transition from run-and-gun, to floaty jetpack, to lumbering Titan. Gameplay looks frantic and cinematic.
FIFA 14
FIFA Online 3 is coming to China this year.
FIFA 14 on mobile will be free-to-play. It'll use touch controls.
FIFA World is a downloadable FIFA game for new markets like Russia and Brazil. It'll be shown for the first time at Gamescom.
Executive Producer David Rutter comes on stage to show off FIFA 14. He says it's the game "they've always wanted to build." The game is "jam-packed" with features and innovations.
FIFA 14 launches September 24th in North America, September 27th in Europe.
There's a new co-op Seasons mode. You can play in ranked 2v2 play to climb leagues together. Match Day is being expanded into Seasons mode, so real-life events impact on the game.
FIFA 14 saves can transition from current-gen to next-gen consoles. Everything is saved and carried over.
FIFA 14 Ultimate Team Legends has over 40 players, including Pele, Robbie Fowler, and Gary Linekar.
FIFA 14 will show you things "you never thought possible" in a sports game. Stadiums will "come to life." It's powered by Matchflow. This gets the audience involved and lets players interact with ballboys. The stadium atmosphere will be "completely authentic." There will be over 100 camera positions in a stadium.
FIFA 14 will be available at launch for Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
Battlefield 4
Battlefield 4 beta will launch in early October.
Frostbite 3 "unlocks the future of gaming." 'Levolution' involves dynamic environments that react to your every move. Some are big map altering events, some are small touches like shooting fire extinguishers or cutting power to buildings. "It's a new way to interact with the environment."
A video demonstrates Levolution, showing how you can shoot down walkways, use car alarms to work out where enemies are hiding, or shut people into enclosed spaces with live grenades. Dams and wind turbines can be completely collapsed and destroyed.
This gives "a completely new multiplayer experience," as no two matches should ever be the same.
Battlefield 4 Premium offers membership to gain access to DLC. They want it to be "exciting and exclusive" for Battlefield 4 fans. It'll give new content every week, includiing weapons, vehicles, and DLC. 2 weeks early access to content, five expansion packs, 12 battlepacks, and more.
China Rising DLC expansion pack includes China-set maps, as well as four Battlefield 3 maps optimised in Frostbite 3.
Obliteration Mode is introduced. The target is to destroy the enemy's base, but only one bomb spawns on the map. A new map called Paracel Storm is shown set on a tropical Chinese Island. It'll have big weather effects, including huge waves, and amphibious vehicles. It looks insane.
Battlefield 4 is releasing on October 29th in Europe on current-gen, and next-gen shortly afterwards.
Well, nothing really new, just an update on all the games we knew were coming. Still, it's good to see a little bit more of what EA has to offer.