Best MMO of E3 2011 – Defiance (Trion)
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Defiance offers some interesting innovation to the MMO genre. The E3 demo was played on the PC, XBOX, and PS3, combining all three systems into a persistent world where players battle it out against recently landed aliens trying to terra-form Earth.
From what we’ve seen so far, the game looks fantastic. Defiance has all the bells and whistles of an MMO wrapped up with a third person shooter. The intense game play we saw had players doing a quest style mission to fight for alien technology against hordes of soldiers leading up to a boss fight, and the game moved very well across all three platforms.
The only downside to Defiance at this time is that they could not answer questions about PvP. With skills, armor, and weapons playing a major part for character progression, features like the teleportation armor and stealth mode really came to life. Overall it was hard to ignore Defiance’s back end technology and fast paced game play. Did we mention there will be a TV show to go along with the game as well? Congratulations to Trion for really delivering above expectations on this hardcore sci-fi title, now we just have to wait.
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Most Anticipated MMO of E3 2011 – Star Wars: The Old Republic (Bioware)
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There is no question that Star Wars: The Old Republic was the brightest blip on the MMO radar at E3. The game continues to drive their story lines with impressive cinematic trailers.
Inside the gameplay demos, Bioware has clearly increased the pace of the game to play faster than the game that we saw last year. The demo made a special point of showing off player vehicles and the famous planet, Tattooine, where fans will have a lot to explore once the game launches.
With so many features in the game it really feels like an epic Star Wars event more than just an MMO. We got to see Operations for the first time and these raids will test the skills of even the most experienced Jedi.
The one area where Star Wars really does shine is making the MMO personal. With the heavy emphasis on story and so many individualistic features like starships, vehicles, and droids, the game gets very personal for players. The main question is, when will all these parts fit together? Hopefully by the end of the year we will have an answer. Get your blasters and light sabers ready, it is going to be one crazy winter season.
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Best PvP of E3 2011 – Dragon Nest (Nexon)
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Nexon comes up to bat this year with Dragon Nest. Do not let the anime style fool you. The PvP in this game is fast and furious. With knock down drag out fights for players in battle ground areas Dragon Nest moves very fast. Our team had a blast with the fights in the game pitting warriors against archers and mages trying to bring each other down in the arena. Using Vindictus’s combat as an example, Dragon Nest has some great attacks for players to master. The class balance was great too as pitting ranged players against some heavy melee fighters could end either way based on player skill. After several rounds of combat we decided to take on the team from Nexon. The PvP fights score up so even if you die once you are resurrected to fight again without losing the match. Dragon Nest took us by surprise and gave us some great PvP stories for the next time we have a go at Nexon.
Rising Star Award for E3 2011 – World of Tanks (wargaming.net)
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Tank commanders rejoice, World of Tanks hit E3 this year with the power of a bombshell. The game, which has grown drastically over the last year, has now become one of the premiere titles online. For fans of tanks, WWII style games, and fast paced action vehicle combat, World of Tanks serves up great fun for the night time computer warriors. With Clan Wars on its way and Historic Campaigns adding to the fun, tank players have a lot to look forward too. World of Tanks gets our Rising Star Award from becoming one of the fastest growing online games over the past year. With its free to play design and realistic graphics, you can check it out very easily. This game is definitely worth checking out and only looks to get better in the coming year with more additions and battlefields for players. Tip your helmets to World of Tanks, they have done a great job this 2011.
Best Expansion of E3 2011 – Lord of the Rings Online, Rise of Isengard (Turbine)
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Lord of the Rings Online has been around for a while. They have made the transition to Free to Play and have seen Warner Brothers come in, merging Turbine into their company. The game maintains a strong player base and is now open to new fans for free.
Isengard is the third expansion for LOTRO and brings some great content and features to players. For a game that has been around as long as it has, it is exciting to see such a strong expansion come to the forefront for fans. The idea of “mobile quest givers” alone is worth it for MMO fans as companions join your crew to give you quests as you go. Turbine is really pushing the story aspect here for LOTRO and giving players the ability to make a difference in Middle Earth. Not only that, but everyone will have access to LOTRO’s monster play which allows players to jump into PvP as monsters in the game. A hardened veteran of MMOs, LOTRO is serving up some amazing content with this expansion. We are happy to give them our Best Expansion of E3 Award.
Best Genre Crossover of E3 2011 – End of Nations (Trion)
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There have been many spins on the MMO industry from different genres of games. Many companies have tried to incorporate all kinds of game play into MMOs. So far the Real Time Strategy genre is one of the toughest areas to get right in an online space. Trion’s End of Nations does an amazing job of bringing the fast paced multitasking of RTS to the online game space. Players can constantly work their forces and construct units to fight it out across virtual battlefields. Having 50 player PvP zones is even better for RTS strategists to work together in bringing down other players on a truly epic scale. End of Nations mixes the best parts of the RTS cocktail with some serious persistent world punch. Trion’s follow up to their successful MMO RIFT looks to take online games into an entire different direction.
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Most Innovative of E3 2011 – DUST 514 (CCP)
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EVE Online has been a triumph in the MMO industry. Spanning years of gaming now, it remains one of the most ruthless places online. Factions and players have been battling it out for almost a decade. Now with DUST 514 players will be taking on a whole new level of engagement into the dark future of EVE. The impact that DUST 514 will have on the EVE universe makes everyone stand up and take notice of a game that pays homage to ground combat in a world of space ships. DUST players will be able to impact planetary control in EVE and EVE players will be able to help out, or hinder, DUST players as well. The two games will not only share certain aspects and their economies, but it will all happen on the same servers, real-time.This connection between the two games makes DUST 514 our Most Innovative Game of E3 2011. Get ready pilots, the ground wars are about to begin.
Best Combat of E3 2011 – TERA (En Masse)
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MMO are moving closer into the action combat zone with their play styles. The first game to really bring this to the next level is TERA. The game play and combat move incredibly fast for an MMO and players will enjoy the quick combat in the game. With a UI that allows for some combinations and dodges, MMO combat will not be the same once this game hits the market. TERA continues to impress by having some of the best demos at game shows. If you are at a show with a TERA booth, definitely take the guided tour, you won’t be disappointed. TERA has all the features of a major MMO, but it is the combat in this game that really shines. We look forward to more as the game continues to grow and launch in the Western market. Fast paced fights and monster boss battles, TERA wins our best combat award for E3 2011.
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