When I used to think of 2K games, the only thing that came to mind was their excellent NBA2K series. But without realizing it, I have been playing fantastic 2K games all throughout the last console generation. From the Civilization series to the Bioshock series, 2K has proven they know how deliver solid games from their own studios or by backing others and publishing great games. This year’s E3 will be no different as I will give you a few games I am excited to see from 2K games and one hopeful return to their lineup.
First: The Crowd Pleaser:
I must admit. I was a bit late to the Borderlands craze. Most of my friends were obsessed with it but I just didn’t have the time to play it back when the first one came out. But recently I went back and played the game. Now I see what the craze is about, a first person shooter RPG oozing with comedic charm. I am now a believer in the Borderlands series and like so many, I cannot seem to get enough. Which is why Borderlands: The Pre-sequel is probably 2K’s most anticipated mainstream title of the Year. I cannot wait to once again dive back into the Borderlands universe and unfold the story that bridges Borderlands 1 and 2 and learn the true story behind Borderlands 2 villain, Handsome Jack, and his rise to power. Plus, with new weapons, classes and playable characters including everyone’s favorite one wheeled robot, Claptrap, it is going to be fun times indeed for this Xbox 360 and PS3 swan song.
Second: The PC game I hope gets ported to PS4 and Xbox one:
Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth
While I am not really a PC gamer, I recognize that developer Firaxis has done a great job with the strategy series so far. Including bringing the series to the consoles with 2008’s Sid Meier’s Civilization: Revolution. That game proved you could bring the depth of a PC strategy game to the home console and have it run smoothly with a controller. Unfortunately they have yet to bring another entry to the Home consoles. But with the latest entry into the series, I am looking forward to seeing how they expand the excellent strategy gameplay into an interstellar type ecosystem. There are a lot of possibilities that open up with new worlds and terrain and possibly alien species. This would be the perfect game to reintroduce the Civilization series back into the home console market. Let us hope they announce it at E3.
Third: The game I am most excited for:
Some of my best videogame memories of the last several years were the countless hours spent playing Left 4 Dead with my friends and family. The four player co-op first person shooter took online multiplayer in a different direction than every other shooter on the market at the time. If you did not work together with your team, you stood almost no chance against the hordes of Zombies. It was great fun. Now fast forward to 2014. The team that brought us Left 4 Dead, Turtle Rock Studios, hopes to once again add a wrinkle to online multiplayer and give us more than the standard 4v4 death match with Evolve.
The premise is simple. Once again you team up with four other players online as hunters. Each hunter has different characteristics and attributes. The four of you work together to take down a monster before it evolves to its strongest form and hunts down your entire team. The catch, the monster is controlled by a fifth online player. This creates an awesome scenario where your game will play differently according to how the monster decides to play. I cannot wait to team up with my friends and family and hunt each other down. Or better yet, crush them as an Evolved monster. It is going to be glorious! I cannot wait to see more from E3 this year.
Bonus: Unannounced and Possible dead Game series I would like to see a new game announced for:
In 2012, Spec Ops: The Line was released and at first it seemed like just another generic army shooter. But the game quickly evolves into one of the best morality stories ever told in gaming. Not in the traditional sense of videogame morality where there is a good choice or a bad choice and you character will earn some kind of reward by making a simple choice that really doesn’t affect the story. There are no winners with the choices in Spec Ops: The Line. The characters are affected in the story by the choices you make as the Morality decisions do not really give clear answers of what is right or what is the best option. This morality system made the story interesting and worth more than one play through in order to soak in the gravity of the story and your decisions. Additionally, unlike other army shooters, this story didn’t ask you to save the world. It merely focused on a small operation and what happens when things go bad. These characteristics turned Spec Ops: The Line into a great game. I hope we get to see a new fantastic story told with a new entry to the Spec Ops series. I would love to see an announcement at this year’s E3 as it would be a prime opportunity to expand this series into the new console market starving for great content.
With titles like Borderlands: The Pre-sequel, Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth and Evolve, 2K Games has an exciting line up for gamers at this year’s E3. Hopefully there will be a few more surprises on the way.
