Ah, the EA press conference: 90 minutes of dazzling eye-candy that looks about as memorable as the packet of Cheetos you ate with your cheese and pickle sandwiches earlier this afternoon. When the publisher wasn’t pulling YouTubers out of their comfort zone, it was airing screen sugar: millions of dollars pouring out of the livestream and onto your laptop's display. Or tablet. Or phone. Or whatever you decided to watch on.
But isn’t it strange how, in a show with a project that’s being billed as BioWare’s next big blockbuster and Star Wars (freakin’) Battlefront 2, the most exciting game was a weird co-operative prison break title from the guy who made indie hit Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons? Well, no actually – this has happened before. Remember Yarny? We certainly do: Unravel may not have been the best game in the world, but it’s the only thing we remember from EA’s 2015 press conference. Bet it's the same for you, too.
Here’s the thing: a good original idea will always leapfrog everything else. Need for Speed: Payback looks glitzy, but its gameplay demo consisted of a car driving in a line to get to the next cut-scene. Sports games will never truly send anyone wild – even if Troopz is in the trailer, fam. Star Wars (freakin') Battlefront 2: it looks beautiful with all the right improvements – but it’s Star Wars (freakin') Battlefront 2. And ANTHEM – well, the jury’s still out on that.
A Way Out, though – wow! Even if we ignore the passion its creator showed on stage, it easily presented a unique and original idea. The concept’s easy to grasp: two players assume different characters in local split-screen, and work together to escape from a prison. Great! It looks a bit like the presentational technique often employed in Quantic Dream games – but actually utilised as a gameplay mechanic.
And it may yet end up being poop, who knows? But look at the reactions to that game compared to all else: hope, promise, and enthusiasm. EA’s got an impressive lineup that’s going to make it a lot of money, but it’s also safe and not especially exciting. A Way Out bucks that trend, and not necessarily because it’s got a lower budget or is being helmed by an award-winning director – no, it bucks that trend because it’s a good, original idea.
Do you agree with Sammy that A Way Out was the highlight of EA's press conference? Did anything else take your fancy? Are original ideas always the best ones? Stage a prison break in the comments section below.
Comments 22
EA still has time to ruin it with dlc and micro transactions:)
Totally agree.
I wanted to add but didn't put in the article, that it doesn't matter whether the game's AAA or indie really. Horizon: Zero Dawn garnered the same reaction for similar reasons: good, original, unique, refreshing.
100% behind everything you just said. And that guy man, doubt anyone will be as entertaining on stage for the rest of this E3!
This is the one title that perked my interest, but I'm a working father with a short time to play games, let alone co-op, so I'm hoping there will be a single-player aspect available, though I know probably not, considering it's being billed as a split-screen fan fair. Oh well.
@get2sammyb Psh, we all know Horizon was just a tech demo
They used the phrase mandatory local co op, no single player, no online co op, that's going ruin sales, I like the look of it a lot but I can't buy it as I've no interest in local co op.
@Bad-MuthaAdebisi Are you talking about A Way Out? Because they said there will be coop multiplayer online
@Bad-MuthaAdebisi Yeah, it's online or local. No single player, though, because it's not the purpose of the game.
@4estGump No single player sadly. I'll prob end up watching Let's Plays on YouTube.
Here here. But even that games sports related.
EA are planning to show a way out to ex Fifa cover star Lionel Messi and his dad for when they have to escape prison for tax dodging in Spain.
@get2sammyb @AFCC i was watching the stream via ign on YouTube, those idiots said it was local only, no online, I thought it sounded ridiculous
This looked amazing. Could care less about every other anannouncement but this...wow.
@get2sammyb When i watched the gameplay video it seemed restrictive to me to have a splitscreen i mean its fine when you are working in the same env while solving a puzzle but in driving and shooting sections it may feel restrictive. I have lot of faith in indie developers still this may prove too much.
A Way Out looked incredible imo. Everything about it was a much needed breath of fresh air.
To anyone concerned about not having the right person to co-op with - I am a little - I'm sure we can set up a few games with the community on here nearer the time.
Whatever happened to Fe? Am i the only one who remembers that game?
Agree, even though A Way Out is not my type of game due to the coop nature of it, it was the only original bit of the show. I was somewhat expecting some stuff on Unravel 2 as I had heard that had got a greenlight but I might be wrong on that.
Everything else, including BF2 was just safe safe safe releases.
Is this coop only?
@Bad-MuthaAdebisi at first it seemed to be the case, but then they said online too like two times...so I guess it's not that bad if there was some confusion
Well, this is the only game they had to explain in depth, so it feels more fleshed out. For the other ones, you already know what to expect. Besides being a new IP.
Looks interesting but cautiously optimistic here.
A great new idea executed poorly or barely introduced does NOT trump all else.
'local split-screen' I didn't even know that was possible this Gen(and last Gen) i.e hardly any developer bothered with making split-screen games anymore Anyway this sounds quite cool
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