There will be a lot of news, articles, and recaps going up on the site throughout E3 2021 week. You should definitely check out everyone’s great work. However, as the newcomers at The Outerhaven, we decided to band together and give our thoughts on most of the E3 presentations that happen during this week. Day 3 was certainly the weakest of the three days so far, but at least there was Halo Multiplayer and indies to be excited about.
Since these articles are not coming out right after the showcases themselves we aren’t going to go through everything that was announced. This is more of a review of the day as a whole. So both Kyle Simcox and Sean Garmer will each have some short thoughts, their favorite game announcement, and a letter grade at the end.
Halo Multiplayer
Boy, I have a lot of good things to say about the Halo Infinite Multiplayer Overview. I was originally disappointed that we got such a small look at it during Xbox’s main show, but ultimately, this was the best format for it. What a treat it was to see the multiplayer in action and all the ways 343 is trying to evolve the formula. I love the dynamic way vehicles respond to damage and will be spawning into the map via pelicans. It is such a nice touch that just makes the game feel more alive overall. Also, the customization options are being expanded in such a way, it feels like each Spartan will be truly unique. I feel very confident in this game’s multiplayer. The permanent battle passes and free-to-play multiplayer are just icing on the cake. – Kyle Simcox
Kyle did a deeper dive on the Halo Multiplayer for the site as well.
If you are interested in Halo Infinite Multiplayer at all this is something to go check out for sure. It’s a little over 12 minutes which is about the right length. After giving a brief overview of what each person talking thinks Halo Multiplayer is about they move on to actually explaining the new stuff. The fact that there’s a Razorback now along with the Warthog is great. From a gameplay perspective, I think being able to store an opponent’s equipment for use whenever you want is a great decision. Gone are the days of walking over an over-shield and it automatically activates.
The grappling hook is going to be so fun to use. But I think where they’ve really nailed it is in all the customization stuff. Now your Spartan actually can be representative of you or who you want them to be. Even going as far as changing the voice and body type of the actual person inside the suit. Always getting to keep your Battle Pass entices people like me that never play this type of free multiplayer game to actually invest more into the ecosystem because it does not go away. Overall, some great decisions were made by the Halo Infinite Multiplayer team and I’m excited to play the Halo MP when the game rolls out. – Sean Garmer
The Official E3 Indie Showcase
What I liked the most about this was that it was all edited well. Starting with the relaxing but also great-looking LifeSlide. I never knew I wanted to play a game as a paper airplane. Falling Aces looked cool as if Doom all of a sudden got a noir HD 2D remake. Moolander is a game that really surprised me because it gives off total Ori vibes with its art style and background, but at the same time, you are avoiding possessed cows. Bio-Interstellar Ark had some great animated scenes and the cutest dogs in space crafts in an R-Type co-op game. Extragalactica is a game that’s apparently trying to be a little bit of everything, but the music in the trailer was just freaking bumping. I know most people will probably watch this and dismiss it, but I actually enjoyed this for both its brevity and its content. Well done E3. – Sean Garmer
Favorite Game: Lifeslide
Final Grade: B –
Freedom Games
A bunch of small developers from all walks of life getting to make games they are really passionate about is the essence of the Freedom Games showcase. Each game was preceded by a developer story and they were each super endearing. While not every game appealed to me, I really appreciated To the Rescue giving 20 percent of its proceeds to the Pet Finder Foundation. After really loving Hades, I’m willing to give any Roguelite a try and Dreamscaper has an interesting premise and a dark art style. Coromon obviously looks like another Pokemon-like but it has puzzles and big boss battles that any Mon fan would probably wish were actually in those games as well. Dark Diety is a Fire Emblem fan’s dream with 54 classes to choose from and they had a few more games I liked as well. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by what Freedom Games brought to the table in a 15-minute package. – Sean Garmer
Favorite Game: Coromon
Final Grade: B
Capcom
What a waste of time this was. I don’t mean to sound mean here, because they at least get points for showing up with something. The problem lies in the fact that they didn’t bring anything worth talking about, at all. They showed up with text confirming Resident Evil Village DLC info was coming soon. They then shifted focus onto Monster Hunter where we got our best look at Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin, a bucketful of DLC bonuses, and then tried to sell us DLC for Monster Hunter: Rise. The show only got worse after that because the longest game they showed off was their new Ace Attorney title, which is easily their slowest game. Why they would think that was a good idea is beyond me. Finally, they finished it off with a tribute to e-sports and closed the curtain. I honestly didn’t think anyone could top Gearbox, but Capcom did it with dignity and grace. – Kyle Simcox
Favorite Game: None
Final Grade: F
I really don’t know if there is much to add from what Kyle said here but quite frankly this is up there with Gearbox as far as worst presentation. Not from a production standpoint, as that portion of things was very well done, but from a content standpoint, this is another case where I wish publishers didn’t feel guilted into having to present something. If you don’t have anything to show, don’t do one of these. I’m all for highlighting what you have coming up, but man, this is the definition of “this could have been a press release, an email, a tweet or whatever other shorthand you want to give it.” I’m actually a big fan of Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin so getting to see a longer cutscene for that was fine. I’m also an Ace Attorney fan but the first trailer they showed could have been it. Showing off the two modes brought things down to a crawl. Ending things with an E-Sports montage is certainly a weird decision. But hey there is Resident Evil Village DLC coming though. At least they showed off new trailers for two games. – Sean Garmer
Favorite Game: Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin
Final Grade: D
Day 3 was certainly the lightest day as far as stuff from any heavy hitters, but just like on Day 1, Day 3 was somewhat worth it for the Indies. The final day is upon us and there are three showcases left with Nintendo, Bandai Namco, and Gamespot’s Play For All.
