E3 2017 - Ubisoft Overview

“We’ve always wondered what the Rabbids would be like in the world of Mario. What kind of humour would they bring?” It was with that question that Ubisoft opened its 2017 E3 press conference following a brief clip of two Rabbids squabbling over a mushroom. It was at that point that Yves Guillemot was joined on stage by Nintendo legend Miyamoto and Bill Trinen, both wielding a human sized arm cannon.

These hijinks of course were all in the name of the rumoured, leaked and now finally confirmed Mario and Rabbids crossover game titled Mario +Rabbids Kingdom Battle. In what is described as a tactical and turn-based adventure game, and is of course a Switch exclusive, we got a lengthy look at gameplay - mostly Mario being followed by cross-dressing Rabbids - before getting an in-depth walkthrough of the battle mechanics. Think XCOM for kids as you move your characters around a designated zone of movement, hiding behind cover, combining with team-mates and gaining a tactical advantage.

Available on 29th August, with Rabbid figurines also being produced, it’s something entirely new for Mario, and it is that what Ubisoft and Nintendo pride themselves on.

In stark contrast, next on stage was Ubisoft’s flagship title, Assassin’s Creed. Of course, the game had been officially revealed on Microsoft’s stage 24 hours previously, confirming the name, Assassin's Creed Origins and Egyptian setting.

Despite the year long hiatus, it still looks like a returning familiar friend rather than a proverbial new kid. But despite the similar vibe to previous iterations, the saving grace for fans is that Ashraf Ismail is at the helm. The director of fan favourite Black Flag took to the stage to introduce the 4K trailer featuring a host of Egyptian themes: the Nile, crocs, hippos, gods, Pharaohs, chariots. Oddly, no gameplay was shown and instead we were given a tease of what they would be showing after the show. Regardless, Origins is set for a 27th October release.

The Crew 2 was next on stage, and we were in awe of the in-game character who became the King of all motorsports in only 60 seconds. Still set in the vastness of the United States, The Crew 2 expands from cars into a much wider variety of disciplines from its predecessor with players being able to ply their trade on motorbikes, boats and stunt planes, with race tracks also being teased. This time around, it looks less focused on gritty street racing and all about high speed antics. You can sign up for the beta now, with an early 2018 release window announced… whatever that means.

Another South Park: The Fractured but Whole trailer continued to entertain, as it ramps up to release this October. Alongside another look at The Stick of Truth sequel, Ubisoft also revealed a mobile turn based card battling app titled South Park The Phone Destroyer which looks to scratch the South Park itch while you’re away from your console.

Elijah Wood then appeared on our screens for a moody teaser for a VR project titled Transference. The trailer was extremely limited, but it looks to be themed on psychological experiments based around what was referred to as ‘recorded consciousness’. If that confuses you, think Derren Brown’s Ghost Train at Thorpe Park, that’s what I imagined.

Always looking to appease fans, next on stage was something people had wanted for some time. Skull & Bones (2018), developed by Ubisoft Singapore, the team that helped with the naval combat of Black Flag, is the game and sets players on the high seas during the golden era of pirates. Joy soon became trepidation when Ubisoft began to discuss a ‘shared world’ and ‘multiplayer’, with the gaming seemingly taking a more For Honour online approach rather than an Assassin’s Creed single player story. We were shown a dramatic 5v5 naval battle, which screamed Black Flag, but the lack of single player info could put players off.

Surprisingly, Just Dance 2018 was lumbered into the midst of show, despite it normally being a conference opener. Coming out on literally every platform in October, the grittiness of Skull & Bones was blown away by K Pop, Bebe Rexha and what looked like three dancing Sub Zero’s.

As they continued to ‘appeal to younger minds’ Ubi quickly jumped onboard the ‘toys to life’ genre with Starlink: Battle for Atlas, coming in 2018. Details were pretty scarce, but the trailer showed players creating and changing ships connected to controllers, with the cosmetics than altering in the game itself. This one could get expensive.

Remember Steep? Not really? Well, last year’s surprise “and finally” title has been pretty quiet in its first few months of existence so DLC was an unexpected E3 announcement, but its first expansion is a license lovers dream and is coming on 5th December. Steep: Road to the Olympics is the title, and introduces a host of Winter Olympic events including snowboard cross, half-pipe and big air for those vying Olympians to ply their trade.

We then returned to some classic Ubi games with a chunk of Far Cry 5 gameplay. Following a wonderfully moody trailer in which our maniac cult leader sings ‘Amazing Grace’ in church while wielding a gun, and a look at how to use companions to take on enemies. Take your pick from Boomer the dog, Grace a gun for hire or just use a plane with a mini-gun attached. We’re all excited for this one.

Then the real ‘and finally’ moment. A CG trailer for Beyond Good and Evil 2, some 15 years after the original launched. Despite the amazingly diverse world of System 3 and anthropomorphic characters, don’t expect this one any time soon. The game, which is being billed as a prequel to the original, Ubisoft Montpellier has only just launched what they are calling the Space Monkey Program, an opportunity for players to sign up and help with development. Don’t expect any release for a good few years, but expect plenty of questions.

And that was it for Ubi’s 2017 conference, a big thank-you from Yves and the hordes of Ubi developers. It was far from a classic, but one of the publisher's best in recent years.