When it was announced that Bethesda was holding their very first press briefing, I figure that Fallout 4 info was a given. What I didn’t expect was that we would get a 2015 release date. November 10th of this year, to be precise. Wow. I was going to write this in the same order as the presentation, but why bury the lead? Let’s hope that they are able to finish development and deliver a polished product by that date. Bethesda, if not, please delay this title. I don’t think that any of us can take another highly anticipated AAA title that is broken when we open the package. That said, let’s move on to the presentation!

DOOM

The gameplay trailer looked great! It was dark, creepy and felt very dangerous. It’s amazing to see how this game series has evolved from the piece of pixelated addiction of old to this high framerate shooter with rich, bloody textures and plenty of adrenaline-inducing action. And the violence! This one is definitely a title that is better kept from the little ones. I witnessed dismemberments, chainsaw bifurcation and an incredible amount of bullet damage. Enjoy!?!

A welcome surprise with the official announcement of Doom was the unveiling of SnapMap, the multi-player mapbuilder function. This builder allows you to design and share your own maps with other users on both Xbox One and PS4. Take a peek at the video below.

BATTLECRY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgAcL5yk8uo

Billed as a Team-based Action Combat title, Battlecry reminds me a lot of a primarily melee Team Fortress. If Team Fortress had taken place in a modern Jade Empire. It’s hard to tell what to make of this one, so check out the trailer for yourself and sign up for the beta at battlecrythegame.com. It’s a very easy process. All you have to do is enter your date of birth, your email address and check two boxes. Submit!

DISHONORED 2

It’s no secret to our listeners/viewers, that I was no fan of the original Dishonored. For those new to The Lobbycast, I was barely able to put an hour into the game. I still can’t believe that our very own Erin had the patience and dedication to get the achievement for completing the game without killing a single enemy. That is truly an achievement, agent!

They also announced a Definitive Edition, which will be graphically advanced and will include all of the previous DLC, coming to Xbox One and PS4 this fall.

THE ELDER SCROLLS ONLINE: TAMRIEL UNLIMITED

Bethesda showed a trailer for a game that I have been enjoying since it’s release last week. I believe the message here is that there is more content being added this year.

ESO holds a special place in my heart, because ever since we first got our grubby mitts on Morrowind, we have been waiting for a chance to adventure together in that world. Oblivion and Skyrim only intensified that anticipation. Now we have it, and it is great. It’s not without it’s issues, but I have been having a really good experience with it.

THE ELDER SCROLLS: LEGENDS

Legends is a strategy card game that will arrive on PC and iPad later this year.

And finally…

FALLOUT 4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GE2BkLqMef4

They didn’t show this trailer in the presentation, but it should be here, both for those who hadn’t seen it and for those that haven’t seen it enough. This is what I have been waiting for. The presentation completely lived up to my expectations. One of the first improvements that they showed off was the character creation system. Check it out!

Next up, the reveal of the new and improved Pipboy, your in-game menu system. The big deal here is that you are able to get an actual, wearable version of the Pipboy with the Collector’s Edition. You are able to insert your phone and, with the iOS or Android app, use it seamlessly with the Xbox One, PS4 or PC versions, as if you were using the in-game menu. Watch below, but beware: Todd Howard gets a little excited in talking about this feature and drops a well-received f-bomb.

Taking a break from Fallout 4, he announces Fallout: Shelter, a mobile game available tonight on iOS. The game is free of charge.

Todd moves on the the building system within Fallout 4. This is very impressive. You can recycle building materials in the game and create new structures, building just a home or a small community that npcs will start populating over time. This rolls into a weapon-crafting segment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SH8HGslrINU

All in all, Bethesda did well with this presentation, especially considering that it was their very first. Well done!

Join us for our continuing coverage of E3! As always, we appreciate your time. Leave us a voicemail at 512-522-9278 and we’ll do our best to address your comments on the show.