Expectations this year are low for EA, this is largely due to their negative reputation in the field when dealing with monetization. Some of these we’re stoked for and some we’re not really that excited about. With a lot of questions asked by the community we’re hoping to get some really good answers. Here we get an in-depth look at latest Battlefield, Anthem and a peek at some indie games, sports, and other properties being presented. Let’s have a good look at what we can at least hope for from EA.

Battlefield V

Battlefield V by EA DICE is coming October 19th at its latest, and will be swinging some interesting new innovations around. The ability to dive and smash through windows, move weapon emplacements, a boatload more customization options. It will also feature the most up to date and detailed amount of destructible terrain and buildings in the series. The single player focuses heavily on the reality of war and how it impacts the people who are both participants and bystanders.

This iteration harkens back to the days during World War II and players will find both vehicles and weapons available in that war in their arsenal. During the conference, we were let in to the fact that there will be a battle royale system in place, but still holding onto what Battlefield is, and in their own unique way. The traditional Multiplayer will also exist, giving those who aren’t excited for royale the old reliable. The developers are on record in saying that there will be no Lootboxes or Premium Passes.

FIFA 19

Football is taking an even more exciting leap into our lives with the addition of the UEFA Champions League. Adding in the ability to have your own club and advance toward both that trophy, and the world cup. During the talk we were given the delight of seeing the real trophy on stage with the speakers, and I was a sight to behold. They stated that they’ve refined their vision of the game with community feedback, so it will be exciting to see what sorts of changes they have made.

EA Sports states that the gameplay quality bar has been raised, with more in depth control over overall tactics and deeper touches into the technical part of the game. On top of that, look forward to new nations being present in FIFA 19 and fully represented with their recent qualifying for the league, Iceland being among them. Look to add this piece of sporting fun to your collection around September 28th of 2018. If you’re looking to play something now, they’ve also put FIFA 18 on a free trial, so check that out!

Star Wars Battlefront 2

EA DICE presented some interesting peeks into the future of Star Wars: Battlefront 2 with new content from the Han Solo movie being added in. Look forward to the return of Extraction mode, and a whole new planet to play on – Kessel! Further into the year you’ll be thrilled to find a new squad system to make joining up with friends much easier. Not long after we’re hoping to be amazed by the addition of a new multiplayer sandbox mode focusing on capturing command posts, along with starfighter dogfighting with heroships.

More on that, we can look towards another new mode in which we will be taking down capital ships! Those who don’t find all those amazing new additions might be delighted by the addition of some new heroes and villains from Clone Wars. You’ll now be able to wield both the light and dark sides of the force with iconic figures such as; Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Count Dooku, and my personal favorite, General Grievous! These new additions are serious powerhouses in the franchise.

Unravel Two

To start off, this game is available as we speak in its fully complete state. So if you’re already too stoked to finish reading, go get it! The sequel to the much beloved Unravel features the same system with some interesting twists and improvements. You’re not alone anymore in this new game, you’ve got a yarny buddy! Look forward to some serious single player and co-op fun as you and your new pal swing, bounce, and puzzle your way through beautifully crafted environments. From what was seen the conference, the game plays with a delightful fluidity.

Don’t have a buddy to play co-op with? That’s alright too, as the game allows a single player to control both yarny buddies. You can even pick the other yarny up and run for it when things get really frayed up. The developers, Coldwood Interactive, stated the game was made not only friendlier, but more challenging. So those of you who have a hankering for tough puzzling, get on board! Even if there is a scary, angry grouse trying to nibble at your threads.

Sea of Solitude

Have you ever been alone, or even felt like you were alone? Then you’ll have a particular interest in Sea of Solitude. The game dives into what it’s like to feel that way, and follows around a young woman as she explores her own loneliness. Loneliness is said to make people into monsters when they suffer it for too long, and the game delves deep into the exploration of those concepts.

Investigate why our protagonist is lonely and help her balance out her emotions by bolstering or shaving off bits of different feelings here and there. There will also be a look at the different kinds of loneliness and how these impact people differently.

Black haired and red eyed beasts roam the world with you and seem to be pretty angry, just in general. Freerunning, swimming, and boating seem to all have a place here, and Jo-Mei have done an outstanding job on the visual of the game. Exploration isn’t only on the inside, there’s a lot of world to throw yourself into, and tons of exciting things to see. They equate this game not just to something to play, but as an experience to enjoy, and showed both excitement and emotion in their presentation of it. The game hasn’t set a release date, but is looking to splash into our lives in early 2019.

NBA Live 19

Not sure what to say about NBA Live 19, we got a brief glimpse at it in trailer format, and it seemed promising. Sadly, there wasn’t anything said about it. It seems that they glossed right on over it without so much as peep. I hope folks weren’t overly excited about that. Sorry I can’t give you more, I’d love to, but they didn’t give us much to work with! At most I can say it will be coming September 7th 2018.

Madden NFL 19

Perhaps this very long awaited return to PC will catch your fancy. That’s right folks, the next Madden NFL is coming into our lives. We were reintroduced to Young Kiv and the excitable Juju Smith-Schuster, American football wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers. They have a discussion about where Young Kiv is at and what about his baseball injury. Afterward we get to see a trailer for the game. There’s actually not much going on here, sadly. Not sure why they chose to cover the Madden Champion, Young Kiv’s history instead of the features in the upcoming game. Release date is August 10, 2018, mark those calendars.

Anthem

Probably the most hyped and sought-after game coming from EA has to be Anthem with it’s beautiful and creative world design, immersive gameplay, and its marriage of both interesting single player experience to exciting multiplayer baddie beating. We were given some answers to questions about how it will function. First off, they explained that multiplayer will only take place during missions. Those missions will occur in a world that is consistent between players with its own seasons, weather, and enemies. Inside your base, you’ll find your customization options, your choice of Javelin, and possibly deep relationships with NPCs. Solo play is also possible, but will apparently be more difficult. If you’re a solo gamer, consider playing co-op for a mission if you can’t beat it alone, it’ll be easier.

Players can look forward to what BioWare has developed, as from the preview of the gameplay it seems both fast paced and dynamic. Varying play styles based on the chosen Javelins and different enemies will keep you on your toes. There does only seem to be four different Javelin armors however, and I personally found that to be a slight downer. Exploring the world they’ve created will show you just how alive it is, as things change around you. Not to mention the methods of exploration are not limited to just walking and running, feel free to fly and swim around all you want! There are threats in the world you live in, from the Scar; an evil group attempting to use the Anthem of Creation for cruelty, to giant monsters and mutated creatures of all sorts. This game is slated for release at February 22nd, 2019.

Command & Conquer: Rivals

This game is seriously on the burner as a huge mistake, but I feel it deserves at least to be mentioned. The game itself looks plain and I found myself going cross-eyed while watching this segment of the conference. The play is boring and weak, and the fact that it’s singular a mobile release makes me very uninterested in its existence. The simple fact that they’re bringing back this beloved franchise and relating it to a mobile game makes me want to weep with disappointment.

Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order

Vince Zampella, head of Respawn Studios, was available in the audience to announce their work on a brand new Stars Wars game: Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order. No trailer was shown, no release date specified, and it’s still unknown as to what formats the game might appear in. The game is proposed to be of a darker sort of scenario and will be taking place between episodes III and IV in the chronological order. Here’s hoping for more PC released game goodness.

Origin Access Premier

With EA already running Origin Access on PC, a similar format as they run on Xbox one, we find ourselves with the announcement of Origin Access Premier. This service, though basically the same thing, will also offer access to “All of our PC games” as said by EA CEO Andrew Wilson. This includes the upcoming releases like Anthem, Battlefield V, and the soon to return to PC Madden NFL 19. Once a game goes live, it will give full access and stop giving access to the trial format of the game.

EA stated that the service will cost $14.99 per month or $99.99 per year. A step up from Origin Access itself, but is also included. Origin Access by itself costs $4.99 a month or $29.99 a year.

In all, we find ourselves looking forward to some particularly exciting indie games published through EA, and a very promising BioWare property. Those who are thrilled at the idea of continued sports output should be satisfied with the amount of content coming out as well. The Star Wars franchise is working its way back into our lives. The conference seemed to go well, though some things had a pretty underwhelming presentation. Not many of those present were overly excited for some of the presented games, and there was even some descent among the crowd at the announcement of a Battlefield battle-royale. This line-up has me excited for a few, but mostly neutral at the rest, and the conference felt a little barebones outside of Anthem, Unravel Two, and Sea of Solitude.