Please stand by…

This was how Bethesda began their conference, with a symbol of what was to come. As the countdown ended the iconic Fallout image gave way to a host of faces that represented the Bethesda team who work diligently to complete the wide range of titles Bethesda has to offer.

The common theme was that everybody working for Bethesda could not wait to show you what they had been working on. The speakers were excited, jovial, and excited to share what they had worked so hard on.

Doom

First up to the plate was Id Studios with a fully fleshed out Doom gameplay video. It was everything anyone could hope for from Doom. It was visceral, filling the screen with a red rain of blood and entrails. Brains splattered the environment as you pummeled in the skulls of the endless swathes of demons seeking to destroy and defile you.

The crowd cheered with every burst and squirt of blood. This is classic doom with a fresh face and updated mechanics and I could not be more excited. The environments from the single player campaign to the multiplayer arenas look crisp and engaging. The newly announced Snapmap will feature a plethora of customization options for all players, regardless of platform. This promises to bring in a litany of fun and strange Doom experiences. It looks very user friendly and extremely extensive.

Doom is exactly what it should be, simple, gory, and fun. It’s fast paced and graphic, perhaps even more so than Mortal Kombat X, and writhes with bloody intensity. I look forward to this game, particularly for its multiplayer and customizability.

Battlecry

Next up to the stage was Battlecry, a multiplayer brawl fest that is still in its alpha stage. You can, however, join the beta at battlecrythegame.com. Sign up by June 18th to experience the madhouse that is Battlecry.

Dishonored 2 & More

We didn’t see much of this heavily anticipated game, but we did learn a few things from its brief trailer and the developers. Dishonored 2 will take place in Carnaka on the edge of the known world dealing with some sort of unknown crisis. You will be able to play as Corvo or Emily, which provides both nostalgia and a female protagonist, way to go Arkane. They each have unique powers and gadgets so the game will be even more replayable then it was in its debut. The trailer is fast paced and shows a stylistically similar game with an updated feel to it. This is good because the style of Dishonored is what sets it apart from other similar games.

The original Dishonored will be re-released in the fall as a definitive edition with updated graphics for the PS4 and Xbox One. If you have not played the original then you will be in for a treat, it’s an excellent game. The Definitive Edition will include all DLC for the game.

Elder Scrolls

Met with only a smattering of applause Elder Scrolls Online took the screen to show off two new city hubs to be available soon in Tamriel. The first was an Imperial City and the second showed us an Orc City called Orsinium. They look very large and detailed and are assuredly filled with a heap of new quests and characters. Elder Scrolls appears to be doing well with its console release and I hope to see a resurgence in popularity with this new audience. Also you can mount a bear.

Along with Elder Scrolls Online we were shown some art for a new mobile strategy card game. They didn’t go into much detail but we saw what appeared to be an elemental based five section system as the main theme of the concept art. It will be free to play and available on PC and iPad.

Fallout

Pete Hines teased the crowd that the conference was over which was met with laughter and booing. He knew what we came for and he told us that this was why they were here. Todd Howard takes the stage to show us what he has up his sleeves.

There is so much to tell here. The presentation opens with a ton of new screen shots of the game and early concept art. It is revealed that the game will begin before the war and start with your rush to the vaults. You can play as a female or a male and the characters are voice acted. The character creation begins immediately and features the iconic S.P.E.C.I.A.L. system of stats. After you go into the vault “events transpire” and you are the sole survivor after 200 years. You emerge to create any character you want. You can kill everybody and live exactly as you please.

You can have a dog companion who can fetch things for you and heeds your every beck and call. V.A.T.S. also exists but it seems to only slow down time instead of stopping it. This can be both good and bad as it effects the strategy of gunplay in the game drastically. We see this as the protagonist takes out a mole rat with a 10 mm pistol. This revelation of V.A.T.S. was met with thunderous applause on the floor.

We are shown the new PipBoy, complete with animations and minigames akin to classic Mario v Donkey Kong and Asteroids. These are named the Red Scare and Nuclear Meltdown showing off that fun Fallout humor we know and love.

We are also shown a real PipBoy, available in the collector’s edition, complete with an app that acts as a real PipBoy to interact with the game itself. This may be one of the only times that second screen capability works really well and fluidly.

There is also an extensive system of customization. This ranges from weapons to houses. There are 50 base weapons with 700 customizations that you can add in your workshop with items from the world, all of which are useful. There’s also an extensive house customization system complete with electrical grid and defensive measures for warding off Raiders.

Back on the topic of mobile games, Fallout Shelter is announced, a mobile game where you play the overseer of your own vault, which you manage and expand. You manage activities and collect resources in an extensive free to play app for iOS.

A few more tidbits I noticed were:

Bobbleheads

Jet Packs

Power Armor

Doghouse

Brotherhood of Steel

Helicopters

Codsworth knows your name

You have a baby based on your customized appearance

First person HUD overlay based on helmet

Deathclaws suck more

And many more

There’s so much to see and do and I can’t wait to see and do it. Fallout 4 is available on November 10, 2015.

In Summary

Bethesda kicked off this conference strong with a ton of new footage and exciting announcements. What may be the game of the year is coming out in less than 5 months, the new Doom looks as good or better than the old Doom, and Dishonored 2 is making improvements on its predecessor. Also there’s an Elder Scrolls card game.

I’ll see you soon, I have to rush to Gamestop to preorder a PipBoy… that’s crazy.