June 10, 2017, 12:00 PM PT
Los Angeles, CA

Star Wars Battlefront II

The big news at the conference was Star Wars Battlefront II. This wasn't a new announcement, but it was certainly the most hyped game on the show, and it's easy to see why. The original Battlefront was incredibly close to being a perfect Star Wars game, and the conference makes it clear they understood the flaws of the original game.

Among the major things promised was a more unified community. The original game was fractured by DLC. Battlefront II will be doing away with that – mostly. All DLC will be free, and instead, the game will offer microtransactions for people who want to speed up their progress. The multiplayer will also feature 20-on-20 battles and characters from the prequel and sequel trilogies, including Boba Fett, Maul, and Rey.

More importantly, there will also be a single-player story campaign, addressing the other major issue of the original game. The campaign will feature the same basic gameplay concepts as the multiplayer but allows players to actually play through a story that bridges the gap between "Return of the Jedi" and "The Force Awakens."

Battlefield 1

Last year's surprise Battlefield 1 isn't being forgotten a year after its announcement. Coming to     Battlefield later this year is the new In The Name Of The Tsar expansion pack. This Russia-themed pack will include six maps, 11 new weapons and a new mode called Supply Drop. In addition, it will allow you to play as the Russian Army. For the first time, this includes playable female characters in the form of the Women's Battalion of Death. There will also be free content updates, including further additional new maps.

Need For Speed: Payback

The "Fast and the Furious" movies are about as close as you can get to insane video game antics on-screen, so it should be no surprise that the latest Need for Speed game looks heavily inspired by the incredibly successful film franchise. The video showed the player chasing a truck along a desert highway while being pursued by other drivers. After a bit of smash-and-crash the player commandeered the truck she was chasing and stole a car from inside it, just in time to be confronted by a helicopter.

It's no real surprise what a Need for Speed game includes, but the trailer was action-packed and frantic. It's clear they're going for style over hardcore realism.  The various stunts seemed custom-tailored to remind you of the excitement and adventure found in the "Fast and the Furious" franchise, and even if it isn't a licensed game, it's about the closest you'll get. There's even a clear sense of family and comradery in the bits of plot we saw.

Anthem

In the wake of Mass Effect, it appears Bioware is already moving on to newer things: their newest IP, Anthem. Unfortunately, we only saw a short teaser trailer, which showed what appeared to be a futuristic or alien world and a brief glimpse of an alien-looking character. Despite the existence of Mass Effect, it's clear that Anthem is also taking on the sci-fi genre. More info will be available at Microsoft's press conference later on in the show.

A Way Out

While not the biggest game announced during the show, A Way Out was probably one of the most unusual and interesting. Developed by Josef Fares, creator of the hit indie title Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, A Way Out looks to be a development on the same concept with a much bigger budget. The concept involves two characters, Leo and Vincent, as they work together to escape from prison.

The thing that makes A Way Out stand out is that it's a game designed for local and online co-op. While the game can be played online, it's expected that a good portion of players will play it in the same room with a friend. Couch co-op games are few and far between these days, so this is a nice surprise.

FIFA 18

Of course, you wouldn't have an EA show without a healthy dose of their latest sports games. The biggest, as always, is FIFA 18, which builds on the ideas of the previous year. They're focusing on improving the visuals and gameplay to make sure that FIFA is the best soccer experience on the planet. The latest FIFA will also include a continuation of last year's story mode featuring Alex Hunter. There will also be a Switch version, though it will be slightly downgraded compared to those available on other consoles.

Madden NFL 18

Another year, another Madden. That doesn't mean EA is resting on their laurels, though. The big announcement this year, following in the wake of a similar idea last year for their other teams, is Longshot, which is a story mode featuring House of Cards actor Mahershala Ali. The Longshot mode follows a down-on-his luck player who is the titular longshot, and he needs to find a way to go from zero to hero in order to truly succeed.

NBA Live 18

Rounding out the sports segment of the show was the latest NBA Live title. Compared to the other games, we only saw a little info on Live.  Like the other sports games, NBA Live 18 will feature a more personalized player mode called The One, where you make your own character and take him through the game with an emphasis on controlling his success. They're planning a heavy emphasis on the fundamentals of the game above anything else, including a 5-on-5 "street ball" mode using real-life locations.

All in all, it was a solid showing from EA, although it's nothing too mind-blowing. Most of what was shown this year was expected from the company, but all of it looked quite good. Star Wars Battlefront II was the clear standout, with the trailer and focus on gameplay making it clear they're taking the criticisms of the original to heart. The Anthem trailer will hopefully be bolstered by its showing at Microsoft's conference later. There were no blockbuster surprises or huge announcements, just a showing of the next year's solid lineup. Look for more in-depth previews later on in the show.