ESGS Day 1 Roundup

The first day of 2016’s E-Sports and Gaming Summit (ESGS) has come to an end. We at What’s a Geek were in attendance, and here’s our recap of the hype stuff we got to do and attend!

Leandro: 

First off, we got to attend a press event for Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare. We were given an exclusive preview of what to look forward to, in this year’s entry to the ever popular first person shooter franchise. They showed us snippets from all the game modes available: the single-player campaign, multi-player component, and the ever-popular zombie “mini-game.”

The team from Infinity Ward gave us insights to their ideology in creating a compelling campaign experience. What Infinite Warfare brings to the table, is a more “non-linear” experience. While not completely non-linear, the game will offer more optional content so to speak with access to side-missions. As for the multiplayer, we got a look into the new class system, new weapons with additional perks, and new abilities/payloads/and killstreaks.

Finally for the zombie…mini-game/side-story/side-campaign, we got a look at how the game mode will play and look like. It looks REALLY interesting this year, taking an 80’s aesthetic (the 80’s are pretty in right now), hell they even got David Hasselhoff to voice a character. It takes place in an 80’s themepark with playable characters taking the 80’s stereotype of: Jocks, Rappers, Nerds, and Valley Girls. Overall I’d say Infinite Warfare is looking promising. I even asked the Dev. Team as to how they think they can get people to play Infinite Warfare over other FPS games coming-out in the same timeframe. The gist of their reply was pretty much, “You can’t beat the amount of content that Infinite Warfare promises, and that CoD is still the most popular FPS franchise.” Can’t argue with that.

Then we also got a look into The Last Guardian with an exclusive demo event for the press. We got hands-on with a demo the game, and got to see first hand the game running on a PS4. What can I say other than I am excited beyond words.

This is a game I’ve bought the PS3 for, it’s a game I’ve been waiting 10 years for. I didn’t get to personally play the game, but we did get to watch a few players tryout the demo. While I can’t say it was enjoyable watching someone play the game (’cause really, there are some games that don’t translate well as a viewing experience, The Last Guardian is a prime example of that), I can say that the game looks spectacular.

The game elicits a “pet-owner” response to the player. You can’t help but feel attached to the giant doggo-birb^TM (Trico) and the game banks on that happening. It’s pretty much your tried and true Team Ico game. These devs know how to make a player FEEL feelings. The game’s coming in roughly a month, and I cannot wait to get hands on with it.

Finally to end my personal first day experience, I got to meet one of my all-time favorite game personalities: Koji Igarashi. I got to try out Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night firsthand, and I CANNOT be more excited. I’m coming back to that booth tomorrow. 2018 cannot come soon enough!

Unfortunately I cannot be in 2 places at once so I missed out on some hype things like the Tekken 7 tournament (I couldn’t try out the game either, the booth was packed all day). Luckily my co-writer Emile got to join the tourney and experience other parts of ESGS Day 1!

Emile:

This year, ESGS brought some serious heavy hitters from the international gaming industry, namely Sony Playstation and Bandai Namco Entertainment. Exclusive demos of two highly anticipated releases were on the floor – Final Fantasy XV and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare! Patient fans can get glimpse of Final Fantasy XV’s Chapter One: Departure. Follow Noctis as he leaves his home town to meet his bride-to-be. Call of Duty fans can drop in right in the campaign, guns blazing in the middle of the action. Basketball fans can also get some scrim time before the 2K17 tournament on Day 3 of ESGS.

Get ready for the next battle at Namco Bandai’s booth with the console version of Tekken 7. Both fighting game enthusiasts and casuals can test their skills and have fun using either controllers or fight sticks. Fans of the well known Sword Art Online series can try the English localization of upcoming RPG, Hollow Realization. See how it builds upon other installments in the series. Con-goers could immerse themselves in Little Nightmares, a dark whimsical tale that will holds your childhood fears as you help Six escape a vast, mysterious vessel populated by ravenous corrupted souls.

With the rising popularity of fighting games in the Philippines, Brawlfest offers a venue for fans to interact in the only way possible – with their (virtual) fists! Tekken 7 was the darling of Day 1, kicking off the Tekken 7 Southeast Asia Qualifiers! In addition, visitors can cut their teeth in casuals, using the newest Tekken 7 Fated Retribution unavailable at Bandai Namco’s console version. This is the place to get some time in with the newer announced characters like Bob, Nina, Miguel, and, the import from Street Fighter V, Akuma! Day 2 and 3 aren’t just for Tekken, as a whole host of other fighting games are available to play and compete it. Street Fighter V, Guilty Gear, Persona 4 Ultimax, and more are in store for weekend warriors. Also, Tekken 7 will continue their tournament pools and hold the Final 8 tournament on Day 2.

Local developers got their time in the limelight at ESGS. In cooperation with the Game Developers Association of the Philippines, a veritable battalion of indie devs are more than ready to share their work with the community. From mobile games to full PC releases, there’s something for everyone. Visit the Gamefest ’16 or the various developers all over floor, like Secret 6 or try to the beat the high score at Panty Thief!

There’s so much more than can be fit in one article! Inquire about job opportunities at the Ubisoft booth and beat the high score at Samsung’s Drift King challenge. Scour the merchandise stalls for great steals or watch the best in the country compete in e-Sports tournaments throughout the day!

Follow our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for live updates on what’s happening at ESGS. See you on Days 2 and 3!