Thoughts on the Ubisoft Forward Event

Earlier this week Ubisoft held their digital event showcasing some of their upcoming games. There was about seven or so games shown during the event, and while the games covered a decent variety of genres and available platforms, I couldn't help but feel that only a couple of the games really stood out and made the event worth watching. Here are my thoughts on the Ubisoft Forward event.

To kick off the event, Ubisoft dove right into a pretty in depth showing of Watch Dogs Legion. The opening film centered on the game was engaging and exciting. However, there's just something about the game that doesn't have me overly hyped for it. I've enjoyed the Watch Dogs franchise (yes, even the first game) and I'm sure I'll play Legion, but I find myself not being as excited for it has I do other games coming out this year. The feature of being able to recruit and play as any character you come across in London is very appealing, and if true, quite ground breaking. I just feel somewhat lukewarm about the game. I will say I was a little surprised that the game is scheduled to release on October 29.

The next few segments of the event I quickly found myself losing interest in. First, let me say that I am not the type of person who doesn't consider mobile games real games, or that they don't hold a place in the whole "video game" industry. I don't have any issues with them in general or people playing them. That being said, seeing the announcements for the mobile versions of the games Brawlhalla, Might & Magic: Era of Chaos, and the new Overwatch/Team Fortress looking Tom Clancy's Elite Squad left me with an resounding "meh!"

Next there was a highlight reel of Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege. While I have always been an extremely casual player of the game, I think everyone should commend Ubisoft for continuously refining, updating, and working to make it a popular competitive game even five years after its launch. Following Rainbow Six Siege was the trailer for the upcoming battle royale (yes another one) Hyper Scape. Look, I get it. Battle royales are still a popular, but it's a highly over saturated genre. However, that over saturation does make developers think of new and creative ways to spice it up. Only time will tell how players take to Hyper Space. There's currently a beta going on right now and you can check out live streams of it on Twitch or other platforms.

Then came the moment that for me was the true highlight of the show. Actual detailed gameplay footage and information regarding Assassin's Creed Valhalla. Seeing the raiding and assault mechanic with your Viking crew, combat, various weapons and armor, enemy battles, and exploring the varied landscapes only got me even more hyped for the game. I also like that while the game is steeped in true historical facts, they are also including elements centered around Viking lore and beliefs. I'm absolutely looking forward to playing the game when it launches on November 17. 

To close out the event Ubisoft revealed the cinematic trailer for the recently announced Far Cry 6. I have always been a fan of the Far Cry series, and the fact that Giancarlo Esposito plays the main villain in the game has me even more excited. The characters and villains he's played in movies and shows are always so intense and compelling. I can't wait to get more information and see actual gameplay for the game.

Despite getting hyped over Assassin's Creed Valhalla and Far Cry 6, overall I felt that the Ubisoft Forward Event was just okay. Not incredible, not completely terrible, but just okay. If comparing with recent live events, I feel like the PlayStation 5 event last month was much better. What are your thoughts on the event and the games that were shown? Also, encase you missed any of the trailers from the event, take a look at the rest of them below.