Two games I’ve had my eye on got new trailers today, AND updated release plans!  Without further ado, one of those games is Yooka-Laylee.

Yooka-Laylee is a charming platformer made by the same developers of classic Rare fame who put their hearts into Donkey Kong Country and Banjo-Kazooie.  Here’s the latest trailer:

The first thing that came to mind really was, indeed, Banjo-Kazooie.  From the animation work, the creature designs, and the graphic artstyle, it all screamed one very familiar bear and bird.  Whether this turns out to be a good thing or not I am rather uncertain.  Nostalgia is nice, but innovation is better.  There’s nothing like the power of creativity and modern technology combining to create something new.  While I respect a nod to the old, I expect humans to push their own limits to reach new heights.  Whether Yooka-Laylee being an independent game turns into creative freedom (and subsequently improvement) or playing it safe (and subsequently more of the same) is yet-to-be seen.  One thing is for certain, however: I am absolutely going to review this game!  Furthermore, my platform of choice will most likely be Wii U to show my support for developers who continue their support of the system!

The other of these two games is one I’ve been highly anticipating.  So much so that my own background posters on my YouTube channel contains one very well constructed piece of artwork from said game: Horizon Zero Dawn.  The latest trailer also released today:

Sony has definitely been pushing the more cinematic approach with their exclusive titles, and Horizon Zero Dawn is clearly no exception.  What makes this game different is its unusual nature, pun intended.  The appearance of odd and primal mechanical beasts had me reminded of Turok, though clearly the tone of this game is quite different.  The trailer showed two things: that the game clearly focuses on story; and that the game looks gorgeous.  While graphics aren’t everything, making a fictional world look real is part of what makes graphics effective.  It’s not always about how “like our world” realistic things appear, but just how tangible “nothing like our world” realistic can be.  This is another game I am certain that will be on my list of must-reviews.  Oh, and her name is pronounced “ay-loi”, in case you were wondering!

E3 synopsis (live coverage is, sadly, not possible at this time) will continue all through next week, so keep it locked here and on my YouTube channel for thoughts on announcements from either myself or my newest budding editor, Jeremy! (Darth Praxis)