Gaming’s biggest annual event, E3, kicked off last week, with the gaming industry’s major publishers all holding press conferences aimed at hyping fans and goading competitors. While the primary focus was arguably aimed specifically at dedicated game consoles, like the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X, mobile gamers were anything but left out. We’re going to look at three major announcements that mobile gamers should be excited about.
The Elder Scrolls: Blades
Bethesda is bringing the world of Tamriel to both iOS and Android devices. While not a full, free-roaming experience as seen in Skyrim, the mobile-exclusive game will feature graphically rich and vibrant settings combined with the dungeon crawling and character leveling gameplay fans have come to enjoy.
Of specific note is the way players navigate the game through its interface. Unlike other mobile dungeon crawlers, like the Infinity Blade series, players will be best off playing the game in portrait mode. This allows players to fight and explore one-handed; an ideal configuration while standing in line, commuting, or stealthily playing during class. Bethesda’s dungeon crawler will be available to the public for free this fall.
Pokémon Let’s Go
Alright, while this isn’t purely a mobile title, the casual entry into the Pokémon series boasts connectivity with the mobile-exclusive Pokémon Go! The Switch-exclusive title will feature co-op gameplay, streamlined combat compared to the main series of Pokémon games, and a fairly adorable Pokeball controller that shakes and makes noises depending on the Pokémon captured inside. Fans of the more stat-oriented and deeper gameplay experiences of the mainline games don’t need to worry, as another set of Pokémon games will be arriving next year for the Switch.
Command & Conquer: Rivals
EA is dusting off the Command & Conquer series and adapting the world and gameplay for mobile devices. Command & Conquer: Rivals is a hex-based real-time strategy game that will pit players against each other under the banners of the GDI and the Brotherhood of Nod. Players will skirmish for control over nuclear missile silos in small, screen-sized arenas. Unlike other mobile RTS games, like Clash Royale, players will be able to control their units directly, adding a level of complexity and skill to the proceedings. The game will be available for Android and iOS later this year, though Android players will be able to enter a pre-alpha.
Those are just a few of the big E3 announcements made this year. It’s clear that mobile games are increasingly becoming a priority for major game publishers year after year. With the arrival of both Fortnite and PUBG on mobile with weeks of each other, as well as the above games, iOS and Android continue to cement their importance.
