E3 2011: Ubisoft Press Conference: the verdict

I had a few ideas of what to expect from Ubisoft at E3 2011. They're consistently the funniest, silliest, most entertaining of all the major publishers – they do what they want. Even though I can't stand Rayman, the stupid haired buffoon.

For us, they showed Driver: San Francisco, Far Cry 3, Ghost Recon Online, a new Brothers in Arms and Trackmania 2: Canyon. Driver just about worked – but it's not a big game, and it feels a little bit smaller than it really should be. Ghost Recon Online is a clever idea; outflank all of the major shooter franchises by giving it away for free. Sure, it's going to be outclassed visually by Battlefield 3, but I bet it reaches a similar sized audience. Far Cry 3 was obviously the big headline surprise, and looked startling.

There was one game that made me really, really happy though, made me feel the same optimism I often think surrounds Ubisoft, was Trackmania 2: Canyon. I think it's the only PC exclusive that has been shown at any of the press conferences. It's a PC game built around sharing tracks. It looks beautiful, all sunshine skies and glistening landscapes. And it's the start of a new series of games, in which the tiny Nadeo attempt to take on the RPG and shooter market by letting players build their games. It's a mad project. But it's a project that reflects the idealism of our platform.

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