Eurogamer Expo 2013 - Day 2 Overview

Day Two of the Eurogamer Expo 2013 kicked off with a bang. Our plan was to get into line a little earlier than yesterday (where our arrival time of 8:00am seemed to be the same as everyone else's) and thus rocked up at around 7:45. The queue at that point was small but quickly expanded for 30 to 200 people.

Our first trip of the day was with Battlefield 4 in the over 18s section. After looking at the stand yesterday we knew that we needed to be early to miss the rush and fortunately managed to make it into the first game of the day. Interestingly the Battlefield 4 version we played was on the Xbox One (whereas yesterdays players go the Xbox One version on a PC rig) - SCORE!

We got a solid 20 minutes on the Zavod 311 map in a 32 player match of conquest. We all got into the same game and witnessed first hand the excellent pacing that has brought its way over from Battlefield 3. The map was set into four distinct indoor sections with large open expanses between each. The destructible environments were quickly visible and the firefights were frantic but well paced. Our team managed to come out on top and I finish a solid forth overall with 18 kills and 13 deaths (I was quite happy with that for a first game).

If you get a chance definitely drop over there! One of the finest things about the game is the knife kills. Nabbing points through this method gives you a very satisfying animation - especially if you and your enemy go for it at the same times. I won't spoil it though as this should really be cherished in your own good time.

Next up I got hands on with Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag on the PS4. Before I get into the game itself I must say that the consoles controller is much better than previous iterations. The buttons are more spaced out and the whole piece fills you hands more comfortably with a distinctive weight as well. It's certainly a marked improvement and a happy one for all you Sony fans I'm sure.

ASIV itself was a good bit of fun. We got a go on the 'Open World' demo - there are two others scattered around the show floor - and all thoroughly enjoyed the sea mechanics that have been refined since ACIII's Aquila. The actual combat and land traversal felt very similar and there wasn't a lot of animation based changes to note. If you do plan to wander this way then DON'T UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE attempt to enter Nassau - it glitches the whole demo (much to my disappointment).

Overall I was again pleasantly surprised at the experience and graphically thought the game was well delivered. The tidal effects and underwater sections were definitely it's best aspects. Again you get a solid 15 minutes to play through.

I also got a chance to play through Dead Lights 15 minutes open world demo (although there were obvious boundaries on the map, marked with silver walls, when you got too close). Much like Dead Island before it, and made by the same minds, the game felt very clean but at times a little unresponsive. The hand to hand combat was satisfying and severing limbs didn't get tiresome. Level traversal is clever and the 'Hazard-Zombie' (as I'm labelling them) have a rather novel explosion option if you strike their gas canisters. It's certainly worth a play if you need an undead fix, loved Dead Island or can't be bothered to queue for Dead Rising 3 like us.

Gran Turismo 6 was next on my list, alongside Pro Evolution Soccer 2014. Neither of which unfortunately lived up to my hopes. Pro Evo was too slow and unresponsive, while Gran Turismo, to me, didn't feel like the game I know and love. It did however look bloody excellent, even against Forza 5, and it's only a current gen title.

We also got a chance to hook up with Castle Wolfenstein: New Order. Although I've never particularly been a fan of the franchise, the actual demo has made me really think about investing. The wall cutting and environment affecting weapons were interesting and the enemy AI was very strong to say the least  - flanking the player and poaching pot shots from the other end of a corridor or room (at least on the highest difficulty setting that I tried). The demo lasted a solid 15 minutes - I see a trend developing here - and left me wanting to go back for more.

Tomorrow I will definitely be hitting up Elder Scrolls Online, Titanfall and probably Pokémon X and Y to see what the 3D engine looks like.

For those in attendance the Alienware stand has a free scratch and win card promo for attendees that sign up to their newsletter and both Dead Light and Wolfenstein give you a t-shirt for playing.

Oh and get this over at the COD:Ghost stand - I forgot to mention this yesterday.... Enjoy!