Bethesda's first E3 showcase a big success (and Fallout 4 comes out this year)

At Bethesda's first-ever E3 showcase, the publisher-developer delivered a presentation that got E3 week off to an explosive, impressive start with extended peeks at games including Fallout 4, Doom, and Dishonored 2.

The show started out with a heartfelt video featuring various Bethesda developers talking about getting ready to show off what they’d all been working on, which was a nice tip of the hat to Bethesda’s talent.

Here's a rundown of what else happened:

Doom and Doom Snapmap

The conference quickly turned to gameplay of id Software’s upcoming Doom, which aims to reconnect with the original’s signature speed (the speed certainly seems to have returned), along with unabashed high-definition blood and gore. Gameplay showed plenty of corridors, smooth shooting and melee, and basically exemplified an overall modernization of classic pre-Doom 3 gameplay, with all the purposely excessive ultraviolence people expect of a franchise that’s about killing demons. Doom will also have multiplayer arena-based combat.

Notably, Bethesda said it will be making design tools available to players. “Doom Snapmap” is an in-game tool that players can use to snap together and customize intricate maps, as well as design custom gameplay and logic, and share with friends and other people around the world. Judging by the demo, Snapmap is game controller friendly. The game comes out in Spring next year.

Battlecry

Bethesda also showed more footage of its multiplayer class-based online game, Battlecry which is coming out later this year.

Dishonored 2

Harvey Smith and Raphael Colantonio with Bethesda’s Arkane Studios also took the stage to unveil Dishonored 2, the steampunk-inspired series that allows players’ decisions to shape the story and the world. A demo for the game featured a woman protagonist, Emily, using a variety of powers and weapons to take on enemies. You can play as Corvo from the first game, or as the new character, Emily. The game is coming to PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.

Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimted, new card game

Zenimax Online is continuing development on its MMORPG, Elder Scrolls Online.

Bethesda also unveiled a mobile strategy card game based on the Elder Scrolls franchise, called the Elder Scrolls: Legends. The game will be free-to-play and available on iOS and PC.

Fallout 4

Lastly, Bethesda Studio Director Todd Howard took the stage to show more footage of the highly-anticipated  open world RPG Fallout 4. After a short reminiscing – about how when he started in games, there was no E3, for example – he explained how Fallout 4 development started right after Fallout 3 shipped, even as Skyrim was in development and shipped.

But to call the game purely post-apocalyptic, is a bit inaccurate. Howard said the game will start prior to nuclear bombs falling. He also gave a peek at the game’s character creation system – it takes plus in front of a mirror in a couples’ bathroom, and you create both the husband and wife. Interestingly, your child’s appearance is based on the features of the husband and wife you create. Of course, the bombs drop on Boston, and you emerge as the sole survivor.

Howard also showed off a bit more of the contextual dog-based mechanics, along with a tweaked VATS system. Another thing that got the audience going was a collector’s edition, physical Pip Boy that lets users put their smartphones inside the wrist mount. Howard also showed off an intricate Fallout 4 crafting system, as well as what appears to be a highly-flexible base-building system.

Fallout Shelter

Howard also unveiled a mobile game that lets you be the overseer of a vault, overseeing the various residents—Sim City, XCOM, FTL were all inspirations for the game, along with an obscure game called Progress Quest. The game is available right now on the iOS App Store.

And, surprise: Fallout 4 comes out November 10 this year.