GRTV Interviews: The Best of E3 2017

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We sent a hefty crew out to Los Angeles last month to cover E3, and the team conducted a plethora of top quality interviews with devs both big and small. Most, if not all, of the top AAA games were covered, so with the last one published yesterday, here's a round-up of the best interviews we filmed out in LA.

Forza Motorsport 7 / Turn 10 / Dan Greenawalt: The seventh instalment in the Forza Motorsport series was prominently shown off during the Xbox Showcase at E3 2017, and we spoke to Dan Greenawalt, creative director at Turn 10, about how impressive the game is for wheel user: "The amount of options you have as a wheel user has dramatically increased, it's much more in line to what you would expect of a PC racing game." Check out the full interview below.

Werewolf: The Apocalypse / Cyanide Studio / Julien Desourteaux: This one was announced earlier this year, but we were able to learn much more about the rage-management action-RPG by speaking with game director Julien Desourteaux at E3. Players assume the role of an eco-terrorist in the game, fighting for mother nature against the human expansion before having to defeat a special evil entity called a Wyrm, all while managing their own rage levels to stop themselves from going into a frenzy-like state. It's coming to PC, PS4, and Xbox One, but there's no confirmed release date yet.

Monster Hunter World / Capcom / Ryozo Tsujimoto: Monster Hunter: World was unveiled at E3 to the surprise of almost everyone, and it undoubtedly looks like the most impressive Monster Hunter game yet. We spoke to series producer Ryozo Tsujimoto at E3 about how Capcom can harness the power of the latest generation to "create a fully living, breathing world with its own eco system and monsters with their own intelligent behaviour." You can read the full interview here, and check out the video below.

Assassin's Creed Origins / Ubisoft Montreal / Ashraf Ismail: Assassin's Creed is back from its year-long hiatus, and has emigrated to Egypt this time around. During this time Ubisoft has built on all of the gameplay aspects from previous instalments and have paid particular attention to what worked in Black Flag, such as the RPG aspects. We spoke to Ashraf Ismail, game director for Origins, while at E3 and he said that Ubisoft wants "players to be able to craft their playstyle the way they want." Check out the full interview below before the game drops late this October.

Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord / Tale Worlds Entertainment / Armağan Yavuz: After Bannerlord was shown off during the E3 PC Gaming Show, we grabbed a quick chat with CEO and founder of Tale Worlds Entertainment, Armağan Yavuz, about the upcoming historical combat-focused RPG coming later this year. He explains in our interview that the combat has been ramped up a lot from the last game with fluid animations, and immersion has been rasied as well. Check out the full interview for more information, including the new blocking mechanics.

Life is Strange: Before The Storm / Deck Nine / Zak Garriss: For the upcoming Life is Strange prequel, developer Dontnod Entertainment has handed the reigns over to Deck Nine, and we met up with lead writer Zak Garriss at E3 to talk to him about the upcoming game that stars Chloe along with Rachel. "We're going to be exploring the world through Chloe's eyes in both mundane and normal ways, and in very strange and surprising ways. We think fans are gonna really love it," he told us.

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle / Ubisoft Milan / Davide Soliani: In one of the more unusual crossovers, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle was officially announced at E3. In development from Ubisoft Milan, it features Xcom-style strategy gameplay and is exclusive to the Nintendo Switch. We spoke to creative director Davide Soliani at E3 about how he was seen shedding tears during the reveal, and how much of a passion project the title is. We also talked about the soundtrack, mechanics, and the final boss, Rabbid Kong.

The Swords of Ditto / Onebitbeyond / Jonathan Biddle: The Swords of Ditto is an incredibly cute and stylish action-RPG where "each new hero of legend has a unique adventure" in the relentless fight against the evil Mormo. With a strong emphasis on co-op gameplay, the game promises "an unforgettable adventure filled with delightful characters, extraordinary loot, and heroic battles." At E3 we spoke to director Jonathan Biddle all about the game and where the concept came from, so check out the interview below.

Sea of Thieves / Rare / Mike Chapman: Rare's upcoming multiplayer pirate adventure, Sea of Thieves, is shaping up nicely. After their showing at E3 this year, we caught up with lead designer Mike Chapman to talk about the quest system in the game, and he explains how there will be a "whole variety" of quests, such as treasure hunting, spending time in the outposts, and exploring the world. He also went on to talk about the endless realm of possibilities the game offers.

Hunt: Showdown / Crytek / Chris Auty: Hunt: Showdown has been in the works since 2014, even undergoing a name change, along with multiple shifts in direction. While it was originally a four player co-op experience, lead level designer at Crytek, Chris Auty explained that it's much more PvP focused now, and he also explained about how the progression and experience works, and how to unlock weapons. Watch the interview below to find out more.

Far Cry 5 / Ubisoft Montreal / Drew Holmes: Far Cry 5 was the centre of controversy when the deep-south religious setting was revealed, so we caught up with lead writer on the game, Drew Holmes, at E3 this year to talk about everything Far Cry 5. He explained that Montana has everything they envision Far Cry to be: mountainous, dangerous, with a lot of exploration. He went on to explain that The Project at Eden's Gate, a doomsday prepper cult that believes the end of the world is coming, was the ideal villain for the title. It's coming on PC, PS4 and Xbox One on February 27 2018, and you can watch our full interview below.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2018 / Konami / Adam Bhatti: The PES vs FIFA war has been raging for nearly two decades now, and last year's instalment saw Konami's new partnership model allow them to include many more official teams and names finally (Dwayne Booney, anyone?). At E3, we spoke to global product and brand manager Adam Bhatti about the whole process, and he basically explained that much more information will come at Gamescom in August. Check out the full interview for more insight.

Call of Duty: WWII / Sledgehammer Games / Sean Soucy: Call of Duty fans have been clamoring for a return to boots-on-the-ground gameplay for quite some time now, and Sledgehammer has proven to be the series' saviour for those fans. At E3, we spoke to multiplayer design lead Sean Soucy about why they decided to return to the second world war, and he explained that "it just felt right", a lot of it being down to the community buzz around the era. Our interview is just under 15 minutes long and we covered a lot of aspects of the game, so watch the full conversation below.

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus / Machine Games / Jens Matthies: The second game since the Wolfenstein reboot has been revealed, and is subtitled The New Colossus. Set in 1950s America, but one that has been taken over by the Nazi forces, creative director Jens Matthies explained to us that the Nazis have had a lot of time to figure out how to get "these freedom-loving people into submission" since they took control over a decade ago. He went on to explain how the FPS nature has changed and is much more immersive and authentic as well.

PlayStation / Jim Ryan: 60 million PS4 consoles have been sold since the launch of the system, but Sony isn't stopping there. In an interview with Gamereactor at E3, Sony's Jim Ryan explained that their brand new PlayLink feature is designed to "tick many boxes" as Sony progresses beyond the core gamer and appeal to a more casual audience. He also explained that he can't disclose any details on a price cut for the system, as selling consoles isn't always a pricing matter. Watch the full interview below for more information on Sony's endeavours.

A Way Out / Hazelight / Josef Fares: Hazelight is the development studio founded by Josef Fares, previously behind Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, and their first project, A Way Out, is similarly unique but also vastly different to Brothers. We spoke to Fares at E3 about all things A Way Out, with co-op the main focus again, and Fares wants players to play together on their couch and "feel the emotional journey." Watch the full interview below, as it's undoubtedly one of the more interesting games unveiled at this years E3.

Destiny 2 / Bungie / David Shaw: Destiny 2 is almost upon us with just over a month to go, and we spoke to PC project lead David Shaw during E3, who explained that they're looking to cater to the typical PC audience, and how their goal is to create a launch experience that lives up to the expectations of players. "We get it, we are PC gamers [...] so the goal was always to figure out what is the set of things that's that core fundamental amazing PC experience." Watch the full interview with Shaw and Thomas Gawrys below.

Spider-Man / Insomniac Games / Bryan Intihar: Spider-Man is looking to be one of the most promising games coming to PS4, and with the prestigious Insomniac Games behind the title, there's little to worry about. At E3 we spoke to Bryan Intihar, creative director at Insomniac, about the superhero spectacle, where he explained that their main focus is the story, and their aim is to deliver a "human story" with Peter Parker. They're going to show how Spider-Man's and Peter Parker's worlds collide. He also talked in depth about their representation of New York City, along with the fluidity of combat.

Beyond Good & Evil 2 / Ubisoft Montpellier / Michel Ancel: After nearly a decade, we finally got to see more of Beyond Good & Evil 2 at this year's E3, and with a curse-happy monkey and a cloud-filled city of wonder, the trailer looked phenomenal. Michel Ancel spoke to us at E3 to explain that there's a lot of different ways to complete and progress through the story, and that depending on how you progress, you'll have different partnerships and friends. You can read much more on the game in our feature length article here, and watch the full interview below.

LawBreakers / Boss Key Productions / Cliff Bleszinski: LawBreakers isn't far off, and the action packed hero shooter is looking like it could really contend for a top spot in the genre. We spoke to industry legend Cliff Bleszinski at E3 about the title, and specifically about post launch support, where he said: "There's going to be a tenth [class] coming along hopefully soon after launch, as well as new maps and whatnot. You have to have content drops in this new world order." More content soon after launch is a promising sign for the support Boss Key will give LawBreakers, and you can check out the full interview with Bleszinski below.

Detroit: Become Human / Quantic Dream / David Cage: David Cage is known for his truly unique experiences such as Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy and Heavy Rain, and it doesn't look like Detroit: Become Human will break that trend. Set in a futuristic Detroit, it explores the journey of three androids and their discovery that they have free will and emotions. We spoke to Cage during E3 and he explained that there's still a lot of work to do because they set the bar very high, and that they're in the stages of balancing and making the game fun to play, sorting out the music and all that jazz, but there's no confirmed release date yet.

Xbox / Aaron Greenberg: Xbox's big announcement this E3 was their next console, the Xbox One X, which is built to deliver 4K gaming and has very impressive specifications to match their ambitions. We spoke to Xbox marketing chief Aaron Greenberg after the reveal, and he explained that they wanted to make the most powerful console ever made - "A premium product with no compromises," as he phrased it. It's said that the best versions of games will be available on the Xbox One X, too, which is a very bold claim indeed. Check out the full interview with Greenberg below.

There's our top 22 interviews from E3, but overall we conducted nearly 100, and you can find them all on the GRTV page. What was your E3 highlight? Let us know in the comments.