Ubisoft is turning 30, and to celebrate it turned its E3 conference into a party with a suitably colourful opening dance number before segueing into some gritty military infiltration and profane cartoon superheroes. Plus some more Watch Dogs 2, virtual Star Trek, medieval Vikings versus Samurais, extreme sports, and the first look at The Division's Season Pass content.

All's said and done at close to two hours in length it did drag on a bit, but it did feature quite a bit of awesome. Including a pretty impressive demo of Watch Dogs 2 that should get even those that didn't care for the original interested in the sequel.

To kick things off however, outside of the Just Dance 2017 themed dance routine was a new look at Ghost Recon Wildlands, the new game in the military themed series. And one that takes place in a fictional Bolivia where Mexican drug cartels have taken over the country. In the demo, which showcases the open nature of the mission design we also get to see how the co-op works. Ghost Recons Wildlands is due for release March7, 2017.



Next up came a closer look at South Park The Fractured But Whole with the help of creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Taking place after the hilarious South Park The Stick of Truth, this time the game focuses on Cartman's take on the superhero genre. Naturally this looks hilarious, and the digs at both Marvel and DC Comics are hilarious. And in terms of the game, it's great to see an almost tactics like approach to the new battle system with the introduction of grid-based movement. South Park The Fractured But Whole will be otu december 6 and those that pre-order get a free copy of Stick of Truth!



With Ubisoft's The Division being one of the biggest new franchise launches this generation of hardware naturally some time was spent showcasing some of the new content head to the game. As part of the Season Pass expansion content coming this year we got a first look at Survival which adds deadly weather to the Manhattan setting with devastating blizzards and new harsh conditions. Although the footage shown was more cinematic than anything else, it certainly sounded interesting. As did the Ubisoft 30th anniversary outfits, including a snazzy Splinter Cell number.



With VR being the big thing this year, Ubisoft spent some time to talk about the exciting new technology by showcasing a live multiplayer game of its Eagle Flight VR project. Plus, a new Star Trek themed VR experience, Star Trek: Bridge Crew



Next up on the cards was a return to the medieval melee combat styling of For Honor. Making its debut last year this time we got a glimpse of the Viking campaign with a Normandy beach style invasion of a coastal fortress. Needless to say the melee combat and collosion looks great, and there seems to be a specific level of skill and mastery required to play it. Which elevates it beyond a simple action game. For Honor will be out 2017.



The highlight of the conference though was definitely Watch Dogs 2 which looks as bright, colourful, and fun as the original game looked dull, bland, and serious. With a gameplay demo showcasing a mission where protagonist Marcus has to infiltrate some corporation to retrieve data, even though the premise was as old as videogames, everything we see looks and feels fresh. And the game gets bonus points for the use of Eric B & Rakim's 'Don't Sweat the Technique'.



Closing out the show was a look at a new game, the icy extreme sports of Steep, where skiing, snowboarding, and that suit that makes people look like they're flying all combine into one totally radical and bodacious looking game. And as played as the genre may have felt a decade ago, the time is right for a new extreme sports game that takes advantage of modern gaming hardware.