E3 2018 Highlights Days 3 & 4

E3 2018 Highlights

Days 3 & 4

Days three and four of E3 2018 were a little rougher than the first and second. Square Enix let others talk for them, Ubisoft had a dancing panda, and Sony tried something new and failed. That said, there was plenty to get excited about from each company, though. 

Square Enix Press Conference - I wasn’t aware going into it that Square was going to be doing a video similar to how Nintendo does their press conferences with Nintendo Direct. This conference really didn't have much to it. Square let other conferences do a lot of the talking for them this year. The video conference was only 30 minutes long and had a large focus on Square's JRPG's. That is great content for some, but I can't really comment on any of them save for the obvious one due to a lack of knowledge. There were some nice highlights that spoke to me, though:

• Shadow Of The Tomb Raider - A full-blown gameplay demo started off the press conference and it showed an in-depth look at stealth and crafting in the upcoming Tomb Raider sequel. Other than graphical updates and a slightly larger hub world, not that much looks different. Still, the game is going to be a fantastic finale to the trilogy. Shadow Of The Tomb Raider is out on September 14th, 2018.

• Babylon Falls - Square’s new collaboration with Bayonetta developer Platinum games looks interesting. The CGI trailer gave a heavy fantasy RPG feel with hints of religious themes. It is set for a 2019 release, so hopefully, we get more information soon.

• Just Cause 4 - A short segment showcasing the stunning world of Just Cause 4 was shown. The video showed off the dynamic weather that will be appearing in the game, complete with a tornado. Of course, Rico will be able to fly right into it and use that as a combat tactic. Pretty sure Just Cause 5 is just going to give Rico telepathic powers. That is really the only thing they haven’t let him do at this point. Just Cause 4 drops December 5th, 2018.

• Kingdom Hearts 3 - A  remixed version of the Kingdom Hearts 3 trailer circulating the first day of E3 dropped towards the end of the press conference. While still showing some of the same gameplay as before, Ratatouille and moves based on a carousel ride and a river rapid ride made an appearance. The tail end is riddled with more confusing bits of story and talk of friendship. Don't worry guys, this is definitely Kingdom Hearts 3.

Ubisoft Press Conference - Where Square Enix fell a bit flat in terms of content, Ubisoft delivered. There were plenty of gameplay and reveals,  all without Aisha Tyler cringing the place up. A lot of the stuff is for games I know little about or never played, so I can’t comment much on them, but most everything they showed was still awesome:

• Beyond Good and Evil 2 - Ubisoft jumped into Beyond Good and Evil 2 hard with a new CGI trailer showing a band of space pirates getting attacked by an Evil Jade. I never finished the first game, but a reveal that Jade is evil is more than enough to get me into it again. They also showcased some dogfighting and the large open world. Joesph Gordon-Levitt also took the stage to show off his new company Hit Record that is trying to give exposure to independent artists by putting their work into video games. All in all Beyond Good and Evil 2 is shaping up to be amazing, whenever it actually comes out.

• Skull and Bones - Ubisoft’s answer to Sea of Thieves looks amazing. This Pirate RPG is set in the Indian ocean and features crazy fleshed out nautical combat. There also looks to be a drop-in/drop-out co-op feature so you can create your own mini pirate army to take down coastal fortresses. There is no set release window for Skull and Bones yet.

• Mario Kingdom Battle: Donkey Kong Adventure - The DLC adventure for an honestly baffling game premise got a lengthy gameplay trailer with live music. The music was conducted by Donkey Kong composer Grant Kirkhope, who helped make some of the modern DK tunes we know today. The gameplay is still similar to X-com, but Donkey Kong looks capable of doing some special moves the other characters in the game can't. Donkey Kong Adventure comes out on the Nintendo Switch on June 26th, 2018.

• Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey - The next installment in the AC franchise is taking us to Ancient Greece. The gameplay and graphics are very similar to Origins, with a few minor differences. Odyssey is going to feature a female or male spartan protagonist. Unlike Syndicate, however, you will use that character throughout the game without switching. Assassin’s Creed is clearly going back to a yearly release, which I am skeptical about, but we will see if they get complacent about their games again. For now, we can live out our sweaty 300 fanfics in Odyssey. The game comes out October 6th.

Sony Press Conference - Sony’s Press Conference was honestly pretty bad in execution, even though the content was unbelievable. Sony couldn’t figure out what it wanted to do.  It changed venues twice and had useless intermissions cutting apart a press conference that was only an hour long. That said, what we saw was awesome:

• Last of Us Part 2 - Sony started their press conference off by making the entire crowd move into a mock-up of a church. Once inside, an extended look at Last of Us Part 2 gameplay was revealed. The footage was breathtaking. The demo showed an older looking Ellie at a dance inside a church similar to the mock-up. She has begun struggling with her sexuality since we saw her last, but the footage doesn't stay at the dance too long. It switches to her running from and brutally killing, a band of thugs. The combat is insanely realistic and brutal, and every little twitch Ellie makes is incredibly human. Joel was noticeably absent from the scenes, but we can assume he is nearby. However, if the game is more Ellie focused this time around I would not mind.

• God of War New Game + - During one of the dumb intermissions, Sony Worldwide CEO confirmed that a New Game + option for this year's God of War is coming. This feature has been highly requested by players and will give the game even more traction for the next couple years.

• Ghosts of Tsushima - The first gameplay for this Samurai RPG was revealed after a long set of a guy playing a Chinese flute. This gorgeous game is being created by Infamous and Sly Cooper developers Sucker Punch. Set during the Mongol Invasion the footage follows a samurai through a field and into a forest temple. I couldn’t spot any differences in cutscenes and gameplay, and no HUD was visible as far as I saw. Combat was visceral and hinted at a first strike mode that allowed the character to insta-kill the first enemy who got near him. The demo ended with a one on one sword fight showing the need for quick, reactionary sword swings. Thankfully, we will be able to get a hold of this game sometime in 2019.

• Trevor Saves The Universe VR - Rick and Morty creator Justin Roiland is making a squanch-looking action adventure game with VR options. The signature squanch style of Rick and Morty is there, even though the game isn't based around them. The voice talents of the show will be squanching to voice the title character, however. Cameos of Rick and Morty proper are sure to squanch. There was no release window as far as I could squanch.

• Kingdom Hearts 3 - Yet another remix of the same Kingdom Hearts 3 trailer dropped, but this time showing even bigger details. Sora and the gang are going back to the Pirates of The Caribbean world, complete with Jonney Depp, and Orlando Bloom. Boat combat will be in the game, along with a more realistic graphics style for Sora, Donald, and Goofy. After that more looks at Hercules Toy Story, Monsters Inc, and double Xehanort.

• Death Stranding - This is my most anticipated game at the moment. We got what looks like gameplay for the very first time along with even more questions as to what the hell is happening inside Kojima’s twisted brilliant mind. It looks like Norman Reedus’s character is a type of delivery man, and walking long distances in destroyed, yet beautiful landscapes are going to play a large role. We also got to see some more of the invisible creatures and how stealth will play a large role in survival. French Actress Lea Seydoux and Lindsay Wagner join the already stellar cast of the game as well in roles that go largely unexplained. Death Stranding still has no release window, but I hope to god it comes out soon.

•  Spider-Man - Spider-Man got a hefty dose of gameplay this time. The footage shows Spidey responding to a distress call on the island prison called The Raft. Once he’s there, an ongoing chase with Electro ensues. Combat similar to the Arkham Batman games is at play here, requiring fast and precise reactions to enemy attacks. This footage made my inner child so happy to see Spider-Man letting out a volley of web blasts to take down thugs before swinging off into the next room to chance down Electro. Rhino, Vulture, Scorpion, Mister Negative, and an unseen villain (Green Goblin, calling it now) all make appearances throughout the trailer, furthering my need to play this game right this second. Spider-Man comes out September 7th, 2018.

Nintendo Press Conference - Nintendo stuck with their Nintendo Direct format this year and kept it short and to the point. A few quick reveals made by everyone's favorite Nintendo exec Reggie and then some serious deep dives into the game everyone was really watching for.

• Super Mario Party - Nintendo hit it hard with this reveal. Mario Party is one of the most popular Nintendo Franchises, so bringing it to the Switch is a no-brainer. A brief live-action trailer showed couples putting together two Switch consoles to build mini-game areas, along with online play and new minigames. It is set to come out October 5th.

• Fire Emblem: Three Houses - Pretty much the only real-time strategy game I care about. A more traditional Fire Emblem game featuring enhanced combat and new characters is coming sometime next year. Story details were limited, but does anyone really play Fire Emblem for the story?

• Hollow Knight - I didn’t get to play this when it first came out, but it is out right now on the E-shop and I can’t wait to get my hands on this beautiful, hand-drawn platformer.

• Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - The reason we all came out to Nintendo today. Ultimate is going to have all 64 characters from every smash game ever. 8 player battles are back as well, along with a few new characters such as Daisy, Ink kids from Splatoon, and Ridley from Metroid. An endless amount of Quality of Life changes are coming to each other characters featured, and a couple new stages are being added. Overall this game looks to be a celebration of all things Smash and it's torture to have to wait until December 7th.

Who Won?

        In all honesty, I feel like Microsoft won this year's E3. I don’t own a Microsoft console, though I’ve been wanting one for a minute. However, in terms of actual content, and execution Microsoft left me the most pleased. Over 50 games is a large number of games no one else has ever showcased at one time before. Many of the games Microsoft showcased are coming to Playstation too so even a Sony fanboy could get excited for that. Microsoft knew what the audience wanted and gave it to us. Sony tried too hard to be different, and Nintendo was far too short.  Sony’s exclusive games still look better than any X-Box exclusive, but the way they presented everything was sloppy and distracting. The rest of 2018 is going to be a great time for gamers, and I think 2019 is shaping up to be even better.


Seriously though, does anyone have an X-Box One they don’t want?