E3 Special 2018 (Part 1)

Let’s begin with EA. I expected their showcase title to be Battlefield V, but we saw very little of the game during their presentation, which is a little strange, because it’s easily the most impressive title in their upcoming line up.

But that kind of set the stage for the rest of their conference – lots of tell, but very little show. Even Anthem, a game they left until last to showcase and dedicate a chunk of time to, only revealed tiny snippets of actual gameplay interspersed by lots of talking and concept art.

And the game they decided to give a full gameplay demonstration to? A Command & Conquer mobile game. In what may be one of the most embarrassing moments of any E3, two grown men were brought on stage, one of whom was described as a ‘competitive mobile gaming phenomenon’ (whatever the f**k that means) to sit and play a game on their phones before a live audience.

They announced the title of a new Stars Wars game – Fallen Order – just the title, not even a logo reveal. They also revealed more upcoming Battlefront 2 content, but after that disastrous release, I can’t say I’m particularly interested in acquiring the title, even on sale.

There was the expected SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS segments, a couple of smaller, more ‘independent’ titles, although I’m not sure that’s the right word to use considering they’re backed by EA. Sea of Solitude looked interesting, but I’m glad I didn’t watch this conference live, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to spin through all the tedious talk which preceded the gameplay footage.

I have practically zero interest in Anthem, and their presentation didn’t change that. The only game I’m really interested in from EA is Battlefield V – and that’s not thanks to this poor conference, but to actual match footage released onto YouTube following the show.

I’ve not actually bought a Battlefield game since the original 1942, so maybe this is a good time to return to the series. The new multi-stage multiplayer mode looks neat, as does the destructible terrain and cosmetic customisation.

The fortification feature also looks like a great addition. I can’t say I care too much about a Battle Royale mode – because, of course there will be one – but at least they’re not cutting other modes to introduce it – take note, Call of Duty. I’ll be sure to give any BETA a spin and it’s one I’ll consider picking up – if they don’t find a way to f**k it all up. I said the same thing about Battlefront 2, and we all know how that turned out.

Microsoft certainly came out swinging, but I guess they had to. It feels like they’ve become kind of irrelevant over the last year or so. The only title they had coming up that I was actually interested in was Scalebound – which they then cancelled.

Unlike EA, there was very little talk. They showcased 50 upcoming games – an impressive line up, but not as impressive as it might seem. Why? Well, the vast majority of these are multi-platform titles, so if this presentation was supposed to convince me to pick up an X-Box One, it didn’t do a very good job.

They opened their show with Halo: Infinite. This should have been the jewel in their crown – the game you end with, not open with. Instead, they ended with Cyberpunk 2077 – another multi-platform title. Don’t get me wrong, it was a great way to go out with a bang, but it’s not a great way of selling your hardware.

We didn’t really see or learn anything about Halo: Infinite, so how can anyone be excited about what was essentially just a title reveal? The Cyberpunk 2077 trailer looked great though, and it seemed to me to be a carefully presented statement of intent.

I think a lot of people have preconceived notions about how Cyberpunk will look, but as the developers have repeatedly said – they’re not making Blade Runner: The Game. Instead of a moody, rainy city at night, we got a trailer set almost entirely during the day, showcasing a great variety of environments and characters.

We also took a look at Ori 2 – I loved the first Ori, so I’m looking forward to this, unless they make it a Windows 10 exclusive in which case they can get f**ked. There was a new From Software game called Sekiro which looked pretty fun, and a short look at Metro: Exodus, which I hope can improve upon the previous two Metro games. They were good, but not great, and I hope Exodus can take that next step up.

Bethesda teased a little more of Fallout 76 before their own conference, promising it to be 4 times larger than Fallout 4, which likely means 4 times as many quest breaking bugs. We saw some of The Division 2 which looked like . . . more The Division, which was a mindlessly fun, if forgettable game, so I hope the sequel can deliver a more compelling story and diverse experience.

There was the new Tomb Raider, which I’m sure I’ll enjoy, but I really wish we’d stop with the ‘Trinity’ story shit. It’s so f**king dull. We also got a Devil May Cry 5 trailer, which is a series I’ve never played but this one looks like it might be fun.

And finally, we got a Dying Light 2 demo which, once again, will hopefully take a step up from the good, if somewhat forgettable original, into something great. Oh, and then they showcased a Gears 5 demo, but I’ve still not got around to finishing 3, and I can’t say I care too much about the ‘Gears Universe’. Why are they trying to turn it into some big, emotionally serious thing?

Who the f**k takes Gears of War that seriously? It’s a series about burly men with chainsaw guns cleaving monsters into two. At least, that’s the series as I remember it, not hardcore soldiers having long, tedious conversations and a little cry before hugging it out.