Yes, E3 is back and while it’s only just officially just kicking off, there’s already been plenty of press conferences and announcements for gamers to sink their teeth into. Here is a run down of some of my personal highlights so far.
Death Stranding
This title was a highlight of last year’s E3 and again this year we get a new trailer, this time a gameplay trailer. Details are still pretty thin but this trailer has added glimpses of two new characters and scenes where main character Sam rescuing people held hostage.
The game looks stunning and seems to have a narrative as weird as most Kojima fans will be expecting, most likely more. The title will be released at some point in the future for PS4.
The Last of Us 2
Many The Last of Us fans were hoping for a release date announcement during the E3 press conference. Sadly that didn’t come, but what was released was a gameplay trailer with Ellie as the main protagonist. There are still only a few details available to gage what to expect. Combat appears to be a mix of stealth and attack. The visuals appear promising and from the few glimpses seen so far, the emotional storytelling and realistic characters, which made the previous title a big hit, appears to continue in this one. Both Joel and Ellie return in this upcoming title.
Few doubt that this will be a title to watch, and many are hopeful for a late 2018/ early 2019 release date. Time will tell.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
I’ll confess that after the stagnation caused by Ubisoft’s previous yearly release schedule that I was sceptical on hearing that Odyssey, the next title in the franchise, was to be released this year. With only a year having past since the release of Origin, my first through was, here we go again… However, it does appear that this title has been in production since the completion of Syndicate which would mean that it also benefited from the one year break taken by the franchise in 2016. It does appear, if currently released gameplay footage is to be believed, that this title is set to continue Origins good work, with an open world, the enhanced combat mechanics and better storytelling. It further appears that this title gives the player the chance to personalise their experience by choosing dialogue options that ultimately affect the way certain scenarios play out and dictate the fact of certain characters.
Odyssey is set in Ancient Greece, prior to the events in origins, and appears to offer the player the choice to play a male or female protagonist. This choice appears to have no bearing on events in the game but would appear to be much more freely available than in syndicate, where certain missions where only available to a certain twin, Evie or Jacob. There also appears to romance options, which is a new and intriguing addition to the franchise. All in all, this title looks to be promising and with a release date set in October, fans won’t have to wait long to get their hands on a copy.
Doom Eternal
Doom Eternal was also added to the list of favourite franchise upcoming releases. Following on from the reboot in 2016, this title appears to continue all of Doom 2016’s advancements with all new enemies and a setting here on earth. Promised is another load and chaotic campaign and the simple, straightforward gameplay, that fans love. While light on details at the moment, this promises to be another explosive title in the making.
Starfield
One of the most exciting announcements of this year’s E3 is of Bethesda’s first new IP in decades. While rumours have been making their rounds since 2013, this announcement makes the title official. The teaser, gives little away with even the genre still left in question, but it does appear to be a Sci-fi title and set in space. While still a long way off from release, this is certainly a title worth following.
Fallout 76
A few details have trickled down on this upcoming title during Microsoft’s press conference. The game has been confirmed for a November 14th 2018 release date and will be set in West Virginia. It’s also been confirmed as an online only title which will allow players to quest alone or to team up with friends, which is an important new direction for the franchise. The game will be open world, the same as its predecessor Fallout 4, and has been confirmed to have a map four times the size of the previous title.
No further details are currently available so it’s difficult to tell how well that larger map will be utilised or what kind of narrative will tie it all together, so watch this space for further announcements.
Cyberpunk 2077
It’s been a while since CD Projekt Red announced their new IP Cyberpunk with a teaser trailer, and they were back at this year’s E3 with a more substantial trailer. This trailer gives a broader look at the city in which the game is based and more regarding the games narrative which is related to electronic implants and augmented humans. There was also a hidden message promising free DLC and no micro-transactions. While many where hoping for a glimpse of the gameplay that wasn’t to be which likely indicates that fans are still in for a wait. However, the title certainly looks like it will be worth the wait.
