E3 2018

So, who's excited for E3 this year?!

The big conferences are at pretty annoying times for the UK - I'd've quite liked to see Bethesda and Sony's live, but I can't justify sitting up that late.

I'm keen to find out more about Fallout 76, even if it ends up putting me off it, I'd assume there'll be more to show for Beyond Good & Evil 2 at Ubisoft's conference and Sony will be making a big deal about Death Stranding, but otherwise I'm not really sure what's going to be at the show. I keep seeing people on Twitter talking about leaks, but not what the leaks are, so I'm still pretty much blind but somehow still not expecting to be surprsied.

Ubisoft have already confirmed Assassin's Creed Odyssey, so that's one of their biggest possible "surprises" gone. BG&E2 is a given, they've announced The Division 2; maybe they'll finally show the new Splinter Cell?

Why are we expecting BG&E2? Did I miss an announcement?

Maybe?

Urgh. I forgot about the fucking monkey. And a prequel? FFS

Assassin's Creed Odyssey is a bit of a surprise really, especially if it's due by the end of this year as seems likely. Origins benefited greatly from a year's break between instalments, and given its size and the amount of DLC it's received, I can't imagine many people being desperate for a new entry quite this soon. I'd sort of assumed they'd be going bi-annually from now on, but I guess we'll find out more in due course.

I sort of hope it's not out this year; I still have loads of Origins to finish (maybe I'll do that next..?). I honestly didn't think any Ubi franchise was going to be annual any more.

Yep, I put nearly 60 hours into Origins and loved it but I haven’t even touched the two DLC expansions yet. They’re on the list.

Get hyped for the MHW info, Gar! They gon announce G Rank I just know it!!!11

Get hyped for the MHW info, Gar! They gon announce G Rank I just know it!!!11

Likely to be a new instalment, though, surely? Monster Hunter World Ultimate, coming in 2019.

Got to say their current strategy of releasing one new monster a month isn't really enough to keep me returning to the game. I'm looking forward to the Switch release of the last gen game more than anything MHW-related right now.

I would have thought that system was because they couldn't really do that with past games, like, update a 3DS game to that extent, now in PS4-land they havethe platform and whatever they need to do it? Like SFV to SFV Arcade Edition, except not free…similar ball park?

I understand how you feel (Lunastra is fucking sweet though), I'd rather play Generations on the 3DS right now (It has Nargacuga, come on) but eventually, MHW is just going to be insanely big.

Either way, G Rank is what most players want I'd wager, maybe too soon with recent announcements (Arch-Tempered monsters coming, so effectively G Rank?) but I'm sure we'll get something announced, MHW is the company's fastest selling game ever isn't it?

I thought they'd committed to all major content releases for MHW being free though, with only cosmetic stuff being paid-for?

That'd give them a pretty big incentive to release a new game.

Eh, as long as I can just update over my original game I guess.

My Twitter started blowing up about some just-announced (part of "PlayStation’s Countdown to E3") neon Tetris game on PS4 (and PSVR), and I'll have to admit to wondering what the hell had people so excited until I saw Tetsuya Mizuguchi's name at the start.

Aaaand now I'm interested. More details on the PlayStation blog.

That's a spiffing trailer.

Absolutely totally sold on that. What a trailer.

I wasn't sold on it the first time I watched the trailer, but the subsequent dozen viewings have convinced me.

Amazing trailer.

I have no idea what that trailer is meant to communicate, other than IT'S TETRIS BY THE LUMINES GUY GIVE IT TO ME RIGHT NOW.

Today's reveal is the release date for Days Gone, which will be out on February 22nd next year.

(If the link doesn't work, jump to 11 minutes to see the gameplay footage.)

It looks… pretty bad, if I'm honest. The dialogue is really stilted in the trailer - it reminds me of the kind of awkward improv you get from people playing D&D.

Also the zombies are called "Freakers" which is just stupid.

Completely off topic, but are there any post-apocalyptic zombie stories where the characters know what zombies are the moment they appear?

If they popped up tomorrow we wouldn't be like "crap what are those? Let's call them walkers."

Completely off topic, but are there any post-apocalyptic zombie stories where the characters know what zombies are the moment they appear?

If they popped up tomorrow we wouldn't be like "crap what are those? Let's call them walkers."

I Zombie

Shaun of the Dead, too.

I've already got an early demo of this on PS4 (I have no recollection of where I got it), and I thought it looked pretty stunning already, but this E3 trailer for Indivisible looks like they've somehow managed to kick the art up a notch.

I'm not completely on board with the combat system - it's similar to Valkyrie Profile and probably others - mostly because I lack the reflexes necessary to guard effectively, but I'll probably pick up the Switch version anyway, once it's out… in 2019. Sigh.

EA conference takeaway: Anthem's art style looks distractingly similar to Destiny.

Everything else was sports, as far as I could tell.

Anthem, BioWare's Destiny-style Proper Noun Simulator, doesn't have romantic relationships, which seems like a potentially-disastrous departure from the studio's previous output, if they're hoping to keep their core fanbase happy.

I'm pretty core BioWare, but I didn't romance anyone in Andromeda (well, I tried, but they weren't into it); I don't think I'll miss it too badly.

So far the biggest surprise from MS' conference is the news that they've bought Ninja Theory.

Otherwise, I'm not all that tempted by any of it - I'm intrigued to know how big/accurate Forza Horizon 4's replica of the UK is, considering what I worked on at Realtime back in the day - and most of it looks like marketing horseshit anyway - the Division 2 demo going on right now is 90% smoke and the rest is mirrors.

I've been reading my Twitter feed throughout the MS presentation and not a single thing excites me. Nothing. Everything just feels so… expected. Meh. Not a single thing that says 'Hey, you'll turn on your Xbox now!'. Even things I DO want like Tunic and Ori, I'll get on other formats (PS4 and PC respectively). And everyone getting excited about those new studios they bought? All that does is turn an hourglass on how long it'll be until they get shut down.

This is what it feels like to be old, isn't it?

They all look like the most technically impressive version of their respective deacdes-old franchises, but that's really all I can say about most of this slate.

Oh, they've just confirmed that they're working on the next Xbox, so get ready to do this all over again in a couple of years…

Okay, Cyberpunk 2077 looks interesting.

If it wasn't for CDPR's pedigree on The Witcher I'd assume that this is just a very pretty action game cashing in on Ready Player One, but I've got very high hopes. Can't deny that they're delivering on the aesthetic, at least.

That Cyberpunk trailer is rad (am I doing it right?)!

I mean, I don't buy that "game engine footage" line for a second, but the design of that car alone is worth the entry price from where I'm sitting.

Honestly, I was sold on this shot which is just such a cool visual that I almost can't believe I haven't seen it in five other places already.

Oh, they've just confirmed that they're working on the next Xbox, so get ready to do this all over again in a couple of years…

Fuck off. Too soon. Way too soon.

I didn't watch the conference but I was browsing the Guardian and saw the headline "Microsoft announces three new Gears of War games" and died a little inside.

At this stage I don't know why any development studio would let themselves get purchased by Microsoft, given their current market share, downwards trajectory and track record for completely fucking up successful studios. Ninja Theory weren't doing that badly, were they?

Not as badly as they're gonna be!

I think Nina Theory et al are being hoovered up because MS is facing this constant accusation that they don't have enough good first party titles, that their exclusives aren't as solid as PlayStation. This is how Microsoft attempt to redress that balance in the short term: they throw money at it.

I just hope these studios don't get gutted and trashed the way Twitter seems to think they will.

I've never felt so mixed about a Devil May Cry announcement in my life. At least it's not the DmC-verse like everyone initially thought, but it looks…off, even if the right people are behind it.

I mean, I don't buy that "game engine footage" line for a second, but the design of that car alone is worth the entry price from where I'm sitting.

"Game Engine Footage" just means "running with everything at the theoretical max on completely insane hardware, taking 2 minutes to render a frame", though, right? I mean, the engine might be capable of that, even if there's no bloody way an XBONE is.

Bethesda - I didn't stay up for it - anyone care? Fallout 76 confirmed as Wasteland of Thieves; they're making Elder Scrolls VI, which I'm sure is a shock to anyone who's never heard of computers; Prey is getting some DLC, I guess? I really need to play more of that…

All fairly predictable but I'm probably in for new Doom and another Elder Scrolls so that's a couple of things to look forward to.

Eurogamer are heavily implying that Bethesda said Elder Scrolls VI - and Starfield, which is apparently due first - are for next-generation consoles.

Okay, this was quite good:

All fairly predictable but I'm probably in for new Doom

I still haven't finished Doom 2016 yet… I'm really going to have to get on some of this pile.

I thought it was a great conference. I'm not sure what else Microsoft could have done, aside from having got their act together years ago.

Everyone wanted games, they got games. Games from established franchises with relatively quick turnarounds, to fill the (huge, slightly embarrassing) gap. And on top of that, a promise to invest in new IP.

As for the accusation that they're just throwing money at the problem of not having enough first-party talent, what else are they supposed to do? Get all the execs and board members to learn C++ and crunch out four new franchises?

The only disappointment was no new Fable. I thought this was pretty much confirmed now, even though it's all leaks? Your man on stage even mentioned that Playground were working on another IP, and then said we'd hear more about it later. Didn't he? Did I make that up? When the 'one more thing' trailer turned out to be Cyberpunk I was a bit disappointed – I'll be picking that up on PS4 anyway.

As for the accusation that they're just throwing money at the problem of not having enough first-party talent

My comment wasn't intended as an accusation - MS need developers and they need them a year ago, so buying up existing, proven studios is the quickest route to building that studio. I just hope Ninja Theory aren't back in 2019 to show off Hellblade 2. Spencer was keen to emphasise the independence that their studios will be afforded; Rare's Sea of Thieves certainly seems to back up the idea of studio autonomy, but the raft of other sequels isn't so promising.

The only disappointment was no new Fable. I thought this was pretty much confirmed now, even though it's all leaks? Your man on stage even mentioned that Playground were working on another IP, and then said we'd hear more about it later. Didn't he? Did I make that up?

He did say that, and the general consensus on my Twitter feed seems to be that Playground are working on a Fable game. Maybe they're just not far enough into development to have something to show? If their artists have been recreating the entire UK for Forza, that's a reasonable excuse for their Fable work-in-progress lacking in E3-level visual polish.

Doom 2 Hell on Earth remake so yo I'm pretty fuckin' jazzed for that. E3 has been good this year :O

Maybe they're just not far enough into development to have something to show? If their artists have been recreating the entire UK for Forza, that's a reasonable excuse for their Fable work-in-progress lacking in E3-level visual polish.

Where is the "whole UK" thing coming from? The announcement said it was set in Britain, but the only city they've shown is Edinburgh, and the rest is fairly generic countryside. 3 was set "in Australia", but that was just wallpaper, not the entire outback; have they ever done an accurate layout of any of the settings? I only ever played the first one.

Whatever the case, I don't expect to be able to find my house.

The "fairly generic countryside" included a number of recognisable landmarks (including the Glenfinnan Viaduct), and I'm pretty sure other towns were named in the E3 demo. They're saying it's a single shared world and it stands to reason that if they've got one real city in there then they'll have others.

They haven't confirmed the scale of the world yet (I'm sure it won't be 1:1 at any rate), but saying it's set in the UK in a single big open world sets certain expectations.

Okay, so two Scottish locations - entire UK confirmed.

They showed a chalk horse too, on a hillside. They're mainly southern England, aren't they?

Some IGN video just confirmed the map is the same size as Horizon 3, "as they had to create four different versions of it" with the seasons.