GameCentral readers debate which was the best game at E3 and which company put on the best show.
E3 is over for another year, so theres only one obvious subject for this weekends Inbox: what did you think of it and what game impressed you the most? Which company do you think put on the best pre-E3 conference and do you think there was a definitive winner of E3 2018?
Most people seem to agree that it was not a classic year for the expo, but that it wasnt actively bad. There was no clear census on who won, with most suggesting that there were no particular standouts. Cyberpunk 2077 and Resident Evil 2 were definite favourites in terms of games though.
Sci-fi twist
For a game that Ive not properly seen and only had described to me, Im awfully excited about Cyberpunk 2077. What I loved about Witcher 3 is that it didnt use the usual fantasy inspiration of Tolkien and George R. R. Martin but instead Central and Eastern European folklore. So Im hoping CD Projekt Red will give us something different again and draw on the rich tradition of Slavic sci-fi, perhaps give us a glimpse of what Blade Runner would have been like if Andrei Tarkovsky had directed it.
Also, putting it in first person sounds perfect, allows us to immerse ourselves in the world and switching to third person in cut scenes will let me appreciate the hours Im going to put in on the character customisation screen. Im looking forward to being a cybernetically-enhanced pansexual libertine with a cool jacket and a nice car. Im hoping you get to ride the metro, not since GTA IV has an AAA game had good public transportation.
I must say that Wolfenstein Youngblood has piqued my interest. Mainly for what I imagine the soundtrack will be like, I want to hear what new wave and synthpop will sound like in MachineGames alternate 1980.
Jaded_Libertine (PSN ID)
Capcom expo
My favourite reveal of E3 was Resident Evil 2. Not only does it look incredible, and finally gave me the impetus to play through and fall in love with the original game, but its out relatively soon.
The over the shoulder camera worried me at first, but there are no fly kicks or suplexes in sight and the game is hopefully going to be pure survival horror. Im also really hyped for Mega Man 11 and Devil May Cry 5, so capcom are doing Gods work at the minute.
I hope Konami has a similar return to form soon, but I wont hold my breath.
ANON
Strolling along
I really enjoyed E3 this year; Sony had great exclusives to show off as they usually do and I thought Microsoft had their best conference in years. Sony seem to have realised their games can do all the talking and that they really dont have to put much effort in. I think they could hold the conference in a barn and have the presentation projected onto the side of a cow and still have a good chance of winning.
My highlight of the Microsoft conference would have to be Devil May Cry 5: Ive been a fan since receiving the first game as a Christmas present and cant wait to take control of pensioner Dante. Although not a massive fan of From Software I did quite enjoy Bloodbourne and Im loving the visual style of Sekiro. I really enjoyed Quantum Break so a spiritual successor is very welcome, and what I saw of Control looked great.
My favourite game of Sonys conference (and indeed the show) was Spider Man: Ive been yearning for a triple-A Spider Man game in the ilk of the Batman: Arkham series for almost decade now, and what Ive seen so far has me incredibly excited. The Last Of Us Part II demo was satisfyingly violent, and Ghosts Of Tsushima looks absolutely stunning and Im happy to see the developers have kept the game very grounded in terms of combat and visuals.
It was also nice to get a better look at Death Strolling, sorry, Death Stranding. I absolutely loved Metal Gear Solid V, so my anticipation for Kojimas latest was ridiculous, and after all that the game sort of looks like a courier simulator. The gameplay consisted of Daryl walking around with large packages strapped to his back, I did see a rifle in their but that could just be a futuristic label printer.
iLike Fat Ladys (gamertag)
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Leeward side
I thought this years E3 was good overall, considering we are at the latter part of the generation. Microsoft had some surprise announcements in developer acquisitions, and Halo Infinite going back to its roots was very encouraging. Definitely a cross-gen/next Xbox launch title for 2020.
Sonys conference, although cringe-worthy in parts, shown off the best line-up of exclusives. I too really dont get the backlash against the sombre tone of The Last Of Us Part II. Its a violent, post-apocalyptic world, in-keeping with the first game, what were people expecting? Theres room for different kinds of games people, not every creator needs to follow the Marvel Universe template. My only hope is Naughty Dog pay no attention to its detractors and create the game they want to make.
Onto Nintendo, I dont know how anyone could find their show acceptable? I thought it was quite awful. It was kinda expected after such a great 2017, but it just goes to show Nintendo are severely lacking development studios to maintain output. Spending half the show on Smash Bros. was a pitiful attempt to detract from the lack of announcements.
You have to hope Nintendo will be reserving the big guns like Metroid Prime 4 for next years E3. And theyre going to need them because in all probability next year will be all about next gen and the launch titles.
Anon
GC: Metroid is not a big gun, Smash Bros. is a much bigger seller.
Early warning
In regards to E3, probably the games Im looking forward to the most are Spider-Man and Forza Horizon 4. As Im lucky enough to own both a PlayStation 4 and an Xbox One these are both games that interest me for different reasons. Its also a bonus that both games will be out soon.
As a huge fan of the Batman: Arkham series I hope Spider-Man will fill the superhero-shaped void since Rocksteady have said they arent doing anymore Batman games and the Arkham Insurgency rumours have dried up. When it first announced I was sceptical, since Spider-Man games and superhero games in general have been a mixed bag, but the E3 demo looked impressive with the right blend of combat, web-slinging, and story.
Forza also looked good fun. As a fan of the previous instalment I cant wait to tear it up round the roads of the UK. Im currently on holiday with the family in Cornwall and would love it if they have managed to get the feel of driving down some twisting narrow coastal roads in the game.
I am also interested to see how The Last Of Us Part II will turn out. I am a big fan of the first game but admit I am a little torn on whether they should have made a sequel since the first game, and in particular its storyline and ending, might not have the same impact if the sequel fails to deliver.
Also, the last two trailers and gameplay have been so dark and I dont mean thematically, I mean literally at night in the pitch black woods. I know the first game could be bleak at times but it was also at times beautiful. I hope the sequel doesnt ditch the stunning landscapes in order to be more gritty. I also hope we see the game in the next year, I notice Sony and Naughty Dog are been coy on a possible release date.
This brings me to my last point and the negative of E3 and that is the ridiculousness of how early things are previewed. I mean take for instance Spider-Man that I mentioned earlier. It seems to have been in the pipeline for ages, I read somewhere that it been at the last three E3 shows and its not even out on sale yet. Likewise with The Last Of Us. To me trailers for games should be more in keeping with films. Drop an initial teaser trailer up to a year before release and then another longer trailer or two a few months before release, not years in advance.
matc7884
In Control
Since we poor plebs never really got to see Cyberpunk 2077 for more than a couple of minutes Im going to go with Control. It wasnt exactly a long trailer either, and Im not really sure what was going on, but I liked GCs preview which showed it has a lot of influences from the movie Annihilation – which I am a big fan of.
I also liked Quantum Break and this looks very much like a spiritual sequel but with a much more interesting story. If they can nail this new weird atmosphere than I think it could be really good. I like Remedys work but its always just been missing that extra edge to make a true classic. Hopefully this can overtake Alan Wake as their best work.
Psi
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Everything was solid
Ive thoroughly enjoyed E3 this year, despite being slightly disappointed with pretty much all the main conferences.
Microsoft put on a v. solid show. There were some great multiformat games revealed along with the usual first party exclusives of Gears, Halo, and Forza. I was a little disappointed with the fact that nothing unexpected was shown. The five new first party studios was a nice surprise but nothing was revealed from them and Im guessing itll be years before anything is known about what theyre working on. Still, Microsoft needed to demonstrate a commitment to Xbox and they certainly did that. They still havent sold me an Xbox One but next gen is definitely looking promising.
Despite having what I thought were the best games on display the Sony conference was the one I was most disappointed in. They had said before the event that there would be a deep dive on four big exclusives. All this turned out to be though was a bunch of extended trailers. Id expect a deep dive to delve into the mechanics and different modes, single-player/multiplayer, etc., that are on offer.
Yes, they all looked great and will no doubt be on my shopping list, but I dont really know anything more about them after the conference than I did before it. And the total absence of release dates was a major let down. As good as they look I really dont want to see these at the next E3! Instead the best part of the Sony conference for me were the third party reveals for Nioh 2 and Control. Resident Evil 2 remake looked great also.
I had pretty low expectations for Nintendo and they certainly met them. Smash isnt a game Im interested in so there wasnt much at the conference for me, but Im sure fans of this series would have loved the reveal.
As for the rest, again I thought a mixture of highs and lows. Bethesdas Todd Howard wins the Best Presenter Award and they showed some great stuff along with teasers of games we wont see until next gen. Looking at you Elder Scrolls VI and Starfield.
Theres also something really endearing about the highly enthusiastic but obviously very nervous developers on Ubisoft and EAs stage. And EAs Andrew Wilson wins the Cowardice Award for leaving it up to the Battlefront developer to apologise for the loot box fiasco.
Ive also really enjoyed keeping up to date with news and videos throughout the E3 week, your coverage and interviews have been great as usual so thanks for that!
Media Molecules Dreams looks great and was probably my game of E3 but I can understand why they demoed on the show floor rather than the main conference. Ill be interested to see your views on this one.
Overall I thought it was a solid, if not particularly memorable, E3 with some great looking games. The lack of any major surprise tells me that the next gen reveals will be happening soon so very much looking forward to a great show next year!
Adam
GC: Dreams intermissions segments were all there really was, its not a game you can really show off at a show like E3.
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