THE ELECTRONIC ENTERTAINMENT EXPO 2018 IS THE 24TH ELECTRONIC ENTERTAINMENT EXPO, featuring HARDWARE MANUFACTURERS, SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS, AND PUBLISHERS FROM THE VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY.
Perhaps unfairly seen as the conference with the most to prove, there always seems to be a dismissive attitude towards the Xbox conference, perhaps because Microsoft don’t tend to get the kind of exclusives that Playstation have nor do have they got the niche appeal of Nintendo. However the tide seemed to change last year when they combined the unveiling of the Xbox One X with a shock and awe bombardment of trailers.
Going into the conference, we were told via head of Xbox Phil Spencer’s Twitter going in that this year we would see 15 premieres, a noticeable drop from last year. Though this 15 turned out to be just the world premieres as this year the conference introduced 50 new titles of which 18 are much needed exclusives for Xbox which lets not forget will also have the benefit of being available on game pass on the day of release.
Phil Spencer this year opened by outlining the vision for Xbox by uniting players as well as creating memorable characters and adventures both through AAA and independent studios and to help achieve this goal Microsoft confirmed that they are now working with the following studios
- The Initiative – New Santa Monica studio to create groundbreaking new experiences
- Undead Labs – Makers of State of Decay
- Playground Games – Makers of Forza / Forza Horizon as well as a new project
- Ninja Theory – the masterminds behind Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
- Compulsion Games – We Happy Few nearing full release
We also got more developments for the Xbox Game Pass, including the Introduction of Faststart to enable games to be loaded twice as quick which will launch for select titles this month. The catalogue will also be further expanded with titles like Halo Master Chief collection as well as more indie titles being available on the day of release including most excitingly Afterparty.
With the news details out of the way, here is the rundown of world premieres, exclusives and trailers!
Halo Infinite
Wasting no time on revealing the return of Halo, this subtle yet dramatic trailer did all it needed to do to grab our attention for what promises to be the greatest adventure to date for Master Chief while the use of the slipspace engine makes it look stunning.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Ori and the Will of the Wisps got a small cinematic tease for the sequel of Ori and the Blind Forest, an independent title that took the independent gaming world by storm with its mesmerizing world, beautiful characters and great mechanics. This year, we get a gameplay trailer which shows some new mechanics for Ori with new creatures to discover. Looking equally stunning as before and probably boasting even more challenging segments, this one has been on our radar since we check it out.
Check out our podcast review here.
World Premiere: Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Activision delivers a samurai brawler reminiscent of Onimusha and Nioh as we got to see an action packed trailer complete with fantastical villains and some stunning visuals. Certainly its the sort of game that Xbox has been missing and one of the under radar titles that we are excited to see more of but how it will stand up against Playstation’s Ghost of Tsushima remains to be seen.
Fallout 76
It is quite the surprise to see Bethesda making an appearance at the Xbox conference with their own conference happening only a few hours later but then with all the table setting which has been happening prior to E3 perhaps this is just a taster of something bigger they have planned for their own conference. However, for those who have missed out on Fallout 4, the good news starts with the game being available starting today on Game Pass.
With that said, Bethesda wasn’t going to leave the conference without sharing the exclusive world premiere to Fallout 76. Ever since the long uneventful/cryptic stream that created quite the hype last week for Bethesda, the speculation of what Fallout 76 will be about has been endless. Today, we learn that it is a prequel to its previous games and will be the largest to date at four times the size of Fallout 4 while confirming that it will be set in West Virginia where you play as someone first emerging into an untamed wasteland. Fallout 76 hints towards rebuilding society which is a different tone from its previous games. This announcement making this evening’s Bethesda Press Conference something to look forward to.
The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit
Dontnod Entertainment’s next game set in the Life is Strange universe is an original story featuring a little boy and his imagination. Certainly a departure from what we got with Life Is Strange and yet this trailer of The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit is so full of childlike wonder and imagination it is hard not to get drawn into the world being crafted.
It will be available to download for free on June 26th.
World Premiere: Crackdown 3
https://youtu.be/YC4oty9jnMU
Terry Crews heads up this latest sequel to the Xbox exclusive which certainly benefits from Crews charisma. Still for those who want Just Cause with a futuristic setting and a dose of Saints Row this could be a title to look out for. Crackdown 3 will be releasing in February 2019.
NieR Automata: Become as Gods Edition
NieR: Automata: Become as Gods Edition exclusively lands on Microsoft Store. This edition will include previously released DLC and will be available on June 26, 2018.
Metro Exodus
Packed with gameplay here they really built upon last year’s trailer which as we saw here only was just the tip of what the game has in store for players as they return for a third outing in this post apocalyptic vision of Soviet Russia. Metro Exodus will release on Feburary 22, 2019.
Kingdom Hearts 3
Kingdom Hearts 3 was reveal on the show floor at last year’s E3 much to the excitement of its fans who have long awaited its release. Meshed with the Disney worlds and characters, it is hard to not fall in love with it. We have had a lot of the worlds teased in the past month and in this trailer, we see got to see the worlds for Frozen, Wreck-it Ralph, Hercules, Toy Story and Tangled.
It will be released on January 29, 2019
Exclusive: Sea of Thieves Update
A title which has been greeted with a mixed response from gamers, while at the same time certainly having the advantage of being an Xbox exclusive and as such available for free on Game Pass. Now with two add-on packs they look set to expand the world further but outside of a humorous trailer it gave us very little. However, you can expect to see Cursed Sails in July 2018 and Forsaken Shores in September 2018.
Exclusive World Premier: Forza Horizon 4
https://youtu.be/VmQNo8xtcAg
The rebel cousin to the Forza Motorsports series, Forza Horizon 4 was certainly one of the most anticipated titles going into the conference and certainly from the trailer it looks to only add to what we have seen in the previous games, though this time the action will be be taking place in Britain in a shared open world packed with real players so any other racers you see will be other real players. Quick chat options using the d-pad will also make it easy to form friends and find people to race with.
The game will feature dynamic seasons (cue raining leaves on the audience….clearly someone has been watching the Playstation conferences) which will change the environment completely as we got to see with the open to race on a frozen lake previous unavailable in the previous season.
It will be available on October 2, 2018 and on Game Pass on the same day.
We Happy Few
A game which has long been in development and on Steam Early Access, which has brought the original hype to a much more tamed mixed feelings, the finished game looks to add to the captivating visuals with a Orwellian story in which the population is forced to be happy through the use of the drug Joy. The story depth with this trailer will merit some more excitement as its more than just running around a dystopian world filled with random people and their happy masks and drugs.
We Happy Few will release on August 10, 2018.
Exclusive: PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
https://youtu.be/4rG9noTfb4A
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds has created quite the wave last year upon its full release. With a battle royale formula with 100 players in game at once, the challenges of this game are definitely present. While they have been sharing updates with new maps, this trailer shares a new map called Sanhok which will be available in Summer 2018 and a War Mode plus other ways to play by Winter 2018.
World Premiere: Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition
A lot of remaster has been hitting Playstation in the past year, which has created a lot of hype. It is nice to see that Xbox is getting to share one as well with Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition which will be coming Winter 2018.
World Premiere: The Division 2
Switching out the snow covered streets of New York for Washington DC, we got to see from the gameplay footage a city in the state of being rebuilt with shanty towns and a crashed Air Force One.
Due to the controversy surrounding the difference in footage seen at E3 and the released game for the original, no doubt scepticism will be high surrounding this footage. The Division though was a title which we liked and needless to say, we are excited to see if Ubisoft have learned from their mistakes from the first game and what this change of setting will bring to this world. You can sign up for the beta today.
Check out our review of the The Division here.
ID@Xbox Rundown
As we saw last year the independent titles were also given an impressive preview trailer with this year showcasing footage from the games below:
- Outer Wilds
- Afterparty
- Kingdom : Two Crowns
- The Golf Club 2019
- Warhammer Vermintide 2
- Fringe Wars
- Below
- Conquerors Blade
- Waking
- Raij: An Ancient Epic
- Super Meat Boy Forever
- Planet Alpha
- Islands of Nyne : Battle Royale
- Sable
- Harold Halibut: A Handmade Adventure Game
- Bomber Crew
- Children of Morta
- The Wind Road
- WarGroove
- Generation Zero
- Dead Cells
- Ashen
Shadow of the Tomb Raider
The third entry in the origins saga will see Lara once more facing off against Trinity against an Aztec / jungle backdrop. Here we got to see her showcasing some new moves as well as some of the action set pieces which made the first two games in this reboot so exciting to play.
Exclusive: Session
While EA’s conference might have been plagued with requests for Skate 4, someone clearly has realised the demand for a new skateboarding game as we got to see from the impressive gameplay demo.
Exclusive: Black Desert MMORPG
Set in a fantasy realm ruled by magic and monstrous creatures and while the title has already been popular on PC and is now set for a release on both Xbox and Playstation with the beta due for release in the Fall. whether it will carry across this success to the consoles remains to be seen.
World Premiere: Devil May Cry 5
Devil May Cry finally makes its return ten years after the release of Devil May Cry 4 with original director Hideaki Itsuno in tow which certainly seems to have been worth the wait as we saw from this exciting mixture of gameplay and cutscene footage.
This time it seems that Nero will be taking center stage as the game picks up directly after the events of Devil May Cry 4 skipping over Ninja Theory’s attempt to reboot the franchise with 2013’s DMC: Devil May Cry.
Devil May Cry 5 will release in Spring 2019.
Exclusive: Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course
With the massive success of Cuphead, they show off a trailer announcing a new DLC called The Delicious Last Course featuring Cuphead and Mugman along with a new playable character, Ms. Chalice. The DLC will have new bosses, new weapons and new charms.
It will be available on Xbox One, Windows 10 and Steam in 2019.
Exclusive: Tunic
Developed by a single person from Halifax, Nova Scotia, this cute little fox we first saw last year at the PC Gaming Conference and while certainly bringing back memories of the Legend of Zelda, this colourful title unquestionably looks impressive and one we are keen to play for ourselves.
World Premiere: Jump Force
Produced by Bandai Namco and bringing together characters from Dragonball, One Piece, Naruto and most excitingly Death Note, this heavily stylised brawler certainly has plenty of flash and style. While we might have only seen a few familiar favourites, it’s worth considering the size of the roster the last time, these characters were brought together for J-Stars Victory VS it would be a safe bet to expect a larger roster to be confirmed before the games release next year.
World Premiere: Dying Light 2
Once more utilising a fluid parkour movement system, this time we get a rather unique post-apocalyptic vision as the world takes place in a modern dark ages but also a world where your choices can change the functioning ecosystem as demonstrated in the gameplay trailer and which actually makes a difference and with hundreds of choices each players experience with the game has the potential of being their own individual one.
Exclusive World Premiere: BattleToads
A favourite of the RARE collection, we didn’t see much from the trailer bar a bunch of statements about what this new version of the game will bring such as 3 player couch co-op and hand drawn graphics but no doubt any mention of the return of the Battletoads will have the fans excited even if they have to wait until 2019 to play it.
World Premiere: Just Cause 4
Having finally nailed it with the last game the return of Rico was inevitable and with the addition of natural disasters such as a tornado which plays a prominent role in the trailer it seems we are in for an even more insane experience than we have seen from the series already.
Developed by Avalanche Games, newly acquired by Nordisk Film the game looks set to give us more of the same as you reduce most of your surrounding to rubble and find ever more inventive ways to misbehave with what already seems like an impressive collection of military hardware and civilian vehicles.
Just Cause 4 is due out on December 4, 2018.
World Premiere: Gears Pop!
While some people may still deny that mobile gaming is considered actual gaming, Microsoft seems to encourage it as they bring their exclusive title into the mobile market while pairing it up with the popular collectibles company, Funko for an upcoming 2019 title called Gears Pop! Which will be released on iOS and Android.
Gears Tactics
What Xbox conference would be complete without teasing another Gears of War universe title. This time, Gears of War takes on the turned-based strategy genre setting upcoming Gears Tactics 12 years before the first Gears of War. There was only a pre-alpha snippet and very little details but it’ll be interesting to see their approach of this genre especially since this genre has recently seen some outstanding titles like X-COM and of course, Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle.
Gears of War 5
Much like with Halo, there has been a fair amount of naysayers about the prospect of a new Gears of War title but judging from the massive pop the announcement got, it would seem those people weren’t in this gathered crowd.
Boasting the largest world to date as the war to save humanity takes place this time on two separate fronts while also set 10 years before the first game. The cinematic trailer certainly hints at an exciting and darker storyline as the world and action only continues to get all the more epic.
World Premiere: Cyberpunk 2077
Just when you thought that Phil Spencer was wrapping up the E3 2018 Briefing, a hack-like screen comes up and loads up another trailer for Cyberpunk 2077 a game which many have been waiting for since it was teased several e3’s ago and had been heavily rumoured to appear at the show so its surprise appearance at the end was a perfect way to wrap up a fantastic showcase.
Sure we might not be any more clued in on how the game will play, but from the cinematic trailer we certainly got a feel for this junk future. As part of the trailer codes flashed across the screen which we have been told are marketplace codes, but so far any time we’ve attempted to use them it has failed despite reports from the internet claiming it unlocked copies of the Witcher 3.
Certainly an exciting conference more so when compared to last night’s EA Play with Microsoft keen to prove that they are still a contender as like last year this came out swinging tonight, while leaving us now wishing we had a bigger bank account!!
What are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comments section below and check back for further coverage of all the conferences and announcement from this year’s E3.
Check out our coverage of the EA conference here: EA Play