The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2018 is the 24th Electronic Entertainment Expo, during which hardware manufacturers, software developers, and publishers from the video game industry
Much like last year, the developers took on hosting duties again as Aisha Taylor was absent once more, leaving you to make your own #Girlwood cracks. Still the Ubisoft conference is always a highlight of E3 mainly because of it’s party atmosphere and this was certainly established by this years kick off from Just Dance who treated us to the yearly dance party which it’s become tradition to launch each new edition of the game with. Still, with a dancing panda leading the precession of dancers and marching band for the 2019 (coming in October) it’s hard to fault. Let’s look at the line up!
Beyond Good & Evil 2
For those who’ve been complaining about the differences between the original and this prequel got something to keep them happy with the return of Page as the ship’s cook. Of course another cinematic trailer and the continued development of the new edgy style no doubt will still draw complaints that it’s not enough like the original before we got re-introduced to the original game’s lead Jade!
The cinematics unquestionably look stunning while the gameplay is still in the pre-alpha stage however already looks great, while the production team are also calling upon the fan / creative community to add their own content to the game through Joseph Gordon Levitt’s HitRecord platform.
Check out our podcast review of the first game Beyond Good & Evil here.
Rainbow Six Siege: Another Mindset
As with any of these multiplayer communities, Rainbow Six Siege got its community developer on stage to share the triumphant tally of 35 million players to date. Most importantly, to highlight the important and love of esports and what it brings to its fans, the big announcement here is an upcoming Rainbox Six Siege documentary called Another Mindset, which will no doubt be interesting for those who like their esports especially to see some of their favorite esport players and their journey to success in this world. It will receive its release at Six Major Paris between August 13th to 19th, 2018.
Trials Rising
Creative director of Ubisoft Redlynx Antti Ilvessuo was on hand to provide a suitably comedic presentation while sporting the kind of accent that makes us want to hire him to provide guided tours or just be the voice of our SatNav.
Trials has always been a fun title since it made its debut on the 360 and this latest addition promises to be bigger and more insane than before as certainly highlighted in the trailer, while the crash reel only promised more of the insane crashes and fails we have come to expect from this series. You can register for the closed beta now at trialsgame.com. The game will launch on February 2019.
The Division 2
The original The Division was a favourite of ours and with the sequel moving the action from the snow covered streets of New York to Washington D.C. where society is attempting to rebuild itself this certainly is an interesting chance for the sequel and alongside the footage we saw at the Microsoft conference, a title we are certainly excited to get our hands on to see what this new city scape has to offer.
Offering three different character types in the sharpshooter, demolitionist and survivalist who will also have their own specialised skills and equipment alongside a signature weapon. As you progress, you will be able to unlock new equipment and skills to complement your playstyle.
Raids and 8 player teams have been added to the game, as the development team are keen to emphasise that they have learned from the first game with plenty of additional content to be added to the game with Year one including 3 dlc packs free of charge which will add to the world.
The Division 2 will launch March 15, 2019.
Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle Donkey Kong Adventure
A surprise favourite from last year and arguably the title which made us all want to buy a Nintendo Switch, this XCOM style title now gets a new adventure and the addition of Donkey Kong to its roster which here was introduced by a musical interlude from Critical Hit while the samurai style end pose just nailed it perfectly!
This DLC will be available June 26, 2018.
Skull and Bones
Another favourite from last year only to be pushed back to 2019, this pirating simulation will no doubt appeal to those who loved the sailing portions of Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag as you set out to stake your claim on the trade routes of the Indian ocean.
Offering a reactive and revolving world complete with dynamic weather which will affect how the world with good weather bringing an increase of ships to loot but also rival pirates. Certainly from the gameplay trailer this promises to be a rich and immersive world.
Transference
Elijah Wood has of late really been making some interesting horror projects while founding his production company Spectrevision which have now teamed up with Ubisoft for their debut game which sees you switching between the perspectives of various family members to solve the mystery.
Thankfully available on both VR and traditional platforms, this highly atmospheric title will no doubt appeal to fans of Outlast and we certainly look forward to seeing more details on the game before its release in Fall 2018.
Starlink: Battle for Atlas
While we still wait for a new Star Fox title, this looks set to certainly fill the hole, especially with Fox McCloud and his arwing set to make an appearance in the game as an exclusive for the Nintendo Switch thanks to the relationship established by Ubisoft with Nintendo which here saw them honor Star Fox creator Shigeru Miyamoto with a model of Fox’s ship.
Launching on October 16, 2018, this unique blend of gaming and toys is certainly a unique title and one which really looks set to be the next evolution in this sub-genre of gaming.
For Honor: Marching Fire
A title which continues to go from strength to strength thanks to regular updates and a dedicated fanbase. Now the world is set to grow even more with the addition of a fourth army with the Chinese Wulin warriors joining the established Vikings, Samurai and Knights. This DLC will also include the much requested 4 v 4 castle siege.
DLC available on October 16, 2018 while PC gamers can get the base game for free via Uplay until June 18th.
The Crew 2
Offering an epic racing sandbox in which you get to race on land, sea and air, this sequel to the problematic original looks set to really shake up the arcade racing scene, especially if the beta we played is anything to go off. Check out our closed beta impressions of The Crew 2 here.
Fear not, The Crew 2 will have its open beta launch on June 21st and if you are eager to jump in the first moment it is available, you can preload it right now.
Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey
Unquestionably one of the most anticipated titles of E3, here the game follows on from last years Origins as the story moves to Ancient Greece and the golden age of Athens. Here you will start as a simple mercenary as your quest takes you on an odyssey shaped by your choices and actions.
It’s especially exciting to finally see the option to start as a female character as you choose between playing as either Alexios or Kassandra and it’s great to see Assassin’s Creed joining the likes of Battlefield V in pushing female characters in their games. Of course there is the concern over them falling back into yearly releases but this this title certainly seems to make the most of this exciting new setting as seen with the gameplay showcased here.
Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey will be out on October 5, 2018.
Overall, Ubisoft has delivered a fantastic showcase of titles and certainly what E3 needed. Certainly Ubisoft have another packed roster of games to look forward to for the year ahead, making not only 2018 full of games to look forward to but also moving into the next year as well.
What are you most excited for? Let us know in the comments section below.