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This year's E3 was exciting for many reasons: CD Projekt Red finally unveiled Cyperpunk 2077, a game we've waited years to see in action. Nintendo let Super Smash Bros. Ultimate loose, which comes out in just a few short months and will launch with every playable character from every previous Smash game.
Not one to disappoint, Bethesda finally confirmed two games that have only existed as rumors until now: The Elder Scrolls 6 and Starfield. Oh yeah, and they revealed a little game called Fallout 76. That's a lot to be excited about, but it's really just scratching the surface of this year's highlights.
But wait, what about those other big games we know are coming that didn't appear at the show? I'm sure there's one or two you have in mind, but there were a surprising number of absentees, and by golly, we want to call them out. We're not mad, we're just disappointed.
So rather than be too sad about what didn't make it to the show, give a shout out below to your favorite game that did make an appearance at E3. And if you missed out on all the great announcements, and sure, the weird ones too, head over to our E3 hub to catch up on everything you missed.
Red Dead Redemption 2
At the top of our list of the biggest games missing from E3 2018, we have to mention Red Dead Redemption 2. Now Rockstar Games isn't one to make a huge show of its wares at conventions outside of giving platform holders an exclusive trailer, but with the long-awaited Red Dead sequel on the horizon it was a bit surprising that it didn't appear in either Sony's or Microsoft's press conference. We already know a bit about the game's setting and characters, but assuming its scope is as massive as we all believe it to be, surely there's something new Rockstar could have shared to keep the hype train a-rollin'. Alas, we'll have to wait a bit longer it seems, perhaps until the game releases this October.
Metroid Prime 4
Next on our list is a big game from Nintendo that we know practically nothing about. Metroid Prime 4 was revealed at E3 2017 with a simple logo and nothing else. Nintendo has been pretty quiet about the game since then, only revealing the producer, Kensuke Tanabe, and that he is leading a new team on the project. That means the original Metroid Prime team at Retro Studios is out of the picture, but who has taken their place is anyone's guess. Nintendo likely didn't discuss Metroid Prime 4 as it tends to focus on games coming out within the current calendar year, which puts Samus' next adventure further down the line in 2019, or potentially 2020.
Bayonetta 3
Nintendo's not off the hook yet; no, not even close! The recent release of Bayonetta 1 and 2 on Switch proved that people are still hungry for the over-the-top off-beat series from Platinum Games. We know Bayonetta 3 is coming thanks to the teaser trailer Nintendo showed off at last year's Game Awards, but aside from small esoteric hints buried within that video, we're left with more questions than answers. When will it come out? Who knows! As with Metroid, Nintendo is likely staying quiet on the game because it's still a ways off.
Pokemon For Nintendo Switch
Before we give Nintendo a break, it's worth reflecting on all of the Pokemon news it announced just before E3. Pokemon: Let's Go! Pikachu and Let's Go! Eevee are two new Pokemon games coming to Switch. Their integration with the Pokemon Go mobile game sounds pretty nifty, too, as is the Poke Ball Plus controller that players can use to simulate catching Pokemon. People will no doubt eat up the Let's Go Switch games, but the series' biggest fans are only mildly satisfied by this news. Where is fresh info on the new, mainline, massive, world-shattering Switch Pokemon game that Nintendo announced last year? Why wasn't it at this year's E3? Well, that's a good question. All we learned in recent weeks is that the game is coming in the second half of 2019. There's no gameplay footage, no screenshots--heck, not even a title to rattle around our brains for now. Whether by accident or by design, Nintendo once again has our imaginations running wild.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake
With Nintendo out of the way, I've got a bone to pick with Square Enix. That's right, you: the publisher who proudly announced the remake of Final Fantasy VII years ago. You, the gatekeeper to my nerdy hopes and dreams of one day ascending the ranks of the chocobo racing league in the Golden Saucer in glorious 4K. I know you've had some difficulties working with outside partners, and I know this is a hugely ambitious undertaking overshadowed by unreasonable demands from fans like me, but give me something to work with! A lot of people are beginning to doubt this game will ever come out, and after Final Fantasy XV's ten-year development cycle, can you blame them? Prove them wrong, and give me a reason to believe this will be great!
"The Avengers Project"
At the start of 2017, Square Enix and Marvel announced a multi-game project, and thanks to the eagle-eyed user Nirolak over at NeoGAF, it seems job listings suggest the first game will be an online, third-person Avengers game. Or at least, a third-person action game with an online component. It's hard to say too much with any certainty right now, but you'd think Square Enix would have had something to say at E3, 18 months after the initial announcement, but, you'd be wrong. Studio Crystal Dynamics is definitely working on the game, and given the team's incredible work reinventing Lara Croft in recent years, we can't wait to see what they do with the Avengers to make their game stand out from the influx of Marvel Studios films.
Shenmue 3
During the same Sony press conference where Square Enix announced the Final Fantasy VII remake, we also learned that the long-awaited Shenmue 3 was on the way from Sega legend Yu Suzuki. The bits and pieces of news that have surfaced over the years have been a bit underwhelming, but the team's regular Kickstarter updates have us feeling hopeful that the game is getting the attention it deserves. Regardless, it was yet another game missing from this year's E3, much to the disappointment of forklift fans everywhere.
Psychonauts 2
Tim Schafer has had a long and illustrious career in games, with the original Psychonauts being one of his most-lauded creations. It was no surprise then when Psychonauts 2 raised $3.8 million in funding back in 2015. It was, however, a bit disappointing when it was revealed in late 2017 that the game wouldn't make its proposed 2018 release window. That's OK, games are delayed so they can be improved, right? Still, I would be lying if I said I expected Psychonauts 2 to skip out on E3 this year. I still have faith in Tim and everyone else at Double Fine Productions, but their presence was notably missed.
Biomutant & Darksiders III
The last two games on our list, Biomutant and Darksiders III, are, let's say, partners in crime. Both games are being published by THQ Nordic, and both have earned a lot of excitement from the gaming audience since their announcements last year. It seemed only natural that we'd find out more during E3. That is, unless, you are a die-hard soccer...AHEM...football fan. In that case, THQ's reasoning for skipping out on the show is completely understandable: the World Cup. In its own words:
"It is with great regret that we at THQ Nordic must report that we will be unable to miss a single moment of this great sporting event. Therefore, we will be forced to stay in our lovely Viennese beer gardens, blowing the froth off a couple, watching football and one or two cool press conferences on Twitch instead of rocking it ourselves."
You know what? Bravo THQ. Why should us players be the only ones who have fun?
Assuming everything is on the up and up for these various projects, we'll surely hear more about them in the months to come with Comic Con, Gamescom, and various PAX events on the horizon.
By Anonymous on Jun 23, 2018 08:30 pm Preacher's Jesse Custer has an extremely unique, traumatizing and violent past. Don't believe us? Take a look at his comic book origins as you prepare for Season 3 of Preacher on AMC.
During a visit to Ubisoft Quebec, we had the opportunity to play the upcoming Assassin's Creed Odyssey for about five hours. It was a small slice of the huge open world of Ancient Greece, set in 431 BC during the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta. We spent that time on the Delos Islands completing side quests, leading a rebellion, and engaging in many of the RPG elements that are new to the franchise. Dialogue options aren't the only thing that are new, as facing the consequences of your choices was very much part of the demo. You can read about our experience in an in-depth preview of Assassin's Creed Odyssey and how RPG elements seem to make it a better game.
In addition to getting our hands on an early build, we had the chance to talk with Assassin's Creed Odyssey's director Scott Phillips. The following interview digs into the inspiration for the new direction, what players can expect throughout the story, and how the team is working in the rich history of this time period.
For more on Assassin's Creed Odyssey, be sure to check out our breakdown of the six biggest changes for this entry. If you want to see more of the game in action, we have a bunch of gameplay videos that show off ship combat, dialogue sequences, and large-scale battles.
GameSpot: The first thing that struck me when playing the game is the heavier RPG elements. How was that decision made and what other games did you draw inspiration from? Where did that start?
Scott Phillips: It was early on, three years ago, we were coming to the end of Syndicate. When talking about what Assassin's Creed Odyssey should be, we asked where do we want Assassin's Creed to go, what does it need to evolve into? We talked with the Assassin's Creed Origins team to see what they were doing. We both had the same sort of idea of where the series should go--RPG choice, we wanted to push it forward. We knew Origins was doing some of those things, but for us, we had the time to really go even further to focus on the two characters, Alexios and Kassandra, to focus on choice within the stories and within the dialogue, to give you special abilities, to build your own play style.
In terms of inspiration, I play a lot of RPGs and I would say open-world is my favorite genre. The RPG is something [that] fits together super, super well. And I play everything that comes out; games like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and obviously Assassin's Creed Origins. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Fallout, those two are probably some of my favorite[s]. And if you look at those games, they give players a lot of options. For us, that was what we wanted to push Assassin's Creed as a franchise into: more choice for the player.
This is the first Assassin's Creed that's moved into branching dialogue and consequences for your choices. In the playable demo, decisions were made, side quests were completed, and two hours down the line, the consequences play out. The end product of the decision wasn't clear right away. How hard is it to keep it cohesive?
It's super hard, I've got to say. There's no other way to put it. We try to think of every consequence that can happen. We write all those, we move forward with structuring the quests and all of the quests that could be impacted in a way that'll work. Then we play it a lot and ask ourselves, what did we miss? What doesn't connect? What doesn't pay off well enough?
Something we had a while ago and tried was including a sort of the Telltale-style "your choice will have an impact" notification afterward. Ultimately we felt that the player is better off making those connections themselves and we didn't want to put too much in their face. We wanted the feeling of, "Oh, wow, that thing I did back then..." or when they talk to someone else and say, "Oh, I had no idea that those connections were made." We felt after play tests that it was the stronger way to go rather than being in the player's face with the decisions being made.
Male protagonist Alexios speaking with Socrates, one of the many ways Odyssey incorporates Greek history.
Assassin's Creed always told a contained story within history. But choices seem to play out in the larger, main narrative. Is there going to be bigger payoffs or consequences of larger scale, maybe multiple endings? How much can you change the world and how much will it be reflected in the world as the game goes on?
We have to make decisions about how big are we going to go with certain choices. Obviously, we want some to have massive changes to the story, but we have mid-scale changes and small changes. Some parts of side quests can impact the main quest: who appears, who's around you, who's dead, who's alive, who you're friends with, who hates you. Those sorts of things all sort of feed into both the main story, and all of the side stories, and in the world itself because the world is constantly changing. The mercenaries that are alive in your playthrough, I may never see in mine or maybe I killed them in my playthrough. The leaders can also be different. So, there's a lot of activity and change and when players talk to each other about what their experience was, or some great fight they had with this mercenary, or the choice they made in that quest, it's going to be a very different experience for each player.
I love the Mass Effect series, but with Paragon/Renegade, I know straight up if my decision is good or bad. But we've also had games like The Witcher 3 that just give you options, and who knows how they'll pay off in the end. From the slice we played, it seems Odyssey is going the latter route.
Making the game morally gray and not black-and-white was important to us. We didn't want it to be like past games where you're not forced to not kill civilians, as a simple example. The Creed doesn't exist for your player character in terms of restricting you from doing that. That's your choice. But we're going to impact the player, we're going to show you that it means something in the game world. And it's going to give you feedback, you're going to feel those choices you've made in small-scale and in these large-scale choices across the game.
Do you want to encourage players to do more side stuff, especially those who tend to mainline games? Do you kind of accept that they might be missing out on some really good story bits and narrative arcs?
Yeah, I think the easiest example is if you look at our E3 demo, you don't have to play any of that. That's all side content in the main game, and that's true throughout huge parts of the game. We want you to do that, we think you will enjoy it. And as balance between players that want to rush the game and players that want to complete every single piece is a challenge for us, because we want both play styles to be valid and work well. In an RPG, making sure that the player who does 100% of the content and that player who does only what they want, we want both to have a good experience. Balance for both player types is something that RPGs have struggled with quite a bit. I think we have a very good progression system, a very good way of balancing the game that makes it so everyone, no matter what they do, is going to have a great time.
Character relationships are a new thing, along with choice-based dialogue, of course. For example, I tried romancing Kyra but it didn't work out. How deep are relationships going to go and how impactful are those relationships?
It depends on the character. I would say Kyra is a mid-level romance to put it in a weird way. There are some side characters, and other characters where it's a shorter thing, but you can still recruit people to be on your ship crew. And with some of these romanceable characters, you can recruit them to be on your ship and with you for the rest of your journey, or you can never see them again. It's sort of your choice. There's also family relationships which you'll make decisions about, and will impact, ultimately, who's around or who's there for help as you get further in the game. You'll see a lot of variation based on the way you've played the game.
With choice-based dialogue, there are many directions it can go. But it's all contained in Greek mythology and the Ancient Greek historical time period. How do you balance between using history and creative freedom? Are we still going to have that rich, historical backdrop along with the story that you're trying to tell as well?
It's fun. It's always a back-and-forth of how far can we push it: when do we need to focus more on Greek history, when do we need to focus more on Assassin's Creed lore, and when do we need to just give the player something really cool to do? We're constantly making those choices. On a small scale, it's things like how buildings and structures look. We maintain historical accuracy, but some of our statues are way bigger than they would've been in this time period. Or the look of Sparta in our game is more grandiose than what Sparta actually was, because the Spartans, the Laconians, were very minimalistic. They focused solely on war; they didn't try to build big statues. But we wanted Sparta to be this awesome, amazing, epic-looking Greek location, and we had to push it forward.
Skyrim, Fallout, those two are probably some of my favorite[s]. And if you look at those games, they give players a lot of options. For us, that was what we wanted to push Assassin's Creed as a franchise into: more choice for the player.
When it comes to ships, there are simple things about how the triremes would have to be pulled out of the water to avoid getting waterlogged and sinking. Obviously, we're not going to do that. But we also need to make decisions about ramming, shooting javelins, and firing arrows; how far are we going to push it? Did they have catapults? Did catapults exist at that time? Well, sort of. It's always a fine line, and we're pushing and pulling, and trying to make sure that we're true to both the vision we want to have for a game in 2018 and what this period of time would've looked like.
When you meet with Socrates, you have discussions of philosophy. You meet with Hippocrates, who's the father of medicine. You talk to Herodotus, who's the father of modern history. You engage with these characters and develop details about what their thought processes were, and you affect it as well. But then you also argue with Socrates even as you have him as an ally. So, it's a constant battle between too little and too much. And I think we found a really good balance, especially with the mythology of Ancient Greece. It's a super deep, awesome mythology of legends and gods with the mixture of history. And it's also Assassin's Creed, which has a ton of characters with names from the first civilization that come from Ancient Greece, and they're coming from that sort of lore. We had a good backdrop to sort of mix the two. I don't want to spoil stuff, but there are a lot of really cool ways that pays off. If you really engage in the game, there's some really amazing stuff that ties it all together.
As for the modern day storyline, are any of the RPG elements going to play into the modern day storytelling?
So, there is definitely modern day gameplay with Layla Hassan, but I don't want to go into that just yet.
Origins was big in terms of scope, and this game seems big, too. How do you answer those worried about series fatigue? Even though there's a lot of new stuff, they might just not be in the mood for another huge open world.
We've worked on the game for three years, and in terms of what we've done, we put in a huge amount of effort. We had a big team for that period of time. We focused on making this huge, huge game. I think fans will really see, when they play it, that what we brought is something new and fresh to Assassin's Creed with choice, with RPG elements. And I think it is and will be one of the favorite Assassin's Creed games.
This year's E3 was packed with games that immediately captured our attention. Whether it was CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077, EA's showcase of Anthem and Battlefield V, Sony's impressive demos for Ghost of Tsushima and Spider-Man, or the reveal of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's massive roster--there was definitely a lot to take in, leaving little room to properly digest some of the more lesser-known games. We at GameSpot explored the E3 show floor and its surrounding events, playing a number of different games coming to PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
In this gallery, we've compiled a list of some of the most interesting games from E3 2018 that didn't get enough attention, many of which are releasing sooner than you think. In addition to experiencing the likes of Annapurna Interactive's Ashen and Donut County, Avalanche Studios' Generation Zero, and the recently announced Killer Queen Black for Switch at E3 convention center, we also saw many games from the Indie Mix event. At these smaller events, many indie developers, like Double Fine Entertainment and Team17, show off their upcoming games.
In many cases, all you need to stand out is a creative idea and the skillset to see it through, and these games made their presence known alongside the most talked-about games of E3 2018. While many of these games possess that familiar indie charm, they each have their own particular hook to them. Some focus on quirky adventures that have retro-inspired aesthetics and gameplay, while others go for a more somber or action-oriented experience. Here are 21 games you may have missed out on during the gaming industry's big show.
For more info on some of the most noteworthy games of E3 2018, be sure to visit GameSpot's E3 hub page for all of our content on this year's show and to see what's coming up next in gaming.
Ashen (PC, Xbox One)
After playing through From Software's Soulsborne titles, I developed an incessant itch for more video games that promise challenging combat and use a stamina system to weigh the risks of attacking or defending. Ashen is just the scratch I needed.
In Ashen, players take on the role of a faceless warrior who's looking for a home but finds death instead. Dying isn't the end, though, as this hero is resurrected each time they're killed. Good thing too, because you'll face off against some fierce enemies and challenging bosses on your journey. The second-to-last boss crushed me almost immediately on my first attempt. I got him to half health in a follow-up fight that lasted nearly 10 minutes before he killed me again.
Ashen's story is focused on forging connections, both with NPCs and other players. Plenty of NPC humans dot the snaking map, each offering opportunities to pursue either professional or personal relationships. Several of these characters come with their own fascinating questlines, too. Players can also enter others' games, but it's always to assist, not to invade. Certain areas of Ashen's world can only be reached with a companion, so jolly cooperation is vital to discovering every hidden secret. | Jordan Ramee
Arca's Path (PC, and PS4)
There is a definite gap in the market for relaxing video games. There are some, of course--Rymdkapsel, Journey, and Monument Valley are three that come to mind for me--but they're still few and far between. Arca's Path aims to change that; it's a VR-only pseudo-platformer, and the main emotion it evoked inside me was pure mere relaxation.
No controller is used in Arca's Path outside of your own head; you simply stare at where you want your ball to roll to, and it moves in that direction. Simple obstacles such as ramps and narrow gaps stand in your way, but they're there more for visual variety than for any meaningful challenge. A zen soundtrack and beautiful shapes and colors make this slow-paced game as soothing as it is attractive, and I look forward to playing more. No release date has yet been announced, but we know it's coming to PSVR, Oculus Rift, and Steam VR. | Oscar Dayus
Donut County (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
Donut County is a solo project from developer Ben Esposito, who worked on What Remains of Edith Finch and The Unfinished Swan. It has a different tone from some of his previous work--Donut County is full of smartly used internet humor and stars a cheeky, morally gray raccoon whose favorite app wreaks havoc on a town.
Thanks to this app, you're able to control a hole in the ground that grows as you get more to fall inside of it. You start small with grass and pebbles and work your way up to cars, buildings, and even mountains, all while solving puzzles so you can get everything in the area into the hole. Each level shows how different objects or characters ended up underground, and they're broken up by funny scenes of those characters arguing about the events in the present.
Playing as a hole sounds really silly, but in practice it's meditative and relaxing. It's essentially a game about cleaning up a bunch of garbage, at least from a gameplay standpoint, but thematically it's about consequence and becoming aware of how your actions affect other people. I played an hour of the Donut County at E3, and I can't wait to play it all the way through and see how everything comes together. | Kallie Plagge
The Endless Mission (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
Developer E-Line Media entered the public eye with Never Alone, a contemplative puzzle-platformer inspired by Alaska Native culture. The studio's latest project, however, is something radically different. The Endless Mission is a sandbox creation game that bears more similarities to Media Molecule's enigmatic Dreams than to E-Line's previous effort, and its ambitious premise makes it one of the most intriguing games we got to see at E3.
Broadly speaking, The Endless Mission allows players to mash together elements of different genres to create new experiences. For instance, players can take the avatar from a 3D platformer and insert it into a racing game, then use that avatar to race on foot against the other vehicles. What's especially neat is that combining these disparate elements will cause other aspects of the game to change accordingly, so that regardless of which elements and genres you mash up, the game will still be playable. In the aforementioned example, adding an avatar to a racing game causes boxcars to appear around the course, which players can hop between to reach the finish line.
That's only one of the possible combinations afforded by The Endless Mission. The game puts a suite of different genres, elements, and other tools at players' disposal, with even more planned for the title as development progresses. Those who are so inclined will even be able to tinker with the code, although no coding experience is necessary to make use of its tools. The Endless Mission enters Early Access on Steam this fall, with a full release planned for next year. | Kevin Knezevic
Generation Zero (PC, Xbox One)
Avalanche Studios' Generation Zero wants you to feel outmatched and equally unnerved in its large open world. Set in an isolated region in rural Sweden during the late 1980s, you find many of the residents dead or missing, and the only things left are swarms of killer robots that lurk in the dense forests and fog. In this open-world survival game set during the early period of the robopocalypse, you and your group of survivors will have to scrape together resources from buildings and fallen enemies in order to stand a chance against the machines in the area.
The many items you'll find include weapons, clothing options, support items, and even scavenged robot parts that can boost your weapons' effectiveness. You'll initially encounter small runner bots, but over time, your group will come across bigger threats lurking throughout the world--which includes giant robot walkers that stand several stories tall. While you can play solo, the developers recommended playing through the game with friends, as many of the high-end challenges look to be quite overwhelming.
Coming to PC, PS4, and Xbox One in 2019, Generation Zero seems to be an open-world survival game of a different flavor, focusing more on mystery and the errieness of its setting, which is definitely a welcome change of pace. With an atmosphere that recalls moments from Black Mirror's Metal Head episode, exploring what's left of the land will be just as challenging as trying to survive in it. | Alessandro Fillari
GTFO (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
GTFO handles a lot like Rainbow Six Siege, albeit with a horrifying twist. Each member of the squad outfits themselves with both a primary and secondary firearm, as well as a custom tool and melee weapon. Then, the elevator drops your team off at the mission location, where you can practically feel the tension in the air. It's really dark and eerily quiet, except for the occasional gurgle reminding your squad that they're not alone.
GTFO never holds your hand as you and your team desperately try to escape its monster-infested corridors. The creatures hunt by sound, so running and gunning is a terrible idea. To keep the horde off your back, you'll have to be stealthy.
You'll still die a lot, though. Both health and ammo are incredibly scarce, and mistakes are swiftly punished. The custom tools, ranging from explosive trip wires to a glue gun that can slow down enemies or plug breached doors, offer plenty of creative ways of handling the threats in front of you, but solid teamwork is ultimately the best weapon in your arsenal. Be sure to grab three friends you can trust. | Jordan Ramee
Indivisible (PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One)
The next project from the studio behind Skullgirls is shaping up to be a lovely new take on the classic Metroidvania genre. Titled Indivisible, the game follows the story of Ajna. She and her father live just outside a quiet little town, but when mysterious powers awaken within her, she must embark on a journey to discover the truth behind them.
Indivisible combines Metroid-style exploration with the combat system of cult classic RPG Valkyrie Profile. The combination sounds simple on paper, but Lab Zero Games tackles the formula with skill and finesse. Battles sport the nuance and complexity of a fighting game; each character in your party features their own unique attack and abilities, which you need to control quickly and efficiently. During my brief hands-on time with the game, it was a lot to take in. But when I got a knack for how to input and link together combos, I was instantly enamored by the possibilities.
Before I played Indivisible, I had my eyes on it mostly because of its beautiful art style. But now that I've played it, I'm very excited to jump back in to explore its world and unlock the full potential of the devastating attack chains packed into its combat system. | Matt Espineli
KIDS (Mobile, PC)
Discussion of "games as art" has become trite to the point of comedy, but clearly some games are more overtly reminiscent of other art forms than others. KIDS, from Swiss developer Playables, wears its arthouse minimalism on its sleeve.
The monochromatic palette is striking, consisting of white silhouettes with black outlines on a white background. Interactivity is relatively subtle and minimalist as well. In one vignette, touching one of the figures may make them move. In another, it could make them point their finger at another anonymous figure. It feels like KIDS would be at home in as an interactive piece in a gallery space. The simple mechanics are used to illustrate different group dynamics: following a leader, shifting blame, being part of a mob. Every vignette shown so far ends the same way: the group plunges itself, lemming-like, into a pit.
A mobile release promises a tactile feeling to manipulating the mannequins, but the point comes across well enough on PC as well. This is bound to be the sort of game that inspires debate over "games versus experiences," given its linear interactivity and lack of a fail-state. Whatever it is, KIDS invites exploration and curiosity. | Steve Watts
Killer Queen Black (Switch)
Beneath its retro-style visuals and deceptively simple premise, Killer Queen Black is an intense and fast-paced game of strategy and coordination. A remake of the Killer Queen arcade game, Black has undergone a few notable changes in its move to Switch and PC, particularly in the number of players it supports (4v4 rather than 5v5 as in the arcade), but the competitive essence of the original remains very much intact.
Each contest in Killer Queen Black pits the two teams against each other with three ways to win. You can either collect enough orbs to fill up your team's hive, eliminate the opposing team's queen three times, or ride the snail that's slowly crawling along the bottom of the arena from one end of the screen to the other to secure a victory. On paper, each of the victory conditions sounds simple enough to complete, but it's much more difficult in practice with both teams vying to achieve the same goals.
As such, success in Killer Queen Black hinges upon planning and coordination between the entire team. For example, two players can act as decoys, collecting orbs while another tries to stealthily ride the snail to victory. Alternatively, players can take a more offensive approach and focus on eliminating the opposing queen, although that leaves open the possibility the other team could fill up their hive. With both local and online multiplayer support, Killer Queen Black looks like it'll make for a hectic party game when it releases early next year. | Kevin Knezevic
Knights And Bikes (PC)
Whether played solo or co-op, Knights and Bikes puts players in the role of two pre-teen girls, Nessa and Demelza, who are adventuring across a British isle during the 1980s. The only town on the island has seen better days, but the girls don't notice until the economic downturn begins to affect Nessa's family. They'll need to be brave to save the town. They'll need bikes too.
Every aspect of this Secret of Mana-like RPG, from the gameplay to the story, is seen through the eyes of two adorable kids. Nessa splashes muddy puddles with a malicious glee, reimagining her rain boots as powerful weapons that send troublesome enemies scurrying away. Demelza attaches real value to the pieces of trash, squirming bugs, and random knick knacks she and Nessa collect, so she's very confused as to why the shopkeeper would prefer actual money when the girls try to buy a new bike.
I love how Knights and Bikes does such a phenomenal job at capturing what it's like to be a kid who's dealing with the injustices encountered while growing up. Although both Nessa and Demelza initially face their ever-more adult situation with ingenuity and wide-eyed-wonder, I immediately recognized the slow creep of reality beginning to warp their childlike innocence. It's a bittersweet part of life that all adults can remember to some extent. | Jordan Ramee
Ninjala (Switch)
Coming to Nintendo Switch, this game is going to find an audience with the same crowd that was enraptured by the colorful aesthetic of Splatoon 2. Ninjala is a goofy multiplayer-focused arena brawler where bubble gum-chewing ninjas fight it out in the streets of Tokyo with baseball bats. It's bizarre, hectic, absolutely absurd, and insanely fun.
Players choose one of eight different teenage ninjas, grab their weapon of choice, and head into the arena. Only the baseball bat was available when I played, but GungHo Online Entertainment promises a few of the other greyed-out options will be added by launch.
In the eight-person Battle Royale mode, players blow up the bubble gum they're chewing to various sizes before utilizing it to run up walls or float to the ground. Players need to reach inside the bubbles they blow to acquire their weapon. Doing so pops the bubble. The weapon's size depends on how large the bubble was before it popped. Players score points by attacking others and can earn extra points by charging up and delivering a massive knockout strike. Regardless of whether the attack connects or not, once you swing, your weapon is lost and you'll need to blow another bubble to get a replacement. To keep enemy ninjas from escaping while charging your attack, you can spit out your bubble gum to temporarily trap other players where they stand. Matches end in just a few minutes so it's easy to just jump into one more round. | Jordan Ramee
Ooblets (PC, Xbox One)
While Harvest Moon has continued ever-onward and Story of Seasons was a valiant attempt to rekindle the magic, it was Stardew Valley that really showcased the modern viability of the candy-coated farming life sim. Enter Ooblets, an adorable entry in the newly revitalized genre that blends in elements of Pokemon for good measure. It's an altogether sweet and endearing combination that will be hard to pass up.
While the loop of a farming sim is mercantile--buying seeds to sell crops to buy more seeds--Ooblets brings your plants to life as tiny companions with their own strengths and weaknesses. Other plant types make nourishment or special items for your fledgling creatures, and you can take them into battle. But this game is cute as a button in every aspect, so combat is handled through a dance competition. All of this is wrapped up in a charming art style and with cheeky writing. Ooblets is due on PC and Xbox One this year, and it's going to be a real life-eater--especially if it ever comes to Nintendo Switch. | Steve Watts
Pode (Switch)
Pode is a beautiful, soothing, adorable puzzle game about a rock helping an alien star find its way home. You can control both characters at once in single-player or play the whole game in co-op, helping the two characters interact in order to make your way through the gorgeous world.
"Pode" in Norwegian refers to the act of two plants joining together to become one; it's also a cute word used by Norwegian families when talking to or about their children. The two meanings tell you everything you need to know about this game's wholesome nature. It also contains an exquisite soundtrack from Journey and Assassin's Creed Syndicate composer Austin Wintory.
From what I played, Pode is shaping up to be a gorgeous and heartfelt experience, and I can't wait to play the full game on Nintendo Switch. | Oscar Dayus
Satisfactory (PC)
The next game from the creators of Goat Simulator is nothing like that wacky, over-the-top game. You play as an engineer who goes out into the world to find resources to create "Project Assembly," which is a machine with a "mysterious purpose." Satisfactory is a factory-building simulator presented from a first-person perspective, which is different in the building sim genre. The game bears visual similarities to No Man's Sky, but there is no procedural generation. There is just one big, big planet that is 30 square kilometers, and there is also multiplayer support and combat as well, which is new and unexpected for the building sim space. It's cool and exciting to see developers known for one thing do something completely unexpected. The game will launch with an alpha period, though no dates or details have been announced yet. | Eddie Makuch
Shadows: Awakening (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
At first glance, Shadows: Awakening can look like a traditional isometric single-player RPG, but it has some incredibly interesting gameplay dynamics that take it to the next level. You play as a demon who takes control of the souls of long-dead heroes. While you command those heroes to explore and battle in the land of the living, your demon who possesses them lives in the shadow world--you can instantly switch between the two parallel universes, something that's necessary to win certain battles, solve puzzles, and get the best loot.
Shadows: Awakening takes a lot of the fun and appeal of multiplayer online battle arena games and brings it to a single-player, story-driven RPG with real-time party combat. There are tons of characters to play, more than 120 skills with which to customize your party's abilities, and 70 locations to explore. The developers say they want to inspire adventure, encouraging players to explore both the land of the living and the shadow realm (and using the two together) to find the best loot and discover the secrets of the world they've created. It's an exciting prospect to see a party-based RPG of this scale with real-time combat, all in a single-player experience. | Patrick Faller
Strange Brigade (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
Strange Brigade is a co-op third-person shooter from Sniper Elite developer Rebellion. Set in 1930s Egypt, it has you raiding tombs and mowing down supernatural creatures--ghouls, zombies, and more gruesome monsters--using both standard-issue guns and an array of more inventive abilities. Slain enemies drop blue soul-like orbs that you collect to power your magical amulet, which can be equipped with deadly flamethrower and electricity powers. There's also numerous traps to trigger, such as spinning blades and spike pits, to aid you in your fight.
Strange Brigade lacks the polish of a AAA title, but there's something satisfying about being able to fry a dozen enemies in one go, and the game's bright, vaguely steampunky aesthetic and irreverent script help it stand out. It's coming to PS4, Xbox One, and PC on August 28, and I can't wait to see more. | Oscar Dayus
Transference (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
Transference is a new game from Lord of the Rings actor Elijah Wood's film company SpectreVision and Assassin's Creed publisher Ubisoft. A deeply unsettling game made for VR (but also playable on standard platforms), Transference tells the story of a father who uploads his consciousness and that of his wife and son to the cloud. Something goes wrong and the data gets corrupted. Things get weird from there. The game lets you play from each family member's perspective. What's most interesting is that you might start the game questioning one of the character's motivations and mindset, but when you play as the others, you begin to feel empathy for their situation. And this messes with your head in some surprising ways. Transference launches this fall for VR platforms, as well as Xbox One, PS4, and PC. | Eddie Makuch
Tunic (PC, Xbox One)
Tunic's appearance during Microsoft's Xbox press conference at E3 2018 tells you everything you need to know about this adorable adventure game. In a beautiful isometric world that evokes the best of The Legend of Zelda, you control a courageous fox on a grand adventure.
I was immediately drawn in by Tunic's astoundingly cute art style and graphics, not to mention its nostalgia-inducing soundtrack. But after playing it, I feel confident that it's going to deliver on the gameplay front as well. Tunic feels like classic Zelda, with a touch of things more modern, like the maneuverability of Hyper Light Drifter and the playfulness of Fez. Just look at the cryptic, unreadable text in the E3 trailer--whatever language that is, it's present within the game as well, and it makes actions as simple as picking up a sword feel fun and mysterious.
In development by Andrew Shouldice and presented by Finji, Tunic is set for an exclusive release on Xbox One and Windows PC. And it's one I can't wait to check out again. | Mike Rougeau
What The Golf? (PC)
Right from the beginning, you discover that What The Golf? isn't really about playing golf. In the opening level, where you line up a putt on the green, the character--not the ball--is immediately flung from their shooting position towards the goal. You move onto the next stage right after. Referred to as an "anti-golf game for people who hate golf" by its developers, What The Golf? is a bizarre yet oddly endearing take on the idea of golf, but heavily recontextualized throughout stages that take a very loose and sometimes very literal approach to what golfing is.
What The Golf? is, as strange as this sounds, a puzzle-golf game designed through the whimsical and stylized lense of Katamari Damacy. Whether driving a golf club down the fairway, guiding a soccer ball past a group of rowdy kids, or even relocating an entire house to another space, your goal is to simply get the object to the goal post. In stranger cases, you're controlling a mound of dirt and transporting it into a large hole in the shape of the number one--a literal hole in one--or controlling a character in a platforming game. And just when you think it couldn't get any weirder, it tosses in stages parodying other games like Super Mario Bros., Portal, and even Superhot--complete with time-bending gunplay.
Playing What The Golf? had me repeatedly scratching my head, but always in a good way. The stranger it got, the more I respected how far it went with its weirdness. Expected to release later this year on PC, this quirky and always bizarre puzzle-golfing game never ceased to surprise me with just how far off the deep end it went. | Alessandro Fillari
Where Cards Fall (Mobile, PC)
Where Cards Fall is an isometric puzzler that takes its title both figuratively and literally. The game ostensibly revolves around manipulating and resizing stacks of cards to create platforms that can be traversed, but beneath the surface, it tells the coming-of-age story of a high schooler coping with the pressures and uncertainty of adolescence.
While the aforementioned cards are primarily used to navigate through the game's levels, they aren't simply a means of solving puzzles; they also form the buildings that in-game characters live in. Splay a stack out long enough and it'll pop up into a house that you can enter. We only got a glimpse of this in our brief hands-on time with the game, but it's a novel concept that is expanded upon as players create different types of buildings and interact with their occupants.
The underlying gameplay in Where Cards Fall is also clever and satisfying. It begins simply enough, tasking you with moving a stack and expanding it until it's large enough to allow you to cross a gap, but it quickly introduces additional stacks that you must expand, jump on, and rearrange as you work your way through a level. Where Cards Fall doesn't yet have a release date, but the game is coming to iOS devices, PC via Steam, and Apple TV. | Kevin Knezevic
World War Z (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
Licensed video games might not be as popular or as prevalent as they once were, but Saber Interactive's zombie game based on the Brad Pitt movie World War Z looks promising. The four-player co-op game is set in the universe of the film but does not follow the film's story. Instead, it tells an entirely new narrative featuring four survivors who must band together to survive waves of zombies in a variety of environments, including the New York City train line and lush jungles. I played a 20-minute demo of one of the chapters and found the shooting tight and responsive. Additionally, the brutal melee attacks--I had a firefighter's axe--are a good way to clear out zombies when you get surrounded. And it feels satisfying. World War Z is due out in early 2019 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. | Eddie Makuch
E3 2018 has come and gone, and as promised, it featured a ton of announcements, trailers, and other exciting reveals. But while the show was dominated primarily by triple-A titles such as The Last of Us: Part II, Cyberpunk 2077, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, those certainly weren't the only interesting games we had an opportunity to see during the expo.
Amid the many press conferences, bombastic trailers, and lengthy gameplay demonstrations showcased during E3 were a number of clever, intriguing, and touching efforts from smaller and lesser-known studios that were easy to overlook in the general bustle of the show. Thanks to related events like Indie Mix, however, these titles got a chance to stand apart from the crowd and capture our attention with their unique ideas and distinctive styles.
Below, you can find gameplay videos of six interesting and unique indie games we got a chance to play during E3 2018, from the rougelike real-time strategy game Bad North to the bizarre What the Golf? and the emotional, cyberpunk-inspired narrative adventure Neo Cab. For a look at even more interesting titles you may not have heard of, be sure to check out our gallery of the 21 best games you may have missed from E3 2018.
Bad North
Bad North from developer Plausible Concept is a Viking-themed tactical game that blends together real-time strategy gameplay with rougelike elements. The title's charming art style belies its unforgiving nature, as any commander you lose during a skirmish is gone permanently. Bad North is slated to launch later this year for PC, consoles, and mobile.
Chasm
Bit Kid's Chasm is a sprawling side-scrolling adventure game set in a medieval fantasy world. Boasting a beautifully retro visual style and procedurally generated areas to explore, Chasm casts players in the role of a new recruit of the Guildean Kingdom, who embarks on a mission to discover why townspeople have begun disappearing. The game is coming later this year to PS4, PC, and Vita.
Darq
Darq is a psychological horror game about lucid dreaming. Developed by Unfold Games, the title follows the story of Lloyd, a young boy whose dream takes a dark turn. He must manipulate the logic of the dream world and use stealth to overcome obstacles, avoid horrific enemies, and survive the darkest corners of his subconscious. Darq will release for PC later this year, with a console release potentially following later.
Neo Cab
Neo Cab from developer Chance Agency is narrative game that casts players in the role of Lina, the last human driver in the cyberpunk-inspired city of Los Ojos. Lina's friend mysteriously vanishes, and it falls to players to maintain her driver rating--and livelihood--by deciding which passengers to pick up and how to interact with them while Lina searches for her friend's whereabouts. Neo Cab doesn't yet have a release date, but the game is in development for PC and Mac.
What the Golf?
Billed by developer Triband as a "golf game for people who hate golf," What the Golf? is a ridiculous, physics-based title that takes the basic idea behind the sport--hitting a ball into a hole--in a variety of outlandish directions. It begins like a standard game of golf, but soon players will find themselves smacking the ball into toasters, steering a car, and even putting a house. The game is coming later this summer to PC.
Where the Bees Make Honey
Where the Bees Make Honey is a beautiful isometric puzzle game reminiscent of Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker. Players must guide Sunny, a young girl dressed like a bee, around diorama-like worlds, which can be rotated to gain a different perspective and discover unseen objects. The game spans four seasons, each of which has its own puzzles, while its story unfolds through cutscenes that punctuate every world. Where the Bees Make Honey will release for PS4, Xbox One, and PC in early 2019.
By Anonymous on Jun 23, 2018 05:18 am Neo Cab is set in a cyberpunk future where few human drivers exist, and we got a look at some difficult decisions and story beats in our live E3 2018 gameplay demo.
By Anonymous on Jun 23, 2018 05:10 am A unique blend of tactics and tower-defense swung by our E3 2018 stage in the upcoming PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch game Bad North. We got a live gameplay demo, and you can see exactly how the two genres work together.
By Anonymous on Jun 23, 2018 05:10 am The Metroidvania roguelike Chasm dropped by our E3 2018 stage, and we learned from our live gameplay demo that it doesn't shy away from its Castlevania inspirations.
Originally released on PS4, Xbox One, and PC in October 2017, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus launches on Nintendo Switch on June 29. Switch has quite a few AAA ports already, including Skyrim and Doom 2016, but Wolfenstein II is a little different in that it's a direct sequel--and it's coming to a new platform before its predecessor does. For those who haven't played MachineGames' Wolfenstein series before, jumping in with The New Colossus might seem daunting.
During E3 2018, we spoke to Adam Creighton, studio head at developer Panic Button--which also did the Doom port--about Wolfenstein on Switch. Creighton specifically mentioned the excitement around getting a Wolfenstein game on a Nintendo console, saying that it will be some Switch owners' first experience with the series. But there are currently no plans to bring Wolfenstein: The New Order or its standalone prequel, The Old Blood, to Switch.
"That's a Bethesda discussion, honestly. It's [up to] them and Nintendo as to what would work for the platform," Creighton said. "I think it'll be interesting to see how [The New Colossus is] received right after it launches at the end of the month and what Bethesda does from there."
When asked to confirm that there were no plans for ports of those games, Creighton said, "Not currently. Not that I know of, but Bethesda may have other plans. And we on the Panic Button side are totally up for anything."
Creighton also confirmed that the DLC for The New Colossus is not included in the Switch port at this time. "Right now we're releasing the base game. Bethesda is going to look at what the reaction is in the market, what people want," he said.
For more on Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, check out our original review. In other Wolfenstein news, Bethesda announced Wolfenstein Youngblood, a standalone game starring series protagonist BJ Blazkowicz's twin daughters.
By Anonymous on Jun 23, 2018 04:36 am This gorgeous puzzle game puzzle game is similar to Captain Toad and Fez. You will need to rotate the map and change perspective in order in order to complete each stage.
By Anonymous on Jun 23, 2018 04:20 am We go a few sweaty rounds in the Fractured Lands closed beta on PC, a new battle royale game with car combat set in a wasteland.
By Anonymous on Jun 23, 2018 04:16 am WHAT THE GOLF? is unlike any other golf game. In each stage you'll need to guide a different object through an insane obstacle course.
By Anonymous on Jun 23, 2018 04:12 am Lloyd finds himself stuck in his own nightmare. The only way he can escape is by exploring his subconscious and manipulating his dream.
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These are the heavy-hitters that, for one reason or another, failed to appear at E3 2018.
Preacher's Jesse Custer has an extremely unique, traumatizing and violent past. Don't believe us? Take a look at his comic book origins as you prepare for Season 3 of Preacher on AMC.
Neo Cab is set in a cyberpunk future where few human drivers exist, and we got a look at some difficult decisions and story beats in our live E3 2018 gameplay demo.
A unique blend of tactics and tower-defense swung by our E3 2018 stage in the upcoming PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch game Bad North. We got a live gameplay demo, and you can see exactly how the two genres work together.
The Metroidvania roguelike Chasm dropped by our E3 2018 stage, and we learned from our live gameplay demo that it doesn't shy away from its Castlevania inspirations.
This gorgeous puzzle game puzzle game is similar to Captain Toad and Fez. You will need to rotate the map and change perspective in order in order to complete each stage.
We go a few sweaty rounds in the Fractured Lands closed beta on PC, a new battle royale game with car combat set in a wasteland.
WHAT THE GOLF? is unlike any other golf game. In each stage you'll need to guide a different object through an insane obstacle course.
Lloyd finds himself stuck in his own nightmare. The only way he can escape is by exploring his subconscious and manipulating his dream.
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