By Anonymous on Jun 15, 2018 12:01 am The Walking Dead on PS4, PC, and XONE has difficult co-op with lots of scavenging, crafting, and fighting both zombies and people.
E3 is a wondrous time of year when publishers and developers go all out to win your attention and get the world excited for their upcoming lineup of games and products. With so much news, trailers, and announcements, it's tough to narrow down our picks of Best of E3 Awards to only 20. These are these are the most exciting games coming out of the show according to GameSpot's editors, and the ones we can't wait to play more of.
Every game and product in this gallery shares in the glory of our Best of E3 award, but there is one big rule for inclusion: it must be playable at the show. This means that anything that was simply teased or was only shown as a trailer isn't eligible.
Our awards represent our absolute favorite things at E3 2018, but that doesn't mean there isn't a lot of other exciting new stuff. If you want to catch up on things you might've missed, you can read our press conference wrap-ups for Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, Bethesda, Ubisoft, Square Enix, and EA; as well as our list of all the new games announced at E3.
But what were your favorite moments from this year's E3? And what games are you most looking forward to? Discuss it in the comments below!
Anthem
BioWare's first new IP in 10 years is coming early next year, and it's a big departure from what BioWare is known for. It's an always-online, action-adventure shooter that has no romance options and limited branching dialogue choices. It may be different, but it stands tall on its own merits based on what we've seen and played at E3. One of its most unique and compelling elements is its flight mechanics. You basically become Iron Man and fly around with an exosuit powered by jets in your feet. Doing so gives the world an impressive sense of scale. When you zoom through the air from one objective to the next, you can't help but wonder what lies below that you'll want to go back and explore on foot. It absolutely bears a resemblance to Destiny in terms of look and feel, but I don't see that as a bad thing. (And not to mention, producer Mark Darrah told GameSpot that Anthem started development before Destiny came out). BioWare's Mass Effect: Andromeda might have been a miss with critics, but I am hoping for the best from Anthem and the early signs show Anthem is on the right path. -- Eddie Makuch, Editor
Assassin's Creed Odyssey
Assassin's Creed Odyssey is evolving the long-running franchise into a fully realized RPG by adding branching dialogue, choices within quests, and consequences that show up throughout the story. By going to Ancient Greece, Ubisoft continues the trend of using history as a backdrop to tell its story; Spartans and Athenians are at war during 431 BC in the midst of the Peloponnesian War. However, players have a bit more say in how that plays out. You can have philosophical conversations with Socrates and challenge his school of thought, but also take side quests from him. And how that particular quest concludes will have ramifications for the mainline course of leading a rebellion. And that's just a small piece of a much larger game.
Ancient Greece is expansive, which makes for one of the largest Assassin's Creed adventures. That also means a ton of seafaring adventures. Ship combat comes back in big way, similar to Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag and you'll be able to recruit people and build a crew as you destroy enemy ships with fire arrow barrages, waves of javelins, or full-speed naval rams.
Hand-to-hand combat draws a lot of similarities to Assassin's Creed Origins, but Odyssey layers on a few more elements. Players will have a number of skills at their disposal like a shield rip, healing ability, and a multi-arrow shot. But nothing comes close to the iconic Spartan kick. Giving enemies the boot will comically send them flying backward; it's ideal for launching them off ships or off the side of a cliff.
While we had Jacob and Evie in Syndicate as a dynamic duo, Odyssey will have you choose either a male or female version of the same main character; Alexios or Kassandra. It's just one of the elements in a number of changes for the franchise, and Odyssey is better for it. -- Michael Higham, Associate Editor
Battlefield V
Battlefield V does a great job of making me feel like I matter again in the midst of large scale battles. I have a long history with the Battlefield franchise and one of my biggest issues has always been feeling like cannon fodder; gains made often evaporated through the sheer number of enemy players. Battlefield V aims to tackle this challenge through automated squads and rewarding players who stick together. With a squad, I matter. I can revive teammates, build fortifications, gain good spawn position, and avoid running out of far more scarce ammo. Staying with a squad means making progress, and that's a feeling I've rarely gotten from my times spent playing with groups in the series' most recent entries.
Other new systems are at play to keep matches exciting. The Grand Operations map Port Of Narvik has an active parachute drop where I could decide when to jump out of an aircraft that could be shot down by the enemy team. On the ground, new animations and contextual callouts gave my teammates more personality and charm. These additions really shine when given room to breathe on large maps.
I'm looking forward to seeing what Battlefield V shows off next. The focus on rewarding players for sticking with squads has the potential to bring meaning and a sense of contribution to players who otherwise might get lost in large scale warfare. If developer DICE keep this up, Battlefield V might just be the best Battlefield game to come out in years. -- Aaron Sampson, Video Producer
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
Treyarch is back in business this year with Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, and I am very excited about it. One of the most exciting new additions to the mix seems to be Blackout, which is battle royale with a Call of Duty spin. We haven't seen it in action yet, and it remains to be seen how Call of Duty's fast-pace translates to the more strategic battle royale genre, but it is an exciting proposition all the same to see it happen. Another thing I am excited about is the new Zombies mode. After all, Treyarch created the fan-favourite mode, and every effort they have put forth so far has been better than the last--and this year appears to be no different. Then there is traditional multiplayer, which returns to the fast-paced, exosuit-enabled frenetic action that was missing in Call of Duty: WWII. And Nuketown is coming back, which is always exciting. There is no traditional campaign this year, and that will understandably upset some fans, but Treyarch is promising some story content from the game's solo missions that focus on each Specialist character. -- Eddie Makuch, Editor
Control
Control is a game that's very difficult to describe in detail, but that's part of the reason why it's so impressive. Not unlike a twisted film from David Lynch, Control freely defies logic and consistency in favor of dreamlike and occasionally nightmarish sequences that toy with your understanding of the world and the characters suffering within it. You won't understand it at first, and that's precisely the point.
Jesse, the lead character who is both possessed by and in control of supernatural powers, seems to take it all in stride. She's trapped in a massive compound that changes shape and identity from one room to the next, all the while under threat from corrupted humans at various stages of transformation. Jesse's telekinetic powers allow her to manipulate objects in her surroundings, using desks to attack enemies, or clusters of smaller objects to form a protective shield. She's also got a shape-shifting gun that we only got a taste of, but Remedy promised it's central to character customization as Jesse's mission progresses.
Whether it's the otherworldly manifestations or Jesse's impressive moves in combat, Control looks simply incredible in motion. Remedy has proved that it can craft shockingly mysterious worlds in Alan Wake, and Quantum Break was a showcase for the dev team's ability to mix super powers and shooting mechanics. Remedy is combining its strengths for Control, and the result so far looks like it may shape up to be their most impressive game yet. -- Peter Brown, Senior Reviews Editor
Cyberpunk 2077
The gameplay demo for Cyberpunk 2077 is completely overwhelming. There's a moment when you leave main character V's apartment and enter a lift. It has a clear glass door, and as you descend the stacks of small flats become a freeway filled with speeding cars, and then down to the seedy underbelly of the city. It happens completely seamlessly, without a loading screen, and drives home perhaps to most impactful thing about CD Projekt Red's new game: you are insignificant--at least to start with.
The world of Cyberpunk doesn't feel like a video game city where a story will happen to you, it's feels like a place that has always existed, and your story is just one of thousands happening at the same time. You're not the sole focus, the special one. The game isn't explaining its systems to you, telling you who everyone is and what everything means, it just is. The onus is on you to look at it, learn about it, and understand it. And that is what V aims to do as he or she takes on jobs to pay off debts and work her way into the upper echelons of society. There's plenty to say about Cyberpunk 2077's gameplay too--the fluid combat that allows you to dash around to gain the positional advantage, the exotic weapons that you can use to ricochet bullets or file through walls. The ability to hack people from a distance and turn off their guns, or be hacked so that all your secrets are laid bare and conversations become a lie detector test--but, honestly, I just can't get over the world and the storytelling opportunities it has in store for us. -- Tamoor Hussain, Editor
Dying Light 2
The original Dying Light made some clever choices in how it presented an open-world survival game. Focusing on undercover agent Kyle Crane's exploits in a ruined tropical city where the infected have taken over, the story took many turns--showing that there were worse dangers in the town aside from the hordes of zombies. In the years since it's release, the developers at Techland gradually fleshed out the scale of the game, adding in new multiplayer modes, DLC episodes, and updates that made Dying Light into something more. And after years of quiet development, the developers have finally unveiled the true sequel that looks to expand on the core systems, while telling a far more involved and dynamic story.
I had the chance to see a behind closed doors demo of the game, and the new approach to the game's storytelling looks to be a real standout. Taking place in the "modern dark age", a setting where technology is minimal, most areas are lawless, and firearms are in short supply--the new setting offers a greater focus on making important decisions, while staying one step ahead of bandits and the undead. With Chris Avellone, writer of Fallout: New Vegas and Fallout 2 working on the main story, there's many key moments where your choices will make some drastic changes to one of the last cities in Europe. With a greater level of freedom for traversing the open-world, along with depth in the game's core combat system, Dying Light 2 is poised to be a stellar follow-up to one of 2015's most exciting games. -- Alessandro Fillari, Editor
The Elder Scrolls Blades
The Elder Scrolls: Blades has distilled the essence of the franchise and has allowed it to live in your pocket. While it might not boast the huge world of Skyrim, Morrowind, or Oblivion, the dungeons are satisfying to explore, its inhabitants thrilling to slaughter, and loot rewarding to plunder. While combat is quite basic, it'll still take some practice to master. Striking enemies is done by pressing your thumb against the screen; the more accurate the thumb press the better chance you have for a critical hit. Once you spend enough time with the game, you'll get the timing down for combos and to deal more damage. There are also abilities like a shield bash and block and magic spells like an ice blizzards and a lightning bolt, which were available during the demo. But as with any Elder Scrolls game, plenty of other abilities and weapons will be at your disposal.
We saw an underground dungeon and a more open forest area during our playthrough, and these environments are surprisingly well rendered for a small screen. While we didn't get any time with the town-building aspect that was mentioned during the game's initial reveal, we're hopeful that it'll allow us to build the Tamriel town we envision. We'd expect The Elder Scrolls: Blades to expend every percentage of battery life left on our phones. -- David Jewitt, Video Producer
Forza Horizon 4
Launched in 2012, the Forza Horizon sub-series has become immensely popular for its more arcade-style approach to racing games. The latest entry, Forza Horizon 4, launches in October and represents the "biggest paradigm shift" for the franchise to date, Playground Games says. Set in Britain, the online-focused game adds a big new feature in the form of seasons. This is a big deal because as each season unfolds, the game changes with different road conditions and tailored new content. It's a cool idea, and one I'm excited to see play out when the game launches. Also new for the sequel is the ability to re-wind time and pause in online matches, while the Xbox One X edition will have a 60 FPS option for players looking for the slickest experience. There are more than 450 cars in the game, so you can be pretty sure that it will have something you're interested in. There are also really, really gorgeous skymaps thanks to Playground spending a year capturing the night sky throughout all four seasons. When you look up a the sky in the game you'll want to just stop and stare. You can pick up Forza Horizon 4 this October for Xbox One and PC (and there is cross-play!). -- Eddie Makuch, Editor
Ghost of Tsushima
The characters in Ghost of Tsushima fight with a deadly stillness, only moving when they need to attack or parry. There's never a wasted motion. Their silent duels are displayed against a gorgeous backdrop of falling leaves to create a beautifully juxtaposed silent foreground and emotive background. Ghost of Tsushima perfectly captures the same aesthetic of the old Japanese samurai films of the past.
I love Ghost of Tsushima's commitment to historical accuracy. Although the story is fictional, the Mongolian invasion of the island of Tsushima actually happened. The samurai were really wiped out, and the Japanese natives were at the mercy of an unbeatable threat. You can tell that Sucker Punch did their homework.
Although I could just stare at Ghost of Tsushima's gorgeous backdrops for hours, the game truly excels in its combat. The protagonist, Jin, is the last of the samurai. Faced against impossible odds, he needs to adopt a non-traditional strategy of subterfuge and assassination. The Mongolians refer to him as "a ghost," and this directly translates into the combat.
Jin is deadly with the katana and disposes of threats quickly and efficiently. He's a one man army who can silently stalk his target as easily as he can engage in a three on one duel. I love watching Jin stoically stand among a group of men who want him dead, before the quick flick and flash of his blade signals the loss of an enemy's limb. Jin's parries are typically rewarded with brutal executions except when he's dueling against a fellow warrior. Those fights are some of the most intense moments of combat I've ever seen. -- Jordan Ramee, Associate Editor
Kingdom Hearts III
For many fans, the Kingdom Hearts series is about being transported into iconic fantasy fairytale worlds and adventuring with beloved characters that feel more like old friends. My experience of playing Kingdom Hearts III after a 13 year wait is perhaps the most perfect encapsulation of that. In the time since the last mainline entry in the series I've grown older and more cynical, but the moment I heard the first few delicate notes of Dearly Beloved at the title screen, I became a teenager again. I suddenly remembered just how much I loved the series, and cared about the characters. Sure, older me knows that the story is mostly nonsense, but the joy I got from running around with Buzz, Woody, and the rest of the Toy Story gang completely pushed that aside. Kingdom Hearts 3 played almost the same as previous entries in the series, the camera is slightly wonky and the dialogue is awkward at times, but I just can't bring myself to get caught up on that, especially when wielding a Keyblade again is able to unlock the child at heart. -- Tamoor Hussain, Editor
The Last of Us Part II
Based on what we know so far, The Last of Us Part II seems especially brutal. But now that we've finally seen gameplay, we have a better understanding of the context of that violence, and that's one of the most intriguing aspects of Naughty Dog's highly anticipated sequel.
A lot of the combat in the section shown during Sony's press conference looks almost scripted--Ellie cinematically dodges melee strikes and gunfire, and she pulls an arrow out of her shoulder after a particularly harrowing run past some archers. But according to the game's co-directors, Anthony Newman and Kurt Margenau, those moments are entirely in your control. Dodging is an active part of combat with a variety of animations depending on the type of threat, and dealing with arrows is a separate mechanic from healing with its own considerations and status effects.
All of this adds depth to combat that says a lot about who Ellie has become. Her transformation after the events of the first game is heavily hinted at in her movements; her strikes seem to have an immense amount of anger behind them, and her defenses reveal a person who is not only desperate to survive but hardened by having to fight. It remains to be seen exactly how combat works and how Ellie has evolved as a character, but this is a great start. -- Kallie Plagge, Associate Editor
Resident Evil 2 Remake
Resident Evil 2's upcoming remake rides a fine line between new and old. While it triggers nostalgic memories with its familiar characters and locales, it instantly makes you uneasy with its new rendition of events and mechanics from the classic survival-horror game.
All throughout my plodding trek across the RPD, I rarely felt a sense of safety. An area would be recreated exactly as I remembered it, but then the game would completely mess with my expectations. The empowering over-the-shoulder shooting featured in latter games has changed to make shots harder to line up. A deeper focus on exploration with more freedom overall to explore and discover secrets offered a welcome change of pace, but at the same time, the absence of the series' iconic door loading screens created a more seamless, yet hostile environment than the original.
I walked away pleasantly surprised from my time with Resident Evil 2 remake. As a massive fan of the original, I had reservations. But after playing it, I can't wait to jump back in. There's something so special about the way it takes advantage of your knowledge of Resident Evil 2, pleasing you with its faithful renditions of well-known locations, while at the same time terrifying you with everything it does differently. This persisted all throughout my experience with the game, and I can't wait to see all the changes it makes once it finally releases early next year. -- Matt Espineli, Associate Editor
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is the latest game from Dark Souls and Bloodborne developer From Software. As you might imagine, given the studio's track record, it's a tough action-RPG. The developer insists Sekiro is not part of the Soulsborne series, but it still appears to be in the same vein.
This time round, the studio is exploring 16th century Japan, and you play as a one-armed ninja. Well, sort-of one-armed; your left arm is cut off by the game's main enemy, and you replace it with a customizable prosthetic. This can be equipped with add-ons such as a ranged Shuriken, or a Firecracker than can blind enemies and scare those who are frightened of fire, and a Loaded Axe to deal heavy damage. Of course, you also carry a sword: Miyazaki, the game's director, says he wanted the theme of Sekiro to be "a clashing of swords," and this is reflected in the game's combat. Your sword, which you hold in your able hand, is used to both injure your enemies and reduce their posture. Reduce their posture enough, and you can deal a deadly finishing move.
Of course, they can do the same to you, but should you fall, Shadows Die Twice has a handy solution: bring yourself back to life. You can resurrect in Sekiro, and this can be used to your advantage by letting enemies walk away before you come back to life and strike them down from behind.
Sekiro is to be published by Activision, and it's coming to PS4, Xbox One, and PC in early 2019. For more on the upcoming action title, check out our Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice gameplay impressions. -- Oscar Dayus, Staffwriter
Spider-Man
Spider-Man may well be one of the world's most beloved superheroes, but video games haven't done right by the wallcrawler in some time. After a smashing success with Spider-Man 2, paired with one of the best superhero films of its era, the character languished with a steady stream of high-concept but middling adaptations. With Insomniac's Spider-Man, the character has come back swinging. While Insomniac's take on the venerable character is unmistakably familiar, it's the little touches that make this latest iteration really stand out.
This Spidey is a master of improvisation, thanks to a mixture of Arkham-like combat mechanics and environmental hazards that are easy to grab at a moment's notice. The feeling of speed and momentum as he swings around New York City is unmatched by any previous Spider-Man game, taking him to new and dizzying heights. And visually, the character designs stand out as unique takes on classic characters, from Spider-Man's own duds embossed with a white emblem to the believably DIY take on Shocker that remains respectful of the source material.
All of this combines to make the character feel fresh again. It's been a long time since I've whiled away the hours simply patrolling the city, swinging and looking for citizens to save, and just generally being your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Now I can't wait to step into his boots. -- Steve Watts, Newswriter
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
By this point, you generally know what to expect from a new Super Smash Bros. game. Each installment in the series has built upon its predecessors incrementally, introducing a few new characters and stages, refining the underlying mechanics, and ramping up the fan service. And while all of this applies to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for Switch as well, the game still manages to surprise and delight like few other fighters thanks to its sheer breadth of content and snappy combat.
True to its name, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is far and away the most feature-rich entry in the series to date, boasting a staggering number of stages, characters, and items. The roster in particular is massive; not only does it feature every character to have ever appeared in the series, but many of them have received dramatic overhauls, so even recurring fighters such as Ganondorf are as exciting to use as newcomers like Ridley.
But what makes Ultimate such an engrossing fighter and one of the best games we got to play at E3 2018 is that it fully embraces competitive play. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U/3DS made strides in this regard, but Ultimate doubles down by increasing the pace of its gameplay. The controls remain as accessible as ever, only now combat feels much speedier, resulting in even more exciting and intense battles. The game also places a stronger emphasis on skillful play by introducing directional air dodges and other advanced techniques. Like the best fighting games, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is easy to pick up but endlessly satisfying to master, making it one of my most anticipated releases of the year. -- Kevin Knezevic, Associate News Editor
Shadow of the Tomb Raider
The recent Tomb Raider games have focused heavily on fleshing Lara Croft's backstory, while making her overcome brutal and overwhelming challenges. In Shadow of the Tomb Raider, which aims to be the darkest game of the series, the adventurer will have to put a stop to the Mayan apocalypse in Central America. But while fighting off the forces of Trinity and other ancient threats lurking in the hidden tombs over the course of her journey, she'll begin to question whether her influence in the region is making matters worse.
I had the chance to play Shadow of the Tomb Raider at the game's reveal last April, and while it feels very similar to the past titles, the darker tone and story gives it a far more interesting flavor. Much like Tomb Raider (2013) and Rise of the Tomb Raider, Shadow focuses on giving players more freedom in how they'll the explore the environment, which will have the largest setting the series has seen yet. To go along with the darker tone, Croft will utilize a number of new skills and stealth moves to take out the heavily mobiled PMC forces that have invaded the land. It'll be interesting to see how far Lara Croft is pushed to her limits in Shadow of the Tomb Raider. And if our small hands-on time was any indication, the conclusion to the Tomb Raider origin trilogy will definitely leave a lasting impression on the character. -- Alessandro Fillari, Editor
Skull & Bones
The backbone of Skull & Bones has taken all the best bits of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag and added a level of breadth to create a fully-fledged pirate experience. Like the water ships sail upon, it both has shallow parts and a deep end. To beginners or wannabe sailors, there's enjoyment in taking the helm of a number of ships that have their own unique characteristics like speed, strength weapons, and abilities. For the hardened admirals amongst us, there are gameplay elements that would even test the heartiest of sailors. For example, learning to cut the wind so your ship can make the most out of speed and maneuverability as well as learning how to effectively disguise your ship to hide from AI and sneak up on ships in the horizon.
If you're looking for an authentic pirate experience, Skull & Bones is as close as you can get. Crews will shout and yell in response to commands, and during quieter moments they'll sing the sea shanties you love from the Black Flag, but they've been dialed up to 11. And all of this happens on beautifully rendered oceans dotted with islands and detailed historical vessels for you to cannon, board, plunder, and sink. -- David Jewitt, Video Producer
Tom Clancy's The Division 2
As with the original Destiny, the first Division improved greatly over time. Creating a shared world shooter with long-term progression that's meant to interest players indefinitely is no easy task. The Division 2 looks to be continuing that by introducing eight-player raids and DLC expansions that are free for all players (at least for the first year of the game).
In going hands-on with the game, it immediately struck me that its shooting mechanics have been enhanced significantly. While there remains a dissonance with the way human enemies can absorb numerous bullets, there's now a level of precision and tightness to the controls that was lacking in the original Division. Seamlessly moving between cover points feels better than ever, and the endgame specializations' special abilities--such as a crossbow that fires explosive bolts--are fun to use, even if they aren't as impactful as Destiny's Supers.
The improvements to the moment-to-moment action are welcome, but what's most encouraging is what Ubisoft is saying about The Division 2's endgame. Things like the aforementioned raids could present the sort of high-end, challenging activity that keeps players occupied after finish the main story. The company seems generally aware of the need to deeply invest in what players are expected to spend their time doing in the endgame, and that's encouraging. If it's able to pull that off and offer an interesting evolution of its PvP Dark Zone--something it isn't talking about yet for Division 2--Ubisoft might just manage to realize the vision it has for the franchise. -- Chris Pereira, News Editor
Xbox Adaptive Controller
The Xbox Adaptive Controller is an important piece of hardware. Not only does it allow people of all kinds of disabilities to play games, it also shows that Microsoft is willing to invest in catering to that audience.
The controller acts as an interface between Xbox One and any number of third-party controllers. This means those with disabilities can use whichever device best suits their needs--be it a joystick, chewing device, motion controlled switch, or anything else. As long as it can communicate through USB or 3.5mm jack, the Adaptive Controller can see it. What's more, Microsoft says this will be forward-compatible with all future Xboxes, and it's even open to making it work with PS4 and Nintendo Switch.
The Xbox Adaptive Controller launches in September for $100 / £75 / AU $130.
The very first look at Aquaman's arch enemy Black Manta has finally been revealed! DC is coming out with a stand alone Aquaman movie in December, and the team has been very secretive about details involving the film, which makes this first look at the new character even more enticing.
All we really know about Black Manta at this point are the very basics about his character. Entertainment Weekly reports that he is a mercenary and a pirate by the name of David Kane, and he will be played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II who you may recognize from The Greatest Showman. Director James Wan has only described him as, "part mercenary but full-time pirate who, in his suit, will look like some crazy alien from outer space." Check out the image below.
Despite being Aquaman's nemesis, Black Manta will not be the central villain in the film, perhaps suggesting plans for more Aquaman's standalone films. Instead, the big bad in this movie will be Orm played by Patrick Wilson (The Conjuring), who in the comics is Aquaman's half-brother. Clearly Black Manta will feature in the movie in some way, but all the director has said is that he is, "somehow factored into the story."
In the photo, Black Manta is working on his suit which allows him to shoot red plasma rays out of his eyes. It may be that the unfinished nature of the suit is part of the reason why he won't be the main antagonist, he hasn't reached the height of his villainous journey isn't quite ready to face Aquaman yet. Theorizing aside though, the long-awaited first image of the famous Black Manta looks pretty cool.
Additionally, EW revealed more images from the set, and above are just a few of them. For the first time, Aquafans catch a first glimpse of Vulko (from the back), Queen Atlanna, and Orm. Additionally, there are some more shots of Mera and Aquaman in costume as well. Vulko is played by Willem Dafoe and Atlanna by Nicole Kidman. In the comics, Vulko is the royal advisor to Aquaman and a leader in Atlantis' scientific community, and Atlanna is the birth mother of Arthur Curry AKA Aquaman.
From the minds that brought you The Witcher 3 comes a new RPG, set in a completely different universe, Cyberpunk 2077. We still don't know much about what kind of game Cyberpunk will be, we know it will be a single-player RPG driven by choice and in-depth character customization. We're expecting to see it released on PC, and possibly PS4 and Xbox One sometime in June 2019.
A new trailer for the game was revealed at E3 2018, showing us more of its gorgeous, android-filled world, Night City. Of course, we see some action later in the trailer, but it also shows off the off the people in that universe, and how android augmentations are an integral part of their lives. Hidden in the trailer is a message from CD Projekt Red. The team confirmed the game will be single-player RPG. It will not have microtransactions, will be DRM free on PC, and fans can expect DLC similar in size to Witcher 3. More details will come as the team has them ready.
Enthralled with its mystique? We've got all the details where you can get your copies reserved down below, and when pre-order bonus details are announced, we'll update them here.
During its E3 2018 press conference, Bethesda took the chance to let everyone know that players will be able to launch nuclear missiles. And for better or for worse, there are no limits to what can be targeted.
In a playful trailer for Fallout 76, Bethesda detailed how players can work together to hunt down codes to nuclear weapons. After players acquire these codes, whether they diplomatically worked with fellow players or murdered anyone who had a code, they need to find a nuclear missile. Bethesda let everyone know that these missiles are scattered throughout the wasteland.
Once a player finds a missile, they just need to insert their completed launch code, pick a target, and then launch. The missile will destroy anything it hits, whether that's a forest of wildlife, a settlement, or another player's hidden base. Once the dust has settled, players can take advantage of the fallout to gather rare resources. They just need to make sure they're wearing the right gear. Radiation levels after a nuclear strike will be high and cause fatal amounts of damage for players traveling without a hazmat suit.
Bethesda has announced its first new IP in 25 years: Starfield. It's a game Todd Howard said has been in development for years, and it's one that Bethesda feels uniquely positioned to pull off. A trailer shown during E3 2018 opened with a shot in space, with a planet outlined by a distant sun. It panned down to a small space station, which was then seemingly pulled into a black hole. You can watch the trailer above.
Beyond that, no details were provided, so it's unclear what the game is, how it plays, or pretty much anything other than it's sci-fi. Starfield has been rumored for some time now, as Bethesda's parent company, Zenimax, trademarked the name "Starfield" in 2013. We don't know when it's set for release or what platforms it will be available for.
Starfield was just one of the many games discussed during Bethesda's press conference. In addition to it, Bethesda also announced Doom Eternal, gave us a whole bunch of new information on Fallout 76, and confirmed Elder Scrolls 6 is in development.
On top of that, there was the announcement of Elder Scroll Blades, a new mobile entry in the series that, according to Howard, has console-quality graphics. To catch up with all the latest information from the press conference, take a look at our roundup of all the news from Bethesda's press conference.
During Bethesda's E3 2018 press conference, the publisher announced the next game in the Elder Scrolls series: The Elder Scrolls VI. The announcement followed Elder Scrolls Blades, a mobile game that seeks to be a "pure" Elder Scrolls experience.
No other details about the game were provided outside of a short teaser, which you can watch above. It shows a mountainous region and some fog accompanied by a version of the iconic Dovahkiin music. A setting wasn't specified, although fans are sure to do some sleuthing to narrow down the list of possibilities. We also got no indication of when Elder Scrolls VI will release or what platforms it's coming to. But hey, at least we know it really is coming (eventually).
Earlier in the press conference, Bethesda's Todd Howard joked about Skryim's many re-releases. This was followed by a skit featuring Key & Peele's Keegan-Michael Key and Amazon's Alexa. The Elder Scrolls Blades reveal was a bit later, and the Elder Scrolls VI announcement closed the show. We also got news on another much-anticipated project, Starfield, which is the first "wholly original" franchise from Bethesda in 25 years.
For more on E3 2018, be sure to stay tuned to GameSpot as we continue to post news, trailers, impressions, gameplay, and more. To catch up with Bethesda's conference, check out our roundup of all the news.
Amid the flurry of news about Fallout 76 today is the reveal of the much-anticipated multiplayer RPG's box art, at least for Xbox One. Bethesda shared an image of the box art, which shows the Power Armor T-51 helmet. Sunshine is hitting the front, which may be a reference to how players will emerge from Vault 76 on Reclamation Day to save America. The box art's straightforward, no-nonsense look is refreshing. The stripped down presentation that focuses exclusively on the helmet is striking by itself and catches your eye despite the lack of popping colors. I like it.
Presumably this is the final box art that will apply also to the PlayStation 4 and PC editions, but if it's not, we'll update this post again. We'll also add the PS4 and PC box art images when they're made available.
In other news about the Power Armor helmet, a life-size version of it is included with Fallout 76's collector's edition. The wearable helmet includes a functional headlamp and voice modulation device. Aside from that, the Power Armor set also includes a glow-in-the-dark map and figurines that can be put on that map.
Fallout 76 is launching in November for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. It's set in West Virginia before the events of every prior Fallout game. Unlike other entries in the series, it's an always-online, multiplayer-focused game. You can also play it solo.
For more on Fallout 76, check out a series of brand-new images in the gallery below. They show off the game's West Virginian setting and some of the new creatures you will encounter such as the megasloth.
It's been almost three years since the release of Halo 5, so it was exciting when Microsoft opened its E3 2018 showcase with a trailer for Halo: Infinite. But as we later learned, the video was a "game engine demo" that was meant to show off the capabilities of 343's new proprietary Slipspace engine, and it was not necessarily representative of the game itself. With that in mind, we're rounding up some key details about Halo Infinite and its developer to help clear up some lingering confusion and give you a snapshot of what the game is.
Not A Game Yet?
The Halo Infinite trailer released during the Xbox briefing was a tech demo meant to show off what the Slipspace engine was capable of achieving. In a blog post that all Halo fans should read, studio head Chris Lee said 343's ideas for Halo Infinite are so ambitious that it had to make new tech to realise that ambition. Everything in the trailer is running in-engine, but it doesn't necessarily represent what the game will be. Lee stressed that 343 still has "a long way to go" until launch. He added that he is sure that Halo Infinite will "evolve" between now and launch. This is all to say that what you saw at E3 was not Halo: Infinite the game but instead a snapshot of what Halo: Infinite could be. It was an impressive-looking demo, showcasing a gorgeous world and sprawling environments, as well as a variety of new creatures. Halo 5's 24-player Warzone mode offered a first look at larger-scale Halo, and it's exciting to think about what 343 might do to push things further with the new engine.
Poor Messaging
The Halo Infinite trailer at E3 was presented as a first-look at the game, but it wasn't that, and Microsoft should have done a better job at making that immediately clear. No one from the 343 leadership team stood up on stage to talk about Infinite, and that felt odd given the size and stature of the Halo brand. Fans are clearly thirsty for more news and details on the next game, and it was a big bummer that we got nothing of the sort on stage. We would have liked to have seen someone like 343 founder Bonnie Ross or Halo franchise manager Frank O'Connor tell fans what Halo: Infinite is all about and why they should get excited about it. It does not inspire confidence in Halo as a franchise that so little was said. Additionally, we are told that Microsoft is not doing Halo interviews at E3 this week.
The Story:
While Halo: Infinite may not be a game yet, we do know some important story details about it. Halo Infinite is a follow-up to Halo 5: Guardians. It picks up after the events of that game, and tells a more Master Chief-centric story, according to Lee. He explained that 343 is aware of the concern some fans had regarding how Halo 5's story strayed too far from Chief. Indeed, that game's campaign split up time between playing as Chief and Agent Locke. Some wanted more focus on Chief, and it's good to hear Halo: Infinite will deliver that. The Halo universe is a rich tapestry, replete with storytelling opportunities, so it's exciting to think about what 343 might do with Infinite's story.
Next-Gen?
During the Xbox briefing at E3, Xbox boss Phil Spencer announced that Microsoft is working on new consoles that will follow the Xbox One. Media reports at E3 suggest that one of these is codenamed "Scarlet" and it could launch as soon as 2020. This is especially intriguing and noteworthy in the context of Halo: Infinite. With 343 stressing that Halo: Infinite is a "long way" off from release and the general comments on its technical ambitions, there are some who believe the game might not come until the next Xbox. Microsoft hasn't commented on this.
"New And Unexpected Directions"
Lee, the 343 studio head, said in the blog post that 343 is "making changes to how we approach things" with Halo: Infinite. This could mean a number of things, but the quote stands out in the wake of reports this week. Reports claim Halo: Infinite will be two separate releases. It is rumoured that Halo: Infinite could split up multiplayer and single-player. Noted Microsoft insider Brad Sams said he's heard from sources that single-player for Halo: Infinite could launch in late 2019 with the multiplayer portion arriving in 2020. This would indeed be a big change for Halo. In the same blog post, Lee said he looks forward to taking players in "new and unexpected directions" with the new Halo game, though whether this pertains to a delivery model, the story, or something else remains to be seen.
You'll Get To Play Early
Lee said 343 hopes to develop Halo: Infinite alongside the community, making changes to the game based on fan feedback. To that end, 343 will hold "flighting programs" for the game where people will get to play early and provide feedback to 343. If this sounds familiar, it's because 343 is currently doing that with Halo: The Master Chief Collection as it rolls out new features. Halo: Infinite's beta tests are not coming anytime soon, but Lee said you can expect them to start small and grow over time. Microsoft already has the Game Preview program where people can play unreleased games, but never before has this happened for a franchise as large as Halo. It is exciting and encouraging to see 343 incorporate fan feedback in this way, and hopefully it can lead to a better game in the end.
A New Art Style
Halo Infinite will have a new art style that appears to be evocative of the original game. Nicolas Bouvier, who has been on the Halo team since Halo 4, is Halo: Infinite's art director, and the overall aim of the new style is to "draw significant inspiration from the most iconic and historic parts of the Halo franchise." At the same time, 343 will be trying to "modernize" and "take advantage" of the power of Xbox One consoles to make the game look great. Master Chief's helmet is meant to be a good example of the new art direction for Halo: Infinite.
Get Comfortable
By all accounts, Halo: Infinite will not be fully released anytime soon. In the blog post, Lee said he understands waiting is difficult, especially now that it's been so long since Halo 5. He stressed that 343 is taking as much time as it needs to make "the right game." Not only that, but the blog post with all the details is titled "Our Journey Begins," which--along with everything else we already mentioned--suggests that Halo: Infinite is a long time off. The pre-release testing periods will soften that blow somewhat, but it's the final product people really want, and that sounds like it is not coming anytime soon. Halo is one of the biggest and most beloved franchise in gaming, with a huge community of dedicated fans. No one would want 343 to rush the next big game out, but it is somewhat disappointing to know the next game is still a long time away from release.
Keep checking back with GameSpot for more on Halo Infinite as more details become available.
For such a radical change in the formula, 2016's Hitman burrowed itself into the fan consciousness as the new paradigm for the series going forward. The episodic format turned many skeptical diehards turned into true-believers, which must have made the announcement of a traditional release model for Hitman 2 jarring. Still, creative director Christian Elverdam told GameSpot at E3 2018 that the experience taught them some valuable lessons that will impact the sequel, with or without episodes.
"I think we convinced a lot of people that episodic really worked," he said. "The feedback we got was that episodic forced you to go into each level and really go into all the details, which I thought personally was a big victory. We were going with a sandbox formula, so it was pretty important for us that people really understand. If you just go in, maybe shoot the guy, and say 'okay I finished Miami,' you wouldn't really get it, because you need to take in all the details."
The rebooted Hitman that debuted in 2016 was instead a clockwork machine of moving parts. Non-player characters were props in the ultimate kill, moving about the map with their own motivations and stories that could be exploited for your own gains. Drip-feeding these missions forced otherwise casual Hitman fans to act like more ravenous ones, consuming it all, learning each of the pieces of the machine until they developed a super-power. It was successful because it focused players' attention in a way that the game hadn't before.
"At the same time, we followed some comments who also said they weren't satisfied that they couldn't experience the full story, and that it took a long time before it was done," Elverdam continued. "What we're talking about now is the best of both worlds. Now most people know what an elusive target is and they know we have a very strong live season. So we're doing more of that than we did before, but the story itself--the main arc of what happens in Hitman 2--is available day and date."
In other words, the episodic Hitman may have trained players how to engage with the game they way they'd hoped, but IO now feels confident enough to take off the training wheels and remove the frustration of a slowly meted out story in the process. Elverdam also added that it has more live content like elusive targets planned, but having the full suite of maps gives the studio more flexibility. While the episodic season limited it to only produce targets in maps that were already released, now it can choose from any map at any time.
The result is a mission structure that feels incredibly reminiscent of Hitman 2016. In a mission at a race track, I had to cautiously and slowly peel back layers of the puzzle, acquiring different costumes to get new tools to acquire new costumes, until I was finally perfectly positioned to take out my target. The demo was only one stage, but it felt perfectly familiar. For fans of Hitman's episodic structure, then, this is a less jarring change than they might expect. It's a continuation of what came before, so it should feel like a new batch of stages.
With a more defined campaign that will release all at once, the difficulty ramp may feel more welcoming too. Designing a challenging Hitman map requires subtleties that players could lose when they take months-long breaks. Everdam shared some thoughts on striking the right difficulty balance in one of Hitman's murder puzzles.
"So one of the first things we do is say: what kind of problem do we want the player to solve? If you had a target that stood still with ten guards that never moved, that would be a very hard problem to solve. So we look at how mobile are the patrol routes. Number of guards is a factor, it's not the only factor, but it's a factor. And then finally, it's sort of like peeling an onion in terms of how you progress. Physical traversal--a path like a drainpipe or something like that, how hard is that to get to, that would be your physical difficulty. And the second is disguises, and typically we don't give you the most powerful disguises up-front. So let's say you have a waiter who's very easy to isolate and take out. He's going to give you one layer of the onion but then you probably need to show more skill for better costumes."
With the potential for a smoother difficulty ramp, and the promise of much more live content than the last game, IO hopes to continue using the strengths of the episodic model without some of its drawbacks. Time will tell if the live content keeps players engaged as long as the episodic model kept them coming back, but the studio has taken the lessons of its experiment to heart. They may just turn skeptics to believers all over again.
While the press conferences are all done, the news is certainly not. New updates, impressions, previews, and announcements continue to stream in at E3 2018, including lots of news and first impressions of CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077.
If you missed something and want a recap, we've rounded up all of the biggest news of Wednesday below. You can also check out our recaps of all the news from every press conference by heading to our E3 hub for all of our coverage.
Jump Force was revealed during Microsoft's E3 press conference and got many fans of the respective manga/anime hyped up for this arena brawler. Naruto, Dragon Ball, One Piece, and Death Note somehow come together in a three-on-three tag action fighting game, but it was confirmed during an interview with game producer Koji Nakajima that Death Note characters are there to setup the story, but not fight.
Nakajima said (through translation) stated, "This game is going to feature a story around this unique situation, and that's where Death Note comes into play. To kind of weave the story together. So, Death Note is not [going to have] a fighting game character." Unfortunately, Nakajima wasn't able to talk more about the story during the interview.
In addition, Bandai Namco PR manager Nick O'Leary confirmed it with ComicBook.com, and added that Light Yagami isn't really an action-oriented character and there would be certain limitations with Ryuk.
Jump Force is being made in celebration of 50 years of Shonen Jump manga/anime, and Nakajima said there will be more details to reveal in the near future. Bandai Namco is making the game to be more accessible so players can enjoy their anime dream team, and you can watch some early Jump Force gameplay here.
Telltale Games is bringing its MineCraft: Story Mode to Netflix as an interactive adventure this fall. The studio made the announcement during E3 2018, where it tweeted about the move and announced that it is also developing a game based on Stranger Things.
Details are still emerging, but Telltale said that it is now working on the Stranger Things game, which will be coming to consoles and PC. It said it doesn't have any further details to share right now, but would have more to say about the game later in the year.
Now, Netflix has responded to both stories. The company has confirmed to TechRadar that MineCraft: Story Mode for Netflix will be five-part licensed interactive narrative series. The streaming service said the Stranger Things Telltale series would not be on Netflix, but is rather an extension of its marketing efforts. Lastly, Netflix said it has no plans to get into gaming. "There's a broad spectrum of entertainment available today," the company said. "Games have become increasingly cinematic, but we view this as interactive narrative storytelling on our service."
At E3 2017, Telltale Games told GameSpot it was very interested in bringing its games to new platforms. "I think there is a lot of space for Telltale to move on to platforms that most people don't even really consider to be game systems," the company said. "A lot of boxes of many different varieties in homes--millions and millions of homes across America, where people don't even think game-playing is possible on them, but maybe they're watching stories or consuming narrative-driven content or streaming it.
"And for us, we're looking at that. It would be unfathomable to think about playing a Grand Theft Auto [game] over Netflix. But it wouldn't be so unfathomable to think about playing a Telltale game over a streaming video service of that calibre."
Todd Howard, the iconic game developer known for Fallout and Elder Scrolls, wore a very nice leather jacket on stage at Bethesda's E3 2018 press conference this week. He is something of a rockstar in the gaming space, and he definitely looked the part on Sunday evening when he told the world about Fallout 76 and made dad jokes.
You will never be Todd Howard. But you can dress like him. Howard told us in an interview that he was not supplied the jacket by Bethesda's wardrobe company (if the company even has one). Instead, he bought it himself from the website with a good name: Soul Revolver. We are not completely sure which one is his, but it looks like the classic Cafe Racer jacket. It's available in Italian, Cowhide, and Synthetic leather options, ranging in price from around $130-$380.
Todd Howard is a boss at Bethesda and a boss in real life
Currently, Howard is contributing to or at least overseeing the development of Fallout 76, The Elder Scrolls VI, and Bethesda's new sci-fi game Starfield. In our conversation with Howard, he told us a lot, including that Starfield might be a game for the next wave of consoles. Keep checking back with GameSpot for more on our talk with the legendary game developer.
Fortnite is perhaps the biggest game in the world right now, attracting a massive audience across PS4, Xbox One, PC, mobile, and--as of Nintendo's E3 Direct presentation--Nintendo Switch. But as a game that receives regular, free updates on a regular basis, it doesn't lend itself to a traditional E3 showing. Rather than show off what's next for the game, Epic promoted it at E3 by hosting a celebrity Pro-Am. That took place on Tuesday and attracted large crowds in Los Angeles, but more importantly, we have a winner--which means money going to a charity.
Ninja is known to be a massively popular Fortnite streamer and a strong player. He teamed with the musician Marshmello, and together the two of them came out as the Pro-Am's winners. They won $1 million for the charity of their choice, with all other participants also receiving prize money for charity. A total of $3 million went out to charities through the event.
The event saw a variety of celebrities--including Joel McHale, Jon Heder, and Paul George--teaming up with players and streamers, such as Ninja. We headed to the event, which was held at the Banc of California Stadium--a huge, 22,000-seat soccer arena--to snap some pictures of the action, which you can check out above.
The Pro-Am came on the same day that Fortnite was released on Nintendo Switch. That version consists solely of Battle Royale, the PvP mode that has boosted the game to incredible levels of success. From what we've played, Fortnite runs well on Switch despite its handheld nature, though you of course need an internet connection in order to play, which reduces how portable it really is. As for whether Nintendo's upcoming subscription service will be required to play, Epic isn't saying just yet. But it is yet another platform that Fortnite is available on, helping to bring its total player count to over 125 million, thanks to more than 2 million download it on Switch in its first day of available.
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The Walking Dead on PS4, PC, and XONE has difficult co-op with lots of scavenging, crafting, and fighting both zombies and people.
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