By Peter Brown on Jun 23, 2018 09:30 pm
We missed you at E3!
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 GameSpot Staff on Jun 23, 2018 08:30 pm
The underdogs of E3 2018
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
By Mat Elfring on Jun 23, 2018 03:08 am
Netflix is dominating the streaming service landscape, providing a plethora of entertainment for its subscribers. However, it releases so much content that it can be a real pain to keep track of it all. Don't worry, we have you covered throughout all of 2018. While we won't be seeing the next season of Stranger Things this year, there are still quite a few series to check out. Starting with January, we're detailing every Netflix original series the company releases this year and including a few of our thoughts about the shows we've seen. Yes, that even includes the bizarre documentary series most people pass over, time and time again, as we watch Altered Carbon for a tenth time. Here are the original series you can currently watch on Netflix, right now. Jump ahead: February, March, April, May, June
Lovesick (Season 3)
Release Date: January 1 Genre: Sitcom Originally a Channel 4 series, Lovesick found a new home on Netflix in 2016. The show follows a group of friends living together in Glasgow, who are ultimately trying to find love and live their lives.
The End Of The F***ing World
Release Date: January 5 Genre: Dark Comedy Also originating on Channel 4, The End of the F***ing World found its way to Netflix in the new year. The show follows a young man who believes himself to be a psychopath. He wants to kill someone and settles on a young woman, who befriends him. Before jumping in to this series, there are a few things you need to know about the show.
Rotten
Release Date: January 5 Genre: Documentary Rotten dives into the American food industry and problems that have risen in the past few years, like the rise in demand for honey, while bees are disappearing in record numbers. Surprisingly, Rotten is pretty great. It's not bathed in conspiracy theories, like I originally thought it would be, and feels very grounded in reality. It's not trying to enforce a point of view on people. It simply explains the problem and backs it up with credible evidence.
Disjointed: Second Half Of Season 1
Release Date: January 10 Genre: Comedy Kathy Bates stars as the owner of a Los Angeles marijuana dispensary who employs her son and his friends to help run it. The first half of the first season was released in August 2017, with the second half dropping in January. Netflix cancelled the series in February.
My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman
Release Date: January 12 Genre: Interview David Letterman returns in this new Netflix series that releases episodes monthly. The former Late Night host interviews people of note, which includes former President Barack Obama in Episode 1. The first season will consist of six episodes.
Somebody Feed Phil
Release Date: January 12 Genre: Travel/Food Everyone Loves Raymond creator Philip Rosenthal's new Netflix series is essentially a revamped version of his PBS show I'll Have What Phil's Having. Rosenthal travels the world, eats food, and cracks jokes along the way. Putting aside the fact that the intro music is the most annoying thing I've ever heard--and I used to listen to grindcore--Somebody Feed Phil is bland, unfunny, and feels pointless. There is no point-of-view or purpose. It's just a man travelling the world and eating. There's no catch nor anything that makes it enjoyable.
Drug Lords
Release Date: January 19 Genre: Documentary Drug Lords documents the life and crimes of cartels and its kingpins. The series interviews those who fought against the cartels and others who were a part of the cartels themselves, which--at times--creates conflicting stories.
Grace and Frankie (Season 4)
Release date: January 19 Genre: Comedy Grace and Frankie find themselves living together after their husbands leave the women, for each other. The series has been nominated for multiple Emmys.
Dirty Money
Release Date: January 26 Genre: Documentary The Netflix series Dirty Money documents corporate corruption with each episode focusing on a single event, like the Volkswagen emissions scandal, which was featured on Episode 1.
One Day At A Time (Season 2)
Release Date: January 26 Genre: Sitcom One Day At A Time--a reboot of the 1975 CBS series--follows a a United States Army Nurse Corps who separates from her husband to raise her kids with her mother.
Altered Carbon
Release Date: February 2 Genre: Sci-Fi A former mercenary's mind is placed in a new body, 250 years after his body died, and he's tasked with solving the murder of a wealthy man. GameSpot's Mike Rougeau said in his review, "Altered Carbon isn't hardcore sci-fi because it's set on a spaceship or there are weird-looking aliens running around; it's because the show recognizes that revolutionary new technologies don't exist in a bubble. They alter the fabric of the world, like cars, air travel, the internet, and cell phones have."
Queer Eye
Release Date: February 7 Genre: Reality A revamp of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Queer Eye features five gay men who makeover someone and change their lives by having them dress better, learn to cook, update their homes, and take better care of themselves overall. While GameSpot doesn't have an official review, the Queer Eye revamp has a lot of heart and it's fun. Sure, hairstylist Jonathan Van Ness can be a bit much, but Karamo Brown usually reigns him in.
Greenhouse Academy (Season 2)
Release Date: February 14 Genre: Drama A brother and sister enroll in a private school for gifted students after losing their mother. The siblings join different houses within the school and quickly become rivals.
Everything Sucks
Release Date: February 16 Genre: Dramedy During the 1990s, a freshman A.V. club member falls in love with a young girl and their relationship has a few roadblocks, primarily because she's gay. The series is filled with '90s nostalgia, and you can check some of those things and learn their history here. GameSpot's Mike Rougeau said in his review, "Everything Sucks won't be for everyone, and it's far from perfect. But for those who can get past the cringey assault of forced '90s references and discover what the show is actually about, the prospect of a second season--which the final scene sets up in the most obvious way possible--won't seem so bad."
First Team: Juventus
Release Date: February 16 Genre: Sports Documentary The series follows the renowned soccer club Juventus as the team goes for its seventh straight Italian title. First Team follows the club both on and off the field, so viewers get a sense of what it's like to be a player.
The Joel McHale Show with Joel McHale
Release Date: February 18 (New episodes on Sundays) Genre: Clip Show Yes, there are way too many shows where someone stands in front of a green screen and watches video clips, but no one (sorry, Bob Saget and John Henson) did it better than Joel McHale on E!'s The Soup. The Joel McHale Show is pretty much The Soup with less coverage of E! shows. There isn't an official GameSpot review, but if you loved The Soup, this will be right up your alley. The comedy is still top-notch.
Seven Seconds
Release Date: February 23 Genre: Crime Drama A teenager is killed in a hit-and-run incident, which is covered up, and tensions flare as there is no resolution to the case and no justice for the teen's family.
Ugly Delicious
Release Date: February 23 Genre: Travel/Food Chef and author David Chang travels around the globe, discussing food and culture with friends, scholars, and entertainers, as well as his own experiences growing up in America as someone of Korean descent. It's amazing to see Netflix release the worst travel/food series I've ever seen (Somebody Feed Phil) followed by Ugly Delicious a month later, which is undoubtedly the best I have yet to see. Ugly Delicious and David Chang aren't trying to be something they're not and putting on airs when it comes to all the topics this show covers, from racial stereotypes to the many different facets of American culture to food sustainability. It's honest, sincere, and at times, funny. It may also be the only travel/food show where the host not only admits he eats fast food on occasion but actually goes on a ride-along with a Domino's driver. This is a must see series.
Flint Town
Release Date: March 2 Genre: Docuseries A film crew follows police officers in Flint, Michigan, covering the day-to-day struggles with being a resident of that city--one with an undrinkable water supply.
Girls Incarcerated
Release Date: March 2 Genre: Docuseries In Indiana, at a juvenile correctional facility, the lives of girls are chronicled as they try to turn their lives around before they become adults.
Jessica Jones (Season 2)
Release Date: March 8 Genre: Superhero The hard-drinking Jessica Jones is back for Season 2 of her Netflix series. The super-powered private eye continues to run her detective agency while dealing with ghosts from her past, including where her powers came from. GameSpot's Mike Rougeau said in his review of the first five episodes, "Jessica Jones Season 2 doesn't leap gracefully toward the future, even without the need to build up to The Defenders that previously dragged the entire Netflix Marvel universe down. Even across five whole episodes, it fails to present an intriguing new villain."
Nailed It!
Release Date: March 9 Genre: Cooking Contestants compete to make the best meals in the kitchen with the winner taking home $10,000. However, these home chefs have a terrible track record when it comes to cooking.
Love (Season 3)
Release Date: March 9 Genre: Romantic Comedy Love follows Mickey (Gillian Jacobs) and Gus (Paul Rust), a couple very much in love with each other. The show follows their lives together and gives a realistic look at relationships. Season 3 is the last season of Love.
Edha
Release Date: March 16 Genre: Drama This Argentinian series follows a successful fashion designer--and single mother--who meets a mysterious man. This, in turn, leads her to being pushed to her limits as dark secrets are revealed.
On My Block
Release Date: March 16 Genre: Comedy The coming-of-age series On My Block follows a group of teens entering high school in inner-city Los Angeles. The series comes from Awkward creator Lauren Iungerich.
Wild Wild Country
Release Date: March 16 Genre: Docuseries Wild Wild Country follows controversial Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, who created a cult in the '80s in rural Oregon. Many have called his group a New Age "sex cult." The recounting of the events in Antelope, Oregon is beyond crazy. The story of the Rajneesh cult's rise to power in Wasco County is one of the most enthralling stories I've ever heard. What Wild Wild Country does exceptionally well is that it remains unbiased. It presents the events as told by the Rajneeshes and those who wanted them out of Antelope. It doesn't present this group in the best light, but the docuseries doesn't feel like it's trying to overly sway you one way or another, like many other Netflix documentaries.
Alexa & Katie
Release Date: March 23 Genre: Sitcom Best friends Alexa and Katie are about to start high school, but Alexa ends up developing cancer and starts treatment.
O Mecanismo (The Mechanism)
Release Date: March 23 Genre: Political Drama This Brazillian series recounts the Lava Jato investigation, which began as a money-laundering investigation in Brazil in 2014. It's also known as Operation Car Wash.
Requiem
Release Date: March 23 Genre: Supernatural Thriller Originally a BBC One production, Requiem is a six-part series that follows a cellist whose mother commits suicide, which leads her to question events in her past.
Santa Clarita Diet (Season 2)
Release Date: March 23 Genre: Comedy Santa Clarita Diet returned in March. The series follows a suburban real estate agent (Drew Barrymore) who turns into a zombie. Check out what we thought about the first season here.
A Series of Unfortunate Events (Season 2)
Release Date: March 30 Genre: Dark Comedy The Baudelaire children are back, along with their distant relative, Count Olaf. The second season of the Netflix series adapts books five through eight in the Daniel Handler novel series. If you enjoyed the first season of the series, which is oh so much better than the big screen version starring Jim Carrey, you'll love the second as well. It's well-written, witty, and Neil Patrick Harris is fantastic as Count Olaf.
Rapture
Release Date: March 30 Genre: Docuseries The new Netflix docuseries Rapture delves into the world of hip-hop, highlighting a different person in each episode. The first season follows Logic, Nas & Dave East, T.I., 2 Chainz, and more. The series does a great job at chronicling these musician's lives and how they got to where they are in the music industry. However, the show primarily talks to more contemporary stars, so there's a void with '80s and '90s hip hop, which older viewers, like myself, would appreciate more.
Fastest Car
Release Date: April 6 Genre: Car Reality Series If you have motor oil running through your veins, see a doctor. However, if you love shows about cars going fast, Fastest Car may be up your alley. Drivers of supercars race automobiles that have been modified and are deceptively fast.
AMO
Release Date: April 9 Genre: Crime Drama In this series from the Philippines, the country's government is cracking down on drugs, while a high schooler expands his drug operation, under the nose of his corrupt police officer uncle. The show has been called controversial and extremely gruesome.
Chef's Table (Season 4)
Release Date: April 13 Genre: Cooking Each episode of Chef's Table is a profile of a single chef. Season 4 of the series follows Christina Tosi, Corrago Assenza, Jordi Roca, and Will Goldfarb.
Lost In Space
Release Date: April 13 Genre: Sci-fi Netflix reboots the classic science fiction series, which follows a family who--believe it or not--become lost in space. The Robinson family get stranded on an alien planet and attempt to survive the environment and each other. GameSpot's Mike Rougeau said in his review, "Enjoy one of the best sci-fi shows in recent memory--with your whole family, if you want."
The Who Was? Show
Release Date: April 20 Genre: Sketch Comedy Based on a best-selling book series, The Who Was? Show is a sketch comedy series revolving around history. While the show is geared towards kids, it does feature H. Jon Benjamin and Andy Daly, which are notable names for comedy nerds.
Dope (Season 2)
Release Date: April 20 Genre: Docuseries Dope revolves around the drug war in the United States and Mexico. The series follows multiple perspectives from the dealers to the police to the people using the drugs. The second season consists of four episodes.
3% (Season 2)
Release Date: April 27 Genre: Sci-Fi Drama This Brazilian series is set in a dystopian future where people are cast into one of two classes: the exceptionally poor and those who live in the Offshore--and they have it good. In order to to get to the Offshore, candidates must go through a series of tasks where only 3% succeed.
Arrested Development Season 4 Remix
Release Date: May 3 Genre: Comedy Did the original release of Season 4 of Arrested Development bug you? The highly anticipated return, which debuted on Netflix in 2013, changed the format a bit by having each episode follow one of the characters on an interweaving journey with others on the show. Many people didn't like it, so the season was recut--five years later--and presented in a more traditional format. It's actually a bit better remixed.
Dear White People (Season 2)
Release Date: May 4 Genre: Comedy Based on the movie of the same name, Dear White People is a comedy that follows black students at a school that is predominantly white, with each episode focussing on a specific character.
Safe
Release Date: May 10 Genre: Thriller Netflix collaborated with France's Canal+ for this new series. It follows a surgeon who has two daughters. His wife passed away, and he's struggling to come to grips with it. One day, one of his daughters goes missing.
The Rain
Release Date: May 11 Genre: Drama This Danish series takes place in a world where a rain-carried virus killed almost everyone in Scandinavia. Simone and Rasmus, two Danish siblings, leave their bunker to find most of civilization destroyed. The join other survivors and search for others.
Evil Genius: The True Story of America's Most Diabolical Bank Heist
Release Date: May 11 Genre: Docuseries As the title suggests, this true crime story follows a pizza man who robs a bank while wearing a bomb around his neck. As the investigation moves forward, things become more and more bizarre.
13 Reasons Why (Season 2)
Release Date: May 18 Genre: Drama Season 1 of 13 Reasons Why took the country by storm last year. Following the events of a young woman named Hannah's suicide, Clay--an acquaintance of hers--finds audio tapes left by Hannah, detailing what led up to her decision to kill herself. Season 2 takes the story into the courtroom for those who caused her pain are on trial.
Explained
Release Date: May 23 Genre: Docuseries Explained is a new docuseries that spends 15-20 "explaining" something about the world. Each week, a new episode is released that covers topics like the racial wealth gap or monogamy. The series is produced by Vox Media.
The Break with Michelle Wolf
Release Date: May 27 Genre: Talk Show The Break is a half-an-hour weekly talk show hosted by Wolf (Late Night With Seth Meyers, The Daily Show). The series follows a typical late-night format with Wolf wrapping up weekly events in a monologue and interviewing guests.
November 13: Attack on Paris
Release Date: June 1 Genre: Docuseries The three-part docuseries recounts the 2015 Paris attacks, told by those who survived the bombings.
Queer Eye (Season 2)
Release Date: June 15 Genre: Reality The Fab 5 is back and have a whole new batch of people to makeover. Both men and women get the Queer Eye treatment in this newest season, and yes, it's still a tear-jerker.
The Ranch (Season 3)
Release Date: June 15 Genre: Comedy The Ranch returns for its third season, a series following a dysfunctional family living on a Colorado ranch.
The Ballad of Hugo Sánchez
Release Date: June 17 Genre: Comedy A spin-off of the Mexican series Club de Cuervos, The Ballad of Hugo Sánchez follows Hugo Sánchez, who is in charge of a soccer team that is headed to Nicaragua for a tournament called "Duelo de las Aves."
Cooking On High
Release Date: June 22 Genre: Cooking Show In this competitive cooking series, chefs battle each other to make the best marijuana-infused meals possible.
Luke Cage (Season 2)
Release Date: June 22 Genre: Superhero Sweet Christmas, Luke Cage is back. This time around, he's taking on the Bushmaster but still facing some familiar foes. However, Cage has a secret weapon on hand. Here's a quick refresher of Season 1 before you binge this one.
By Chris Pereira on Jun 23, 2018 02:19 am
Like clockwork, summer has begun, so Valve has officially kicked off Steam's annual summer sale, which this year is dubbed the Steam Intergalactic Summer Sale. As always, 2018's sale brings discounts on a huge number of games; Valve says more than 10,000 are on sale. That's far too many for anyone to hope to parse through, but that's where we come in. Rather than wade through countless pages of discounted titles, we've rounded up a selection of worthwhile games that you should consider buying before the sale ends. The specific amount you'll save varies greatly, but we've asked GameSpot's staff for their favorite deals, and we've come up with a selection that runs the gamut from big-name, triple-A games to lesser-known (but nonetheless excellent) titles. Whether you're looking for shooters, RPGs, strategy games, or something else, we've got you covered. The Steam Intergalactic Summer Sale, like recent sales on the platform, is relatively straightforward. Valve has done away with the daily and flash deals, as well as voting; you don't have to check in every eight hours to avoid missing out on what you're looking for. That might have done away with some of the excitement of past Steam sales, but it does make shopping much easier, as you can rest assured that anything you buy now isn't going to be discounted more heavily later in the sale. This sale does feature one wrinkle, which is where the "intergalactic" aspect comes in. Steam's homepage allows you to jump into what's called the Summer Saliens game, which sees you head to planets and save various games that have been abducted by aliens. You'll earn XP and unlock new abilities, RPG-style, although it's all rather simplistic. While perhaps not worth playing for long on the strength of its gameplay, you may want to dive in anyway, as doing so can earn you Steam trading cards. More notably, defending certain planets enters you to win a corresponding game, with your odds increasing as your Salien stays on the same planet for longer. The Steam Summer Sale runs from now until July 5, and a variety of anime is also on sale. Be sure to let us know your picks for worthwhile deals, as well as what you plan to pick up, in the comments below.
Mayhem - Total Mayhem Bundle | $16.05 / £13.21 (72% off)
Agents of Mayhem takes Saint Row IV's pure insanity and cranks it up to 11. Canonically taking place after the Gat Out of Hell "recreate earth" ending, Agents of Mayhem is a story of bad vs. evil. I loved the diverse range of personalities, races, and sexualities that compose the lovable rogues that make up MAYHEM, an organization set on destroying the evil terrorist group known as LEGION. My favorite agent is Daisy, an ex-roller derby girl with a knack for cussing, drinking, having sex, and handling heavy weaponry, but I also loved the the queer logistics officer Friday, storytelling ninja Scheherazade, and loud-mouthed Safeword (who's this universe's version of Saint Row's Kinzie Kensington). -- Jordan Ramee, Associate Editor Agents of Mayhem on Steam
Cities: Skylines | $7.49 / £5.74 (75% off)
Where EA's SimCity (2013) dropped the ball, Cities: Skylines picked it up, and it ran. It ran far, wide, and it's never stopped, even to this day. The city builder has positively delivered everything that anyone has ever wanted out of this kind of game, and has seen a steady stream of expansions over the past three years. But even if you're just interested in trying the vanilla experience during this Steam sale, Cities: Skyline's incredibly accessible modding options, and its amazing community will give you more than enough content to gorge on. There's a lot of joy to be had in city building and management games, and Cities: Skylines is the definitive game in the genre. -- Edmond Tran, AU Editor / Senior Video Producer Cities: Skylines on Steam
Danganronpa 1 + 2 Bundle | $22 / £16.18 (46% off)
Danganronpa is a murder-mystery story taken to the weirdest extremes. When a group of gifted high school students awakes in their new school, they find that all the exits have been sealed. Then, their new headmaster--a robotic bear named Monokuma--tells them that in order to leave, they have to murder a classmate and fool the survivors. It's up to you to successfully investigate each grisly (yet colorful) murder and maybe figure out who's the mastermind behind the sadistic setup along the way. Now mostly concluded after the release of Danganronpa V3, Danganronpa is one of my favorite game series of all time. Getting both Danganropna 1 and 2 for this price is an absolute steal. -- Kallie Plagge, Associate Editor Danganronpa 1 + 2 on Steam
Dark Souls III | $14.99 / £9.99 (75% off)
If the recent release of Dark Souls: Remastered hasn't gotten you to try out From Software and Hidetaka Miyazaki's fantastic Souls series, maybe the heavily discounted Dark Souls III will. Dark Souls III takes the dilapidated world of the Souls games and adds new lands to discover, a quicker pace to the combat, and plenty of upgrades to the multiplayer, all while maintaining the strong world and level design that has made the series stand out so much. While I don't personally find the game to be as strong of an entry into the series as Dark Souls or Bloodborne, I could not put this game down when I first picked it up. For players looking for a rewarding game with challenge, I could not recommend the game more. -- Dave Klein, Video Producer Dark Souls III on Steam
Dead Cells | $11.99 / £10.19 (40% off)
Dead Cells takes the DNA of Dark Souls, Castlevania, and a heavy dose of roguelike to create something that's more than the sum of its parts. This addictive and thrilling side-scrolling adventure boasts a bevy of tense moments, challenging bosses, and satisfying combat. The core of the game is based on growing with each run, as every failure brings new lessons to learn, items to unlock, and points to take with you into the next life. With a huge array of weapons, skills and playstyles, Dead Cells is a game that epitomises the "one more try" style of play. After your first few deaths, you'll be hooked and hungry for success. -- Dave Jewitt, Video Producer Dead Cells on Steam
Divinity: Original Sin 2 | $35.99 / £23.99 (20% off)
I have, admittedly, never actually finished Divinity: Original Sin 2, and yet there are few games on Steam (included in this sale or not) that I'd recommend more highly. Like its predecessor, it's such an ambitious game that it's astounding that it's able to pull it off so effectively on all fronts. Original Sin 2 is chock-full of fascinating characters and a seemingly endless array of ways to approach any given situation. While it puts up a real challenge (at least on difficulties other than its lowest), I've not managed to make it to the end because what's most difficult is resisting the urge to restart and try a different way of handling many of the game's scenarios. Original Sin 2 might be more expensive than many of the games on this list, but its combination of an excellent narrative, numerous secrets to uncover, and complex combat--all wrapped in an extremely replayable package--make it well worth the price of entry. -- Chris Pereira, News Editor Divinity: Original Sin 2 on Steam
Doom (2016) | $15 / £9.99 (50% off)
If you haven't played 2016's Doom reboot yet, now's a good time--publisher Bethesda announced a sequel, Doom Eternal, at E3 this year. This new Doom is self-aware in its intensity, with its high-octane demon-slaying madness backed by an over-the-top metal score. It's both a return and an homage to the corridor shooting of the series' past, but modern touches also make it feel like a step forward for the series. As a bonus, the classic Doom levels hidden in each mission are both fun to find and provide the perfect amount of nostalgia. -- Kallie Plagge, Associate Editor Doom on Steam
Everspace | $9.89 / £7.58 (67% off)
I'm usually not a huge fan of roguelike games, but something about Everspace just kept dragging me back for more. Stressing over every jump between sectors, while trying to simultaneously circumnavigate challenging fights and monitor my fuel cost, kept me constantly on edge. The mindless humdrum of outfitting a new vessel would quickly replace every frustrating death, and I'd promise myself I'd get a little bit further on my next excursion. I enjoyed solving the overarching mystery in the main storyline, but Everspace's tight controls and hectic dogfights were what drew me into its quiet beauty. -- Jordan Ramee, Associate Editor Everspace on Steam
Forgotton Anne | $14.99 / £11.61 (25% off)
About 15 minutes into Forgotton Anne, I was curled up on the couch and weeping, after mistakenly profiling an illegal immigrant as a terrorist and getting him killed. Forgotton Anne never gave me a chance to catch my breath, though, and continued to dole out emotional punches. This adventure-platformer threw me into a role I've never played before: an officer who enforces border control. Anne must squash a rebellion that threatens her and that of her master, and the player chooses whether or not she goes about that task with any mercy. I'll admit, I was fooled by the pretty Studio Ghibli-style art into thinking this would be a game for kids. I was so wrong. -- Jordan Ramee, Associate Editor Forgotton Anne on Steam
Grand Theft Auto V | $19.79 / £13.19 (67% off)
There's a good chance that, by now, you're one of the incredible number of people who have bought Grand Theft Auto V. If not, this is as cheap as it's ever been, making it easier to buy a copy for you and a few friends. And you'll want to play with friends, because there aren't many games like GTA Online and its heists. These multi-part missions that have you working in tandem with friends (or strangers, if you're less fortunate) are among the most fun I've ever had with a multiplayer game. Dodging a military jet in your biplane until you can pick up your friends who are breaking someone out of prison makes for an unforgettable, tense experience. GTA 5's single-player remains enjoyable, and buying it on PC gives you access to mods, but this is well worth the price of entry for GTA Online alone. -- Chris Pereira, News Editor GTA V on Steam
Iconoclasts | $16.99 / £14.86 (15% off)
An iconoclast is a person who destroys a religious image or symbol, and that's the exact role you take on in this indie Metroidvania title. I didn't find Iconoclasts' puzzles or platforming segments to be all that challenging, but the game makes up for these faults with dozens of intense boss battles, a wonderful cast of characters, and a nuanced narrative. It's been a while since a video game's story really made me stop and think about the consequences of my in-game actions, and whether I was playing the role of the hero or the villian. Despite the protagonist's silence, Robin also makes for a fantastic hero, whose adorable emotes and expressive poses convey her helpful yet naive nature. -- Jordan Ramee, Associate Editor Iconoclasts on Steam
Into the Breach | $11.99 / £9.11 (20% off)
From the creators of FTL comes hands down, one of 2018's best games. Into the Breach is tactical strategy boiled down to its purest elements, with completely transparent mechanics that let you know exactly what the enemy is going to do next, and what effect your hypothetical actions will have before you make them. This alone makes every single turn a satisfying brain-churn that has you poring over all the game's exciting and multi-faceted cause-and-effect systems. With dozens of unique mechs, it's a sincere joy to experiment and replay Into the Breach again and again and again. -- Edmond Tran, AU Editor / Senior Video Producer Into the Breach on Steam
Nioh: Complete Edition | $29.99 / £23.99 (40% off)
As developer Team Ninja admits, Nioh is a game that was deeply inspired by Dark Souls. It combines Souls' mechanics with the action and combo mechanics of Team Ninja's previous franchise, Ninja Gaiden. While the game can be brutal with a steep learning curve, I absolutely loved the depth to its combat and gameplay. The game is set in Feudal Japan, with winding and interconnected level design, and the enemies are various Yokai, or supernatural monsters pulled straight out of Japanese folklore, all serving to give the game a unique style and feel. Souls fans have been split on Nioh, but I found the game stands out on its own, and the moment Nioh 2 was announced at E3 this year, my knee-jerk reaction was: YES! I want more of that! -- Dave Klein, Video Producer Nioh on Steam
Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition | $9.99 / £7.49 (50% off)
When pressed for time and trying to explain what makes Ori and the Blind Forest so special, I tell people that it's a Meat Boy-Metroidvania--intense platforming balanced against exploration and wonder. It gets the point across, but the reality is that it's so much more than that. The gorgeous art style and animation mix with fine-tuned controls that make the whole experience feel smooth as silk. The fable-like story is a resonant one about empathy and love. It's one of the best games to have come out in the last few years, and absolutely deserves more attention before the sequel arrives in 2019. -- Steve Watts, News Writer Ori and the Blind Forest on Steam
Papers, Please | $4.99 / £3.49 (50% off)
I sincerely hope you're skipping this entry because you've already played and finished this game, because Papers, Please is one of my favourite games of all time. It's a modern classic where premise and mechanics marry together beautifully with difficult moral choices, strict consequences, and an unavoidable imperative for self-gain. You play an immigration inspector on a politically tumultuous Eastern European border, charged with inspecting and cross-referencing documents, controlling the flow of people, and correcting following protocol above all else. Hidden amongst civilians are spies and terrorists, but also sympathetic stories of innocent people caught by the riptides of war, trying to hang on to a semblance of life. Where does your loyalty lie: To the job that's keeping your family fed, to the greater good, yourself, or potentially, something else? How far are you willing to push your moral compass? Paper, Please is a masterpiece through and through, and it makes stamping passports feel like the most satisfying feeling in the whole world. -- Edmond Tran, AU Editor / Senior Video Producer Papers, Please on Steam
Prey | $15 / £9.99 (50% off)
Prey is arguably one of the most underappreciated and overlooked games of 2017. It captures so much of what I love about immersive sims, particularly in its environmental storytelling--emails, notes, and other personal items weave the stories of who was on the space station before everything went wrong, and piecing things together takes careful attention to detail. Each part of the station also presents you with multiple ways to solve a problem, be it getting past an enemy Typhon or getting into a locked room, and all those things combined make traversal and exploration rewarding. The new DLC is just one more reason to pick Prey up while it's on sale. -- Kallie Plagge, Associate Editor Prey on Steam
Stardew Valley | $12 / £8.79 (20% off)
I've put around 300 hours into Stardew Valley between the PC and Nintendo Switch versions, and it's become one of my favorite games I've ever played. I'm a big proponent of the Switch version now, but if you don't have one or prefer playing on PC, now's your best chance to try it out. Stardew Valley is everything I ever wanted Harvest Moon games to be, and it's made even better by its complex characters and surprisingly heavy themes. I don't want to spoil anything, but this is a game where you get out what you put into it--and there's a lot to discover. -- Kallie Plagge, Associate Editor Stardew Valley on Steam
SteamWorld Dig 2 | $13.39 / £10.04 (33% off)
On its face, a game like SteamWorld Dig shouldn't have worked, much less warranted a sequel. A modern-day rogue-like Dig Dug, SteamWorld Dig carried an oddly relaxing gameplay loop: burrow your way underground, find some loot, come back up and spend it on upgrades, repeat. Its sequel, SteamWorld Dig 2, improves on the predecessor in every way, offering better upgrades, more character customization options, and challenge rooms for the truly enterprising spelunker. Sometimes you just want more of a great thing. -- Steve Watts, News Writer SteamWorld Dig 2 on Steam
Stellaris | $15.99 / £13.99 (60% off)
The masters of grand historical strategy, Paradox Interactive, released their ambitious spacefaring 4X game Stellaris a couple of years ago, but if you haven't played it yet, you're definitely better off coming into it now. As is typical, the Swedish developer has improved the game significantly with free updates and meaningful expansions over time and addressed many concerns. Beginning with a single planet, you'll expand your empire, discover new galaxies, inhabit new worlds, meet new alien races, and see where your interactions with them may lead. Stellaris is certainly a complex 4X game, but like other Paradox titles, once you begin to internalise it, gain momentum, and appreciate the myriad nuances to its systems, you'll probably never think about playing anything else for a good, long while. -- Edmond Tran, AU Editor / Senior Video Producer Stellaris on Steam
Valkyria Chronicles | $5.94 / £5.09 (66% off)
I hope no PC devotees out there will get upset when I say that one of the most innovative tactical strategy games of the past decade was born as a console game, and is anime as hell. Valkyria Chronicles puts some strange twists on its alternate version of World War II, but that doesn't deny the fact that its battle system is unique and fun. You plan and order troops in a turn-based fashion with a top-down strategy phase, but then need to personally move an ordered troop or vehicle in a real-time third-person mode and line up their shots. It may sound arduous, but it's incredibly satisfying and exciting to actually do. Its beautiful watercolour art direction has aged very well, and with Valkyria Chronicles 4 coming out on PC and consoles later this year, you might as well see what the fuss is all about. -- Edmond Tran, AU Editor / Senior Video Producer Valkyria Chronicles on Steam
Vanquish | $6.79 / £5.09 (66% off)
If you're a fan of over-the-top action games and you haven't played Vanquish, then you haven't lived. Directed by Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami, the magnum opus of PlatinumGames' resume contains incredibly fast-paced shooting with an emphasis on movement. Equipped with a high-tech battle-suit with jet-boosters, you'll charge head-first through bullet-hell scenarios, gunning down robotic foes as you constantly dodge, vault, slow-down time, and famously, butt-slide at great speed. It's one of the most invigorating actions games of the past decade, and it has a dedicated command to smoke a cigarette. You owe it to yourself to play Vanquish. -- Edmond Tran, AU Editor / Senior Video Producer Vanquish on Steam
The Witcher 3: Game of the Year Edition | $19.99 / £13.99 (60% off)
If you ask me (and many others who have played this remarkable action RPG), The Witcher 3 is the best game of this generation. It's huge, gorgeous, well-written, mature, and exceedingly fun to play. The dark fantasy world it's set in is perfectly rendered and unlike any other you'll find in all of games. Despite its sense of finality, here's hoping it's not the last game we'll get to play in this world, with these characters. It's a great ride. -- Chris Reed, Commerce Editor The Witcher 3: Complete Edition on Steam
By Matt Espineli on Jun 23, 2018 12:40 am
Going Battle Royale
After the smash success of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds and Fortnite, battle royale games are quickly evolving, moving past the genre's humble beginnings as mods for large-scale survival games, like ARMA 2 and Minecraft, and into new territory. This year alone is packed with a slew of new battle royale games that aim to push the genre further by expanding its most well established tenets. To keep you informed of all the latest games in the genre, we've compiled 14 of the biggest battle royale games releasing in 2018. Below you can find a full list of the battle royale games releasing this year. In addition, you find out more in the feature ahead. Battle Royale Games Of 2018While there's plenty of battle royale games out there, we've decidedly narrowed it down to the ones most worth looking into this year. Many of the latest battle royale games are expanding upon it by throwing new mechanics into the mix. Some games add in spectator elements and dynamic environmental effects, while others are taking the experience to VR. It's exciting to see how some developers are pushing the genre to entirely new directions. There are also battle royale games this year are opting for a more traditional approach. Games like Europa and Mavericks: Proving Grounds are sticking to the last person standing approach but across different scales and with additional mechanics, like dynamic environmental effects and higher player counts. These games offer veteran players fascinating situations to test their skills. Even the biggest gaming franchises are incorporating battle royale into its repertoire. The upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 and Battlefield 5 have battle royale-like modes. We can only imagine what other popular franchises plan to introduce the mode at E3 2018. Regardless of what you prefer, it's safe to say that there is likely a new battle royale game for you. But which one are you looking forward to the most? Let us know in the comments below. And be sure to check back often as we update this feature with even more new battle royale games as they get announced.
Battlefield 5 | PS4, Xbox One, PC
During EA's E3 2018 press conference, Battlefield V developer DICE confirmed that a battle royale mode will be available in the game at some point. DICE creative director Lars Gustavsson stated that games like Fortnite and PUBG are popular among the developer's employees. The idea to add a battle royale mode to Battlefield V came from conversations DICE developers were having about the game inside the studio as opposed to being a directive that EA handed down to the studio, he suggested. Release Date: TBA (Mode expected to release sometime after October 11 launch)
Fear the Wolves | PC, PS4, Xbox One
Fear the Wolves is a battle royale game set in an apocalyptic Chernobyl-like wasteland. It brings an interesting twist to the formula by introducing unpredictable weather cycles. In addition, there are radioactive zones that players can only explore with the proper gear. Release Date: PC Early Access TBA 2018 (Console version expected to launch in 2019)
Rapture Rejects | PC
Rapture Rejects is an upcoming battle royale game set in the popular Cyanide & Happiness cartoon universe. Unlike its contemporaries, the game sets players in a hellish otherworld where God has abandoned humanity, and the only option left is to kill until only one person is left standing. Release Date: TBA 2018
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 | PS4, Xbox One, PC
The upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is going to feature a battle royale mode. Dubbed Blackout, the new mode pits players against each other in a fight to be the last one standing. Where it differs from other battle royale games, however, is that it draws heavily on previous Black Ops titles. Developer Treyarch says it wanted to create a battle royale mode "the Black Ops way," and to that end, it has incorporated elements from the entire series into the mode. Release Date: October 12
Battlerite Royale | PC
Battlerite Royale is an upcoming mode for the team-based arena brawler where 20 players fight on a map 30 times larger than the game's standard arena mode map. You can play solo or as a pair, with 27 distinct heroes to choose from. The rules are standard fair as a battle royale game: drop in, gather supplies, kill people, and come out as the last person alive. Platforms: PC | Release Date: Summer 2018 (Standard Game is Available Now)
Maelstorm | PC
Maelstorm offers an interesting spin on the battle royale genre. Rather than take on the format of a first-person or third-person shooter, the game focuses on naval combat in a fantasy setting. You're pitted against 15 other players in a a battle to be the last "ship" standing. While you fight off other players and NPC ships, there are also sea monsters to worry about that'll attempt to sink you. And if the game's premise isn't enough to pull you in, it also offers progression and loot systems to keep you invested in and outside of battle. Release Date: Available Now via Steam Early Access
Egress
Egress is an RPG battle royale game with a Soulsborne-like combat system. It's set in an alternate universe that combines visuals elements from Victorian-era architecture, Lovecraftian mythology, and Retrowave. Release Date: TBA 2018
H1Z1 | PC (PS4 and Xbox One Versions Coming Soon)
Formerly known as H1Z1: King of the Kill, H1Z1 is the battle royale version of the zombie-survival sandbox game, Just Survive. It pits 150 players against each other in a last-man-standing deathmatch; players can choose to play solo, with a partner, or in groups of five. In addition to the game's standard battle royale mode, H1Z1 features a mode called Auto Royale, where four players drive a car into battle, collecting power-ups in order to emerge the last team driving. Platforms: PC | Release Date: Available Now
Proxima Royale
Proxima Royale is a sci-fi-themed battle royale where up to 60 players duke it out in a last "robot" standing conflict on an alien planet. The game is in early access, having had a few closed alphas over the past month or so. Release Date: TBA
SOS | PC
SOS offers something unique: it requires a microphone, and your social skills and sense of showmanship will be put to the test. Each player has to present themselves in an interesting way to stand out and earn the favor of a live audience. Each game is broadcast live online via the social gaming platform Hero, with spectators voting on possible in-game events like supply drops or bombing runs. The main goal is to find one of four relics spread across the map, and then signal for extraction and make it onto a helicopter. This sounds simple on paper, but 15 other players are also striving to accomplish the same goal, and with only a few seats on the helicopter, you're going to need to be clever and ruthless if you want to survive. Release Date: Available Now via Steam Early Access
Realm Royale | PC, PS4, Xbox One
Realm Royale is a 100-player battle royale spin-off of Paladins: Champions of the Realm. It takes on qualities similar to other battle royale games, but attempts to redefine them by introducing mechanics from hero shooters, with myriad playable characters, each with their own unique skills and abilities. In addition, it emphasizes cooperative play, as it's designed to be played primarily in four-person squads. Release Date: Available Now via Steam Early Access
The Darwin Project | PC, Xbox One
The Darwin Project is a third-person competitive multiplayer battle royale game with more of an emphasis on survival than its competitors. In order to win, you must endure extreme weather conditions, while tracking opponents and setting up traps in order to be the last one left alive. It's most noteworthy quality is that it incorporates reality TV show elements into its gameplay, like spectator interaction and a show director who controls varying aspects of the arena. Release Date: Available Now via Steam Early Access and Xbox One Game Preview program
Mavericks: Proving Grounds | PC
Mavericks: Proving Grounds is an first-person battle royale game where up to 400 players do battle in a highly dynamic environment. For example, you can set fire to a map, tactically spreading it to others parts of the map to either damage other players or cut them off. In addition, the game promises more intelligent mission systems, social hubs, and a player-driven narrative that informs your experiences playing the game. Release Date: TBA 2018 (Beta opens Summer 2018)
Islands of Nyne | PC
Islands of Nyne is a sci-fi-themed first-person battle royale game that's more skill-driven than its competitors. Based on how well you play, you'll earn special armor sets and weapon skins for your character. There's also a player betting system, which allows you to use in-game credits to place bets on individual players or teams during a match to win more equipment or skins. Release Date: TBA 2018 (Currently in Closed Alpha, which you can get into by pre-ordering the game)
Dying Light: Bad Blood | PC, PS4, Xbox One
Dying Light: Bad Blood is a standalone battle royale-esque expansion of the critically acclaimed Dying Light. It seems an almost unexpected release, but apparently it was made by developer Techland due to numerous fan requests. In Bad Blood, six players are dropped into random locations around the map in a race to acquire enough samples from several powerful infected zombies. As you take down these special zombies, you'll collect samples and potentially level up your character--boosting their health, agility, and attack power. The first one to acquire all the samples and escape in the evac chopper wins. Release Date: TBA 2018 (a Global Playtest is schedule for sometime this year, which you can sign up for via the Dying Light website)
Europa | PC
Europa is Chinese publisher Tencent's contribution to the battle royale genre. Unlike its competitors, the game will feature real-time weather, underwater exploration, environmental kills, and destructible cover. Whether Europa releases anywhere besides China remains to be seen. Release Date: TBA 2018 in China only
Survival Games: Battle Royale | PC
Survival Games: Battle Royale retains the genre's tried and true premise, but provides some twists of its own. Maps are procedurally generated and you must keep track of your stats and hunger as you fight to be the last one standing. In addition, the game sports a map editor that allows you design your own custom battle royale arenas. Release Date: Available Now via Steam Early Access
Stand Out: VR Battle Royale | PC (Oculus Rift, HTC Vive)
Playing a battle royale game in VR sounds like a huge challenge, but developer raptor lab is looking to make it happen with Standout: Battle Royale VR. In order to survive a match, you'll literally have to crouch down to avoid enemy and lean in and out of cover to get a clear line of sight on opponents; you can even reach out and snatch a magazine from a player's hands. Release Date: Available Now via Steam Early Access
Fractured Lands | PC
Fractured Lands sets the 100-player battle royale formula in a Mad Max-inspired post-apocalyptic wasteland. The game features classic genre mechanics, like resource management and tactical first-person shooting. However, it also sports an emphasis on car combat and vehicle customization. Release Date: Available Summer 2018 via Steam Early Access (Available now in Closed Beta)
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