E3 2018 is finally behind us, well somewhat in the rear view mirror at least, so let’s take a look back at the week that was. Specifically looking at the conferences, we got showings from most of the big players, including Microsoft, Sony, Ubisoft, and EA. It seems like a lot of people are split on whether these were all good showings or if this was a sort of down year in terms of big reveals and amazing announcements.
Sony gave us an in-depth look at their four major titles, Microsoft went heavy on the Japanese influence, Square Enix kept it short and sweet, while Bethesda and Ubisoft showed off a fair amount of content. With all this in mind, we decided to ask our writers what they thought of the conferences in general. Was it an impressive showing for the industry as a whole, or was this a year devoid of those “OMG” moments?
Anthony Nash (@_AnthonyNash)
Things started off really well, but I think overall it was kind of disappointing? Microsoft and Ubisoft were the highlights of the show for me, as shocking as that may be to say. Sony and Nintendo both showed off some great games, but their stream set up and how they went about showcasing games just kept killing off momentum.
Cameron Teague (@Lifewish_)
There were some really great and fun announcements at each press conference, but there just wasn’t a single “OMG” moment to be found anywhere during E3, at least for me. No one big surprise that made me go absolutely nuts. Probably the best conference for me goes to Microsoft, since they showed off more surprising PS4 games then Sony did.
Chandler Wood (@FinchStrife)
We’re at that point in the console life-cycles that we’re going to see big announcements start tapering off until next gen is announced. There weren’t a lot of huge announcements, but I thought this year’s show was overall a good one. Sure, there were some pacing and communication issues, but there have been far worse E3s. I think next year will be pretty slow again, before 2020 brings out the true look at next gen.
Dylan Bishop (@Dyl_byl)
I can’t say I’m disappointed by this year’s E3–in fact, most of the games shown excite me to no end. I do miss being thoroughly surprised, though. There’s a child-like glee that accompanies being caught off guard by a huge reveal, and sadly, a lot of that glee was missing this year.
Jenny Jones
I wish there had been a few more brand new IP’s revealed but I suspect we’re getting a little bit too late in the console cycle for there to be too many new surprises. I adored the new Beyond Good and Evil 2 trailer – I want to play that game so much!
Keri Honea (@CrunchyChocobo)
Microsoft, Bethesda, and Nintendo (in that order) had the best showcases to me. Sony had a lot of cool trailers, but their presentation was just awful.
Lucas White
I wasn’t blown away this year in terms of surprises. There was cool stuff, but nothing I couldn’t see coming or out of the ordinary. That said, this has been one of the most satisfying E3s in recent years due to the amount of content I’m actually looking forward to playing. I could fill up a sheet of paper with just the number of titles I want to get my hands on, from Resident Evil 2 to Super Mario Party, from Daemon X Machina to Dragon Quest XI and beyond. There’s something that wedges into each of my favorite niches, and that almost never happens.
Michael Briers (@BriersyTweets)
There were only two conferences that I watched in full (Sony and Microsoft), so I’ll keep things brief. Microsoft’s showcase was really impressive, though I’m a little apprehensive about Ninja Theory being drafted into Microsoft Studios. For Sony, we always knew its briefing would narrow the focus to four titles, it was more the pacing and lengthy intermissions that killed off any sense of momentum – particularly for those viewers watching along at home who weren’t able to experience the admittedly cool stagecraft as intended.
Paulmichael Contreras (@T3mpr1x)
I’m surprised I actually caught a cold this year at E3, I rarely ever do. As for the show itself, it wasn’t chock-full of surprises, and as usual smaller titles caught my attention, like State of Mind. Part of me also wanted to see new hardware announced, but now I’m glad that wasn’t the case so my wallet can breathe a sign of relief.
Uros Pavlovic (@urevader)
Lack of surprise reveals and jaw-dropping moments is my biggest disappointment. Previous E3s had major announcements, new IPs, new indie games, more triple-A games, just more games in general. In all honesty, Unravel Two felt like the only genuine surprise. The Last of Us Part II and Ghost of Tsushima look fabulous. Otherwise, the E3 2018 was just one massive scream from publishers and developers: “we are not ready, so see you in 2019!” Also, not having any Cyberpunk 2077 gameplay footage or even a single snapshot ready for the public seemed a bit unfair.
Zarmena Khan (@Zarmena)
I think E3 just doesn’t excite me anymore. I look forward to the Tokyo Game Show a lot more than E3. That said, Sony’s conference this year was pretty average. Microsoft did well. Overall, nothing stood out to me except Cyberpunk 2077‘s reveal.
What did you think of the E3 2018 conferences? Which PSLS staff member does your opinion line up with? Whether we’re winding down on this gen or it was just a slower year, another E3 is finally on the books. We’re already anticipating what surprises next year may hold.
Essential Reading
- E3 Twitch Viewers Show Growth for Sony, Microsoft Breaks Tops Record
- Sony’s E3 Conference a Response to “Shallow” Conferences of the Past
- Report: PS5, Sony’s Next-Gen PlayStation, Will Supposedly Launch in 2020
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Aimee hart
My favorite announcement had to be Tales of Vesperia. I've wanted to play that game since forever and now that it's here and I can play the game WITH MY OWN TWO HANDS? God, it's enough to bring me to tears.
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Anthony Nash
Cyberpunk 2077 was really great, but I think I’m most excited for Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. FromSoftware has proven they know how to make a game, and with them making a game that looks like its set in some ancient Japan? Sign me up.
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Cameron Teague
Really wasn't a big weekend for me. I am not the biggest Bethesda fan and EA pulled a typical EA. For me, the biggest thing came out of Microsoft's conference and it was Jump Force, if only for Light and Ryuk at the end.
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Chandler Wood
Microsoft's conference was actually surprising with the number of third-party announcements they had, and was quite relevant to PlayStation owners. I think Devil May Cry 5 was probably the biggest one for me, just because I have a deep history with that series.
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Cody Gravelle
My favourite announcement was the brief Cyberpunk 2077 trailer. I think CD Projekt Red delivered the greatest gaming experience I've ever had in The Witcher 3, and at an early glance, they look poised to do that again with Cyberpunk. I was hesitant to invest emotionally in the title before I'd seen anything about it - now I'm ready to book a week off work once we know its release date so I can lose myself in another beautifully crafted CD Projekt Red world.
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James Kozanitis
The original Dying Light did not get nearly enough praise for everything it did so well - a truly revolutionary parkour system, visceral melee combat and an expansion that kept the game going but also moved it forward. Dying Light 2 has been a long time coming, and, if it's supported as much as the original, will stick around for a long time as well.
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Keri Honea
It's Doom, do I need to say anything more?
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Lucas White
I remember hearing about Metal Wolf Chaos as far back as high school, in the early days of YouTube and gaming memes. The crazy voice acting, hilarious dialogue, and legit dope-looking mecha action had me hungry to get my hands on the game back in the early 2000s. Alas, it was only for the Xbox and only in Japan, so I had no easy means to play it. Now, what everyone thought was a joke from Devolver Digital turned out to be real, and the perfect way to end the E3 2018 weekend.
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Matthew Forde
E3 has well and truly kicked off in style. Plenty of announcements have been made so far with many more expected with PlayStation, Ubisoft, Square, and Nintendo all to come. So far, for me personally, the announcement of not only a new Forza Horizon but the confirmation that it will be set in my own country of the UK has topped the list. Australia was depicted incredibly well in its predecessor, so I can’t wait to explore Playground Games’ fictionalized version of Britain – potholes and all.
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Michael Briers
Doom Eternal. Not the most surprising announcement, but one I'm still incredibly excited about. Inject that all-new Mick Gordon soundtrack into my veins, please and thank you.