E3 2018 Reactions

[Griffith]

I'll definitely play:

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Though I'm not as crazy about it as I might be (if it was DeS2, DS4, or BB2 because I'm a tool of established branding =). I'm just not that into the setting or aesthetic, though that may change. If it's that fun to play it won't matter anyway and will likely GET me into it. I'm glad it's not PS4 exclusive too, though I just bought one for Bloodborne and Bloodborne 2.

I'll likely also play:

Nioh 2
Doom Eternal

But maybe not, or right away. I guess Super Smash Bros Ultimate is exciting for Smash fans, but will Melee players actually stop swearing by Melee for it!? My guess is NO. NEVER! "THEY JUST CAN'T GET THE SPICES RIGHT!"

And the reason I really started this thread was to ask WTF is up with Death Stranding? It actually looks to me like MGSV but completely untethered from anything resembling the real world. Which may not be a bad thing! It's probably the game I'm most intrigued by after Sekiro, whether or not that interest translates into me buying and playing it.

 

[Walter]

As someone who has followed the industry very closely for years, yet only owns a Switch, this was yet again an E3 where 90% of the show was mostly just spectacle for me.

Things that I am excited about in order of excitement, even if it's just by proxy:

-Cyberpunk — Despite unsuccessfully developing any interest in any of the Witcher games, I'm very interested in this one, and it had an incredible trailer.

-Sekiro — Finally, From Soft seems to be peeking their heads out of the coffin of Souls games where they've been hibernating for about a decade

-Doom Eternal — Spiritual sequel to Doom 2: hell on earth? Sign me up. Too bad they already played the Super Shotgun card though...

-Rage 2 — Listen, I'll be the first guy to say that Rage was a disappointment. I dropped $60 on that game in a year where I was a part-time freelancer, so I have JUST A FEW FEELINGS about that experience. But the wilder take on the world in the footage they showed off looked promising to me. And with Avalanche at the helm it's sure to at least be a fun ride.

-Spelunky 2 — Not at the show, but should have been. No release date, but 2019 seems safe. Spelunky is infinitely replayable, and I have a lot of love for it. It's a game I still play once every few weeks. Just last night I ranked 34th worldwide in the daily challenge I'm not sure what Derek Yu can add for a sequel, but he seems confident, so I'm excited.

-Nioh 2 — Bottom of the list for a reason. I'm excited! But ... it's a very quick turnaround. Nioh was just last year, right? And it's honestly hard to get too excited for this since I still haven't finished the first one (that first boss obliterated my confidence in my abilities).

 

[Griffith]

-Sekiro — Finally, From Soft seems to be peeking their heads out of the coffin of Souls games where they've been hibernating for about a decade

Are they, though? I feel like it's both promising to be sort of different but not TOO different, "We're not just making a new Dark Souls... *psssst* this is the new Dark Souls!"

-Doom Eternal — Spiritual sequel to Doom 2: hell on earth? Sign me up. Too bad they already played the Super Shotgun card though...

Random complaint: If you're going to use a random word generator placeholder subtitle to differentiate a sequel, just call it part 2. Might as well be Doom Subtitle or Doom Password. HELL ON EARTH, baby!

Rage 2

I feel like Bethesda is publishing new games under every IP they own, even the relatively unpopular ones nobody asked for.

-Nioh 2 — Bottom of the list for a reason. I'm excited! But ... it's a very quick turnaround. Nioh was just last year, right? And it's honestly hard to get too excited for this since I still haven't finished the first one (that first boss obliterated my confidence in my abilities).

Don't feel bad, if you'd stuck with it you'd find them easier over time until that guy is like a dude that just springs up like the Asylum or Taurus Demons. In my estimation Nioh's bosses require more wash, rinse, repeat memorization than Souls bosses (and the game is counting on you to use your Guardian Spirit to do a lot of the work, which I didn't figure how to use until the end of the game =). For the most part you can't just "git gud" and react and be successful, you have to KNOW their moves and tells already and play accordingly or you'll get one shotted (I don't think this is better BTW, because it's fun going toe to toe and figuring bosses out in real time, thinking on your feet). You could also try switching to DS controls and let your instincts work for you. At least that worked for me.

I made the mistake of pausing from Nioh on the final DLC stage and when I tried going back this week the controls felt like going to an alien planet with different physics.

 

[Aazealh]

Alright, I'm going to be the lamer who liked (almost) everything. Here are the titles I'm likely to buy at some point, listed in some vague and probably not very accurate order of excitement.

Resident Evil 2
Anthem
Cyberpunk 2077
Sekiro
Doom Eternal
The Last of Us Part II
Assassin's Creed Odyssey
Shadow of the Tomb Raider
Death Stranding
Ghost of Tsushima
Metro Exodus
Control
Ori 2
Rage 2
Prey & Wolfenstein 2 (yeah I haven't played these yet because Zenimax' lawsuit against Oculus annoyed me)

Also, it wasn't revealed at E3 proper, but I'm pretty pumped about Stormland (VR game for the Rift) and somewhat intrigued by Déraciné (PSVR game by From Software).

-Cyberpunk — Despite unsuccessfully developing any interest in any of the Witcher games, I'm very interested in this one, and it had an incredible trailer.

I could never get into the Witcher and strangely the trailer didn't really wow me, but the private demo they're showing is apparently mindblowing, so I'm hyped nevertheless.

 

[Ryouma]

In order of interest :

Sekiro :Shadows Die Twice
Death Stranding
Ghost of Tsushima
Resident Evil 2
Cyberpunk 2077
Control
The Last of Us Part II
Metro Exodus
Spiderman
Devil May Cry 5
Assassin's Creed Odyssey
Daemon X Machina
Babylon's Fall
Sable


The games i still waiting to get some kind of update. Probably hapenning during TGS for the first two and at the next PAXW in august for the others :

Aegis Rim : 13 sentinels
Left Alive
The Messenger
Cyber Shadow

 

[Victor]

I don't own a PS4, but I can gleefully say that all the games announced at this year's E3 that I'd like to play will also release on Steam.

Most interested in Sekiro:SDT, without question, because I'm a hardened Souls fan and as a consequence a FromSoftware fan. Even if I hadn't particularly liked the whole samurai thematic, I would've still owed it to myself to play it, but as it turns out, I actually really like it. Not a big enthusiast of historical Japanese military of the feudal period itself, but I like when that is given creative liberty. Many people had been joking around saying it's just Nioh 2 until Nioh 2 was actually announced , but that never really bothered me. I expect it to be its own thing, even if the general idea is not completely original.

Also, I'm glad this wasn't a sequel to Bloodborne. Seems to me like they're at their best when creating new things, but there's a prevalent phobia of change out there on the Internet. People seem to like stuff that already works and they're already comfortable with. . .nod to Griffith.
Overall, from the trailer it looked like they tried to swerve from the Souls formula and add new dimensions to this title. I have high hopes for it.

Cyberpunk 2077 - I'm surprised to see you guys couldn't get into the Witcher. I'm curious if you actually tried playing any of the games and it wouldn't stick, or if the theme simply couldn't stir your interest enough. For me it was the latter, but once I finally bought and played the Witcher 2 on a 1 euro sale, I became addicted. Right now I stand at over 500 hours in Witcher 3. It's probably my second favorite game series after Dark Souls.
That being said I can only stand in line for the new massive thing CDPR have been working on for so long. These guys have got a knack for making qualitative games.

Nioh 2 - Funny enough I never got around to playing the first one, but I will use this as an occasion to get into the franchise. I expect it to be fitting because of my afore mentioned liking of fictive samurai settings.

Lastly, Babylon’s Fall seemed interesting. Platinum games have a respectable catalogue, but I haven't played any of their games yet. The fact that there's close to no information about the type of game it's going to be is also why this is at the bottom of the list. I hope it's gonna be less like Bayonetta and more along the lines of Nier: Automata, in other words, more of an RPG than a hack and slash. I liked the aesthetic so I'll keep an eye on it.

Good idea on starting this topic. It was fun to actually think about what I liked most at E3 and why exactly and put it all together in a post,
Thanks

 

[Walter]

I'm surprised to see you guys couldn't get into the Witcher. I'm curious if you actually tried playing any of the games and it wouldn't stick, or if the theme simply couldn't stir your interest enough.

I played about 15-20h of Witcher 1 and about 5 of Witcher 2. The games seemed very preoccupied with demonstrating to me that they are set in a MATURE, DARK world, which, you know, manifests in the form of bearded, swearing fat men, and a sex-for-trading cards sidequest. I found the whole thing quite boring.

 

[Victor]

The games seem very preoccupied with convincing me that they are set in a MATURE, DARK world, which, you know, manifests in the form of bearded, swearing fat men, and a sex-for-trading cards sidequest. I found the whole thing quite boring.

I think that the whole "dark world of the Witcher" is pretty much the same thing as people saying how hard and unforgiving Dark Souls is, to the point that it becomes a flimsy marketing gimmick, and works to the detriment of the game more than anything. I would say the "genetically mutated monster slayer for a trade" is rather what prompted me to check out the games eventually, more than the premise of a mature, edgy world.

The first Witcher is pretty bland in terms of immersion, and often corny because of the poor animations and character models saying things that are in complete discord to the way they are portrayed. It's still a fun CRPG to go through, but I wouldn't play it more than once, so I understand why you dropped it, not a good place to start.

The Witcher 2 improved in pretty much every way from the original imo. The story telling especially got more captivating for me. It didn't strike me as trying too hard to seem dark and mature, or at least not to the extent of becoming obtrusive and annoying about it. The theme about the world being depraved and rooted in the reality of the time seemed to be placed in a self aware, and sometimes even self-mocking manner. It never felt like it tried to come out as tragic or serious, but rather tried to portray its variant of an ugly, immoral, egregious dark ages world (which at a very basic level manifests through sex, violence, foul talk and ignorance) combined with fantasy, making for a decent "dark fantasy" game world. For what it tried to be I think it did a good job, but I might be just personally more inclined towards those kinds of things.

Witcher 3 is yet again improved from 2, but if by now you're not impressed, it probably won't change your mind.

I would say that overall the tasteful moments in these series far outnumber the cheesy ones, especially as you go further into the games and while I wouldn't read the books, because there are probably better things to read in the time that would take, I think the story is enjoyable enough, and also distinctively Polish (which adds to the charm a little bit).

 

[Paul Charles]

Three games I'm most interested in:

Cyberpunk 2077 - As a big fan of Witcher franchise, especially third game, I cannot wait for new CDPR game. Trailer looks amazing and I've fell in love with futuristic setting. I like how they've show us Night City in daylight so we know what to expect during daytime.

The Elder Scrolls VI - I've cried when I saw teaser. It's so short yet so reassuring. I'm fanboy of Skyrim.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - Gamplay wise it's amazing and I cannot wait to test new parry abilities and exchange blows with enemies. I hope it's gonna surpass Souls in terms of combat mechanics.


Walter, I think you should give The Witcher 3 a chance, it's really amazing game. Much better than first or second Witcher game. I would even say that there is like 100 light years between their level of awesomeness and epicness.

 

[Johnstantine]

I enjoyed it for the most part. CP2077 is at the bottom of my list for now, though. I didn't care for Witcher 3, so I'm not going to give in to the hype for this.

Ghost of Tsushima is what I'm looking forward to the most:)

 

[Sareth]

The only games I was really hoping to be shown were Metroid Prime 4 and Bayonetta 3

 

[Cyrus Jong]

Cyberpunk 2077: A cyberpunk-themed RPG made by the guys behind The Witcher games. Sign me up!

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice: It's a From Software game with what appears to be similar mechanics to the Soulsborne games in a more feudal Japan-like setting (and which isn't Nioh). Course I'm likely gonna' get it.

Nioh 2: If the frst Nioh turns out to be good once I get around to playing it, there won't be much reason for me to ignore the sequel. I mean, it has similar mechanics to the Soulsborne games and is set in a more feudal Japan-like setting. Course I'm gonna...wait, didn't I say this before?

Devil May Cry 5: I'm skeptical, but Capcom appears to be on the upswing. This might be the long-awaited return to form for this series.

Resident Evil 2 Remake: Same as Evil May Cry 5.

Dying Light 2: I think the first one had some great ideas with its first-person parkour mechanics, but its execution was pretty flawed overall (fetch quests galore, padding to the extreme, combat that started off clunky as hell only to become stupidly easy, if tedious, stupid cliched story, and so on). Hopefully, they'll keep what worked and fix what didn't in the sequel. However, it seems the trailer decided to emphasize player choice and reactivity instead, and while that's by no means a bad thing, the whole concept of player choice gets thrown around so often and is always so underwhelming that I just don't buy it anymore.

The Last Of Us Part II: Maybe. I liked the first game just fine, but I can't help but think that with all the praise that was heaped upon it for its (utterly predictable) storytelling (with the most nonsensical zombies ever), that the sequel is going to get very pretentious.

I don't have a Switch, but I have to admit, Daemon X Machina looks friggin awesome!

I feel like Bethesda is publishing new games under every IP they own, even the relatively unpopular ones nobody asked for.

I think they're throwing everything they have at the wall and seeing what sticks in the hope that it'll distract everyone from realizing it'll be a long time before they see another Fall Elder Out Scrolls.

 

[Griffith]

Aaz liked everything!

https://youtu.be/wgB25WBeBxA

Seems to me like they're at their best when creating new things, but there's a prevalent phobia of change out there on the Internet. People seem to like stuff that already works and they're already comfortable with. . .nod to Griffith.
Overall, from the trailer it looked like they tried to swerve from the Souls formula and add new dimensions to this title. I have high hopes for it.

Personally, the Souls brand of epic dark fantasy just works especially well for me in general, familarity with the specifics aside (I'm writing this on the preeminent Berserk board after all =). So it's not just comfort other than I'm very comfortable with that genre. Of course, I also love Japanese storytelling in general and especially Samurai stories of course. But those to my liking tend to be more grounded in history with dramatic license. I guess the distinction is I have a predilection for Western fantasy but Eastern history, so Sekiro looks to occupy a strange place for me. Nioh kind of did both because it had actual historical figures as well as monsters based on established mythology and folklore, which is what made it work for me on a story level (the other story elements, plot, dialogue etc are otherwise terrible =). I guess I should have more faith From will create an effective and engrossing fantasy world, even if it's a kind I'm not usually into.

I think they're throwing everything they have at the wall and seeing what sticks in the hope that it'll distract everyone from realizing it'll be a long time before they see another Fall Elder Out Scrolls.

They're certainly throwing everything at the wall, but it seems that includes all manner of Fallout Scrolls too, just no telling if they'll be any good. I couldn't get into Skyrim, and though I played a lot of Fallout 4 little of it has stuck with me, so I'm not itching for more of those.

Speaking of which, Witcher 3, no matter how good it is, was just too much virtual talky talk at this point in my life. I'm done with that.

 

[Aazealh]

I'm surprised to see you guys couldn't get into the Witcher. I'm curious if you actually tried playing any of the games and it wouldn't stick, or if the theme simply couldn't stir your interest enough.

I played something like 5 hours of The Witcher 1. At some point there was a bunch of side quests to do and the main quest required to gather some stuff as well and I don't know, I just wasn't that interested. Haven't tried the sequels. Not dead set against it, just got enough games to play as it is and little time to do it.

 

[Victor]

I played something like 5 hours of The Witcher 1. At some point there was a bunch of side quests to do and the main quest required to gather some stuff as well and I don't know, I just wasn't that interested. Haven't tried the sequels. Not dead set against it, just got enough games to play as it is and little time to do it.

Yeah, as I mentioned in my lengthy reply to Walter, the first Witcher is not the best place to start, but if you're the kind of person who likes to try out new things from the very beginning then it can't be helped. I recommend the Witcher 2 when you find the time. It's a much better introduction to the series, and really cheap (2.99 on Steam right now and usually low price on GOG as well).

Thing is, if the whole premise of the Witcher universe doesn't interest you from what you've seen so far, chances you'll find the games captivating aren't high. Personally I remember watching the cinematic from the beginning of the first game on Youtube (when Geralt fights the Striga) and getting really intrigued about the whole idea of playing as a trained monster slayer for hire in a dark fantasy setting. The political schemes and the lack of black and white morality elements were decent, but not the driving factor for me. If none of these sound like something you'd enjoy, then it's a shame.

 

[Walter]

Bleac, I'd prefer not to make this thread about new and upcoming games into a thread litigating the merits of Geralt. So check your PMs where I've sent you a lengthy reply.

 

[Victor]

Bleac, I'd prefer not to make this thread about new and upcoming games into a thread litigating the merits of Geralt. So check your PMs where I've sent you a lengthy reply.

You're right, I got a bit carried away, sorry. I'll keep it relevant to E3 games over here.

 

[Biosh]

Hi ! it's my first post, nice to meet you all

The games i'm most interested in :

- Sekiro : Fromsoftware trying something else ? sign me up !

- Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden : A tactical adventure game with turn-based combat, story, exploration, stealth in a post apocalyptic world, it sounds really good to me.

- Ghost of Tsushima : Apparently Sucker Punch's vision is close to an Akira Kurosawa movie ? sign me up again !

- Cyberpunk 2077 : I really liked TW3 and i'm curious to see what they are going to do with this series.

 

[Cyrus Jong]

They're certainly throwing everything at the wall, but it seems that includes all manner of Fallout Scrolls too, just no telling if they'll be any good.

They are indeed throwing out more Fallout Scrolls stuff...in the form of endless Skyrim ports and another one of those lazy survival games that never get finished that's likely going to be made up of recycled Fallout 4 assets. I think on some level, Bethesda's aware they're in danger of falling into irrelevance. They used to be able to coast by with their big open worlds, but everyone makes those now, and they do so with better graphics, better animations, more onscreen characters, and considerably fewer loading screens. Bethesda's behind the times, relying on the same outdated technology and development techniques for almost 20 years that just won't cut it anymore, and if they want to do anything comparable to what Ubisoft shits out on a yearly basis, they pretty much have to start from zero. That's my theory for why Elder Scrolls VI: Fallout in Spaaaaaaace is taking so long, anyway.

Anyway, I finally got around to watching the Death Stranding trailer. That's a game that I've largely tuned out because the way the news has been drip-fed has been very eye-rolling. It was revealed...what? Two years ago? And we still barely know anything about it. Selling a game entirely on the basis that it's being made by Hideo Kojima always rubbed me the wrong way, and showing nothing but a bunch of pre-rendered "weird for the sake of weird" stuff didn't help matters. And while it's nice to finally see some actual gameplay footage, I can't say it looks all that captivating so far.

- Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden : A tactical adventure game with turn-based combat, story, exploration, stealth in a post apocalyptic world, it sounds really good to me.

Oooooh, that looks really cool. Definitely putting that on my radar.

 

[Griffith]

- Ghost of Tsushima : Apparently Sucker Punch's vision is close to an Akira Kurosawa movie ? sign me up again !

That game does look gorgeous, but whether it's "close to an Akira Kurosawa movie" remains to be seen. Pretty lofty expectation!

They are indeed throwing out more Fallout Scrolls stuff...in the form of endless Skyrim ports and another one of those lazy survival games that never get finished that's likely going to be made up of recycled Fallout 4 assets. I think on some level, Bethesda's aware they're in danger of falling into irrelevance. They used to be able to coast by with their big open worlds, but everyone makes those now, and they do so with better graphics, better animations, more onscreen characters, and considerably fewer loading screens. Bethesda's behind the times, relying on the same outdated technology and development techniques for almost 20 years that just won't cut it anymore, and if they want to do anything comparable to what Ubisoft shits out on a yearly basis, they pretty much have to start from zero. That's my theory for why Elder Scrolls VI: Fallout in Spaaaaaaace is taking so long, anyway.

Everything you say about their games and technique could be true, but Skyrim and Fallout 4 sold a gazillion units each, so I don't know that they're experiencing any consumer pressure other than, "Take our money again SOON!" Which they seem to be ready to do with this half-assed Fallout survival game ripoff.

Anyway, I finally got around to watching the Death Stranding trailer. That's a game that I've largely tuned out because the way the news has been drip-fed has been very eye-rolling. It was revealed...what? Two years ago? And we still barely know anything about it. Selling a game entirely on the basis that it's being made by Hideo Kojima always rubbed me the wrong way, and showing nothing but a bunch of pre-rendered "weird for the sake of weird" stuff didn't help matters. And while it's nice to finally see some actual gameplay footage, I can't say it looks all that captivating so far.

Tactical Ambulatory Operations! Cutting edge walking simulator; ooof, watch out for those loose toenails, gross! It does look like an upscale MGSV with all the enemies removed except for semi-invisible flying ones, apparently (BTW, it is a nasty twist to make the guys you're hiding from invisible =). I'm interested though, and don't mind them promoting it based on being a Kojima game alone because he's earned his reputation for better or worse (I mean, that last bit of the trailer with the flashing light on the embryonic space suit revealing the umbilical ghost monsters... you just don't see that every day =). I wish more game creators were regarded or carried themselves that way (basically like a film director or auteur, whether you buy what they're selling) and dared to be weird. Whatever Death Stranding is doing looks much more fresh and intriguing than another Samurai game. Anyway, there's something familiar about your acerbic grumbling... can't quite put my finger on it...

https://www.skullknight.net/forum/index.php?topic=15490.msg251356#msg251356

Oh yeah, you make me look like Mr. Brightside!

 

[Paul Charles]

Death Stranding trailer from E3 is nothing less than amazing, but I wonder how gameplay will look beside walking. Kojima said that fighting in this game isn't priority. It is intriguing indeed and somewhat good, because there are already too many action games based on combat.

 

[Victor]

Death Stranding trailer from E3 is nothing less than amazing, but I wonder how gameplay will look beside walking. Kojima said that fighting in this game isn't priority. It is intriguing indeed and somewhat good, because there are already too many action games based on combat.

The trailer successfully grabbed my interest, but what I really wanna know more than what is up with Death Stranding is why Kojima hasn't dropped video games and picked up cinematography yet. I know, not the first one to suggest this, jokingly or not, but this new game coming from him really had me wanting this to be a film rather than a game. I don't know if he plans to revolutionize gameplay or what, but if it's gonna end up being more of a cinematic experience type of game (never liked those), then it might as well be a damn film.

 

[Ryouma]

That game does look gorgeous, but whether it's "close to an Akira Kurosawa movie" remains to be seen. Pretty lofty expectation!

At least there's two clear reference to Kurosawa at the beginning of the demo :

1 - Seven Samurai : the flag appearing at the hilltop
2 - Sanjuro : the one shot kill (which is a well timed charge attack) when Jin face the Mongols

Can't wait to find other classic references such as Harakiri (Kobayashi), The Sword of Doom (Okamoto), 13 Assassins (1963 and 2010) ect.

 

[Walter]

At least there's two clear reference to Kurosawa at the beginning of the demo :

2 - Sanjuro : the one shot kill (which is a well timed charge attack) when Jin face the Mongols

I didn't know that that's directly attributable.

For those looking for more RE2, here's some in-game footage: https://youtu.be/DFykxpS7xVE?t=1m27s

 

[Griffith]

For those looking for more RE2, here's some in-game footage: https://youtu.be/DFykxpS7xVE?t=1m27s

Man that takes me back. It's crazy because unlike most games of its time that one's background environments were iconic and detailed enough to still be recognizable here, but it's relatively like they've come to life and you're really there... I don't know if I like that, or if I'll be able to play this with the lights off.

If they recreate this moment to that effect I'll jump out the window:

https://youtu.be/HSu1pxLGp-s