Welcome to Hughes3D: A Gaming Blog, where the three D's stand for dice, d-pads, and design. Hughes3D is your portal for impressions and discussions on video games and board games, an exploration into game design, weekly web comics, and more.
E3 2018 has come and went, leaving behind a tremendous flux of emotions and expectations for the months and years to come. The most difficult emotion to deal with may in fact be the long wait that comes from these now known games on the distant horizon, just waiting to be experienced. Thankfully though, the abundance of trailers and gameplay shown off at this E3 should help ease the wait for these games near and far apart. For those who may have missed some of the spectacle of E3 or those who just want to take another look at these glorious games again, here are my Top 5 Highlights of E3 2018:
-WARNING: The trailers for Ghost of Tsushima and Cyberpunk 2077 contain mature themes and violent imagery. Parental discretion is advised before viewing these videos.
-1- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
When 20+ minutes of Nintendo's Direct is spent dedicated showcasing the new Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, you know the expectations are high for this ambitious series. Despite this incredibly lengthy focus on Smash, we astonishingly still know very little about the game, with there being no details on any sort of story mode, online, or any other mode for that matter. But two points were instead made notably clear: First, with the return of every fighter from the entire Smash series (60+ fighters), this game wants to appease all fans by leaving no one behind. And second, every character and facet in this game is being reexamined and tweaked; no stone left unturned. There was also the surprise announcement of Ridley as a newcomer to Smash, a fighter fans have been vocal to be added for years only to be consistently told such was not feasible. But somehow, they've made it work. All of this speaks to the developers' commitment to meeting expectations and delivering the most polished experience they're capable of. With that in mind, there's room for hopeful excitement that any other expectations for story modes or online play will be met. And with a launch date of December 7th, 2018, it's clear that this is to be the big holiday game for Nintendo, but also that they will take every day leading up to its release to ensure such is a complete and full experience for the fans.
Also, if you haven't noticed, the Smash site is once again up and running with regular updates and a healthy dose of hype. I heartily recommend checking out all the fighter videos and music samples to be found. Viewing / listening to all this content really drives home the clear affinity and passion these developers have for all of these wonderful franchises and games in general. And isn't that what E3 is all about? Enjoy this love and passion for games at https://www.smashbros.com/.
Just look at the stunning artwork for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - Everyone...Is...Here!
-2- Ghost of Tsushima
After the rough start to Sony's press conference, Sucker Punch was able to reel it back in by offering a first look at gameplay of their new open-world action-adventure samurai game, Ghost of Tsushima. The game follows the last samurai on the Tsushima island during the first Mongol invasion of Japan. While an interesting historical period to explore, I did not anticipate how beautiful and cinematic this live gameplay would be. Every shot of this experience encompassed such stunning imagery. And even the fights looked to be strategically staged in a way that would frame each encounter with incredible cinematography. Speaking of the combat, it relies on a fighting style of patience and carefully timed reactions typical of a samurai warrior, that looks to be incredibly refreshing way of play while keeping in line with the tone and aesthetic of the world. Every bit of this gameplay demonstration just showcased incredible polish and creative direction. The only disappointment is that there is yet to be any release date or even year for that matter, so this engrossing experience may be a ways yet to come.
The below trailer showcases the game with Japanese dialogue, but you can view the English version here if preferred for more context.
-3- Tetris Effect
From Tetsuya Mizuguchi and the creators of Lumines and Rez Infinite comes an unlikely new musical project into the world of Tetris, and what I believe to be perhaps the best trailer of E3. Your mileage of excitement may vary depending on your affinity for music games or Tetris, but you cannot deny the beauty that is found in the brilliant execution of this trailer. The amazing combination of music, visual effects, and narration recalling actual scientific studies of this game that all lead to the perfect delivery of this superbly fitting title: Tetris Effect. Who knew I'd be so incredibly excited for a Tetris game after its 30+ year history, if only to get lost in the entrancing visuals and incredible soundtrack.
-4- Cyberpunk 2077
From the developers of The Witcher series comes CD Projekt's first new game outside this fantasy universe, with Cyberpunk 2077. Set in a seedy sci-fi metropolis of Night City, California, players take control of a mercenary named "V" as they take odd jobs and explore this dystopian future. This is our first glance at this project since such was first seen back in 2013, and the lengthy development time sure looks to have paid off. The world-building and style on display in this trailer is nothing short of awe-inspiring and amazing to behold. And from what's been said of behind closed doors gameplay on the show floor, the actual gameplay is just as impressive. This game is supposedly a first-person shooter RPG with full character/class customization, open-world exploration, and various other player choice mechanics to dive into. Unfortunately there is no release date information to be had for this title either, but hopefully such won't be too much longer given its already thorough development time.
-5- Spider-Man
The upcoming Spider-Man game being developed by Insomniac Games continues to impress with each passing showcase. The combat looks to have that snappy feedback such as found in the Batman Arkham series, but combined with great interaction with the environment that feels so Spidey. And the action sequences found shown in this game look incredibly cinematic and thrilling affairs. But perhaps what impressed me most was the open-world gameplay footage shown after Sony's press conference. How magnificently rendered the city was and the freedom of swinging around New York, fighting whatever crimes you should happen to wander upon looked to be even more thrilling and amazing than anything else shown in this game. This looks to be the world's best sandbox for Spidey to play in, and thankfully we won't have to wait too much longer as this sees release September 7th of this year.
Honorable Mentions
Super Mario Party
One of the more fun and surprising announcements to be found in Nintendo's Direct this year was a new entry in the Mario Party series for the Nintendo Switch. Ditching the numbering system in its title, Super Mario Party looks to get back to the series roots in good old fashioned board game / mini-game fun. And the mini-games look delightfully silly at that, with pushy photo-bombs and Goombas riding little tricycles (despite having no hands). Although this entry looks to be getting back to its fundamentals, that isn't to say it's not afraid to try some new ideas. For instance, there are a handful of special mini-games that make use of combining multiple Switch screens / systems for some really clever and creative uses, the likes of which you'd see normally reserved for a WarioWare game. Also an interesting addition to the main board game mode, each character now has multiple dice to choose from: A standard 1-6 die and a special die specific to the character. These special die may have chances for bigger rolls, while containing other risks, such as 0's, 1's, or even losing coins. Get ready to ruin friendships once again in the delightful return of this classic party series, as Super Mario Party is poised to hit on October 5th of this year.
Sable
Last but not least, a smaller game that was only shown briefly during the XBox sizzle reel and PC Gaming show, Sable is a an exploration-focused adventure with one of the most gorgeous art styles I've seen in a game in a long, long time. It looks like a Japanese manga come to life, with gameplay vibes the likes of Journey meets Ico with a dash of Tatooine desert sci-fi aesthetics. It's mysterious, intriguing, and a game certainly worth keeping an eye on as development continues, set to release sometime next year.
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As noted last year, this is only but a small sampling of what E3 2018 had to offer. Are there any highlights or games I didn't cover that you feel are particularly deserving of mention? Did this year's E3 meet your expectations or fall short anywhere? Be sure to share and discuss in the comments below. If there's one thing I think is to be learned from this year's E3, it's that good games, be it always-online or lengthy single-player experiences, take plenty of time, passion, and support to make. With that in mind, make sure you consider the same with the time and support you give for the experiences you wish to see made. And with that, the hype train will now officially be put to rest again. Until next time, let us look starry-eyed into the future of these creative and thrilling adventures to come. And happy gaming!
Bonus: (Lyrics to "I'm Yours Forever" from the Tetris Effect trailer)
Every passing day the winds blow a little stronger
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