E3 2019 - Top 5 Highlights

E3 2019 has made its splash with a wave of cinematic CG trailers and many fan dreams come to fruition.  And now as this highly rendered crescendo rides back down to a relative calm, we are left in a dazed stupor anxiously awaiting these new experiences and wondering just how we'll make time for the tsunami of games to come.  As can understandably be expected from such a flurry of announcements in such a short time span, it can be easy to miss or overlook quite a few of these many, many games.  So for those who may have been missed some of the spectacle or just want to get swept away again, here are my Top 5 Highlights of E3 2019:

-1- Breath of the Wild Sequel

Some dared to hope that a glimpse of the next installment in the Zelda series might be shown, but even so it seemed like a fantastical dream.  Lucky for us, Nintendo hasn't been resting on their laurels and ended not only their Direct, but really E3 in all on the perfect note with a brief tease at what is to be a direct sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.  And though this trailer is only little more than one minute, it so masterfully sets the tone for a much darker adventure to unfold and leaves plenty food for thought.  What is this mysterious spirit hand that is pinning down this ominous corpse?  Is this corpse Ganon to which the incantation is trying to suppress the release of calamity and malice, or is it doing just the opposite and performing some dark resurrection?  What has called our heroes to explore the supposed catacombs of Hyrule, and just what is happening to the castle come the end of the trailer rising in a bellow of smoke?  Will this spiritual hand play an important role into Link's new abilities in this game as it seems to get absorbed into his hand?  Will Zelda serve a more active role with her new short and sporty hairdo, perhaps as the main protagonist this time or maybe even a cooperative adventure?

There is so much to wonder and consider how this adventure will shape out still, but hopefully the wait won't be too much longer now if they were confident enough to show it off as is now.  We now know it's reusing much of the groundwork as developed in the original which should aid greatly with development time, so with any luck this could be a Holiday 2020 title or else see release in 2021.  Either case, the build-up of gameplay and cinematic trailers leading up to the original Breath of the Wild were some of the best trailers I've ever seen in all of gaming.  So I'm so pumped that they've elected to start doing the same with its sequel here and can't wait to see it develop into what will assuredly be another thrilling, if not very creepy masterpiece once again.

-2- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC

While my Smash Predictions are proving rather accurate thus far (don't worry, I'm sure it will fall apart soon enough), it doesn't belittle the surprise and delight in how these TWO characters for the upcoming Fighter's Pass DLC were revealed.  The Nintendo Direct opened in spectacular fashion with the reveal of the Hero from the Dragon Quest series.  Which hero you ask?  Well, I should say heroes as you can play as the hero from Dragon Quest 3, 4, 7 and 11, each as different skins.  As such, they all share the same moveset, which as predicted is an interesting blend of sword and magical attacks.  But what really sold this character's fighting style is they can pull up a classic RPG style move select to switch between various magical skills, which should really give this fighter some interesting versatility.

Wrapping up the near-conclusion of this Nintendo Direct gave us what was perhaps the most perfect reveal yet for a most desired Smash newcomer, Banjo-Kazooie.  Using the exact same setup and gag as the King K. Rool reveal, viewers wait in eager anticipation, knowing they are going to be mocked, but unable to contain their excitement all the same.  And as the goofy duo finally announce themselves, seeing the likes of their Rare comrades shout and cheer in proud joy, it truly brought a jubilant tear to my eye.  Their moveset is every bit as silly and perfect as imagined, while Spiral Mountain looks more beautiful than ever could be anticipated.  While this sadly didn't come with any news or announcement of new Banjo-Kazooie games / ports, I sincerely hope it revitalizes interest in this beloved franchise, and I just can't wait to main this character and pick up their inevitable Amiibo.

-3- Final Fantasy VII Remake

The Final Fantasy VII Remake looks every bit as fantastical and epic as our child-like minds imagined in our heads as we played over 20 years ago.  But this is much more than a pretty face-lift.  Both the world and gameplay are being built from the ground up to allow for a more engaging and compelling experience.  The combat has the cinematic flair of a modern action-RPG, but still carries the considered respect of tactical, turn-based action as players can slow down time to perform special attacks.  And each character is given more considered use as their attacks and skills are needed to tackle specific enemies / obstacles, an example being enemies that fly need to be shot down by Barret's machine gun as they're out of reach of Cloud's sword attacks.

For those eager to jump into this much dreamed fantasy of a remake, the good news is that the first part is due to release next year, March 3rd, 2020.  What's crazy is this is more than likely just the beginning portions that is Midgar in the game, which has somehow blown up into a full game all its own, encompassing 2 Blu-ray discs (that's anywhere from 50-100GB).  If they are treating these as separate games rather than an episodic format, it will be curious to see how game data / decisions carry over, if at all between experiences.  Whatever the case, we'll be getting a taste soon enough.  Let's just hope it's able to tide us over for what will likely be another long wait for part two to surface.

-4- Collection of Mana

When the Mana Collection released in Japan back in 2017, fans were hopeful such would eventually come west.  The main reason for that hope and main hurdle / challenge of such was for one game included in this 3-game collection - Seiken Densetsu 3, aka the sequel to the now cult classic Secret of Mana.  This game was released only in Japan back in 1995, but was never translated / brought over west.  It seemed we might need to wait yet again when such was not announced at Square's press conference, but much to everyone's happy surprise, it was officially announced to finally hit western shores during the Nintendo Direct.  And not only that, it was immediately available for download on the eShop.  Talk about a wave of emotions.

For fans of physical editions, there is a limited run being produced set to release in August of this collection.  Make sure to pre-order sooner than later if at all interested!

-5- Animal Crossing: New Horizons

The next installment in the Animal Crossing series is titled New Horizons, dropping players onto an uninhabited island in which to fully develop and customize as they see fit.  At a glance, it may look very much like the familiar and chill Animal Crossing experience, which is not at all a bad thing.  But there is much more to be appreciated looking at some of the finer details within this trailer.  The added variety and animation to all the foliage.  Pole-vaulting rivers in a single bound (good-bye weeks of waiting for bridges to be built).  The freedom and ease of placing furniture and/or paths absolutely anywhere.  The variety of home styles and structures.  There's a lot to be excited for here, and of course a lot to be curious about.  How will new villagers come to your island?  Where will you shop and get goods outside of crafting?  How will I get my fix of Saturday night K.K. Slider concerts?  We'll just have to wait and see.  The game did receive a small delay into March 20th, 2020.  But at the price for a more polished and joyous experience such as this, I'm more than willing to give them all the time they need.

Honorable Mentions

Pokemon Sword & Shield

Technically more shown in a separate Pokemon Direct on June 5th, Pokemon Sword & Shield has made a big enough splash and is close enough to E3 that it deserves some notable attention and a well-deserved honorable mention here.  While it may not be as big a leap players may have envisioned jumping onto a console system, the games still look quite impressive and a big step up from their handheld counterparts.  The most exciting new aspect has got to be the addition of what they call "Wild Areas", which offer up a taste of an open-world Pokemon experience we have all dreamed of for oh so many years now.  Players can wander about with free-camera controls and witness Pokemon wandering around as well, many of which will appear dependent upon certain weather and other conditions.  There are also raid battles, which seem like an interesting addition for some more cooperative play.  Sadly, they also try to shoehorn another gimmicky addition called Dynamax which makes Pokemon giant, but it just seems like a more boring and lazy take on Mega Evolutions (which no one really liked to begin with).  All in all though, I'm left with a more favorable impression than before and am much more intrigued at the prospects of this new Pokemon adventure for Switch.

12 Minutes

There are loads of interesting indie games I'd love to also highlight, such as RPG Time: The Legend of Wright, Baldo, Carrion, The Way to the Woods, Spiritfarer and Ori & the Will of the Wisps.  But I'm giving this last honorable mention to a little indie game called 12 Minutes for its unique premise that offers both captivating new gameplay possibilities and riveting means of storytelling.  The game takes place in a small apartment dwelling with a young couple in imminent danger as an assailant comes bearing dark claims of your significant other.  What propels this mysterious narrative and game forward is that these events are set to repeat every 12 minutes, but your character retains memory of everything that just occurred.  With this knowledge, players are driven to replay these events, find different outcomes, uncover hidden truths, and discover the means in which to break this loop.  The game is described as "an interactive narrative that blends the dream-like tension of The Shining with the claustrophobia of Rear Window and the fragmented structure of Memento".  Sold.

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As always should be noted each E3, this is only but a small sampling of what E3 2019 had to offer.  Are there any highlights or games I didn't cover that you feel are particularly deserving of mention?  Was this E3 able to retain its fervor and excitement despite certain noticeable absences in attendance?  Be sure to share and discuss in the comments below.  And with that, we will put the hype train to rest once again.  Until next time, let us brace ourselves for the many wondrous experiences coming our way.  And happy gaming!