Ah, the Electronics Entertainment Expo, or E3 for short — that time of the year when the video game industry gathers to tell us all about the incredible games and projects it’s working on. From a Breath of the Wild sequel to Keanu Reeves taking the stage and calling us all “breathtaking,” this year’s E3 has been a whirlwind of stellar moments and exciting announcements.
Here are the games, consoles and other announcements that got our blood pumping at E3 2019:
Cyberpunk 2077
The biggest moment and the coolest game of E3 came courtesy of Polish developer CD Projekt Red’s first-person shooter RPG, Cyberpunk 2077. Set in Night City, California, Cyberpunk 2077 is an open world sandbox where players fight against evil mega-corporations using body augmentation. That’s cool, but CD Projekt Red delivered the best moment of E3 when it revealed Keanu Reeves is in the game.
“You’re breathtaking,” Reeves said, after taking the stage to reveal Cyberpunk 2077’s release date. “You’re all breathtaking.”
You can hang out in the dystopian future with Reeves starting April 16, 2020 on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
Project Scarlett
This isn’t a game, but it’s still huge news. Microsoft’s next Xbox console — which it’s calling “Project Scarlett” for now — is coming in the holiday season of 2020. The graphics look nice, but the team at Microsoft said it’s focusing more on performance for the next generation of consoles. Microsoft claims that means almost no loading times and high frame rates that’ll make games feel as good as they look.
Halo Infinite
A new console is pointless if there aren’t new games to play on it. Project Scarlett is launching with Halo Infinite, the latest installment in the ongoing adventures of Master Chief. The trailer is cut from in-game footage running on Project Scarlett. It didn’t show gameplay, but it’s safe to assume Infinite will feature Master Chief gunning down aliens from a first-person perspective.
Doom Eternal
Rip and tear through heaven and hell in Doom Eternal. The follow up to 2016’s reboot of the classic 90s first-person shooter, Doom Eternal lets players kill demons in extreme and entertaining ways. What more do you need to know?
Players can get their hands dirty with demon entrails on November 22, 2019 on PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Sequel
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was the best-selling Zelda game of all time. It makes sense then that Nintendo is working on a direct sequel, something it doesn’t often do for Zelda games. The trailer isn’t long and features Zelda and Link exploring a crypt and encountering the desiccated corpse of a princess who comes alive. Very creepy and very cool. Also clearly very early in development.
Death Stranding
Death Stranding is the first new IP in more than a decade from Hideo Kojima, the auteur video game developer behind the Metal Gear Solid franchise. It looks to have everything Kojima is known for — a nonsensical yet hypnotic story, breathtaking cinematics, and great game design. This time, however, a roster of incredible actors is delivering his dialogue. Death Stranding stars Norma Reedus, Mads Mikkelsen, Léa Seydoux, and Guillermo Del Toro in a third-person action game whose trailer begs more questions than it answers.
Find out what Death Stranding is all about on November 8, 2019.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Fans of Star Wars video games have had a bad run since publisher Electronic Arts took over the license a few years ago. Star Wars: Battlefront II was an alright shooter, but is mostly remembered as the game that introduced lawmakers and worried parents to lootboxes. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order looks like an attempt to win back the audience. Set after the events of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, players take control of Cal Kestis—played by Gotham’s Cameron Moaghan—as he learns the ways of the force and attempts to rebuild the Jedi Order. There are lightsaber battles, force powers, Stormtroopers, and the morally dubious resistance leader Saw Gerrera.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order comes to PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on November 15, 2019.
Wolfenstein: Youngblood
The Wolfenstein franchise proved that taking down Nazis can feel really good. Wolfenstein: Youngblood, the third installment in the modern incarnation of the first-person shooter series, is all about killing Nazis with a friend. Series hero BJ Blazkowicz is lost in Nazi-occupied Paris, and it’s up to his daughters to track down their dad, even if they have to shoot through the entire Third Reich to do it.
Players can team up with a friend to rid France of Nazis on July 26, 2019 on PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch.
Elden Ring
Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin has been busy since the most popular television show of all time launched. In addition to writing his iconic book series, he’s helped Japanese video game developer FromSoftware create Elden Ring, an action RPG set in a world Martin developed. FromSoftware is famous for its notoriously difficult and rewarding cult classic Dark Souls series. The combination of Martin’s imagination and FromSoftware’s excellent design make Elden Ring a game to watch out for.
The Outer Worlds
The Outer Worlds is basically Fallout in space. Obsidian, the developers behind Fallout: New Vegas, are experts at creating bizarre science fiction worlds. The Outer Worlds trades the post-apocalypse for a brighter future where humans have colonized the stars. The only problem is that huge corporations run those colonies. Enter the player, who — in classic RPG style — can become a hero, villain, or sociopath. Like Fallout, The Outer Worlds is a first-person RPG.
The Outer Worlds comes to PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on October 25, 2019.
Watch Dogs: Legion
Watch Dogs: Legion is a third-person action game set in a post-Brexit London. According to the trailer, extremism is on the rise, the government’s abandoned all hope, and cops are brutalizing citizens. The player works with DedSec, a hacker collective recruiting people to fight the powers that be. In previous Watch Dogs games, players could hack anything and snoop through people’s phones for private information. Legion continues the trend, but allows players to recruit anyone from young punks to retired grandmothers to the cause. Go anywhere, hack anything, and recruit anyone.
Players can build the resistance on March 6, 2020 on the PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.
Marvel’s Avengers: A-Day
The Marvel Cinematic Universe dominates the box office, but has been largely absent from video games. Publisher Square Enix is changing all that with Marvel’s Avengers: A-Day, a third-person action game where players take control of Thor, Black Widow, Hulk, Iron Man, and Captain America. Marvel’s Avengers: A-Day promises an original story and an online mode that lets players team up with friends and fight through comic book scenarios together.
The Avengers assemble on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on May 15, 2020.
Final Fantasy VII Remake
Released in 1997, Final Fantasy VII is a beloved game that introduced millions of fans to RPGs. It had it all: incredible music, compelling characters, and a fully realized 3D world. More than 20 years later, publisher Square Enix is giving Cloud, Sephiroth, and Aerith a complete makeover it hopes will appeal to nostalgic fans and curious newcomers alike. More than just a remaster, Final Fantasy VII Remake includes entirely new graphics, voice acting, and a completely reworked combat system.
Fans cam jump back into Midgar on the Playstation 4 on March 3, 2020.
Google Stadia
Google is diving into the video game business with Stadia, an online platform it claims will let gamers stream the newest titles in 4K using their home internet connection. The basic package costs $129 and comes with a Chromecast-style receiver and a Stadia controller. The catch is players have to pay a monthly $9.99 for 4K and surround sound. Meanwhile, some games come with the subscription, while others have to be purchased individually.
Google Stadia launches in November.
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