Sony and Microsoft Took Vastly Different Approaches To E3 This Year
Every year, E3 is an opportunity for publishers and the studios they represent to put their best foot forward, setting expectations for the year and years to come. The challenge is in how they go about that representation. The battle of press conference ideologies, therefore, comes down to what role they’re going to play.
Do you show a lot of stuff quickly or a little stuff for a long time? It’s not a cut and dry question, and I’m sure everyone watching has their preference one way or the other. At E3 this year, Microsoft and Sony sort of traded their traditional press conference roles. Microsoft showed off a whopping 50 games, but didn’t dive overly deep into too many of them, while Sony showed significantly fewer but gave us long, salivating looks at their major titles.
Destiny 2 Kills Cayde-6 in Forsaken Expansion Trailer
Destiny 2 fans got a brief and bleak look at the upcoming DLC expansion Forsaken. Opening on a bloody, beaten Cayde-6, the minute-and-a-half long trailer ends with the fan-favorite character lying dead as Prince Uldren stands over him.
Check out the trailer below:
The final shot of the trailer shows us a Guardian carrying Cayde, seemingly implying that vengeance for the Hunter Vanguard's death is central to the story. And it should be as well, considering just how significant the Exo, voiced by Nathan Fillion, is to the overall Destiny 2 experience.
FromSoftware Announces VR Game, Déraciné
FromSoftware has revealed a new PSVR exclusive game, Déraciné, described as a "brand new story adventure" that "brings Japan Studio, FromSoftware and director Hidetaka Miyazaki together " It's scheduled for a 2018 release.
The reveal trailer showed very little of a definitive game experience, but Sony has provided a description:
"As a spirit summoned by a young girl in a secluded boarding school, the player must prove its existence and build a unique bond with the students through clever interactions. As the mystery of the story unfolds, the spirit must use its ability to manipulate the forces of life and time to change the fate of the pupils."
Kingdom Hearts 3 Limited Edition PS4 Pro Announced
Square Enix announced a limited edition PS4 Pro themed after Kingdom Hearts 3. Revealed during the PlayStation E3 2018 press conference alongside the confirmation of a Pirates of the Caribbean world in KH3, Square Enix showcased the limited edition PS4 Pro.
KH3 PS4 Pro
Few other details were provided about the console or its availability, however. Square Enix also confirmed a PS4-exclusive bundle, which will bring together Kingdom Hearts 1.5 + 2.5, Kingdom Hearts 2.8: Final Chapter Prologue, and Kingdom Hearts 3, seemingly included with the limited edition PS4 Pro.
Marvel’s Spider-Man PS4 Shows Off New Villains, Gameplay Details
During Sony's E3 2018 press conference, Insomniac announced some new details on its upcoming Marvel's Spider-Man game for PlayStation 4.
During the gameplay demo, iconic Spider-Man villains Electro, Rhino, Scorpion, and Vulture appeared during a showdown at the RAFT prison facility.
After taking out a number of released inmates, Spidey dodged appearances from his super-powered enemies and pursued Electro in an intense chase through and around the prison.
It all culminated in a showdown on the roof of RAFT, as Spider-Man fought the four villains and Mr. Negative. Eventually overcome by the combined force, the gameplay demo ended with the tease of another character that was later revealed as a "mysterious sixth villain" on the PlayStation blog. While not confirmed, this could be a nod to the appearance of the Sinister Six in the game, and the mysterious sixth villain seems to be calling the shots.
New Death Stranding Trailer Shows Gameplay, Reveals Two New Cast Members
Lea Seydoux and Lindsay Wagner are part of the Death Stranding cast, a new gameplay trailer revealed at Sony's E3 2018 press conference.
The trailer began with a tease from the throat baby then transitioned into a conversation between Norman Reedus' character, Sam, and an unnamed woman. Sam was asked to work for her, but said he just made deliveries. He was then shown walking through various environments with a cart trailing behind him.
Sam was eventually shown with Lea Seydoux's character after the mysterious enemies appeared for the first time in the trailer. They made it out safely, but the second time he encountered the entities, Sam wasn't so lucky. Sam was shown sneaking past the enemies as the device on his shoulder went off and ended with him getting caught. A shot of Lindsay Wagner's character ended the trailer.
Nioh 2 Announced at Sony E3 Press Conference
Sony revealed Nioh 2, the sequel to Team Ninja's 2017 game.
A short cinematic trailer paired with the reveal, which came in between lengthy new looks at Death Stranding and Spider-Man.
IGN called Nioh "amazing" in its review, scoring the title with a 9.6 and saying it "is an epic, unforgettable adventure carried by a fierce combat system that cleverly balances style and strategy."
Rick and Morty Creator Reveals Trover Saves the Universe
Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland revealed Trover Saves the Universe, coming soon to PS4 and PSVR. This announcement came during Sony's E3 2018 press conference.
Trover Saves the Universe is coming early 2019. There aren't a whole lot of details about the gameplay, but the reveal trailer points to a 3D platformer with the same sense of humor you'd imagine from a co-creator of Rick and Morty.
The game's official website has a short description: "Wonderful. Your dogs have been dognapped by a beaked lunatic who stuffed them into his eye holes and is using their life essence to destroy the Universe. Does that make sense?" The following comic strip is the game's official press release.
Kingdom Hearts 3 Pirates of the Caribbean World Announced
In yet another reveal for Kingdom Hearts 3, a new look during the PlayStation E3 2018 conference confirmed a Pirates of the Caribbean world.
Pirates of the Caribbean first featured in the franchise in Kingdom Hearts 2. The new trailer featured ship-to-ship combat, likely a world specific gameplay mechanic much in the same way the Toy Story Giga robots will be.
Ahead of E3 2018, Square Enix finally confirmed Kingdom Hearts 3's release date, with a release planned for January 29, 2019. Following the release date announcement, Square Enix confirmed Kingdom Hearts 3 will feature a Frozen world. IGN also debuted exclusive Kingdom Hearts 3 direct feed gameplay, featuring the Toy Story world, Toy Box, as well as the Rock Titan fight from the Hercules world.
Remedy Entertainment’s Codename P7 Revealed as Control
Remedy Entertainment revealed Control, it's upcoming game, during Sony's live PlayStation E3 2018 conference.
While it was officially revealed during Sony's conference, Control is coming to Xbox One and PC in addition to PS4.
505 Games is publishing Control, entering into a publishing agreement with Remedy last year when it was known only by its code name, P7.
The "third-person action-adventure game" combines "Remedy’s trademark gunplay with supernatural abilities," set in "a unique and ever-changing world," according to Remedy.