Just Cause 4 Has Physics Like You’ve Never Seen Before
Just Cause 4 reminds me of Tim Allen’s old standup act, where he’d complain about a power tool in his yard or garage not having enough power, and then the punchline would be, “So I rewired it” with that animalistic grunt for a chaser. Just Cause has always been a potent sandbox -- a power tool in its own right -- rife with possibility for players to wreak untold havoc and destruction. But Just Cause 4 doesn’t just offer more ways to wreck shop. Instead, developer Avalanche Studios rewired the whole damn thing.
And by that I mean they threw away their old game engine, which had been added on and upgraded to for years, and installed the bespoke APEX engine -- complete with physics-based rendering, actual wind, and a totally new animation system. And though I didn’t get to play it myself, I did see the team’s most recent build running in real-time on a PC, and it is no joke. When I sat down to see Just Cause 4, I expected more of the playground of destruction that the series is known for. But I honestly wasn’t expecting Avalanche to have taken it this far. There’s even a tornado! (More on that shortly.)
The Superhero-Like Mysteries In Captain Spirit
The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit is a game set in the Life Is Strange universe, taking place in a snowy town called Beaver Creek in eastern Oregon, 15 days before Christmas. It follows the story of a 10-year-old boy named Chris who either is a superhero or just truly believes he’s one - without finishing the game, I can’t tell you which is true. The demo I saw started out with Chris in his beautifully detailed bedroom, with comic books and action figures from those comic books strewn across the floor.
He’s actually playing with two action figures, fully narrating their fight in a childlike ‘character voice’, and, when he goes to put one of them in a spaceship, he lifts it up from his desk with his mind. That’s where my uncertainty arises, and the developers at Dontnod met me with nothing but silence when I asked, “Is he actually doing that, or is he just imagining it?” The first real interactivity in the cinematic Life Is Strange-style spin-off is when Chris starts drawing his inner hero, Captain Spirit. The game lets you choose between a helmet or a mask, heavy armor or light, and if you want the suit to be drawn plainly or colourfully, and then Chris signs it off as Captain Spirit and pins it to his wall, amongst myriad other drawings.
Cyberpunk 2077 Revealed During Microsoft Conference
CD Projekt Red gave us our first glimpse at the world of Cyberpunk 2077 during the Microsoft E3 2018 Xbox briefing. The game was shown running in-engine, showing off the world and the characters.
Developer CD Projekt RED is best known for its Witcher series. The Witcher 3 was released in May 2015 to critical and commercial acclaim, and went on to win our Game of the Year 2015 award.
After being announced in May 2012, CD Projekt RED went mostly quiet on Cyberpunk 2077 for years. But just recently, talk of the game bubbled back up, with the company's president hinting that we'll finally get to see the game in action at this year's E3.
Gears Tactics Revealed for PC
Gears Tactics, a realtime strategy game, was announced as a new addition to the Gears of War franchise at the E3 2018 Microsoft press conference.
The new title will be released on PC, the Coalition studio head Rod Ferguson revealed. In it, "you create a whole new squad in a completely different genre 12 years before the events of Gears of War 1 as they hunt the locust monster maker responsible for destroying whole cities.
"It's our take on the classic turn-based strategy genre with a character-driven story, faster, more aggressive gameplay and a customizable squad and equipment," he added, confirming Gears Tactics will also have "massive boss battles."
Gears Tactics is just one of three Gears of War games announced during the Microsoft conference. Additionally, Gears of War Pop was revealed, as well as the hotly anticipated Gears of War 5.
Gears 5 Announced
Gears 5 has been announced for Xbox One.
The Coalition revealed the game during Microsoft's Xbox E3 showcase. In Gears 5, you'll play as Kait Diaz, one of the key characters from Gears of War 4. Unlike prior entries in the franchise, it appears Microsoft has dropped "of War" for the series' fifth main entry.
Gears 5 will be released for Xbox One in 2019. The game will be available via Xbox Game Pass at launch.
This wasn't the only new Gears game announced during Microsoft's E3 showcase, as Gears Tactics and Gears Pop are also on the way.
Gears of War Pop Revealed
Gears Pop was revealed today during Microsoft's E3 2018 press conference. It will be a mobile game that combines the Gears of War with Funko Pops.
The Gears of War series made its debut on the Xbox 360 back in 2006. The most recent entry in the series, Gears of War 4, was released on Xbox One and PC back in October 2016. It has since went on to get a 4K update for the Xbox One X.
Gears of War 5's existence was outed back in May via a Walmart Canada online listing. More recently, Guardians of the Galaxy star Dave Bautista said that playing Marcus Fenix in a Gears of War movie would be a "dream role."
Just Cause 4 Officially Revealed
Just Cause 4 was officially revealed on the Microsoft stage at E3 2018. It will be released on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 on December 4, 2018 and is available for pre-order today.
Steam leaked Just Cause 4 earlier this month via a pre-purchase advertisement. The leak came a month after a major leak from Walmart Canada, which revealed Just Cause 4, Gears of War 5, Rage 2, Borderlands 3, and more.
Battletoads Revival Announced, Release Date Revealed
Microsoft revealed Battletoads is coming back in an all-new 2.5D game for Xbox One. The new Battletoads is scheduled to come out in March 2019.
Very little info was given during the E3 2018 Microsoft briefing, other than the acknowledgment of its existence and the release date.
Battletoads never really went away, appearing as playable characters in the Xbox One Killer Instinct as well as free Battletoads DLC in Shovel Knight.
The trailer hinted at hot new 2019 speeder bike action, but that may have just been a familiar hook upon which to hang the Battletoads news.
Dying Light 2 Announced, First Trailer Revealed
Microsoft announced Dying Light 2 at its E3 2018 press conferences.
The trailer for the new game from developer Techland promised, "Your choices, your world." That ties directly into a new feature unique to Dying Light 2, which was demoed by narrative designer, Chris Avellone.
"Dying Light 2 will be the first in its genre where your choices have genuine consequences in the game itself," Avellone said. "Everything in the game world can change based on your decisions."
"It allows you to carve out your own world," he added. "Each player's game experience will be unique."
The sequel to 2015's Dying Light will have a "fluid parkour system" and "tactical first-person melee combat." And of course, true to its name, Dying Light 2 will play into "terrifying nights when the infected emerge from the depths of the city to feed on anyone they can find."
Bandai Namco Reveals Jump Force
The Shonen Jump characters are coming back together once again in Jump Force, Bandai Namo revealed at Microsoft's E3 2018 press conference.
Jump Force is a Shonen Jump fighter that brings together characters from Dragon Ball Z, One Piece, and Naruto. Light from Death Note was teased in the debut trailer as well. The game will be released on the Xbox Store in 2019,
A slew of Shonen Jump characters last came together on consoles in J-Stars Victory VS+, a fighting game developed by Spike Chunsoft.
Bandai Namco is publishing several other anime games this year including New Gundam Breaker, Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker, Black Clover: Quartet Knights, and My Hero: One's Justice.