My intentions for this blog are to improve/polish my writing skills while keeping my mind thinking critically. This will be my first time reviewing/posting about anything, much less games. I chose games because I LOVE them. Luckily, I am young and privilege enough that my days are spent improving myself and playing video games. To repeat the words of Tim Rogers from Kotaku.com: I WAS BORN STUPID, HOWEVER, I WILL NOT DIE HUNGRY. VIDEOGAMES FOREVER.
Author: firsttimegamereviewer
My intentions for this blog are to improve/polish my writing skills while keeping my mind thinking critically. This will be my first time reviewing/posting about anything, much less games. I chose games because I LOVE them. Luckily, I am young and privilege enough that my days are spent improving myself and playing video games.
To repeat the words of Tim Rogers from Kotaku.com: I WAS BORN STUPID, HOWEVER, I WILL NOT DIE HUNGRY. VIDEOGAMES FOREVER.
It has been almost four months since Covid-19 was declared a pandemic in the United States, forcing Americans to stay home and businesses to shutter. It has been a volatile few months, I must add. Protests, organized by conservative groups, broke out across several states on the social and economic impact of government imposed lockdown in effort to slow the spread of Covid-19, preventing the collapse of United States’ brittle for-profit healthcare system. Seemingly just as these protests quiet down, the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor by the hands of law enforcements reignited centuries of anger about the gross mistreatment of black and brown bodies in the United States. Since then, fireworks have flooded the skies of black and brown neighborhoods across the nation, while law enforcers drive by and watch.
It is truly a terrifying world we currently are living in. As human beings, there is only so much fighting, learning, teaching, that we can endure and carry out during a given time span, that is until we ultimately exhaust ourselves. This is true then, and especially true now. Given that, gamers still had to endure a few delays from video game publishers with the purpose of reserving space for voices that are in desperate need of being heard. After due time, however, we were given the escape that many of us were actively seeking.
The wait is no more!! Another generational console war between two fiercest rivals in recent time are officially on the way, with PlayStation finally revealing their launch titles a few weeks back.
Having completely demolished the Xbox One during the 8th console generation by over 60 million units sold, Sony is poise to maintain their superiority with its astonishing lineup of launch titles from PlayStation Studios, as we usher in the 9th generation. Before diving deeper of both consoles’ launch titles, it is worth looking at these companies’ business model in relation to their launches.
Sony stated in June that all revealed titles during the presentation will be made exclusive to the PS5, driving demand for the console off the roof. It has been well reported, however, that due to Covid-19’s impact on global supply chains, gamers may not only be facing a sky-high price tag imposed by Sony, but also a lack of availability of consoles at launch as well.
PS5’s new look: You’re either going to love it, or hate it.
Microsoft, going the more traditional route, decided that upcoming releases, within the first year or so, will be playable both on the new Xbox Series X and the old Xbox One, similar to the transition from the 360 to Xbox One. Why Microsoft decided to go this route remain to be seen, as this will surely dampen demands for the new console. Given rumors related to the PS5, however, this could be a strategic move on part of Microsoft to maintain a low production cost during this time of economic uncertainty until fairer market conditions appear. Ultimately, since both Sony and Xbox drives a majority of their profit via the games themselves, and not the consoles, it remains to be seen whether this move will help or hurt Microsoft in the upcoming generation. Having lost the most recent war and a lackluster portfolio of individually-owned studios in comparison to Playstation, Microsoft will have to rely heavily on its one definitive competitive advantage, that is backward compatibility, if it hopes to come out on top this time. It is yet clear whether Sony will accomplish their promise of bringing the top 100 playstation games to PS5 given their poor track record in this arena.
The Slick Tower that is the Xbox Series X.
It is without a doubt, however, that Sony blew Microsoft out of the water when it came to launch titles this generation. Bringing back beloved classic characters such as Sackboy, Rachet and Clank to introducing Miles Morales, and later announced Crash Banditcoot. My heart plunged from the excitement of the return of PlayStation’s mascots. My eyes pleased at the incredible processing speed and visually stunning results of Sony’s collection of individual developers, further illustrating the company’s reputation for quality products. It was truly a jaw dropping presentation.
Xbox Series X presentation lags behind in this regard, having only standout, Halo Infinite as the main launch title driver of the console’s sales. To make matter worse for Microsoft, games presented in the Xbox Series X presentation such as Assassin Creed’s Valhalla, Yakuza: Like A Dragon, Madden NFL 21, NBA 2k21, Rainbow Six Siege, Destiny 2, and Dirt 5 all noticed later that they will be available on the PS5 as well.
After reviewing the impact of both presentations with regards to individual launch titles and their impact on the video game community, it is undeniable that PlayStation has vaulted ahead of Microsoft in the first few minutes in this brand new generational race with the iconic return of their established mascots. That is not to say Xbox will lose the race. Master Chief is an icon, in and of himself and did single handedly beat down the PS3 for a generation after all.
While having never played the game, it is admittedly difficult to deny Minecraft’s global popularity. According to its own statistics, the game bolstered over 68 million total users (from roughly 400,000 to over 1,000,000 active users throughout a day), across 75+ different countries on over 11,000 servers. Many of which are nations without freedom of the press.
It was exactly this reason that Reporters Without Borders (RSF) partnered with Blockworks to create one of RSF boldest projects to date, The Uncensored Library. A project that aims to empower citizens living in countries without freedom of press by providing access to banned journalism through a loophole that is Minecraft.
As one of the world’s leading non-profit organization in the fight for freedom on information, the RSF was founded to answer one simple question. Posted on the organization’s website, under Presentation, states: “Freedom of expression and information will always be the world’s most important freedom. If journalists were not free to report the facts, denounce abuses, and alert the public, how would we resist the problem of children-soldiers, defend women’s rights, or preserve our environment?” It is this inherent power to speak up that exists in journalism that many world leaders are seeking to control or dilute.
Thus, The Uncensored Library project was born. Created by Blockworks, a U.K. based company with a mission to provide creative Minecraft solutions to their clients. Can’t comprehend with it is that they do? Don’t worry, I did not either. Here is a link to their portfolio and research behind the use of Minecraft as an educational tool.
Through this project, the RSF was able to deliver a platform for censored journalism into countries that are in fact ranking at the bottom of the organization’s World Press Freedom Index. Inside the library is a collection of independent reportings that were deemed as anti-state propagandas in countries such as Vietnam, Egypt, Iran, and the likes, republished inside Minecraft’s books. The result is honestly beyond the widest dream.
Image Credit: Reporters Without Borders
Imagine reading the most “forbidden” text in the safest, most elegant library there is. The Map and Presskit to The Uncensored Library is free to download on their home page, so go and give it a try, and sneakily tell your friends to check it out, especially if they are living in countries that are deemed without freedom of pres.
Last weekend, I decided to play Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana on a whim. Let me tell you, this might be the most slept on JRPG of 2019.
How should I describe Ys VIII? At its core, it is an action-focused, semi-open world, Japanese role playing game. In layman’s term, Ys VIII is comparable to an anime-draped over Monster Hunter World with an appealing story.
Similar to the 1951 film titled Lost Continent directed by Sam Newfield, the game’s plot surrounds a lost island, untouched by human, and inhabited by ancient species known as Primordials (basically dinosaurs). The story starts with the main protagonist, Adol Christin, on a massive boat. As a thrill seeking adventurer, Adol is setting on his eighth journey to explore all nooks and crannies from the Romun Empire to the Vortex of Canaan. Having forced to travel through the game’s own Bermuda Triangle, our protagonist’s boat was attacked by a mysterious sea monster, resulting in the ship ‘s destruction, and throwing all members overboard.
The rest of the story has you traversing the Isle of Seiren where Adol washed up, in search for surviving members of the Lombardia (the ship you were on), and discovering vital assets to surviving on this foreign island. Rather than settling on a linear path to disclose the game’s story, Falcom decided on a mechanic that has the player backtracking to unlock new areas in previous locations to progress the story.
Not gonna lie, I was taken back by this approach at first. As seen in many service-based games that are focused on action-based gameplay while neglecting the task of delivering a story, this mechanic allows the player to repeatedly gather at a main hub, to then set out to take on incrementally more challenging monsters. “Ugh, this is going to suck”, I thought to myself after my first hour. Much to my surprise, this mechanic went perfectly hand in hand with the game’s story delivery. As soon as I was fatigued from all the charting that Adol has to do, the game immediately rewards you with a raid (where you will have to return to the main hub) where I could save and pause to do something else, or dive directly deeper into the plot.
Trailer of Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA on launch day.
Where the game shines the brightest, however, is in its combination of fantastic story telling and Ys’s franchise-defining action gameplay. To play Ys VIII is like admiring and devouring a delicious flan. The swiftness in which all six playable characters move and fight is proportionate to the flan’s smooth, shiny and silky texture. The game’s story is analogous to the rich and golden caramel, enhancing each enticing bite into the gelatinous egg custard.
Simply put, Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana might be one of the best contemporary action-JRPG currently out on the market. The game’s combination of both story and gameplay delivers a satisfying, relax and yet challenging, roughly 40 hours of JRPG heaven. If you are a maddening JRPG fan as I am, you really are missing out by not having played this game.
Honestly, this was not the best way to start my Tuesday morning, but whatever. Square Enix took to Instagram to announce this morning that Final Fantasy VII: Remake, previously set to release on March of 2020, will now be coming out in April of 2020. The reason behind this delay? Square Enix stated in their post that the game will need further polishes in order to deliver to us the best of experiences.
FFVII: Remake Trailer at the Game Awards 2019
While this is bumming news as a fan of the series, I am relieved to hear that SE coders are receiving the time needed to finish the game, without having to devote their entire lives to the last few weeks of development. As a long time fan of JRPG and Square Enix specifically, I’ll say: “I’ve waited more than a decade for KH3, what is another month for FFVII: Remake. Bring it on!”
My friends are getting fed up with you. While they represent a select few, their complaints, however, resemble a growing concern within the community for each new successor to the Pokémon series. The franchise has been around for as long as millennials have and thus pains me to think that this endearing relationship may sour one day, if it hasn’t started to already.
Since the game’s release in November, I’ve begun a gradual build up of frustration by constantly having to defend why the newest edition of Pokémon is a good. Despite the Internet criticisms of “Dexit” and at times muddy and low resolution textures, Pokémon as a franchise has evolved significantly in Sword and Shield. Not only do Pokémons now physically appear in front of my avatar (something I’ve dreamed about since Red/Blue), the inclusion of raid dens from Pokémon Go has also allowed for a level of cooperation between players that this franchise has never experienced.
And while some are complaining about Sword’s and Shield’s numerous “game-breaking” glitches, I am heralding these exact glitches for eradicating barriers to entry into online competitive Pokémon battles. As a beginner to the competitive scene, I am thankful that Sword and Shield allow me to forgo traditional method of EV training through access to Poké jobs and raid dens time glitch. I am grateful that I am able to force spawn GMAX raid dens, rather than miserably and endlessly hoping for one to appear.
There is one vital factor, however, that is holding Sword and Shield back from achieving that “Game of the Year” title in the hearts of Millennials going forward (or even at the annual Game Award show). No, it has nothing to do with its game mechanics. In fact, Pokémon’s simple to grasp, yet difficult to master, multi-dimensional rock-paper-scissors formula is timeless. The franchise’s downfall has entirely to do with its roots as a Japanese Role Playing Game, more specifically, it has to do with the storyline of Pokémon games.
I understand that Pokémon is rated “E” for everyone. I understand that the franchise’s main driver of sales may no longer be the games themselves, but are in fact their plushies, t-shirts and other merchandises. As much as it pains me to admit, the games, animes and mangas are simply tools to achieve this mean. But to use the excuse that Pokémon is a game for children, thus we shouldn’t expect a rich and engaging story is inexcusable. To better understanding this argument, one simply need to look at Disney’s and Pixar’s formula of producing animate films. These inherently are entertainment for children (those of the same demographic that Nintendo is targeting), however, with capacity to engage older audiences. Big Hero Six, Frozen, Toy Story are all marvelous example of narratives directed at children, but are enjoyable, engaging and heart warming to all age groups. In my experience with the Sword and Shield, the game’s narrative felt inconsequential, lackadaisical, while a few aspect of the story just straight up needed to be flush out better. For example, why did Chairman Rose want the Galar region to be engulfed in light again? What happened to him after our protagonist spoiled his plan? How can the people of Galar still consider him to be a good guy after all that? Who are those spoiled-looking, white men that appeared in the post-game and why weren’t they introduced earlier in the game?
Many of these questions should have been answered before the release of this game. In Nintendo’s defense, they have done an amazing job with one of my favorite video game franchise of all time. To me, they have just gotten that much closer to that GOTY product. What is lacking is a well thought out, and heart warming story. A story that is capable of going head to head with the likes of FFVII, Chrono Trigger, or Dragon Quest XI. I believe that this is how Nintendo can maintain us millennials’ engagement in the coming future.
PS: maybe adding a variety of difficulty settings will help as well.
Nintendo and GameFreak have finally figured out how to release Pokémon, you guys!
With previous second releases of Pokémon games (such as Emerald, Crystal, Ultra Sun/Moon, etc.), this announcement has given us a breath of fresh air. We now have DLC for Pokémon. No longer will we have to restart our regional adventure to unlock added cosmetics, further story progression, or catch a couple of new legendary Pokémons. More personally, I will no longer feel cheated as I am playing Ultra Sun, or Black 2, all the while thinking back to how this should have been the release that is Sun or Black. This is oh so very exciting news.
In case you’ve missed it, Nintendo recently released a new Pokémon Direct, detailing the plans they’ve envisioned for the franchise in the upcoming year. Arranged to arrive in the form of a paid expansion pass, including both releases, in June of 2020 (Isle of Armor) and Fall of 2020 (Crown Tundra), players will be treated to two brand new areas of the Galar region to explore.
Along with a quick peek of a some added Pokémons, directors of Game Freak dove into the themes and concept designs of these two locales, revealing a sandy, battle focus area (Isle of Armor) and an icy, looks-to-be an upgraded Wild Area of the first one (Crown Tundra). Included in both expansions are additional storylines to partake, multiple new legendaries to capture, fresh challenges to overcome, and best of all, 200+ old and new Pokémon to collect.
2020 is honestly going to be the new “best year in gaming” for game releases.
Below you’ll be able to catch the trailer for Pokémon Sword and Shield’s recent Expansion Passes.
Despite any major innovations, Ghost Games’ decisions to stick by the classic Racing Game formula shines.
Need For Speed: Heat is currently all I can think about. While still early in the game, its simple loop of beating other racers to acquire prize money, which in turn is spend on better and faster cars, has grasped my attention few other games had so far. Seeing those cars’ overall rating improve is just oh so satisfying.
This gameplay mechanic might not work as well if it wasn’t for NFS: Heat’s extensive collection of modern day super machines, or the fact that I haven’t play a real racing game since Need For Speed: Undercover on PS2. With 127 cars to chose from, car fanatics world-wide are treated to all of today’s fastest street-legal horses. This aspect is boosted further through available customization options; allowing players to swap beefier engines onto existing cars, improving their overall performance or dramatically change a car’s look with body parts. That’s not all. You can also rev your engine to hear the different in sounds these changes make, adjust the noise your muffler produce, and even access an online library of community-made wraps. All of which helps me feel as if I actually do own a Porsche 911 Carrera S.
The game is well-paced and puts story progression into the players’ hands. In moments where I was overwhelmed by my opponents’ speed, the game ensured that there were always other events of lesser difficulty that I can grind the dollars necessary to purchase a new engine or a brand new ride. This much needed break in play allows my eyes to rest after an intense 5-heat level race and think about which new upgrades I want.
One issue I do have with NFS: Heat, however, is the game’s drifting events. No, my complain isn’t with regards to the game’s drifting mechanic, it has to do with how pretty I look while performing them. Having completed 4 drifting quests thus far with flying colors, my Corvette looks like its GPS is being rerouted repeatedly during these events, rather than actually smoothly gliding through corners. Maybe my setup is wrong, maybe I am giving up too much grip in order to boost my drift-ability. But then, am I not being incentivize to give up more grip for drifting capabilities right now? I feel that a bit of guidance from the game could be included by the developer here to help gamers make more informed decisions. Especially when the more I play, the more I am believing that maxing out a car’s drift and road combination is clearly unnecessary.
Overall, the game is fantastic. The developers nailed the feeling of blurriness when a driver hits top-speed, cars cannot accelerate as quickly uphill, and even slower if the car is adjusted for more downforce. You’ll feel the weight of your vehicle when it slams into the ground after a high jump, and you for sure will feel those cops’ breath down your neck when they are chasing you. If you are like me (i.e. haven’t play a racing game since the PS2 days) or others on the Internet that loves NFS and its available customizations, but are sick of microtransactions, Need For Speed: Heat is for you.
Gender inequality has long been an issue in the workplace. While measures have been taken to abate this problem across many working spheres of our society, one industry remained a safe haven for heterosexual, white, male to thrive. Unfortunately, that industry is one of many that I love dearly, the Video Game Industry. As video games metamorphose into the next biggest form of media consumption, it is worthwhile to look at the next generation of video game developers in an attempt to predict the future of gender representation in gaming.
With the implosion of video game live streaming over the past decade, the gaming industry has garnered a crescendo of attentions from the media, academics, and professionals, alongside millions of dollar in revenue. Just last year, League of Legends World Championship set a record of more than 200,000,000 viewers simultaneously. To put this into perspective, the best NBA Finals ever (the 2016 NBA Finals, where Lebron James led the Cavaliers to overcome a 3-1 deficit at the hands of the Warriors, ran by Splash Brothers, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, to present the city of Cleveland with its first championship in 52 years) only managed a measly 90,510,000 viewers within the last 5 minutes of the game2 (not even half the viewership count that League of Legends World Championship accomplished). The sport that is video game (called E-Sport) has gotten so large that its organizer can now shed out as much prize money as FIFA did for its 2019 Women’s World Cup. Don’t believe me? Check out this article in Wired magazine on how an aggregate of $ 30 million was distributed to winner and participants in Fortnite 2019 World Cup just a couple weeks ago2.
Arm with such statistics, anyone in their right mind will soon believe that videogames will take over as the most watched media platform in the market. Unfortunately, this industry is also criticized repeatedly for its male-centric and sexist views. These are well-deserved criticisms. The gaming industry has long gotten away with hyper-sexualizing women and other misogynistic practices, in the name of “creating an immersive experience” (which is really about consumers’ satisfaction than anything else. Take Fire Emblem: Three Houses, for example. Publicly released in late of July, Three Houses quickly became a household name while effortlessly doubled worldwide sales of the first two Fire Emblem: Fates combined4. Pulling from my own personal experience, I had not felt such enthusiasm bursting from within about a game since Persona 5 (which I played for the first time in 2017). While the game’s character interactions has improved under the wake of prominent sexual harassment accusations in the U.S., misogynistic undertone remained visible in a shared conversation between two young nobles, Sylvain and Lorenz, in which they both attempt to one up one another in game of “picking up” women. Even I was bothered as a heterosexual man during this exchange, much less other women. What’s worst? This is a game created by Intelligent System, a Japanese video game developer. Which means, this is not only a national crisis, but a global one. For those reasons, it is eminently vital that we take a look at the future of gaming, namely those that will be entering its workforce. Primarily, I will be asking the question of “what does the current demographic of undergraduate videogame developers say about the future of gaming as media?” Please keep in mind that all data were taken from Amber Settle’s “Demographics of undergraduates studying games in the United States: a comparison of computer science students and the general population” at DePaul University.
Amber’s study compared a population of undergraduate students whom are undergoing a postsecondary education from 4 major public and private universities (Bradley University, DePaul University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Southern Polytechnic State University) that are offering full-time video game programs to the population of computer science majors in the United States. Using answers from a survey that her team created, they were able to performed Chi-square test to determine whether the difference between observed and expected values were statistically significant. I have included a link to Settle’s study below if you wanted to check out her team’s methodology and discussion of limitations5.
According to Settle team’s result, when it comes to sex, men dominate the future of our gaming industry, by close to a 7:1 ratio. That’s not all. When it comes to gender, white, cis-gendered men dominate the industry. A whopping 87% of the responses checked heterosexual, with 71% of the entire sample being white. According to the study, this figure very much aligns with the current demographic of the gaming industry in specific, and the science and engineering (S&E) industry as a whole. In an industry dominated by such uniformity of gender and race, of course the inevitable end products will be filled their portrait of how “the world” works (that world being white, heterosexual, empowered world). Yikes, the future isn’t looking bright at all. Now, don’t get me wrong. It may seem as if I am racist against white people. That is not the case. I just hate people who refuse to evolve from their embryonic view of the world. To put it into context, I not only despise old, white men, whom ideologies are cemented in the 1970s, but also old, Asian men, whom ideologies are also fastened in the same time period.
It is at this part that I felt most troubled. How do we fix the gender power dynamic within the industry? How do we the repair the image of video game to incorporate women interest in gaming? Fortunately, there is an answer to the last question. While women may be underrepresented in video games overall, women have been avid gamers since its initiation in the early 1970s. With the rise of feminist and equality for all movements, the numbers of women gamers, streamers and YouTube personalities are ascending rapidly. It is exactly this proliferation in the number of female gamers that attracted developers to reevaluate their designs, in order to reach a larger audience. I remembered a time, where RPGs did not see a strong female lead, or one in which they were more than 50% clothed. I also remembered a time, when you cannot choose your sex in a game. While those remained on the shelves today, producers are starting to hearken to our becks and calls. Games with strong female leads such as Horizon Zero Dawn, remastered Tomb Raider, Child of Light and Celeste not only proved to be major contemporary successes, but also corroborated the fact that successful games don’t necessarily need to cater to the cis-male audiences. As game developers continue increase their focus on women gaming experiences, I believe we will spot more gender inclusive games (similar to Stardew Valley or Animal Crossing). This will set off a benevolent cycle of increases in women enthusiasm for gaming, which will lead to more women joining the industry, which will lead to more gender inclusive games, and the cycle repeats itself.
Now that we all have had time to digest everything that E3 (and Youtubers @ E3) threw our way, it is now time for me to attempt at writing a piece “objectively”. This style of writing, especially with regards to E3, is a paradox in and of itself. A definition of ‘objective’ from Lexico.com, powered by Oxford, is (of a person or their judgement) not influenced by personal feelings or opinions in considering and representing facts. To begin with, anytime that you have to state “of a person or their judgement”, it is always subjective. Plus, after all those E3 2019 conferences and live gameplays, and hours of marketers telling me why I should be hyped for their upcoming games, holy shit, of course I’m going to have opinions and personal feelings about them! It’s instinctive. But, you know, I’m still going to give it the old college try.
If you’ve had a chance to read my previously posts, you’ll know that this is the first E3 that I followed almost all in real-time (as in I had them in the background of my laptop while I was working or studying. I wish I was there.) Despite overwhelming opinions that E3 2019 was a transitional year, where developers are awaiting the release of the next generation of consoles, I completely AGREED, LOL. 7/10 (I honestly was going to give this E3 a 10/10, but after the analysis I presented below, I’d have lost all credibility. Not that I had any to begin with.)
Welcome to E3 2019’s Losers Club
MY GOD WERE THESE CONFERENCES DRAGGED OUT WAY LONGER THAN NECESSARY. And post-reactions from the internet only reaffirms the boredom I felt.
8. Electronic Arts (EA)
What EA has been known for in the last half-decade or so.
To start, Electronic Arts (EA) LOVES doing their own thing a few days before E3. You can say, however, that it is kind of a genius move. By doing so, they are able to take advantage of the hype surrounding E3 2019 and use it as free marketing. While they weren’t the first to present this year (as Stadia stole their annual E3 MO by staging their first Stadia Connect two days before EA’s livestream), this strategy was still definitely effective. Since EA has taken a lot of hits from gamers over the last half-decade due to their excessive incorporation of pay-to-win, micro-transaction gameplay, I was especially hyped for their show this year. Yes, I was excited for the next single player, adventure set in the Star Wars universe. But mostly, I was excited to see how EA were going to reimagine themselves as game developers, and how they are going to apologize to EA fans after years of disappointment (most notably, the company brought home Worst Company Of The Year “achievement” in 2012 and 2013 from The Consumerist.) Thank god they started out with Jedi: The Fallen Order (that was really the only game that I, and probably 97% of gamers floating in that live chat, cared about.) Many people weren’t too impressed with what they were shown. Me, I was blown away. I believe that this next Star Wars game will go down in history, alongside its predecessor Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic and The Force Unleashed, as one of the best, if not THE BEST, Star Wars game of all time. This could be the Star Wars:13/13 that we were promised, but never given. Mark my words (I will probably regret saying that too.) The next 2 hours and 40 something minutes was dreadful. I just did not care. Overall, I don’t think the games they presented were awful in any way. I mean it was the usual EA (i.e. Madden 20, FIFA 20) with the reintroduction of the Sims 4, I guess? Please let me know if people are still playing Sims 4, nowadays. Really, please. I need to know. Where was I, right. They brought 6 games to show. SIX, over the span of almost 3 hours … that’s just TOO long, EA. You’re not Nintendo, and even they had 22 games prepared and presented in under an hour. If you’re trying to pull a Nintendo, EA. You’re failing at it.
7. Ubisoft
I honestly wonder how an Assassin’s Creed Symphony will do, given that most successful video game symphonies tend to be Nintendo or Square Enix related (the theme here is Japanese composers, if you haven’t caught on).
Ubisoft showed off gameplay footage of the next Watch Dogs game, Watch Dogs: Legion. Unfortunately, I have yet to play Watch Dogs, and I’m probably not going to anytime soon. Don’t get me wrong, the prospect of being a hacker in modern day London is more than intriguing enough, I just simply don’t have enough time as a fan of (JRPG) games that are usually upwards of 100+ hours long. Then, they introduced a bunch of small add-on features for various games and like a gazillion different Tom Clancy’s games, which then got them this spot on my list (I care very little for shooters, but hey, at least I rated Ubi above EA.)
6. Bethesda
Bethesda was in FULL-APOLOGY MODE
Bethesda was in full apology mode this year, and it is totally understandable. After their massive buggy launch failure that is Fallout 76 in November 14th of 2018, these developers have been bending over backward to amend their reputation. Included in their hour and a half presentation were 4 different “together” and “thank you to the players” videos, which made for extremely cheesy, but totally laughable moments. Because when I think about it, when talking about Fallout 76, Bethesda kept reinforcing the fact that they have an amazing active player-base. Which got me thinking, who’s still playing Fallout 76? Either, Bethesda is exaggerating to make themselves look better, or my Fallout-enthusiast, close friend is just too ashamed to admit that he still plays Fallout 76. Either are hilarious, but the former is definitely more realistic than the later. Following Fallout 76 was the announcement that The Elder Scrolls: Blades was coming to the Switch. A game so poorly balanced (combined with repetitive gameplay mechanics) that I deleted off my phone within 48 hours, even though I had access to it months before any of my friends did (and trust me, I am someone who will not only brag about early access, which clearly I am still doing, but also take advantage of it to get ahead of my friends). Deleting an opportunity like that only equates to how poorly I thought of the game. Through all of this Bethesda nightmare, however, shines one the of brightest star of E3 2019, creative director of Ghost Wire:Tokyo, Ikumi Nakamura. Oh my god, not only was it refreshing to see a woman of color, who is directing the creative process of the game, but Ikumi was also extremely real, and energetic. A much needed boost to Bethesda’s overall conciliatory vibe. If you’re dying tomorrow, it is only more of a reason for you to click on that video below, and see her in action. She’s great.
I have to admit, Ghost Wire:Tokyo, while sounding fantastic, didn’t capture my attention. Ikumi, however, did. And I will be following this game from now on, just to support Ikumi. That’s right Bethesda, you did good here. Go, you.Phew, we’re finally here. Welcome, to the winners’ club!
Jesus christ, that was so depressing talking about those losers. They get more views apparently though. But wait no longer, because here is the reasons why I FUCKING LOVE E3 2019!
5. Stadia
Having already written quite a bit on Google’s next big thing, Stadia, when the first Connect aired, I will focus more about my thoughts on how competitive it might be, post E3 2019. Having watched their Connect video few days before the flock of E3 presenters, I was extremely curious to see whether Stadia had their footings in the upcoming games. Especially since they showcased Destiny 2, Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey (giving off a vibe that you could only play simply dated games), I was a little skeptical about how successful Stadia would be. Much to my surprise, they actually completed deals with developers of upcoming, late 2019, early 2020 games. (I know, I really should have seen that coming. I really need to rethink how much of a downer I am, sometimes.) According to 9to5google.com, alongside the 30 or so games that were shown during their Connect event, Square Enix new IP, Marvel’s Avengers will be joining Gods and Monsters on Stadia. Together with Borderlands 3, Just Dance 2020 and Watch Dogs: Legion, Stadia has definitely emerge from that fresh of the boat kid, to an up-and-coming young player in the gaming industry, that the three pillars of gaming (Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony) need to watch out for. The only reason that they are the “worst” winner of E3 2019 is sincerely because I have yet to see their technology function, on a large scale. The question of how long it will take for Stadia to function seamlessly, remain to be discover.
4. Microsoft
Microsoft’s performance at E3 2019, honestly, disappointed me. This was the only conference that I had a chance to watch with a friend of mine, who is also quite passionate about video games. As the screen turned black, he turned to me and said “I want them to impress me”. “Yeah,” I thought to myself. Sony opted out of E3 this year, for a no apparent reason. If there was ever a hint of doubt in my mind about Sony, Microsoft could cast it right here. I thought they’d had gone with a sure banger like Cyberpunk 2077 from the start, but The Outer Worlds intrigued me nonetheless. Unfortunately, following that was a game that reminded me of my certain distaste for Microsoft exclusive, Bleeding Edge. Now, it certainly looks like a good game. It’s just not my type of game. From the animation, to the fact that is a mixture of close-combat and battle royal just send chills up my spine. No, thank you. Another 15 goes by and OMG, WHERE IS CYBERPUNK 2077?! My patience was running thin. What triggered me even more is the lack of additional gameplay that we were given at Microsoft’s conference this year. I mean, COME ON. Yes, the footage you shown last year was 45 minutes long, but CD Projekt also went ahead to say that the game has changed drastically since that demo. Like cool, you got Keanu Reeves. I’m not sure how I’d feel about having Keanu in my ears, Joker to Batman in Batman: Arkham Knight style. The rest of the show was kind of average, with a few high points such as Elden Ring, and Tales of Arise. I wanted them to be better. While it would have taken a lot to shaken my belief in Sony, I still wanted Microsoft to sway me a little. And they just felt flat.
3. Square Enix
The Avengers. Square Enix’s newest IP, following “End Game” and the death of Thanos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
These guys are the real winners of E3 2019, in my opinion. But hey, I’m trying to be objective here, so I think this is a realistic spot for them. As a true fan boy of the Square Enix, I was easily amused when they started their show with Final Fantasy VII: Remake. A topic in which I have previously dove into so I will refrain from doing so here. I’m still drooling over Tifa guys. I mean, they even have an Ethics Department at Square Enix to make sure that Tifa’s chest isn’t unrealistic. Thank you, Square. I appreciate that. She’s even more bae now. But I had to stop dreaming at some point. Looking back, that was the only bright spot for me. KH3: Remind was alright. It was honestly hard to get too excited about this DLC with how little I know about it. And don’t even get me started on Square Enix’s Marvel The Avengers. Yes, the cinematic trailer was incredible. Why didn’t they show us more gameplay though? That made me feel like they had something to hide. And come on Square, I hate doubting you. Don’t let me doubt you. At least, it looks like you’re not going to mess up Final Fantasy VII. And for that, I thank you. Just please, don’t make me regret my words. It’d be heart breaking to stop loving you.
2. Nintendo
As I was watching this conference, a reality smacked me across my face. I am just not that big of a Nintendo fan. Yes, they had the best conference out of everyone else by far. Not only did they keep it short and sweet, they were also able to excited the crowds throughout the presentation. I could tell this was the best show this year because all of my friends loved it. And upon a second one, I would say that they were definitely the best. I’m happy that Japanese finally received the long awaited Luminary as a Smash Ultimate character. I’m excited for the new Fire Emblem game (truth be told, it looks relatively mediocre. But I’m a fan of the franchise so I’m still going to eat that shit up.) Other than that, I’m really excited for Animal Crossing. Now, I was never that much of an Animal Crossing fan. I, however, do have a friend now that will be “obsessive” about it when it arrives in 2020. I bet my experience of Animal Crossing will definitely change, and for that I’m really excited to dive into Animal Crossing.
1. Sony
Yes, they pulled out of E3 months in advance. Yet somehow, they still won. Really though, here’s why. First of all, if you look at the games that every other developers presented: Cyberpunk 2077 (coming to PlayStation), Watch Dogs: Legion (coming to PlayStation), Final Fantasy VII: Remake (coming to PlayStation), The Avengers (coming to Playstation). I could go on, but I think you’re seeing my drift. Free marketing! Also, I am weirdly confident that Tales of Arise and Elden Ring will be playable on PlayStation as well. The funniest thing is, only a week after E3, we are starting to hear from developers that the PlayStation is going to be slightly more powerful than Microsoft’s Xbox Scarlet. And Sony didn’t even have to present. Yes, they were very strategic and cautious in their decision to not attend E3 this year. Not only did we get the first ever State of Play, weeks before E3, Sony was only smart enough to release the specs of their consoles beforehand too. Well played, Sony. Now, bring PSX to New York City, pleaseeeeee.
As a gamer, I am shameful to admit that this is the first ever E3 in which I have followed religiously. I’m not in LA or anything, just watching all the conferences on time and did my best to catch up on most gameplays. On the bright side, it brings me tremendous joy to know that 2019 was my first REAL E3. For lack of a better word, GODDAMN IT, E3 2019 WAS AAAMMAAZING. And there are so many reasons why.
II. 3 Games That I’m Most Excited For
Since CD Projekt opted for show gameplay behind closed doors this year, this gameplay trailer from E3 2018 will have to do.
1. Cyberpunk 2077
This is the most hyped-about game of 2020, even more so than Final Fantasy VII: Remake, I’d say. To a certain degree, this hype is justifiable. It’s a brand new IP from CD Projekt, the same people that brought us Saints Row 2, and more notably, the Witcher series. Based on the same lore as its predecessor Cyberpunk 2020, CD Projekt is ready to once again rule over my every free and waking thoughts of the day. I’m honestly more hyped about it than I am for Final Fantasy VII: Remake.
Potential mashup from Western- and Eastern-culture RPG? I’m IN.
2. Elden Ring
World and lore from Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R.R. Martin?!? Gameplay and combat mechanics from FromSoftware?! Are you serious!? What is this?! The Golden Ratio!? I think my reaction speaks for itself.
I can’t believe that I’m seeing Tifa in 4K HDR.
3. Final Fantasy VII: Remake
I think I’ve spoken enough about my hype for this game in my Best In Show. So for this, I will leave you with two of my thoughts while watching Square Enix’s 2019 E3 conference. One, “Holy shit, if cross-slash looks this good on a giant scorpion robot, what is omi-slash going to look like on Sephiroth?!” Two, could we be potentially getting more content that will flush out FFVII in ways that the original never did? I cannot wait to find out.
First Time Game Reviewer 