Microsoft are definitely in the underdog position for this generation. They’ve had multiple big titles being cancelled or delayed or just not well received enough. Weirdly, in spite of how they started this generation, their backwards compatibility and console features have turned into their saving grace. But what do we expect them to be focussing on for the E3 2018 Conference? What are our Microsoft E3 Predictions?
EA now has a huge uphill battle in the minds of the general audience and media following the Battlefront 2 Microtransaction Brouhaha. What do we expect for them to bring to the Table for E3 2018? What are our E3 EA Predictions?
On a boat, off the coast of Dubrovnik, there is an alien. First contact for humanity is beginning. It’s up to the player to decide what happens next. The newest game from Bithell Games is a more complex and interesting Text Adventure than you initially might think.
Frostpunk is a narratively driven city simulator from 11 Bit Studios, previously best known for This War of Mine. It’s set in a steampunk universe where the world has suffered a snow and ice based apocalypse. It requires a player to manage resource gathering, advancing the story by exploring the frozen world and balancing the discontent or hope of their society through laws and policies as they try to survive in a frozen wasteland.
Four Heroes. Around a thousand enemies. One of the most satisfying co-operative experiences of the year. Vermintide 2 is a blast of a game.
What Remains of Edith Finch is now the bar set for all Interactive Dramas going forwards. It’s a compelling anthology of little narratives that build up to much more than the sum of it’s parts.
Space Marine always stands out as an amazing example of capturing the feel of a universe through adaptation. It’s an exercise in showing how understanding a property can lead to a great game.
Life is Strange: Before the Storm is a fascinating adventure game that navigates themes of Grief, Teenage Friendship and finding your place in a changing world, all with the signature charm and attitude that’s come to be known of Life is Strange.
PUBG as a game shouldn’t work. It’s a multiplayer only game that requires around 100 players for a match. It looks bland as white rice. There’s fundamentally no narrative, no story. To start a game is to commit to a single 30 minute time sink where 99 players are going to lose. This game should have empty servers, critical panning and a bunch of postmortems to dissect exactly how bad of an idea it is. Yet it’s easily one of the most engrossing games I’ve played in a long time. Somehow PUBG is a highly compelling game that’s sucked up most of my year.
Shadow of War is a game that demands the player’s attention. It is brash and loud, hurrying the player along a path of constant engagement Not a moment goes by without a prompt or an icon or a mission or an encounter with enemies. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, I’ve had a great deal of fun playing, but it is utterly exhausting.
